From: "Ivar" Newsgroups: alt.video.laserdisc Subject: Re: Special Last LD Player (this will make sense!) Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 10:23:12 +0200 Organization: Telenor Online Public Access Lines: 75 Message-ID: <6lqoct$66i$1@o.online.no> Thad Floryan wrote in message <6lg604$3t6$19@nntp2.ba.best.com>... >Mark Landry wrote: >| [...] >| pretty slim. So, why couldn't Pioneer release one last LD-only player, >| with all the bells and whistles of the CLD-99 and whatever else their >| wizards could come up with , plus make it as sturdy as they possibly can >| (can you say 50lb. player), as a gift for all the support we've given >| the format over the years. Price it fairly (less than 2k), and build >| them to order so they don't get stuck with lots of extra players. Even >| though I probably can't afford it, I would probably sign up for one. I >| hear that the Betaphiles got their machine by speaking up to Sony, so >| does anyone think this could work for us? Thanks for listening. > >In principle, this would be a neat idea! > >My input would be for it to have the characteristics of, say, their HLD-X9 >re: red, not IR, laser system (higher frequency, narrower beam), dual AC-3 >output (one with RF and one "straight" so that all current receivers, even >those without RF decoders, would work), and to have dual trays so that a >2-disc movie could be played [more-or-less] non-stop. > >However, given the MSRP of, say, the CLD-99 was around US$2,200, I don't see >the price-point of a final, definitive, more-featureful player being lower. > In my opinion there already exists two reference LD players. They are not available on the US market, you will have to import them yourself from Hong Kong or Japan. This might be a problem in the US where it is not that common to buy equipment from other parts of the world, but for us living in Europe it is quite common to buy stuff from other parts of the world. The players in question is the HLD-X9 and the HLD-X0, both from Pioneer. I have tried, owned or am owning most of the newer interesting LD players I know about. My current collection consists of one LD-S8000, one CLD-97, one LJR II and two HLD-X0. The last one impressed me so much with its picture q uality and build quality that I bought one for spare. A more sensible thing would probably have been to buy a HLD-X9 instead of the second HLD-X0, but I am not always that rational. I have "tricked" several of my friends to buy HLD-X9s, and non of them to date has regretted the investment. Both these players use a red ( not infrared ) laser which has a much smaller "light footprint" or read dot size, this gives you much less visible dropouts than a player equipped with a standard IR. laser diode. The picture quality of both are stunning with a very resolved filmlike quality, which I have never seen in any other LD players. The fit, finish and build quality of both are impeccable, like a good American power amp, say from Krell or Levinson, the X9 is 17Kg ( 38lbs for you American ) heavy, the HLD-X0 weights in at 36Kg ( 80lbs ). There is no lead inserts to bring up the weight like in the LJR II. Just to give you a tiny insight in the construction detail of these players: The HLD-X0 has 37 active power regulators spread around its different PCBs, most of these are not the standard IC type but made from several individual components which has much lower impedance variations than the IC type. The HLD-X0 has in its NTSC path five NTSC decoders ( from RF ) in parallel to average out any decoding errors, it has enough memory to run NT, uses 9 bit digital processing, uses the best selection of 1702 audio DACs, etc. I do not know too much about the workings of the HLD-X9, since I have no service manual for the thing. Since I do not own one, I can not rip up its guts ( which I do with all my equipment ) and peek inside. But I do know it has the best Y/C separation filter ever to be found in a LD player. Bought form the right place the HLD-X9 inclusive shipping will set you back about the same amount as the RRP for the CLD-99. I do not like the CLD-99, it is just a redressed up CLD-704. If you do not believe me have a peak in the service manuals. In addition it ( CLD-99 ) as one serious design flaw. Morale buy the HLD-X9. Best regards, Ivar Vikøren