Leonard Nimoy demonstrates Magnavision LaserDisc Player

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  • Опубліковано 1 кві 2011
  • This is the demonstration video advertising the Magnavox Magnavision VH-8000 Laser Video Disc Player, featuring Leonard Nimoy.
    Additional tidbit: the Philips VLP-600 and VLP-700, sold in Europe as the very first consumer LaserDisc players there, were based on the Magnavox VH-8000 and VH-8005, respectively.
    Technical aspects:
    The video has been taken from the original LaserDisc, played on a Pioneer LD-660 LaserDisc Player. Video output was CVBS (composite). This video was captured using a Dell video capture device on a Dell Dimension 4600 running Windows XP. MediaPortal was the software used to perform the video capture. A conversion utility was employed to remux the DVR-MS file into a proper MPEG2 file. The MPEG2 file is then transferred to my MacBook Pro where, with the Apple QuickTime MPEG2 playback component and MPEG Streamclip, the MPEG2 file is deinterlaced, scaled from 720x480 to 640x480, and transcoded into an MPEG4 H.264 file.
    This video made with Windows/made on a Mac.
    This is, perhaps, one credit that Leonard Nimoy would probably like to forget about.
    As spokesman for Magnavox, Leonard Nimoy demonstrates the first consumer LaserDisc player made, the Magnavox VH-8000 Magnavision. He is introduced to and guided through this product by a blinking, beeping rock. How's that for embarrassment?
    Unfortunately for Magnavox, the VH-8000 was well known for its terrible reliability and would later be outclassed by the first consumer grade LaserDisc player from a Japanese competitor, the Pioneer VP-1000. (The first ever production LaserDisc player was the commercial/industrial PR-7820, which was designed by MCA DiscoVision and manufactured by Pioneer.)
    Although the Magnavision debuted in 1978, this video was made in 1981, which was about a year after Pioneer introduced their VP-1000 in 1980.
    Magnavox revised this model by adding a remote control and calling it the VH-8005. But, Pioneer still had them beat as the VH-8005 was still the VH-8000, flaws and all.
    Anyways, enjoy!
  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,3 тис.

  • @morphman86
    @morphman86 6 років тому +427

    "Yes, I can understand you. I'm Leonard Nimoy!"
    That explains everything!

    • @Angie2343
      @Angie2343 4 роки тому +8

      My sister, a Star Trek TOS fan, would GEEK if she saw this.

    • @harrycochenour8060
      @harrycochenour8060 4 роки тому +3

      I own cd's with Leonard & William singing together. So i have something like this, from the time, yea geek 'sorta'. May you and yours have a good day...

    • @ThatVinylChannel
      @ThatVinylChannel 3 роки тому +1

      @@harrycochenour8060 I have vinyl records with Leonard Nimoy singing.

    • @protorhinocerator142
      @protorhinocerator142 3 роки тому +3

      But then 4 seconds later he has to ask what kind of product the bleepy rock is talking about, when it's right there on the table in front of him.

    • @OikPoinFive
      @OikPoinFive 3 роки тому

      @@Angie2343 what,s tos? TOS: The Original Startrek???!!!

  • @David-gr8rh
    @David-gr8rh 3 роки тому +162

    Only Leonard nimoy could talk to a flashing rock, and get away with it. RIP you amazing human

    • @bradl8887
      @bradl8887 3 роки тому +2

      Loved Nimoy but I’m not sure he got away with much here... this was almost as bad then as it is today. And don’t get me started on his music. 😁

    • @notthatdigusted7468
      @notthatdigusted7468 Рік тому +3

      I bought this machine and will use it as my main laserdisc player because of Leonard Nimoy.

    • @ChrisEllorris
      @ChrisEllorris Рік тому

      @@notthatdigusted7468 You say main laserdisc player as if it's normal to own not just one but multiples 😂

    • @claytonbouldin9381
      @claytonbouldin9381 Рік тому +4

      @@bradl8887 Are you nuts?!?! The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins is a classic! It makes me want to hop on my unicycle and visit the shire!

    • @BaarBear
      @BaarBear Рік тому +1

      But he wasn't 100 percent human. He was half Vulcan.;-D

  • @AndorianBlues
    @AndorianBlues 10 років тому +418

    1:24 I love the way he says this, like being Leonard Nimoy is what gives him the ability to understand beeping rocks

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  10 років тому +86

      Well, it's only logical... :-)

    • @old4mat
      @old4mat 8 років тому +16

      I lost it at "Beeping Rocks" LMAO

    • @DamienNightmarish
      @DamienNightmarish 6 років тому +2

      I thought it was something covered with fabric.

    • @meesalikeu
      @meesalikeu 6 років тому +2

      well it true.

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 5 років тому +22

      "This man is having a heart attack!"
      LN: "Stand aside. I am Leonard Nimoy."

  • @batman.darthmaul
    @batman.darthmaul 7 років тому +502

    That's it, Leonard. Get as many fingerprints as possible on it.

    • @VolkswagenNut1969
      @VolkswagenNut1969 6 років тому +43

      batman144
      With the perceived amount of shit he didn't give, I would have had a little fun with it and gone off script.
      "So you mean I can lick it?" Slurrrrrp! "Drop it on this gritty tile floor and dance on it?" Tappity, tappity tappity! "Bang it against this table?" Slap slap slap! "Throw it like a frisbee?" Whoosh, clunk! "Kick it back over to my mark like a big hockey puck?" Kick, sliiiiiiide! "And it will still play perfectly fine? Interesting!"

