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From: freak@ihlpa.UUCP (c e malloy)
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Re: Re: Videophiles
Message-ID: <218@ihlpa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-May-85 08:29:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.218
Posted: Tue May  7 08:29:45 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 8-May-85 04:25:22 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 76

> Ya!  I have a comment.  I do NOT agree.  With advent of VHS and Beta Hi-Fi,
> a true videophile cannot be one without having a Hi-Fi machine.  Why?  Well,
> video is now an addition to audio.  Why should an audiophile, that also goes
> video, lose the audiophile status by getting a laser disk machine.  Until the
> digital sound of the laser disk is made available, the ONLY way to still be
> an audiophile and be a videophile at the same time, is to have a VHS or
> Beta video deck.  AND, the audiophile can use the video deck as an audio
> recorder only.  The VHS or Beta Hi-Fi video decks have MUCH BETTER specs
> than a reel-to-reel deck ever will, even with dbx.
 
And now the laser disc format has a true digital soundtrack.  But even before
that happened, the soundtrack of a laser disc was equal to that of "Hi-Fi".
And stereo soundtarcks have always been on the laser discs.  So if it's stereo
sound you are after, why spend over $500 for a second machine to upgrade to
stereo, when laser disc has had it for years?

> Now, even when laser disks start delivering digital sound with the video,
> the recording deck will still be a machine for the videophile.  It is hard
> for a videophile to get some material on video disks.  And even harder to
> get a disk without something wrong with it.
 
Any movie that has been released in "Hi-Fi" is available on laser disc.  At
least, any one that I have seen.  As for problems...  That is also VERY
untrue.  The quality of the disc itself is not a problem, generally.  While
is it true that there was a problem in the past, in most cases, it is no
longer true.  What you have to look for is the place that it was made.  Now
that 3M is in the business of making discs, the problem has all but gone away.
Of the 107 laser discs that I recently ordered, only two had any problems.
One was the machine, and the other was a hum in the sound.  I sent the one
with the hum back and am waiting for the return of a new disc.  If there is
something wrong with it, they will refund my money or send another one.
As with any defective product, the seller will always replace it.

> Now, I don't know if I should consider myself a videophile or not, or even
> a real audiophile, but I think that I come close.  Most of the videos that
> I purchase are because of the Hi-Fi sound.  Most are music videos or music
> concerts.  It is hard to record some of the specials that are on MTV on a
> laser disk.  Yes, I record them in Hi-Fi stereo sound.

In answer to the music video point, there are now 8" laser discs that
contain music videos.  And the sound is digital. 

> I guess I have made my comment.  I expect to be cut down in what I have
> said, but that is why this discussion exists.  If I was afraid of being
> cut down, I wouldn't write this or anything to the net.  A Ken Arndt(?)
> I am not, but!

I would not dream of CUTTING DOWN anyones views.

But, a couple or other points:

The point was for the video not the audio.  While a videophile might also
be an audiophile, I was refering to the picture quality.  What is described
here is an audiophile who would also like a picture with the music.  There
is nothing wrong with that, but a laser disc would still be better, because
of the digital sound that is included with the disc.

Like most people with video machines in their homes I am a video junkie.
Otherwise, most of my collection of tape would be pointless.  Why have a
complete set of _Mork And Mindy_ on tape?  I also have _The Twilight
Zone_, _Doctor Who_ and _Star Trek_ on tape, but with the release
of _Star Trek_ on both Disc and Tape, I am replacing the tapes from
the collection with the Discs.  But I am also a videophile.  I enjoy
watching movies on a six-foot screen, with stereo sound, and no drop-outs
that are on ALL tapes.

If more people started buying Laser Disc machines, more companies
would release movies on disc.  And more people are.

As a final point read the latest issue (June 1985) of Video Review.  I
got it in the mail yesterday, and they talk about the quality of the
sound in the laser disc.


From inside the Tesseract of
	Clancy Malloy