The PIONEER Laser Videodisc Player

[MacGyver]

thought it high time i educated you all on an underapprieciated defunct video medium, the Laser Videodisc. the format was invented around the late 1950's and finally made it to the consumer market in the late '70s. PIONEER invested much in advancing the technology, and by the mid 1980's, most manufacturers largely ignored the format, giving it occasional lip-service. thus, LD became PIONEER's darling and to this date, "Laserdisc" is remembered as an elite videophile medium that was state of the art for twenty plus years until the advent of the Digital Versatile Disc. naturally, throughout LD's lifespan, the best LD Players were always invariably designed and manufactured by PIONEER. here's mine, one of their better models...




-PIONEER CLD-3030 (1987/1988)-




http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/CLD-3030LA9-29-08.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/CLD-3030LA9-29-084.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/CLD-3030LA9-29-086.jpg

[MacGyver]

in case no one notices, my 3030 has been modified. i have replaced the stock medium size PIONEER isolators (front) with large ones, and the thin rubber pads (rear) with small isolators bummed from the CLD-1080. there were pre-drilled holes in the rear, simplifying things. amazingly, the heights evened out perfectly, and the deck is quite level. this tweak not only improves the aesthetic appeal of the player IMO, but improves vibration isolation and suppression, actually quieting the mechanical action of the player to a degree. anyway, some shots of the player in action...


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/CLD-3030LA9-29-0811.jpg

the Japanese Anime series "MOLDIVER"

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/CLD-3030LA9-29-0815.jpg


some discs will instruct the player to display video frame count like MOLDIVER here obviously does. others will usually display time count instead...

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/CLD-3030LA9-29-0814.jpg

[MacGyver]

my modest LD collection, around half consisting of Anime...


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/LALDColle2.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/LA%20SYSTEM/LALDColle.jpg

[MacGyver]

one of PIONEER'S very best reference LD only players...



-PIONEER LD-S1 (1986/1988)-


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER%20ELITE/LD-S118.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-S11.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-S12.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-S13.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-S14.jpg

[braxus]

I've had two Pioneer LD players, both of which I no longer have. I got out of laserdisc in the late 90s since DVDs came around, but I still have a few discs left that I never got rid of. I sold off a lot of discs that I had. What players I did have were the CLD 1080 and the DVL 909. Be nice to have another player again, but I doubt I will get back into this format.

[MacGyver]

funny, as fate would have it, my first two LD players were CLD-1080s. the first i got DOA back in 2000-ish, and the second my grandma got me. the second one took a one-way trip down her shallow-ass submarine staircase leading down to the front door. tought me to be a HELL of a lot more careful on that deathtrap!! sometime later, i got a beat up LD-838D from a hock. still works, and i used it up until i got that CLD-3030. i am serious as a heart attack about Laserdisc, and i always will be...

PIONEER CLD-1080 (1990)

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-10801.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-10802.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-10803.jpg


PIONEER LD-838D (1986/1987)

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-838D5.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-838D4.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-838D1.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/LD-838D2.jpg

[braxus]

I loved the 1080 when I had it, but I have since learned its not a very good player. I'd own another one though.

[MacGyver]

I loved the 1080 when I had it, but I have since learned its not a very good player. I'd own another one though.

indeed, if i ever see one again, it'll be too soon. bad karma, that LDP and me. anyway, here are the models to keep an eye out for...

CLD-3030
CLD-3070
CLD-91
CLD-92
LD-S1
LD-S2

[MacGyver]

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-3030LA112.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-3030LA104.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-3030LA103.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-3030LA102.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-3030LA10.jpg

[MacGyver]

here is the original JPEG of the first time i EVER saw the CLD-3030, back around 200/ish. it was love at first sight and it sold me on the Laserdisc format instantly!!


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-3030.jpg

and, of course, seven years later, my actual example... o-o:-)


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/PIONEER/CLD-3030IRISH.jpg

[MacGyver]

i have made yet another mod upon this unit, in the form of extra pads on the insulators further improving the deck's resonant decoupling and isolation of it's rather elaborate mechanical action...




http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/CLDS-3030LAVer2.jpg