    • @brendanmccabe8373
      @brendanmccabe8373 5 років тому +50

      batman144 did you not hear scratches won’t affect the coated surface and normal wear and tear will have no bearing on the quality

    • @antney1108
      @antney1108 4 роки тому +35

      Brendan McCabe Scratches and fingerprints won’t affect Magnavision, but abysmal sales will!

    • @meekdook4236
      @meekdook4236 4 роки тому +1

      Tim Moses HAHAHAHA

    • @MyLuckyDobie
      @MyLuckyDobie 3 роки тому

      Lol.

  • @JonnyInfinite
    @JonnyInfinite 9 років тому +272

    ABBA, Spock and a talking rock....what more do you want?

    • @blacbraun
      @blacbraun 5 років тому +12

      I'm a Doctor...not a bricklayer!

    • @legendarydragoon
      @legendarydragoon 4 роки тому +6

      ABBA had some bangers.

    • @deltaray3
      @deltaray3 4 роки тому +3

      Competitive Swimming

    • @targbroffman9297
      @targbroffman9297 4 роки тому +2

      This is the comment i was looking for...

    • @smadaf
      @smadaf 3 роки тому +2

      Nail polish!

  • @dplatt7290
    @dplatt7290 4 роки тому +42

    the mustache is a sign that this is the Spock from the Mellow Mirror Universe.

  • @targbroffman9297
    @targbroffman9297 4 роки тому +51

    Leonard Nimoy, ABBA, and a beeping crystal, what more could i want from a vintage tech commercial? Just Brilliant! 😉

    • @DiscoMatty79
      @DiscoMatty79 3 роки тому +1

      I said the exact same thing. This would have sold me. Plus, VCRs were so expensive in the late 70's

    • @claytonbouldin9381
      @claytonbouldin9381 Рік тому

      @@DiscoMatty79 No kidding! My friend's parents bought one back then and I think it cost $800 dollars in late 70s early 80s money (if I am recalling correctly).

  • @TurboMan942
    @TurboMan942 3 роки тому +73

    It feels like I'm watching a portal into the future.
    The ability to study still frames on a 19" CRT TV is just awe inspiring!

    • @SuperFlashDriver
      @SuperFlashDriver Місяць тому

      Which would later be implemented in much of the video software like VLC, Media Players, and even non-destructive video & audio editors.

  • @bluebirdsigma
    @bluebirdsigma 5 років тому +38

    Proto-Alexa teaching us about laserdisc with Spock as interpreter. Priceless.

  • @RoyUnit
    @RoyUnit 9 років тому +107

    That alien space rock *really* likes ABBA.
    R.I.P. Leonard.

    • @TranscendentalAirwaves
      @TranscendentalAirwaves 5 років тому +7

      Who doesn't like ABBA?

    • @ShamrockParticle
      @ShamrockParticle 3 роки тому +4

      Yes, but was it stoned at the time?
      (Probably not, being sober is the best way to listen to it.)

  • @sagev.5818
    @sagev.5818 4 роки тому +31

    Leonard Nimoy could explain the most mundane thing in detail and I would be intrigued and watch it!

    • @MadameSomnambule
      @MadameSomnambule 3 роки тому +2

      His voice most certainly helps. Wonder if he narrated audiobooks on tape or records.

    • @sagev.5818
      @sagev.5818 3 роки тому +2

      MadameSomnambule Yes, he has narrated some audiobooks!

    • @robd1329
      @robd1329 3 роки тому +4

      Same here. He was Fascinating!

    • @claytonbouldin9381
      @claytonbouldin9381 Рік тому +1

      @@MadameSomnambule He did narrate some books and lectures too. My English teacher had a set of albums narrated by Leonard Nimoy talking about Greek mythology. I can't remember the name of the series, or find them online.

  • @Bolloxed
    @Bolloxed 7 років тому +126

    The future is going to be great!

    • @raccoon681
      @raccoon681 3 роки тому +13

      Year 2020 how are you feeling about that right now?

    • @MC-yy2bx
      @MC-yy2bx 3 роки тому +10

      My Magnavision just faulted after 40 years of faithful service. Where do I take it for a tune up ?

    • @PatricksBlendedMixOfVideos
      @PatricksBlendedMixOfVideos 3 роки тому +1

      @@MC-yy2bx How did it stop working?

    • @roberts3741
      @roberts3741 3 роки тому +14

      It's 2021 and honestly, I liked 4 years ago better.

    • @MC-yy2bx
      @MC-yy2bx 3 роки тому +1

      @@PatricksBlendedMixOfVideos; I was kidding. I don't own one.

  • @retrosimon9843
    @retrosimon9843 7 років тому +137

    It's a video format, Jim, but not as we know it.

  • @fjccommish
    @fjccommish 6 років тому +73

    "From inside this small area, a low power laser beam projects. But if we adjust the conversion mix, we can boost the power to that of a star ship phaser, thus converting the Magnavision LaserDisc Player into a weapons platform that can allow its user to conquer the world."

