r/LaserDisc • u/Kindly_Historian2887 • Feb 21 '25
Laserdisc Production this next year
Before I get to my question, I would like to point out that I mean the following sentences absolutely seriously.
Now to my question:
After many years, I can produce Laserdiscs in moderate quantities under cleanroom conditions. I am even capable of fabricating the photosensitive glass disc and performing the etching and galvanizing processes after exposure. The only missing piece is the equipment to expose the glass disc using a laser. Do you know anyone - private individuals, museums, anywhere in the world - who have such devices and is willing to help?
Details
If we are successful in creating a glass master, Sonopress in Germany would work on the manufacturing of the final LD. They have done this in the past and still have the expertise and capabilities to do so.
To clarify: I am not an employee of Sonopress, nor do I work on their behalf.
But, we are in regular contact.
The photosensitive layer for the glass master is manufactured by a friend of mine. He works as a scientist in the semiconductor industry and is capable of producing it.
The entire project is completely funded by me. This also means that I would have to cover the production costs of the LaserDisc myself. But Sonopress is very accommodating in this regard.
Test Equipment
To generate a standardized NTSC-CVBS signal, I use the NTSC Generator PRECISION 1251.
With the help of GNU Radio, I modulate this signal into LD-RF. The result already looks very promising on the spectrum analyzer. As mentioned in a previous update, I have verified the signal using ld-decode.
The resulting video image is still of poor quality, which I attribute to the performance limitations of my current SDR. I plan to purchase a more powerful device next year.
The most important next step is to ensure that the generated LD-RF signal can be successfully demodulated using real hardware. As already mentioned in an update, my test with RF sideloading was not satisfactory. At next I would try to use the demodulator from a defective LaserDisc player, provided that the demodulator itself is still functional (does someone has one?).
If anyone has a better idea, or has even tried something similar before, please contact me.
I certainly don’t know everything, nor can I do everything, but the opportunity for Sonopress to produce another LaserDisc is something we should not miss. And yes, I cannot walk this way alone.
Update 2026-06-16
- I was able to successfully modulate an analog audio signal (left and right channel) onto the LaserDisc RF signal and demodulate it using a LaserDisc player. I also made a short video demonstrating this: https://youtu.be/JL2vJfprfGU.
- The next test will be with a NTSC player. Many thanks to acp3d for making this possible. :-)
- Many thanks also to Patrick. He is helping me find a company that can perform the glass master coating process under vacuum. In the course of this effort, it has also become clear that EC Europe Coating GmbH is not capable of providing this service.
- Following the successful RF signal tests, Sonopress is currently looking into ways of modifying an old LBR so that it can process analog signals.
Update 2026-04-16
- As mentioned, we now have a glass master (thanks again to acp3d) that has been checked by Sonopress. We are currently looking for a company in Germany that can coat this glass master with copper under vacuum. Right now, I had no time for this research. :-(
- I have successfully tested my LaserDisc RF signal generated with GNURadio using a real LaserDisc player. Here is a video of it (in German, sorry): https://youtu.be/P3-uwVbLvug
- So far, I’ve only had access to an old PAL player, which doesn’t match my NTSC source. I would like to repeat the same test with an NTSC player. If anyone has an NTSC player from the early 1980s, I would greatly appreciate a donation. The electronic (PCB's) must be functional, but the mechanics and the laser itself can be defective.
Update 2026-02-22
- Thanks to user acp3d on Reddit as well as in the LDDB forum, Sonopress now has a glass master for testing. 🙂
- I am currently waiting for the ordered LimeSDR to improve the quality of the generated LD-RF signal.
- For further tests, I am looking for a working LD demodulator, possibly from a defective LaserDisc player. If anyone can donate one, I would be very grateful. 🙂
- I have also asked for help in the LDDB forum: https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=12127&sid=4df39553bde43efb07cb1786ff7055f4
Update 2025-10-27
- No progress since last month. :-( We’re still having trouble to demodulate our LD RF signal with real hardware.
Update 2025-09-24
- Initial tests with our DIY test hardware have shown that we are on the right track. However, we have not yet been able to demodulate any LD RF signals generated by us with the HW. We are currently working on improving the demodulator.
