Video Disc and Laser Disc : Are They The Same Thing?

For quite some time, there has been a great deal of confusion between video discs and laser discs. Many folks get them confused, and many folks seem to think they are the same thing. In this video, I will take a look at both formats, which are completely incompatible with one another.
One system reads the discs optically with a laser. The other does it with a stylus, much like a record player. Again, two very different formats.
In this video I talk a bit about the history of video discs (or CEDs as they were also known). In many ways, the format was doomed from the start. Sales were nowhere near the level that RCA had hoped for, and the format could just not compete with the monster that was the VCR.
A number of movies were released on video discs, and they still pop up from time to time in thrift stores. They are easy to spot with their plastic caddies. As I mention in the video, dust would prove to be another huge reason why this format was very temperamental.
Video disc and laser disc did have some similarities. But the quality of laser discs was always much better than video discs.
So, be very careful if you stumble upon a player that plays video discs. If you are looking for something to play laser discs, it will not work. Video discs lived a very short life, from about 1981 to 1986. Laser discs were around much longer, for roughly 20 years or more. Laser disc was a popular format, especially in many Asian countries. But it died a quick death with the onslaught of the DVD format.
Did you ever own a video disc player? Do you still own one? What did you think of it? Or are you into laser discs? Do you still collect them? Feel free to leave a comment!
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