    • @stokestack
      @stokestack 6 років тому +10

      You just nailed the typical plot of many Star Trek episodes.

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 5 років тому +9

      @Sean Wilkinson "Ineed.....more resolution, Mr. Scott."

    • @rayjingloryproductions3770
      @rayjingloryproductions3770 3 роки тому +1

      .
      .
      .
      fjvideo --- I think you have Spock mixed up with MacGuyver.
      Mac could do MIRACULOUS THINGS with just a piece of
      .
      . == Bubble Gum and a PAPERCLIP. ==
      .
      .

    • @SidNightWalker
      @SidNightWalker 3 роки тому +2

      But only the military grade players though.

    • @thomasperkins2779
      @thomasperkins2779 3 роки тому +1

      And as an added bonus you can recharge Dilithium Crystals at the same time

  • @matahari9858
    @matahari9858 9 років тому +65

    rip leonard nimoy
    heaven knew not superior picture quality until it knew magnavision

    • @telocho
      @telocho 6 років тому +1

      Mata Hari Being just a rebranded Philips VLP600.

  • @keithjrisk
    @keithjrisk 9 років тому +67

    RIP Leonard Nimoy A man of many talents

    • @strangeyoungman
      @strangeyoungman 4 роки тому +3

      @@Mathster321 I mean, after mind-melding with a traumatized Horta, this must be easy.

    • @changer_of_ways_999
      @changer_of_ways_999 Рік тому

      Sometimes talents used in baffling ways.

    • @miller-joel
      @miller-joel 2 місяці тому

      But why does he have a tribble on his face???

    • @keithjrisk
      @keithjrisk 2 місяці тому

      @@miller-joel Because a Klingon would not fit.

  • @kevinscott1547
    @kevinscott1547 9 років тому +57

    Yes children before there were DVDs we had LaserDiscs!!!

    • @leolahulet2066
      @leolahulet2066 3 роки тому +3

      I own a laser disc but don't have a machine for it but yeah I remember them I'm 49 years old going on 50 so I I remember them very well

    • @jstnsmutek
      @jstnsmutek 3 роки тому +9

      @@leolahulet2066 What's a DVD?

    • @OikPoinFive
      @OikPoinFive 3 роки тому

      @@jstnsmutek u know. U know!

    • @lylobean
      @lylobean 3 роки тому

      We also had cds...

    • @marcellachine5718
      @marcellachine5718 3 роки тому

      @@leolahulet2066 I have 5 players and 400 movies. I wish I had an early example like this player, mine are all late 80s early 90s. This one shown here as late 70s early 80s.

  • @lpdog82
    @lpdog82 5 років тому +27

    I still have this player from the 80's, it looked so ''vintage space age'' I just never could part with it LOL

    • @leolahulet2066
      @leolahulet2066 3 роки тому

      I have only one of the discs but not the machine I know I've seen them on eBay but I don't know if they would still work or not

    • @marcellachine5718
      @marcellachine5718 3 роки тому

      @@leolahulet2066 most times when one goes, it's just the rubber belt the breaks or gets gummy over time.

  • @wolfshanze5980
    @wolfshanze5980 7 років тому +39

    I was sold when he broke out the ABBA Laserdisc!

  • @hizzlemobizzle
    @hizzlemobizzle 5 років тому +11

    And it's so compact. See how it fits neatly under your giant 25" television set, or as we call it Magnamegavision.

  • @dirtyharry1844
    @dirtyharry1844 6 років тому +45

    "Yes,i can understand you...I´m Leonard Nimoy."

    • @blacbraun
      @blacbraun 5 років тому +1

      Of course. He had a loving sexual relationship with the rock creature and mind meld or cock meld it.

  • @supersonickane8761
    @supersonickane8761 Рік тому +4

    I like Mr. Nimoy's introduction to the Magnavision because it really IS the gateway to the future. Thanks, Leonard! ☺️

  • @djm122270
    @djm122270 3 роки тому +3

    Holy...!!! I can't believe my eyes and ears. I once met Leonard Nimoy at an autograph signing with my Dad at a department store on Long Island, NY just before he passed away. "Mr. Spock" must have been there as a promotional spokesperson. In the electronics department was this very Laser Video Disc Player showing the pilot episodes of Star Trek (watched both parts 1 & 2 in their entirety). Not only was I mesmerized but hypnotized all the same. I never knew this commercial existed! Discovering this has made my life totally complete!!! I am forever grateful to you for this...

  • @deltatom7
    @deltatom7 10 років тому +47

    I can't believe I watched that all the way through. Awesome, though.

  • @bob23301
    @bob23301 3 роки тому +22

    Nimoy "Well i am almost sold, just one more question, which button do i press to recored?"
    (Crystal explodes)
    Nimoy "fascinating"

    • @iamweave
      @iamweave 3 роки тому +2

      That's probably what killed it. People wanted to record live TV. Funny how now I couldn't care less about recording live TV. Just stream whatever I want when. Fascinating.

    • @marcellachine5718
      @marcellachine5718 3 роки тому

      @@iamweave glad I have my laserdisc player and 400 movies. Retro movies give even more of a fuzzy feeling on this format.

    • @orangie8426
      @orangie8426 3 роки тому

      @@iamweave uh ah.
      I like a hard copy of something I watch if I want to keep it.. I still use vcrs...