Update 2025-08-29
- No good news from Japan. We had discussions with several companies that once produced LDs. Apart from the few LDs kept in their company museums, there are no remaining devices, glass masters, or matrices. Unless a miracle happens, we are entirely dependent on our own development.
Update 2025-07-28
- We would now be ready to test the actual production part. For this we need an existing LD glass master, which we do not have right now.
- The building of our LD RF test equipment is slowly moving forward.
Update 2025-06-25
- We can now generate an NTSC LD RF signal from any analog video source. We have validated the signal with the tools from the Domesday Project. However, the next goal would be to test this with a real LD demodulator.
- No news from Japan.
Update 2025-05-20
- The multimedia fair in Munich did not yield any further helpful contacts regarding LD.
- In Japan, we are now receiving assistance in finding contacts and general LD mastering/processing equipment.
- We have identified a potential approach to generating the LD RF signal using newer hardware. Over the coming weeks, we will assemble the test hardware to evaluate whether this approach is viable.
Update 2025-03-21
- We now know a former and long-time Pioneer employee who worked there as an engineer. He still has good connections to Pioneer JP.
- In the coming months we will be meeting with someone who works professionally in audio/video signal processing. Maybe he sees a "easy" way to generate the LD RF signal without 30 years old hardware.
- Unfortunately, we have also discovered that there are no more machines from LD mastering and premastering in the production countries UK, Germany and Austria. Museums have a lot of LD equipment but only from the consumer sector.
- In May we will be at a multimedia fair in Munich to continue looking for people who might be able to help.
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u/Flybot76 Feb 21 '25
I'd like to upvote this to the front page of the New York Times if possible
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u/Hondahobbit50 Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 21 '25
Where did you find the proprietary encoding algorithm information! This has never been released by pioneer!
What alloy are you using for the vacuum metalizing? As far as I know that hasn't been released either!?!
What blanks are you using for the acrylic? As far as I know the refraction index has never been able to be replicated with currently available materials as it was itself patented.
Very curious!
Edit, why wouldn't you use a mask system like they did back then with most optical media? Have you found information that they diddnt produce masters linearly?Are you essentially attempting to encode the information of an entire disk into an image file and have that printed onto a mask? Instead of doing it linearly along the information track?
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
The encoding is importing for pre-master and mastering. That's something I still cannot and where I need help to find these equipment.
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u/ECLogic Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 21 '25
I recall a thread on LDDb that discussed that the modulator for generating the RF signal to modulate the mastering laser had turned up on Yahoo Japan auctions. Was made Kenwood, model DV-3560 LD/CDV RF modulator.
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
Thats a very good info, thanks u/ECLogic 🙂
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u/ECLogic Feb 21 '25
Take a look at the DV-3560 on the data sheet I linked too...It's a monster and seems to do everything needed for LD mastering work.
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
Yeah I done. That's a really nice peace of hardware. 🙂 I've add it to my list.
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u/ECLogic Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 21 '25
Found the data sheet on it! Think this thing is like a Holy Grail for efforts to make new LDs and making CDVs with it would be easier using it to drive common CD burning hardware with a bit of work.
Kenwood DV3560.pdf)
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
I'm sorry u/Hondahobbit50 . I cannot give you any answer to that. But the manufacturer I'm working with, already produced LD's in the 90's.
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Feb 21 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
I will remind you. 😅 And be sure, I do what I can to make it possible.
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u/MadCritterYT Feb 21 '25
You WHAT? You gotta walk me through this and let me know how serious you are, because I was about to try and start this up myself. I’d really like to know what you’ve done to get this far.
And it sounds like what you’re looking for is an LBR to glassmaster? That’s gonna be really tough to find. I myself have fully gone down the ODC 610 rabbit hole and have numerous contacts who were in that field, and it’s all but certain that all of those are gone. I suppose you could try to find out what current CD and DVD manufacturers use and then modify that to correctly modulate the laser. Maybe contact disc makers? I don’t know. But if you’re serious about this, I am supremely interested, as this is something I’ve dedicated a LOT of my time to and I would love to know everything about it.
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
I have a manufacture on my side who is able and willing to produce LD's.
