Yeah, i saw the article. That referred to pre-recorded vhs as far as I know. I believe that blank tapes are still being made, as they are still making vhs recorders.

I have hung on to a large portion of my LD collection. Even though I rarely pull one out, I just can't bear to part with them. I will agree that the packaging in many cases was/is so much better than anything else around.

I still even have a few VHS lying around but not a single VCR hooked up to any television. I guess old habits die hard!

I started buying laserdiscs about 1990, and still have some in the closet with unique extras. The player rarely gets turned on nowdays.

I too am surprised to hear of the official death, since there's been an unofficial death for so long.

It's kind of like how I will feel when Wallace Shawn actually dies.

You were. The pony express rider should arrive any day now.

VHS isn't dead yet, a few companies have made Blu-Ray/VHS combo players. VHS is upconverted to 1080p! That's got to look bad.

I was too young to get into the LD phase (by the time I was old enough to really enjoy movies DVD was out) but the format will never be dead for it's backers. There will always be people buying and selling the discs/players on eBay.

assuming people will buy and sell laser disks and players is one thing. assuming greedbay will be around forever is another -lol-

Those numbers will surely drop as the laserdisc players die.

I'm on my fourth and final player myself, and still have about 250 discs, holding on to those titles I haven't replaced with DVDs yet. Just the other night I sat down w the nephews to watch my laserdisc of Island of Lost Souls, which isn't available on DVD at all.

I brought player #3 into a repair shop a couple of years ago and was told it was not savable. The repairman advised that laserdisc players have elements in them that need to be "powered-up" every couple of months to keep them healthy. He said keeping it in a closet for too long makes them prone to quick burn-outs. I don't know if that's a bunch of hooey or not, but I make sure to watch a laserdisc every now and then just in case.

I was an early adopter of the laserdisc format. While the packaging was often excellent (especially box sets like AMADEUS and THE GODFATHER TRILOGY), too many of my discs succumbed to laser rot (despite my best efforts to keep them positioned vertically at all times, and keep them in an ideal environment). It drove me crazy to see a formerly pristine picture look grainy and washed out so often and so soon.

Good riddance.

Pauly Shore autographed my laserdiscs of Encino Man, Jury Duty and Bio-Dome! Would've brought my LD of his first movie "Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge" but he's not on the cover of that- he was impressed when I told him I had that though.

I didn't know that Pioneer was still making players. I still have an older working Pioneer player and a bunch of discs. I like obsolete formats.

Only recently did Polaroid stop making instant film. So, I think the DVD has a LONG way to go.

I kept a few of my LD box sets (such as the Criterion BRAZIL and the TOY STORY box), mostly because of nostalgia and the beauty of the packaging. But my player broke down about 6 years ago and I never bothered to replace it. Still, my love for the format was pretty unparalleled. Discs were expensive, so they were treasured more. Dropping over $100 on BRAZIL in 1996 was a heck of an investment for a guy just getting started on his first corporate job, but it was infinitely worth it. I also had some adult movies.

My unlce used to own one of those. Now Blu-ray is the new LD.

Is the laserdisc worth something like if you take a bunch for recycling?

Oh noes!

Seriously... I did not know that you could buy a new LD player. I've still got my Pioneer circa 1989 hanging around but notta whole lotta to play on it (I think The Return of Spinal Tap is the only thing I haven't replaced with a DVD, heh).

Remembering that I dropped $250 on the Star Wars: Definitive Collection set the week it came out helps me not get my panties in a bunch about Blu-ray prices.

Thanks for the info, I was unaware... I bought a back up player a few months ago and was just storing it for when my other goes bad. I'll have to power it up.

I recently opened my Star Wars: Definitive Collection for nostalgic reasons and the velcro stuck to the box and completely tore off the hinge.
I took it as an omen that LDs really are dead, at least for me.