  • @GEhotpants101
    @GEhotpants101 10 років тому +143

    I knew this was going to be good when he told a light bulb under some paper panties that he could understand it just out of the virtue of being Leonard Nimoy.

  • @patluvsvettes
    @patluvsvettes 3 роки тому +7

    Man, I miss Leonard Nimoy! Such a great actor!

    • @Angie2343
      @Angie2343 2 роки тому

      ua-cam.com/video/KnalkMTFwe0/v-deo.html
      He was the narrator for the Seaman game on the SEGA Dreamcast.

    • @melindahall5062
      @melindahall5062 2 місяці тому

      I’m a big Trekkie and I love Spock. Mr. Nimoy really fleshed out the role. Otherwise he was just a “middling actor”. I hated him on “Mission Impossible”.

  • @brianwest2775
    @brianwest2775 3 роки тому +11

    The laser disk does look incredibly high tech compared to the TV.

  • @Shane07752
    @Shane07752 7 років тому +11

    The DVD player of the 70's/80's.

  • @TonyKaku
    @TonyKaku 13 років тому +11

    Can't wait for this to hit the stores! It's awesome!

    • @TedTheAtheist
      @TedTheAtheist 6 місяців тому

      Sir, are you still waiting for it to hit the stores? :)

  • @MrUnsolvedMystery
    @MrUnsolvedMystery 3 роки тому +2

    I don’t know how I stumbled on to this but this is the most fascinating infomercial ever. I couldn’t stop watching. Maybe it was the 1980s nostalgia

  • @ELEKTROSKANSEN
    @ELEKTROSKANSEN 2 роки тому +4

    I watched this numerous times, but only today did I read the description for the very first time. And I was SHOCKED to learn that this was filmed in 1981! Filmed in the 80s, yet somehow it gives out such 70s vibe..!

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  2 роки тому +2

      Yeah, the video was made in 1981 and does seem like it's out of date. It was also a day late and a dollar short.
      The Magnavision debuted in 1978, and it wasn't a very good machine.
      In 1980, the Japanese-made Pioneer VP-1000 came out, and that player was superior to the Magnavox players manufactured in USA from assembly kits made in Europe. Also superior were Pioneer's Japanese-made discs compared to what DiscoVision churned out in California.
      And then in 1981, Magnavox put this video out there in their dealer showrooms, but to no avail because...
      1 - By 1981, VCRs were vastly outselling LaserVision.
      2 - Magnavox and MCA DiscoVision had a chance to make LaserVision the hot item to get in the late 70s, but they blew it. Players and discs were returned almost as quickly as they were purchased because of serious defects with both, leaving a bad impression with consumers.
      3 - The Philips-made VH-8000 and the VH-8005 (same player, but with a wireless remote) were on the verge of being discontinued and replaced by new models that would be made by Pioneer for NAP (North American Philips, then parent company of Magnavox).
      4 - RCA's entry into the videodisc market with their own stylus-based CED format would only further confuse consumers, despite the rather obvious differences between it and LaserVision.

    • @ELEKTROSKANSEN
      @ELEKTROSKANSEN 2 роки тому +2

      @@Watcher3223 Yep, kinda sad when you think about it, but hey - we got one of the most amazing commercials ever, with mr. Nimoy in it, so, not that bad in the end ;)

    • @alastairward2774
      @alastairward2774 Рік тому +2

      New decades take a few years to become their own, pop culture like Stranger Things help let us forget it wasn't all neatly bookended.

    • @ScottyKirk1
      @ScottyKirk1 Рік тому

      The bell bottoms are definitely the 70s vibe. If he had a colored sleeve, he'd have the Moonbase Alpha uniform! 😉 👌

    • @TokyoXtreme
      @TokyoXtreme Рік тому

      The NFL Films music had been around for several years already (late 60s?), which gives the video a retro vibe even for 1981.

  • @donmcc6573
    @donmcc6573 3 роки тому +9

    I remember going through Tomorrowland at Disney World, and one of the attractions had a laser disk on display. And that is about as far as that technology ever went.

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 2 роки тому +3

      Now Disney can't figure out the difference between a boy and a girl.

    • @Angie2343
      @Angie2343 2 роки тому +2

      @@fjccommish As they lost 30% market value.

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 2 роки тому +2

      @@Angie2343 Serves them right.

    • @Angie2343
      @Angie2343 2 роки тому +2

      @@fjccommish And the Sonic movi sequel is CRUSHING Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Wokeness.

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 2 роки тому

      @@Angie2343 LOL out loud. Sonic is so weak. Wokeness is weaker.

  • @Uhfgood
    @Uhfgood 6 років тому +7

    For people who think this is silly and/or goofy, it's actually a pretty effective marketing tool. At first you think it's silly Nimoy talking to a beeping rock, but then soon you're sort of hanging on Nimoy's words, waiting patiently for him to "translate" what the rock is saying. This causes your brain to engage in the material being presented more fully. At the end you're not really thinking ab out the rock but rather the information Mr. Nimoy presented.
    It's sort of like going to a theater and watching a movie in one of those imax sized screens, at first it looks really huge, but eventually you're so absorbed into the story you don't notice it as much. This is also why I tend to go with the cheaper regular screen rather than "XD", "Dolby Cinema", "IMAX", or what-have-you.

