LD pressing/mastering equipment

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

In article
<aff545a25d7c63313e1a96093305564e@localhost.talkaboutvideo.com>,
half_eaten <half_eaten@nospam.yahoo.com> wrote:

>I've been wondering, is it still possible to acquire LD pressing
>machines and all other necessary equipment to make the things?
>It's not like I'm planning on getting this stuff, but I'm
>curious.

>What do those things run price-wise anyway? $20,000 or so?

ISTR that it was well into 8 figures to set up a plant. Cheaper
than those for CD which could be in 9 figure range.

I have a friend who used to pre-master and had a lot manufactured
for his clients, and I'll try to remember to check with him to see
if he knows. I suspect he would as he really used a lot of
high-end equipment and knew the entire process from end to end.

He paid about $300,000 for his Rank Cinetel - and the first thing he did
was completely dis-assemble it to make sure it was set up correctly
and found a thumbprint on one of the front surface mirrors.
Needless to say he thought that was inexcuseable for a rare piece
of equipment like that.

I remember one comment he mad was that he stopped watching the
outupt of the Rank and only watched the videotape output [mostly
onto 1" C-type in those days] because it was discouraging to see
the quality loss on tape compared to the original.


--
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

buy my panasonic tq3031f laserdisc recorder, and you've got it all. it has
stereo inputs, TBC, dubbing features, but is WORM [write once, read many]
and takes CAV magazines that give you 30 minutes on each side. military
surplus, the only problem is a button stuck on the front panel, but its
function is duplicated on the wired remote. $395 postpaid anywhere in the
continental US-- it weighs close to 100 pounds, so I'll crate and UPS it
accordingly.

paypal welcome, reference upon request, $325 for pick-up in the boston area.
forget spending $20,000-- save that for your editing studio.
"half_eaten" <half_eaten@nospam.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:aff545a25d7c63313e1a96093305564e@localhost.talkaboutvideo.com...
> I've been wondering, is it still possible to acquire LD pressing machines
> and all other necessary equipment to make the things? It's not like I'm
> planning on getting this stuff, but I'm curious.
>
> What do those things run price-wise anyway? $20,000 or so?
>
> -Mike
>

Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

"shower_urinator" <shower_urinator@lycos.com> wrote in message
news:1110684784.697356.299720@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
> douglas pratt wrote:
>> buy my panasonic tq3031f laserdisc recorder, and you've got it all.
> it has
>> stereo inputs, TBC, dubbing features, but is WORM [write once, read
> many]
>> and takes CAV magazines
>
> Where would one find blank media for such a device? The media is
> proprietary to the recorder and can not be used in a standard laserdisc
> player. The machine is worthless if you can't find blank media and
> can't share it with standard laserdisc players. Wouldn't it be more
> practical to spend the money on a stand alone DVD recorder?

I liken a Laserdisc recorder to a Looney Toons cartoon that I saw once.
There are many people outside a talent agent's office who want to become the
next big thing in entertainment and there is this wolf who keeps rushing in
saying that he has the greatest act on earth. He is finally given a chance
to show his stuff, so the wolf drinks many different things that are
explosive (can't remember what they are atm), then he lights a match,
swallows it and he explodes. The manager says that's the greatest act he's
ever seen, then the wolf appears as a ghost and says "Yeah, the only problem
is that I can only do it once". Get it?

In the case of your Laserdisc recorder, there wouldn't be that many blanks
left in the world, so if you wanted to record one then you would want to
make it a public event that many people could watch this wonder-machine in
action and be fascinated by how something so ancient could do something as
amazing as create a working 12" oversized CD that plays video.

I have a whole box of blank laserdiscs, just need to find a recorder.