Blade Runner Criterion CAV Laserdisc manufactured by 3M.

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Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

Hi there everybody,

Long time since I last posted, so a big hello to everybody out there!

My question concerns the Criterion CAV Laserdisc edition of Blade Runner. I
recently got a copy of this disc, and have noticed what appears to be what I
would describe as "speckles" on parts of the picture. These so-called
"speckles" also appear in the black borders of the image too. My first
thought was that the disc was suffering from laser-rot (I believe discs
manufactured by 3M had this problem), but on inspection of all the discs,
they look perfectly fine.

Those with this particular laserdisc, a good example of the sort of thing
I'm talking about can be found on side 4, at frame 29618. On my copy you can
clearly see 3 distinct "speckles". Does anyone else's copy suffer from this
problem?

Any help anyone could give would be most appreciated!
Thanks again,
Alex.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

"Jon Talpur" <atalpur@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> wrote in message
news:dfmuc1$k3$1@nwrdmz03.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> My question concerns the Criterion CAV Laserdisc edition of Blade
> Runner. I recently got a copy of this disc, and have noticed what
> appears to be what I would describe as "speckles" on parts of the
> picture. These so-called "speckles" also appear in the black borders
> of the image too. My first thought was that the disc was suffering
> from laser-rot (I believe discs manufactured by 3M had this problem),
> but on inspection of all the discs, they look perfectly fine.

Laser rot may or may not result in visible imperfections on the disc
itself. Often there are no physical symptoms but playback is still
compromised.

What you're seeing may be rot, or may be another (less serious) defect
called drop-outs. Drop-outs happen when impurities are trapped below the
disc surface during manufacturing. The laser can't read through them, so
what you get on screen are white speckles where part of the video image
should be. Unlike rot, drop-outs do not spread over time. They are what
they are.

How serious are the speckles you're seeing? Do they appear once or twice
during the movie, or are they pronounced repeatedly throughout the disc?
Are they white or multi-colored?

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

"Joshua Zyber" <jzyber@mind-NOSPAM-spring.com> wrote in message
news:gUGTe.8958$FW1.2930@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> "Jon Talpur" <atalpur@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> wrote in message
> news:dfmuc1$k3$1@nwrdmz03.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
>> My question concerns the Criterion CAV Laserdisc edition of Blade Runner.
>> I recently got a copy of this disc, and have noticed what appears to be
>> what I would describe as "speckles" on parts of the picture. These
>> so-called "speckles" also appear in the black borders of the image too.
>> My first thought was that the disc was suffering from laser-rot (I
>> believe discs manufactured by 3M had this problem), but on inspection of
>> all the discs, they look perfectly fine.
>
> Laser rot may or may not result in visible imperfections on the disc
> itself. Often there are no physical symptoms but playback is still
> compromised.
>
> What you're seeing may be rot, or may be another (less serious) defect
> called drop-outs. Drop-outs happen when impurities are trapped below the
> disc surface during manufacturing. The laser can't read through them, so
> what you get on screen are white speckles where part of the video image
> should be. Unlike rot, drop-outs do not spread over time. They are what
> they are.
>
> How serious are the speckles you're seeing? Do they appear once or twice
> during the movie, or are they pronounced repeatedly throughout the disc?
> Are they white or multi-colored?
>

The speckles are multi-colored and appear throughout the movie. It is
entirely possible this is simply how the laserdisc transfer does look (it is
a very old transfer after all). I guess the only way to be sure would be to
find someone else who has a copy (perhaps in this very newsgroup) and get
them to check out side 4 at frame 29618.

Thanks again,
Alex.

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

Jon Talpur wrote:

> The speckles are multi-colored and appear throughout the movie. It is
> entirely possible this is simply how the laserdisc transfer does look (it is
> a very old transfer after all). I guess the only way to be sure would be to
> find someone else who has a copy (perhaps in this very newsgroup) and get
> them to check out side 4 at frame 29618.

I have three copies of the disc in question and they are all identical
in terms of the multicolored speckles you mention. Furthermore I have
owned them for years; they are not changing. I went through a period
when I was very paranoid about rot and paid very careful attention to
these discs for a couple of years until I was convinced that the
phenomenon is not rot.