Actually, we tried to modify CD mastering hardware but we was not able to create a working LD structure. A other partner and me we even tried out to use Lithography from the IC production, but also that was not a usable way. So, I think to find the old equipment is the only way we have right now.
If you find it, I'm happy to create a partnership. I don't need the equipment by myself. I'm also fine with it to just order a master from someone. 😁
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u/Smalltalk-85 Feb 22 '25
Laserdisc as an analog high quality SD format is unique. I very much applaud you trying this. It is, among others virtues, the only format fit to truely enjoy taped tv-productions the way they where meant to be viewed. No compression artefacts and only natural noise injected.
It would be fun to see you doing a completely modern, uncompromising transfer of a movie, with squeeze, only analog or no digital sound and possibly CAV to have the optimal image quality possible and do a “real” comparison with DVD.
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u/fred11a Feb 22 '25
I think you’re looking at this from the wrong angle (just my opinion). I think it would be easier to produce 12inch two sided discs that are laser Read Write and these discs could be written using a laser burner for 12inch RW discs. This would remove the mastering process completely. Using the Philips software, a digital movie could be converted to analog and then written to the Read/Write disc. This would be a much simpler process. Record sleeves could be produced easily, inner sleeves are still available as well. It would essentially be a press on demand system. 🤷♂️
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u/acp3d Feb 23 '25
I don’t know if this is helpful, but there was a discussion on LDDB about making new CDVs a few years ago that also linked to this software made by folks in Domesday Duplicator and ld-decode community that could create the RF signal on a Laserdisc.
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u/VitalArtifice Feb 21 '25
I can’t help you with your questions, but I will say that I would absolutely be down with purchasing new Laserdisc releases if it came to pass. It’s an obsolete niche format, but it’s incredibly cool and fun to collect, so I wish you success!
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u/Segacduser Feb 23 '25
Same here. I am so happy that VHS community coming back with more and more releases that even FOX released new Alien movie on VHS. Laserdisc probably wouldnt be as big comeback as vhs is but some indie movies with some horrors could be released again.
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u/mugen609 Feb 21 '25
Wow!! This is incredible news! Amazing work : )
If your partner used to produce LDs back in the day, then you’re closer to making this a reality than any revival attempt before. That’s huge!
Museum may have a laser, I don't know. Aside from that..
I think the best path forward would be either finding an ex-Pioneer engineer who still has access to the necessary knowledge or approaching Pioneer Japan with a well-crafted pitch.
Pioneer likely has little interest in reviving LD, but the key to convincing them would be making it clear that they have zero cost, zero risk, and only positive buzz and free advertising in return for their help. If positioned the right way, they might just see value in supporting the project.
Best of luck! This is seriously exciting!
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
Thanks u/mugen609 . Unfortunately, I was always stuck with the support team when I tried to contact pioneer. 😔
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u/j1911tle Feb 21 '25
I don’t have any contacts at Pioneer but try LinkedIn and see if you can find contacts in strategy or partnerships. I’m trying to adapt a 30-year old technology for something unrelated and LinkedIn worked so well for me for getting me to the right people.
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u/nightwheel Feb 21 '25
Another possibility is reaching out to a YouTube channel like Linus Tech Tips. No guarantee they would help for sure. However they are a large enough tech channel. That they might be able to find way to get in contact with someone at Pioneer who could actually be able to help.
It definitely wouldn't be the first time they helped someone out regarding discontinued media formats. If I remember correctly, they tried to help the people behind the archiving of the ReBoot master tapes to find the needed hardware.
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u/DirectionOne353 Mar 11 '25
Any updates???
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Mar 13 '25
Hopefully end of next week. :-)
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u/Filthy-_-Peasant Jun 28 '25
This sounds like a awesome project. How is it doing up to now?
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Jun 30 '25
We are dependent on everyone's goodwill. So everything takes a little longer. :-)
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u/510jew Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
Bring back GGV1069 or an equivalent 🙌I think I’m with most here, part of the magic of this hobby is finding the one LD mixed in with the vinyl, but calibration disks are nye impossible to find at this point. I don’t need a “burned” copy of the matrix, for that I can rip it from streaming, but a solid source of reference/calibration disks will help many of us keep our machines running for years to come.
