[net.video] Raiders on disk

mengm@homxa.UUCP (P.MENG) (01/07/85)

((((((((((((((###############---------%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%)))))))))))))))))

To laser disk owners,

	I was in a local video store recently and noticed that "Raiders
of the Lost Ark" was available on laser disk. To my astonishment it
was not encoded in the usual compressed format (to pack it on a single 
disk). It comes on a 2 disk set and permits all those wonderful effects
like freeze frame, forward and reverse scan, searching, etc.
	The price is a little steep (@$60) but I think its worth it.
Most of the movies on laser disk are of the compressed variety which 
takes away most of the special features of the laser disk. I only wish
some of the Star Wars epics were available in this format.
	Anybody know of any other movies/video's on disk that might be
fun/interesting to watch using the special laser disk features??

					Peter Meng

((((((((((((((###############---------%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%)))))))))))))))))

andrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (01/08/85)

Nomenclature:

CAV = "Constant Angular Velocity" = "Standard play" = one-half hour per
	side of a laserdisk.
CLV = "Constant Linear Velocity" = "Extended play" = one hour per side
	of a laserdisk, unless it includes digital sound in which case
	there's about fifty minutes per side.

	"I was in a local video store recently and noticed that
	"Raiders of the Lost Ark" was available on laser disk. To my
	astonishment it was not encoded in the usual compressed format
	(to pack it on a single disk). It comes on a 2 disk set and
	permits all those wonderful effects like freeze frame, forward
	and reverse scan, searching, etc.

	"The price is a little steep (@$60) but I think its worth it.
	Most of the movies on laser disk are of the compressed variety
	which takes away most of the special features of the laser
	disk. I only wish some of the Star Wars epics were available in
	this format."

The CAV version of Raiders was a better transfer (cleaner, brighter,
etc.) than the CLV version.  It was one of the best-selling laserdisks
of all time.

As a result, the video powers that be are seriously considering
reissuing the first two Star Wars films in CAV.  If you're into special
effects and haven't yet bought these, you might want to wait.  Or you
can buy the CLV version, copy it to tape, and use special effects
there.

Alas, CAV will become even less available when digital audio begins to
appear, as on the third Star Trek movie.  You can't put digital audio
on a CAV disk.

  -- Andrew Klossner   (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew)       [UUCP]
                       (orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay)  [ARPA]