I'm not sure what the problem is. I suspect inclusion errors in the
master pressing, although others have stated these appear as white
speckles. Alternatively, the speckles may have been present in the
source material.
--
Andy Williams

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

On Thu, 8 Sep 2005 23:13:01 +0000 (UTC), "Jon Talpur"
<atalpur@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> wrote:

>
>"Joshua Zyber" <jzyber@mind-NOSPAM-spring.com> wrote in message
>news:gUGTe.8958$FW1.2930@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>> "Jon Talpur" <atalpur@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> wrote in message
>> news:dfmuc1$k3$1@nwrdmz03.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
>>> My question concerns the Criterion CAV Laserdisc edition of Blade Runner.
>>> I recently got a copy of this disc, and have noticed what appears to be
>>> what I would describe as "speckles" on parts of the picture. These
>>> so-called "speckles" also appear in the black borders of the image too.
>>> My first thought was that the disc was suffering from laser-rot (I
>>> believe discs manufactured by 3M had this problem), but on inspection of
>>> all the discs, they look perfectly fine.
>>
>> Laser rot may or may not result in visible imperfections on the disc
>> itself. Often there are no physical symptoms but playback is still
>> compromised.
>>
>> What you're seeing may be rot, or may be another (less serious) defect
>> called drop-outs. Drop-outs happen when impurities are trapped below the
>> disc surface during manufacturing. The laser can't read through them, so
>> what you get on screen are white speckles where part of the video image
>> should be. Unlike rot, drop-outs do not spread over time. They are what
>> they are.
>>
>> How serious are the speckles you're seeing? Do they appear once or twice
>> during the movie, or are they pronounced repeatedly throughout the disc?
>> Are they white or multi-colored?
>>
>
>The speckles are multi-colored and appear throughout the movie. It is
>entirely possible this is simply how the laserdisc transfer does look (it is
>a very old transfer after all). I guess the only way to be sure would be to
>find someone else who has a copy (perhaps in this very newsgroup) and get
>them to check out side 4 at frame 29618.
>
>Thanks again,
>Alex.
>

There's no need to check at a specific point on the disc, what you're
describing is general failure of the disc, "Laserrot," and it's going
to be different for each pressing if it exists at all. No that's NOT
how it looked after mastering, the quality was very good and clean as
demonstrated on my CLV Kuraray pressing. The film-to-tape technology
of the 1980s, using flying spot scanners, was very good. I don't have
the Criterion CAV version of the title to check but in general the 3M
pressings most subject to laserrot were pressed in 1998-1999 and bear
the matrix number 21000 to 213XX, you may want to see if it's within
or close to that block of numbers. (I've seen a rotted 19xxx)


Side one of my Criterion CAV set of Showboat is badly rotted. It's 3M
matrix 21226A. Likewise all my rotted Lucy collection discs are 21XXX
except one which is a 1993 Kuraray repressing, surprisingly.

... Steve ..

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 20:37:06 -0400, Andy Williams
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>Jon Talpur wrote:
>
>> The speckles are multi-colored and appear throughout the movie. It is
>> entirely possible this is simply how the laserdisc transfer does look (it is
>> a very old transfer after all). I guess the only way to be sure would be to
>> find someone else who has a copy (perhaps in this very newsgroup) and get
>> them to check out side 4 at frame 29618.
>
>I have three copies of the disc in question and they are all identical
>in terms of the multicolored speckles you mention. Furthermore I have
>owned them for years; they are not changing. I went through a period
>when I was very paranoid about rot and paid very careful attention to
>these discs for a couple of years until I was convinced that the
>phenomenon is not rot.
>
>I'm not sure what the problem is. I suspect inclusion errors in the
>master pressing, although others have stated these appear as white
>speckles. Alternatively, the speckles may have been present in the
>source material.

Then I take back what I said since mine does not have the speckles at
all. Does a freeeze frame show the same speckles at the same spot?

3M 21XXX pressings do have the most failures however.

Ah me.. <g>

... Steve ..

 

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Archived from groups: alt.video.laserdisc (More info?)

"Jon Talpur" <atalpur@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> wrote in message
news:dfqght$3nn$1@nwrdmz03.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
>> How serious are the speckles you're seeing? Do they appear once or
>> twice during the movie, or are they pronounced repeatedly throughout
>> the disc? Are they white or multi-colored?
>
> The speckles are multi-colored and appear throughout the movie. It is
> entirely possible this is simply how the laserdisc transfer does look
> (it is a very old transfer after all).

Your disc is rotted. The video transfer does not look like that
inherently.