The Optimization of LaserDisc

Viewing for Your Home Theater

Start at the Source

The secret to a great home theater is power delivery. Think about it, power is delivered to every component in your system, be it your screen, sound processor, amplifiers, etc. In simple terms, the way to improve power is to improve your homes grounding system. The ground is the reference point for voltage and it is a great way to dump noise from your components. So, go to your local hardware store and purchase a 2 inch copper pipe about 5 feet long and have a contractor dig a hole and install as close to your electrical box as possible. Then have an electrician run several 4 gauge copper stranded wires from your electrical box to the grounding pipe. Next, have an electrician add a 20 amp dedicated circuit to your electrical box and run a 10 gauge 4 copper wire directly to your home theater power outlet. Use two of the wires for your ground. The combination of improved grounding and a dedicated circuit will improve your video and sound by over 30 percent!

Power Conditioners

The next step can be a bit pricey but will give you another 20 to 30 percent improvement in your video and sound. First get a 3000 to 5000 KV UPS. This is a battery backup unit that will remove some noise from your system and stabilize your voltage. Then wire the UPS to a balanced power unit which will remove another layer of noise. For the US I recommend a voltage of about 116 to 118 volts (most UPS's let you set the voltage).

LaserDisc Players

Buy the very best LaserDisc Player that you can afford. Then have it cleaned and serviced (LaserDisc alignment) by a qualified technician. Simply put, if you can't afford to spend $500 to $1,000 for the best US LaserDisc player then you will never get the best sound and video that the LaserDisc format can deliver. Another tip is to turn off every video filter and noise reduction circuitry that you can on your LaserDisc player. Based on personal observation and research I believe that two of the best US LaserDisc Players are Pioneers CLD-97 and the CLD-99 in that order. The two best Japanese only Laser Disc players are Pioneers HLD-X0 and the HD-X9 in that order. When comparing the best US made LaserDisc player and the best Japanese LaserDisc player I found that the Japanese players deliver sound and video that is about 10 to 20 percent improved. Of course, there are many other fine LaserDisc players. Further, when researching LaserDisc players pay no mind to useless debates about which one has the best comb filter because if you take my advice you will turn them off as today's modern TV's and Scalers are much better than any of the LaserDisc comb filters. Also, for the non-technical reader a comb filter is simply a video noise reduction circuit.

Television Monitors and Screens

The best advice I can give you here is to have your viewing screen calibrated by a qualified ISF technician. If you want to do it yourself here are a few tips. 1. Get the LaserDisc "Video Essentials" 2. Turn your sharpness control on your set to the lowest possible level 3. Set the color temperature to 6500 degrees kelvin. Remember, your monitor was adjusted for the showroom floor and not your home theater environment. Therefore, it is way too hot - the typical factory setting being 7500 to 9000 degrees kelvin. In addition, the brightness, contrast and sharpness are normally turned way up. A properly calibrated screen will amaze you as to how realistic the scenes and colors render.

Environment

When it comes to video or audio performance there is one important concept and that is: signal-to-noise ratio. Simply put, you want to reduce all noise to the lowest possible level. Then you want to maximize the signal levels thereby improving the dynamic range or the difference between the lowest signal and the highest signal. For example: when it comes to sound you want to reduce all ambient noise to lowest possible level and maximize the loudness of the sound system. So, for the best sound move all electronics away from the viewer. When possible have the electronics in a closet as this will reduce noise even further. For the best video, get the viewing area as dark as possible. This can be done on a budget with black sheets over windows, etc. Another tip is to ether remove many of the bright LED's on electronics or to block them with black electrical tape. Another tip is to turn off or dim all electronic displays. This will enable you to turn the brightness down on your viewing screen giving you blacker blacks.

Grazie,

DaDon