    • @kevinlambert2756
      @kevinlambert2756 Рік тому +2

      Spock ...😉💜

    • @kingcrimson234
      @kingcrimson234 9 місяців тому +1

      You got me. This video has me sold thanks to Leonard Nimoy. I'm buying a laserdisc player today.

  • @1701echopapa
    @1701echopapa 3 роки тому +4

    Oh. My. God. I can imagine Nimoy saying to himself, "It's a paycheck. It's a paycheck. It's a paycheck..."

  • @MadKingJorge
    @MadKingJorge 3 роки тому +6

    Imagine long in the future this is the only record of our existence...

  • @mdduckman
    @mdduckman 4 роки тому +7

    This is pure gold! I still have a Pioneer Laserdisc player (don't use it anymore), but I remember the Magnavox version. Thanks for posting!

  • @ds3930
    @ds3930 3 роки тому +7

    2:09
    When he opens the lid, I swear it sounds like the hood opening on a 78 Regal. I half expected to see a V8.

  • @TookMe20min2findThis
    @TookMe20min2findThis 3 роки тому +11

    I remember playing Dragon's Lair on a Laserdisc in 1984.. This was way ahead of it's time and the graphics blew everything else out of the water.

    • @tombstoneharrystudios584
      @tombstoneharrystudios584 Рік тому

      It took decades for the animation to catch up in the video game industry!
      Sadly, Dragons lair was pretty expensive to play and the learning/difficulty curve was insanely hard.
      Its rightly seen as groundbreaking but it was unfortunate that it was such a poor game overall

  • @danielwilliamson6180
    @danielwilliamson6180 5 років тому +11

    The flashing crystal that talks to Leonard is cute. This is a rare find. I'm guessing this is from the early 1980s and Leonard must had done this between Star Trek II and III.

    • @lmoore3rd
      @lmoore3rd 3 роки тому +3

      Filmed on Genesis while he was waiting for Kirk to retrieve him. 😀

    • @mws8389
      @mws8389 3 роки тому

      It says 'copyright 1981' in the end credits.

    • @Bat8hitcrazy
      @Bat8hitcrazy 3 роки тому

      Must have

    • @danielwilliamson6180
      @danielwilliamson6180 3 роки тому

      @@Bat8hitcrazy Star Trek 2 was released in America in June 1982. The movie was filmed in 1981 so Leonard Nimoy must had done the Magnavision Laserdisc Player video advertisement after production on Star Trek 2 was completed hence 'copyright 1981'.

  • @DanielSolis
    @DanielSolis 13 років тому +51

    "Yes, I can understand you - I'm Leonard Nimoy!" is the new internet meme.

  • @qtheband751
    @qtheband751 3 роки тому +5

    I think we all know that the fact you could get competitive swimming on laser disk was the true selling point.

  • @AnthonyWilliams-li5mz
    @AnthonyWilliams-li5mz 3 роки тому +2

    OMG when you remember this and actually owned one in the late 70s or 80s boy do you feel OLD

  • @michaelturner4457
    @michaelturner4457 Рік тому +2

    Dragon's Lair in an arcade was the only time I actually saw a laser-disk been played for myself. Never saw one like this Magnavision, that I could actually buy.

  • @michaelpierce4036
    @michaelpierce4036 9 років тому +7

    This video looks like it came out around the time when they were filming the "new" Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I always loved that movie.

    • @wiseguymaybe
      @wiseguymaybe 3 роки тому +2

      You made your comment 6 years ago. Are you still with us or ..... 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢😨

  • @BubblesTheBard
    @BubblesTheBard 5 років тому +11

    "I can understand you, Im Leonard Nimoy."

  • @LoveLife-yh7ke
    @LoveLife-yh7ke 7 місяців тому +1

    Watching this fuzzy old Magnavox commercial from the 80s really makes me see how old Star Trek really is

  • @JordanSugarman
    @JordanSugarman 6 років тому +2

    This video starts with Leonard Nimoy staring off... into the future! And then it just keeps getting better. Bravo, 1970s promotional video director.

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 2 роки тому

      He was not staring into the future. He was willing the future into existence.

  • @banjonator1
    @banjonator1 10 років тому +36

    Damn you Nimoy, I wanted to hear ABBA.

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 6 років тому +3

      I'm a doctor, not an advanced laser video player!

    • @CanuckGod
      @CanuckGod 6 років тому +2

      Not playing ABBA? Illogical.

    • @E_y_a_l
      @E_y_a_l 6 років тому +1

      Although your comment is 3 years old, you do know you can type "ABBA" in the search box at the top of this site and hear the full song?

    • @dannobles8028
      @dannobles8028 6 років тому +4

      A Swedish pop-group from Earth, circa 1970s that relied on catchy lyrics and melodies. I find them strangely...appealing.

    • @legendarydragoon
      @legendarydragoon 4 роки тому +4

      I love you Leonard, but I'm going to have to switch to Audio Channel 2 of my Magnavision so I can just hear ABBA.

  • @juanalberto5079
    @juanalberto5079 3 роки тому +3

    Legend icon mr. Nimoy, in the days of 4K, 8K, streaming and beyond.....(today on pandemic years)💿👍📀🎞️✌️

  • @heiseheise
    @heiseheise 2 роки тому +1

    Excellent work on transcribing the fully L and R channel bits from his demo at the end with the football bit

  • @spartanx5806
    @spartanx5806 3 роки тому

    man i love leonard nimoy and this cool laser disc video!i wish things were still like this.......miss this ...

