Recording Laserdiscs to Home Computer 101

[pokeplayer984]

One big thing about my latest project for The Land Before Time is that I'm using footage from the original movie on Laserdisc.  Having learned some key things, I felt it important to give out information on this, in case others plan to do it too.

Transferring from Laserdiscs 101.

What you need.

1. A Laserdisc Player with a RWY cables connection.

2. The Laserdisc of the video you want to transfer.

3. High Quality RWY Cables. (ie Sony Gold Version)

4. USB Video Capture Device and Software

5. A computer capable of handling it. (Just about EVERY computer on the market will do.)


Important Tips of Components.

Tip 1: Make absolutely sure that the Laserdisc Player has a RWY connection.  There are some Laserdisc Players on the market that don't house this.  Take note of the model, number and brand, you are interested in getting and look up the information of it online.  Trust me when I say that it'll save you a lot of trouble and ensure you will get the proper ones.  If you do end up not getting one with a RWY connection, expect a long, hard search for that special adapter.

Tip 2: Unless you get said player you are interested in at a Garage Sale or something of the matter, be ready to pay a hefty shipping charge as these things are HEAVY in comparison to the more modern day players.  20 US Dollars for US Local Postal Shipping is quite normal for this thing. (Even a very tiny bargain in some cases.) For something like a speedy Fed Ex from International, definitely expect at least 100 US Dollars.

Tip 3: Laserdiscs are probably one of the more rare and expensive types of media in comparison available online.  As such, be ready to pay about 10 US Dollars per disc. (If you can get a bargain of some kind, go for it.) Even with places that sell those "for just pennies" VHS tapes will make you pay quite a bit more for a Laserdisc of the same movie.  Also, expect the rarer Collector's Edition discs to be more expensive.  15 to 20 US Dollars on that is a bargain.  As for the shipping, expect at least 5 US Dollars per disc.

Tip 4: The type of RWY Cables are important as with many of these discs, the makers looked to squeeze out every bit of quality they could for it so they could make the most money possible as it was an expensive business back then.  At the time, this was the highest quality video and sound you could get and it really showed.  Without High Quality Cables, you can expect the following problems when transferring the footage...

- Jittery sound

- Sound cuts

- Video footage cuts

- Off-sync audio

Trust me when I say that spending the extra money on those high quality cables is well worth it.


Transferring the footage

This is the easy part.  You just install the program, make the necessary connections and record the video like normal.  One key thing though, make sure those High Quality Cables you spent extra on are connected properly.  Some Video Capture Devices weren't built to really hold on to those cables.  You don't make sure and you could run into problems.

One main thing, if you get a capture device and software that records it at the format it was built for, you'll notice that it's widescreen.  Yes, Laserdiscs did widescreen before it was a big deal.  Isn't that interesting?

Well, that's all.

So, if you're ready to do this, just be ready to pay quite a bit for this thing.

See ya later!

[landbeforetimelover]

One thing - don't spend money on premium cables.  They don't mean shit.  Sony "Gold" or whatever these things want to call themselves are nothing but hype.  It's a simple conductor that goes from one piece of metal to another.  Nothing complicated or special.  Why do you think a new interface comes out every few years (i.e. HDMI)?  Because a new controller has to be designed and the new controller oftentimes requires a different kind of connection.  If you don't believe me, think about this.  Since the wire is just a piece of metal conductor, your theory is that the quality of the metal matters right?  Well think about the metal inside the connector to the player and TV/computer.  It's just standard crappy metal.  Even if the quality of the cables did matter, they wouldn't make a difference because the metal of the connectors would be crap.  I can't believe these companies try to make people believe this crap and pay ten times as much for the same cable just because it has a different color. :

[pokeplayer984]

^^Well, this is from my own personal experience, LBTlover.  I noted that I encountered less problems with the High Quality Cables than the normal ones. (ie Less cuts and better syncing.)

I'm sure some brands are cheaply made in some areas. (Mine have the problem of unscrewing without notice, which can lead to audio problems.) However, I will not deny my own experience of just how well it turned out for me. (Then again, I did get these cables a few years back, so time may have had to do something with it.)

Finally, I need to correct myself.  It's the Collector's Editions that are widescreen.  It's quite the difference in the end.

[landbeforetimelover]

Yeah you've definitely got an issue with your old cables.  If they're damaged in any way you will experience worsened results.  Also, the really really cheap cables from those Chinese sites for like $2 have even worse metal than that of the TV/computer and player so you'll experience worse results from those as opposed to better cables.  But a $5-$7 cable (so long as it's short) should be just as good as those overpriced $35 "gold" cables from Best Buy.  The only way to get a better connection is to change the interface.  And upconverting won't do much for you.  For example, if you plugged in a DVI cable to the back of your monitor then put an adapter on the other end of the cable so you could plug it into your old VGA adapter on your computer, you won't get any better picture than just a straight VGA cable.  I have many clients that do this and wonder why their picture still looks like crap.

[pokeplayer984]

Hey guys!  I'm here with an update on the set up.  I found that if you are willing to spend some extra cash, you can watch it on your TV and record the footage at the same time.  Here's how.



This is the Video/Audio Distribution Amplifier.  Using multiple cables, this device allows you to put one device with a RWY connection into several different outputs.  This means, you can watch it on your TV and record it on your computer at the same time.

Now, the reasons you'd want to do this are simple.

1. Screen size.  If you are someone with a screen size issue, you'd want to watch it on your TV rather than watching it on the small screen your computer provides in the preview window.

2. Audio. When you hear it on your computer while it's recording, chances are that you hear jitteryness.  Despite this, it does come out a lot better than expected most of the time.  However, hearing that jittery audio can be annoying.  Wouldn't you rather listen to something much smoother?  I thought you'd say "yes".

3. Better Syncing. From what I've heard, this does ensure some better syncing with the cheaper cables.  Which means you can find ways to save a few bucks on the setup in the end.

You can find this online for about $19.  Some of the sellers on eBay pay for the shipping, which is even better.

Plus, with this added on, it's a great setup for recording games as well.