Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpfcdc!rjn
From: rjn@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Newsgroups: comp.ivideodisc
Subject: Re: CDV
Message-ID: <11090001@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Date: 15 Mar 89 05:37:12 GMT
References: <4Y6LhUy00UjI0KRFE6@andrew.cmu.edu>
Organization: HP Ft. Collins, Co.
Lines: 39

re: "... what is the difference between 12" CDV and 12" LV?"

For U.S. NTSC discs, not much.  It is mostly just a Philips marketing ploy
to revitalize LV by positioning it with CD in the mind of the audio-video
public.  To the extent that it works, I have no problem.  But it is
creating needless confusion.

> Is it just LV with digital sound?

Yes.  12" CDV presumably is at least always provided with digital sound (as
well as analog), where an "ordinary" LV might have only analog sound (but
could have both).  For 12" PAL LVs, you can only have digital OR analog, and
not both, so the term "CDV" might be more significant in the U.K. and
Europe.  5" CDVs, incidently, are digital-sound-only (based on the four
I've played).

Philips is alleged to be about to introduce 12" single-sided LVs made of
polycarbonate (like CDs), contrasted with today's two-sided acrylic LVs.
These new discs will presumably be referred to only as "CDV"s, and being
thinner, will require a spacer in older (non-Philips) players.  They might
even be digital-only, like 5" CDVs, although that would be a mistake.  This
will be interesting to watch, since PDO (Philips-Dupont Optical) in the U.K.
cannot master digital-audio NTSC LVs today (I'm told).

> Could an advantage be that someone would by a CDV player, which won't play
> LV's (cheaper than one that plays both)?

There may well [soon] exist players that can handle 5" CDVs and not 8/12"
media, but there is no reason why any full-size combi "CDV" player could not
handle "ordinary" LVs as well.

> P.S.  I'm looking for "Strange Brew" with Doug & Bob McKenzie on Laserdisc.

Can't help you there.   Hoser, eh?

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland                                            3404 East Harmony Road
ARPA: rjn%hpfcrjn@hplabs.HP.COM                       Fort Collins
UUCP: [hplabs|hpu*!hpfcse]!hpfcla!rjn                 CO          80525-9599