  • @maintenancetunnels
    @maintenancetunnels 10 років тому +145

    so who actually thought that rock thing was a god idea

    • @George040270
      @George040270 6 років тому +16

      "God" idea?

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 6 років тому +18

      Brup bree bip boo

    • @fjccommish
      @fjccommish 6 років тому +24

      Nimoy "Really? An entire library of exciting video discs such as watching paint dry, watching grass grow, and I can study each individual drip from that runny faucet. Fascinating!"

    • @metallitech
      @metallitech 6 років тому +8

      They also considered using a pair of scissors or a piece of paper :)

    • @Uhfgood
      @Uhfgood 6 років тому +9

      Actually it was a good idea, because as you watch, eventually you're waiting for Leonard Nimoy to "translate" what the rock is saying. It's actually quite effective. This was it goes into your mind easier and quicker because you are engaged, and does it better than if some marketing person or even Nimoy himself were to tell it to you directly. Psychology my friend.

  • @davido.1233
    @davido.1233 6 років тому +3

    It's amazing how peple thought of dvds long before they were actually popularized!

  • @fordxbgtfalcon
    @fordxbgtfalcon 12 років тому +1

    amazing how far we have come in just the past 30 years.

  • @Bobby8451
    @Bobby8451 3 роки тому +1

    Leonard Nimoy, the best commentarist of all time. I used to fall asleep listening to this guy on the history channel's Ancient Mysteries. Love his voice!

  • @canucktunes
    @canucktunes 9 років тому +15

    RIP Leonard Nimoy

  • @jojoquigley7741
    @jojoquigley7741 7 років тому +19

    I am an alien from the planet Zorkon, here to study human culture. This video is fascinating. Who is that man talking to the blinking rock? He reminds me of a species we encountered in the SR-101 Star Cluster. What was the name of that planet ? Can't quite remember. A stoic people ....Hot climate.

    • @shaolin95
      @shaolin95 3 роки тому +1

      Wakanda?

    • @ITSCHANNEL14
      @ITSCHANNEL14 2 роки тому

      Vulcan is the planet you were referring to. Quite hot indeed.
      During a Vulcan summer, the polar ice cap, composed mainly of carbon dioxide ice, shrinks and may disappear altogether

  • @MrLeglamp
    @MrLeglamp 4 роки тому +2

    ABBA says take a chance on Magnavision. Mamma Mia, I'm sold!

  • @roberts3741
    @roberts3741 3 роки тому

    That forward/back slide is pretty awesome, ngl. We need that now.

  • @randallulrich
    @randallulrich 3 роки тому +4

    The amazing part of all this? The fact that Leonard Nimoy kept a straight face throughout this entire commercial.

    • @shrimpflea
      @shrimpflea Рік тому

      gotta wonder how many takes they did.

  • @Lethgar_Smith
    @Lethgar_Smith 3 роки тому +4

    I worked at a TV and appliance store in the early 80s. We had those Magnavision players for sale and we had the Olivia! laserdisc on continuous play for several months with all the TVs in the show room displaying it simultaneously on all the screens. Men would stop and stare dumbfounded as she was dancing around in skimpy outfits and underwear, rolling around on the beach in the waves in a barely there bathing suit.
    Yeah, I got tired of looking at it after a while, but just the clarity of the image was eye catching. Neither broadcast, cable or a a VHS tape had an image that sharp at the time.

  • @karsonkevin2
    @karsonkevin2 4 роки тому

    I like how at 8:50 the audio actually is 2-channel and wasn't compressed down to a single channel for UA-cam. The first coach talking comes from the left channel (1) and the second coach to talk comes from the right channel (2)

  • @jamie1707
    @jamie1707 13 років тому +2

    My parents bought one of these things. I think it worked for 2 weeks, then was in the shop every other week until finally finding a permanent home on a shelf in the attic. I can still hear my Dad cursing the darn thing. It had terrible picture quality, and if I remember right, the sound was often out of sync with the picture. I don't remember what it cost, but it wasn't cheap by 1979 standards.
    I think we would have enjoyed owning the beeping rock much more.

  • @elbowdrop3596
    @elbowdrop3596 9 років тому +91

    Why is he repeating what the rock just said? Ok, we get it...geez.

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  9 років тому +41

      Probably because the audience may not understand "rockinese."

    • @Mentorcase
      @Mentorcase 8 років тому +12

      It"s not rockinese it's piezo!

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  8 років тому +10

      Piezo would be how it could speak rockinese, like a mouth speaking Japanese. ;-)

    • @garoad2
      @garoad2 5 років тому +3

      "what the rock said"
      hmm

    • @Knightmessenger
      @Knightmessenger 3 роки тому +4

      @@Watcher3223 it's just like rock-et science.

  • @eddiemaiden2012
    @eddiemaiden2012 3 роки тому +3

    This is great and Leonard Nimoy is awesome live long and prosper

  • @BaseFury
    @BaseFury 3 роки тому

    We had one inside the Mainside Enlisted Club on Camp Pendleton 1980-1985. Great job by MWR keeping the discs coming. :)

  • @Daehawk
    @Daehawk 3 роки тому

    We loved Magnavox in the 80s and 90s. Had their TVs and VCRs.

