SelectaVision VideoDiscs Vs. LaserDisc
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Jul 11th 2006 4:00PM
posted Jul 11th 2006 4:00PM
The latest format war is all the rage these days as things really start to heat up. Everyone loves to compare it to Beta vs VHS, but what about the last Video Disc format war? No this isn't the first one, while most of us were in diapers our parents generation had a choice between SelectVision (aka CED) and Laserdisc. Now we all know who won, but the battle is what is interesting. More after the jump! Reader and Podcast listener Mark writs his recollection of the war.
Well the Laserdisc story (according to me) goes like this -
RCA announces CED disc - Tons of major studios supporting it. Several manufacturers as well.
Pioneer buys the license to Phillips Laserdisc with One major studio support (MCA/Universal - Odd note: their only backing HD DVD presently) and only Pioneer making players.
(the magnavox/Phillips unit pulled)
I bought Laserdisc. I had only Universal movies as I watched the massive marketing campaign for RCA CED Disc, TV spots, displays everywhere, Hundreds of Movie titles in stores, etc..)
It took 2 years in my memory, then RCA pulled the plug on CED and Laserdisc slowly grew. More studios, more manufacturers.
Maybe that's why I favor Toshiba with their HD DVD format. I went through this with the underdog in the 80's and it paid off.
Interesting that this comparison fits with the current format warWhat do you think, how do you remember the format war? Is this more comparable to HD DVD vs Blu-ray than Beta vs VHS?
But most importantly, remember the outcome...
Both formats failed in the marketplace because neither achieved "critical mass."
Anyone wanna buy a thousand or so Laserdiscs... cheap?
It sounds more like an argument for how Blu-ray would survive and grow despite HD-DVD 's premature lead. But I guess it can be spun either way depending on your personal bias.
It sure seems like the hardware vendors have chosen blu-ray. Look at the number of blu-ray players that are announced, add the number of blu-ray burners, and now add apple.
Compared to VHS, Laserdisc was pretty damn sweet. The quality of later laserdiscs are still quite good.
You all and your fancy anamorphic widescreen and 7.1 surround sound!
I can take a head off with my laserdisc, what can you do with your puny HD-DVD or Blu-Ray?!
CED failed because RCA failed to deliver on its promise of $5 titles.
My dad bought a CED machine over LaserDisc circa 1982 because of the problems that were associated with LaserDisc at the time. Of course, VHS crushed CED, even though CED had better picture quality. The "flipping" was annoying, but *Star Wars* and *Empire* certainly looked much sweeter on CED than on VHS (of course).
Oh, the memories.
CED failed because it used a vinyl(!) disk inside, which wore out after numerous viewings.
The important parallel here is that RCA CED had more studio and electronic compnaies behind it. Hundreds of titles. Big bidget marketing (remember the Gene Kelly Tv spots?) and Laserdisc basically had Pioneer and MCA/Universal (in the early days)
HD DVD is the Laserdisc in this parallel and Blu-ray is CED.
Laserdisc won and was successful prior to DVD being releases. Laserdisc grew and lasted some 13 years after the death of CED.
It's just a fun parallel. The meek will inherit the earth.
Its not valid because technically speaking, CED was inferior to LaserDisc. CED failed. HD-DVD is technically inferior to Blu-Ray, and thus using that example, HD-DVD will fail.
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet or not... but doesn't HD-DVD cut off (small) parts of the movie kinda of like a full screen movie does?
HD-DVD is made to fit in the whole screen of a HD-TV. Yet a Blu-ray DVD still gives you the Whole thing.
I really don't think HD-DVD will cause too much of a problem since it is so close the format of regular DVD anyways.
The next thing to come is going to be NON-moving parts movies/albums. Just plug in your card into your combined music/movie player.