kevin@voder.UUCP (The Last Bugfighter) (02/14/86)
I have a question about Pioneer's CLD-900 Laser Disc/Compact Disc player.
Is this player capable of playing the new digital audio on some laser discs
only because it has the CD circuitry in it, or is there a possibility of
seeing a laser disc only version that can also play the digital track?
I'm interested in a laser disc player but am NOT interested in a Laser/CD
combination unit, 1) because of it's considerably higher price, and 2) I don't
want to have to have my TV on constantly just to read the CD information, i.e.
track, time, track length, etc.
Any info would be appreciated.
---
Kevin Thompson {ucbvax,ihnp4!nsc}!voder!kevin
"It's a sort of threat, you see. I've never been very good at them
myself but I'm told they can be very effective."speaker@ttidcb.UUCP (Kenneth Speaker) (02/17/86)
In article <1028@voder.UUCP> kevin@voder.UUCP (The Last Bugfighter) writes: > > I have a question about Pioneer's CLD-900 Laser Disc/Compact Disc player. >Is this player capable of playing the new digital audio on some laser discs >only because it has the CD circuitry in it, or is there a possibility of >seeing a laser disc only version that can also play the digital track? > I'm interested in a laser disc player but am NOT interested in a Laser/CD >combination unit, 1) because of it's considerably higher price, and 2) I don't >want to have to have my TV on constantly just to read the CD information, i.e. >track, time, track length, etc. > Any info would be appreciated. > Technically it is quite feasible. In fact, I personally think Pioneer went crazy building the combo. The circuitry for CD playback is probably VERY cheap no (a small handfull of chips). In the CLD-900, they had to add a second drive motor and spindle, plus mechanical brou-ha-ha to move the correct drive motor/spindle into position to play whatever you placed into the machine, etc. The marketing idea was that you (the buyer) could get a video disk player AND a CD player for less than the cost of two individual units. This, of course, was when CD players cost $650 and beyond. It simply is not true any longer. Will you ever see a non-combo digital laser disc player? I suspect yes for the following reason. Eventually a new "high-end" player will be needed. At that time the faulty assumption vis-a-vis the relative cost of 1 vs. 2 will be recognized as invalid. The size of the combo unit is HUGH because of the need of the two motors and the changing mechanics. HOWEVER, don't look for it soon. LaserVision IS selling, and at an ever increasing rate. But there are still less than 500,000 units out there. It will be a while (2 years?) before a new round of players gets designed. The above, of course, is pure speculation. It is as valid as most market "research" reports which attempt to predict the future. --Kne
zarifes@bnrmtv.UUCP (Kenneth Zarifes) (02/19/86)
> > I have a question about Pioneer's CLD-900 Laser Disc/Compact Disc player. > Is this player capable of playing the new digital audio on some laser discs > only because it has the CD circuitry in it, or is there a possibility of > seeing a laser disc only version that can also play the digital track? > I'm interested in a laser disc player but am NOT interested in a Laser/CD > combination unit, 1) because of it's considerably higher price, and 2) I don't > want to have to have my TV on constantly just to read the CD information, i.e. > track, time, track length, etc. The only LaserDisc players that will play the digital sound track are also CD players. The only digital sound models I know of are: the Pioneer CLD900, the TEAC LV-5000DS and the Sansui SV-L1000. All of these are LV/CD combos. The only CD info you get on the CLD900 without the TV on is the current track. I believe this is true of all the others as well. -- {hplabs,amdahl,3comvax}!bnrmtv!zarifes --Ken Zarifes