  • @flexor212000
    @flexor212000 9 років тому +21

    That thing is ALMOST as loud as the first generation PS3...

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  9 років тому +2

      Almost as loud, but nowhere near as capable.

    • @RdVortex
      @RdVortex 9 років тому +7

      Which is still only half as loud as the 1st gen Xbox 360.

    • @AGrayPhantom
      @AGrayPhantom 8 років тому +2

      I'm surprised they didn't edit out how loud the player was.

    • @KozenaDrzka
      @KozenaDrzka 5 років тому +1

      PS3 SuperSlim is pretty loud when reading from disc

    • @outtheredude
      @outtheredude 4 роки тому +1

      Sounds as noisy as a film projector.

  • @mspeter97
    @mspeter97 10 років тому +40

    "if nothing touches the disk surface there's virtually no wearout factor"
    okay, Mr. Nimoy, than WHY are you holding it like that?

    • @Resimaster
      @Resimaster 10 років тому +2

      My thoughts exactly :)

    • @MrWolfSnack
      @MrWolfSnack 9 років тому +1

      He means playing apparatus, such as NEEDLES.

  • @element7526
    @element7526 3 роки тому

    for the time being back then, it had amazing features.
    Expensive, but today its basic.
    Very interesting video. cheers

  • @HardRockMiner
    @HardRockMiner 3 роки тому +1

    Great !! And it's out just in time for summer. Quarantine just got less boring !! Thanks, Spock

  • @davidcarver483
    @davidcarver483 7 років тому +7

    I wasn't aware Ron Burgandy promoted Laserdisc. I guess he was a big deal back then.

  • @ai6894
    @ai6894 5 років тому +6

    10:30 (unauthorized duplication disclaimer) *Enterprise computer female voice* "Error! Insufficient data. Please restate previous input."
    Nimoy: When I get ahold of my agent who said this was a 'logical'
    career move!

  • @harryandthepeapods
    @harryandthepeapods 13 років тому +1

    Leonard Nimoy penetrates the finer gaps of the laser disc format.

  • @creamcheese6662
    @creamcheese6662 3 роки тому +1

    Can’t wait for this! I’m still watching movies on 8 track, but digital!

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  3 роки тому

      _"I'm still watching movies on 8 track, but digital!"_
      HD-DVD?

  • @cygil1
    @cygil1 12 років тому +5

    @halo3guyy Laserdisc was a huge success in Japan. It was a niche high-end format in the West. It pioneered most of the features subsequently found on DVDs. It was far from a failure.

    • @marcellachine5718
      @marcellachine5718 3 роки тому

      Odd fact for a failure. It was released a full 3 years before the compact disc.

  • @memyself4ever1
    @memyself4ever1 8 років тому +13

    It's a shame that it really didn't catch on in the 80s.

    • @MarthaMedicare
      @MarthaMedicare 7 років тому +4

      memyself4ever1, it was too damned expensive. I remember it was up against VHS & BetaMax... and the cheapest won😒

    • @ldchappell1
      @ldchappell1 7 років тому

      Exactly. Too expensive and they also didn't have the ability to record. Being able to record programs that aired while you were busy doing other things was one of the benefits of having a VCR. I programmed my VCR to record major league baseball games that aired during the workday.

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  7 років тому +2

      In a way, LaserDisc did catch on as a niche format for customers who demanded the best possible quality available at the time.
      Demand was strong enough for there to be support by the major studios and smaller video labels up until after the turn of the century, when LaserVision was replaced by DVD-Video.

    • @stokestack
      @stokestack 6 років тому

      Expense wasn't LD's problem. Movies on tape sold for $100, typically. Movies on LaserDisc sold for around $35 and were obviously of far superior quality. The most common objection was, "Uh, you can't record on it!" And yet, years later, studies revealed that the vast majority of people seldom or never recorded on their VCRs.

    • @nkt1
      @nkt1 3 роки тому +3

      @@stokestack I find that hard to believe. My parents and those of my friends regularly recorded TV programmes while they were away somewhere or watching another programme on a different station.

  • @rexdv8
    @rexdv8 3 роки тому

    I love the lighting they used for such infomercials back then.

  • @MrAndroidData
    @MrAndroidData 9 років тому

    bless, brilliant to watch classic, old days stuff

  • @rcordiner
    @rcordiner 9 років тому +71

    Are these in the shops yet?

    • @1rk3neditz
      @1rk3neditz 6 років тому

      Content Aware Phil well did you still sell them at record stores, you just gotta look for the right ones

    • @stevencarlson5422
      @stevencarlson5422 6 років тому

      Content Aware Phil ya where can I get one :)

  • @juliolopez-neves4679
    @juliolopez-neves4679 6 років тому +3

    This is where the DVD player and DVDs came from

  • @DPedroBoh
    @DPedroBoh 11 років тому +2

    This is actually pretty good, seeing its analogic, there's no compression, so the raw video can be stored on the disc. It would be interesting if something like this was made with today's standards, like 1080p resolution.

    • @the_undead
      @the_undead 2 роки тому +1

      In the '80s OR '90s there was a high definition version of the LaserDisc in Japan because it's Japan and they're far more technologically advanced than literally every other Nation

  • @th3garbageman
    @th3garbageman Рік тому +1

    The only thing comforting about this is Leonard’s voice. The talking crack rock and Abba were terrifying.

  • @BrentPollard1
    @BrentPollard1 9 років тому +27

    Was he wearing nail polish?

  • @thdremily
    @thdremily 9 років тому +87

    This plays almost like a parody "obviously scratches won't effect this coated surface, and normal wear and tear should have no bearing on the quality" aw yeah, sounds legit.

    • @cloudenvying
      @cloudenvying 9 років тому +7

      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaserDisc#Advantages it has differences to the same sort of scratches on dvds

    • @thdremily
      @thdremily 9 років тому +12

      I was referring more to the delivery, i don't know, even watching it now, it seems like Nimoy is making fun of the thing.

    • @thdremily
      @thdremily 9 років тому +3

      And now he's dead, I'm sure no one even remembers this little bit of advertising from the 1980's

    • @RoyUnit
      @RoyUnit 9 років тому +7

      Ted Morris Yeah, I think he probably realized what he'd signed up after he read the script and said to himself, "screw it."

    • @MarkkuKoljonenwTinja
      @MarkkuKoljonenwTinja 9 років тому +1

      Ted Morris
      Remember and used them (so long time ago...) ;P

  • @rayjingloryproductions3770
    @rayjingloryproductions3770 3 роки тому +1

    I actually HAVE a WORKING Pioneer LaserDisc Player.
    It was a gift to me for my Studio.
    I love this Vintage equipment.
    Nothing beats the sound quality.

    • @JoJoLux2013
      @JoJoLux2013 3 роки тому

      I bought my first one, after i bought the laserdisc of... StartTrek Next Generation the movie ^^
      It was so cool, a jump in the quality, video and sound, from the VHS era ^^

  • @XX-sp3tt
    @XX-sp3tt 2 роки тому

    Laser discs are the greatest medium for movies ever.

  • @cornjobb
    @cornjobb 5 років тому +13

    it's almost as if they were TRYING to force a mental connection, on the part of the viewer, between THIS leonard nimoy with a pornstache, and the character of mr. spock on star trek.

    • @wiseguymaybe
      @wiseguymaybe 3 роки тому +4

      Well there is the Spock with a beard in a parallel universe. Perhaps he is inbetween dimensions.

    • @geoffsclassiccars
      @geoffsclassiccars 3 роки тому

      And bilbo baggins

    • @knorrissirronk8665
      @knorrissirronk8665 3 роки тому

      I was thinking between what he was wearing and the set, that it was closer to Spock in the "Space 1999" universe... No Maya though... What a let-down. Maya rocked the "werewolf Vulcan" look PERFECTLY!

  • @roachtoasties
    @roachtoasties 3 роки тому +4

    I'm sold! Where can I pick up my own Magnavision LaserDisc Player?

  • @kennyryan4173
    @kennyryan4173 4 місяці тому +1

    rip. always enjoyed listening to his voice.
    talking space rock sounds so cute.

  • @OneAndOnlyMe
    @OneAndOnlyMe 6 місяців тому +1

    Never seen this before. The first movie I ever watched on LaserVision (later rebranded LaserDisc) was Star Trek The Motion Picture, and oh boy at the time it looked incredibly good on a CRT.

  • @NATESOR
    @NATESOR 6 років тому +3

    looks sick. when's it coming out?

  • @JimPlaysGames
    @JimPlaysGames 6 років тому +28

    If a glowing rock appeared in my house and started explaining new video technologies to me I would not be this calm. My reaction would be something like NO I DON'T WANNA BE A SCHIZOPHRENIC!

    • @neelt2001
      @neelt2001 4 роки тому +6

      Yeah but...you're not Leonard Nimoy! Unlike the rest of us, he can actually understand the rock. He said so himself at the beginning of the video! 😂

    • @PhoenixNL72-DEGA-
      @PhoenixNL72-DEGA- 4 роки тому +6

      @@neelt2001 Also he has seen much weirder shit in his 5 year mission! ;)

    • @TookMe20min2findThis
      @TookMe20min2findThis 3 роки тому

      What glowing rock?

  • @JavierBonilla78
    @JavierBonilla78 6 років тому +1

    Live long and prosper Mr. Nimoy!

  • @surisuri8993
    @surisuri8993 3 роки тому +1

    The future is going to be amazing once I get my SLIMLINE Magnavision LaserDisc Player.

    • @Watcher3223
      @Watcher3223  3 роки тому +1

      Slimline Magnavision LaserDisc player = Magnavox Blu-Ray Disc player made by Funai.

  • @siemenstraffic
    @siemenstraffic 13 років тому +3

    It would had been epic if Leonard Nimoy pulled out a Laserdisk version of Star Trek TMP.

  • @natepeace1737
    @natepeace1737 3 роки тому +3

    As long as Cardi B, and Nicky Minaj are not on the discs, then I’m sold.

  • @fridayray8891
    @fridayray8891 Рік тому

    awesome....thanks for the memories rebooted

  • @marc444
    @marc444 6 років тому

    A talking rock. UA-cam GOLD. Thank you Watcher 3223. And the quality is ridic!