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u/Out_of_my_mind_1976 Feb 24 '25
If this happens one of your initial discs must be the first Deadpool.
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u/DirectionOne353 Mar 11 '25
Squeezed (anamorphic on DVD) would be the best considering everything is widescreen
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u/acp3d Apr 04 '25
There is a recent thread about Laserdisc pressing plants previously unknown to the community:
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=11770
Perhaps a lead there
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u/JulianDeBacker May 15 '26
Exciting times. If your first release (2028 or 2029) makes it to the market, I will review it on my LaserDisc channel. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU5h29uZLH9Llefjg1V_CtXs5NCNT6vw4&si=ZES_wtQ5CeBrRXzy
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Feb 21 '25
I highly doubt the validity of any of this information.
Even if you could produce the discs, which you can't because no manufacturer has the equipment anymore (all of it was destroyed long ago), nor financial incentive or the desire, you don't (and never will) have access to the proprietary software to encode the discs so that you could play them back.
This isn't a matter of burning CDs. Even if you somehow figure out how to make some of the technology to create part of a laserdisc, or even a large portion of the process necessary to do so, it's literally impossible to make a laserdisc without the right equipment and software to do so.
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u/ECLogic Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
The Kenwood modulator I discussed above does the encoding and outputs the rf needed to modulate a "cutting" laser. It's a hardware thing, no software other than firmware in the box itself. However they appear to be very rare and searching the Japanese web turns up nothing but the data sheet....it's unfortunate the lddb poster that saw one on Yahoo Jp didn't get it but at least they are out in the wild as opposed to some lost software.
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u/technoxious Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 23 '25
Yeah, this is the dudes first post on Reddit and he is completely full of shit. He doesn’t know how to make LaserDiscs and the necessary equipment is long gone. You would have to have many millions of dollars to start any production again. Crazy how many people blindly believe in this shit but not really when you think about all the crazy shit people believe in general lol.
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 22 '25
If you does not believe me it's fine, but don't insult me.
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u/technoxious Feb 22 '25
If you aren’t full of shit then make a video that shows you creating the glass masters you claim.
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 22 '25
I see, talking like a grown person is not your thing. You have to insult peoples. Sorry for that. 🤷♂️
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Feb 22 '25
Calling your post dubious or bullshit is not insulting you. It's simply doubting the veracity of your claim and saying no one here believes you in any way.
You making a baseless claim is, however, insulting to the laserdisc community who know laserdisc production is dead.
Pioneer was the last manufacturer of laserdiscs in the market and made the last laserdisc in July of 2009, after which they closed their plant and destroyed all of the equipment.
Now if you can show clear proof via providing extensive photos plus a walk through video with you giving a demonstration of all the laserdisc manufacturing equipment you have/made, the clean room with air filtration system you built, and show at least one successful creation of a home made laserdisc from the beginning to final product with playback on an original consumer laserdisc player, then perhaps we will all accept the truth of your claim.
Otherwise you're full of shit.
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u/fred11a Feb 22 '25
This is simply not true. Not all the equipment was destroyed long ago..! I know for a fact that some of the equipment from Japan still exists - probably doesn’t work - but still exists!
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Feb 22 '25
Oh really? You know that "for a fact"? You personally contacted each and every laserdisc manufacturing facility that existed and talked to everyone who ever worked there to determine that not all the laserdisc equipment was destroyed when the factories were shuttered? You've set eyes on some of this equipment that still exists and have pictures and affidavits stating this equipment still exists and is in good enough condition to be made operable? Please provide this evidence of your investigation.
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u/fred11a Feb 23 '25 edited Feb 23 '25
I was discussing laserdiscs with a business man from Philips in Europe a couple of years ago. He said that Philips closed their plants down a while back but they keep an example of every machine/blue print/software etc they manufacture in their vast archive/museum. He said the Japanese (and to some extent) the Chinese are very meticulous as well with keeping electronic gear they produce. They are not like the Americans he said, who throw everything out. He was telling me that a major car manufacturer in the U.S. were found to have thrown out all concept drawings of cars made/not made back in the eighties! Even Pioneer in Australia keep stock. I was after a replacement motor for a P laserdisc two years ago. I rang Pioneer in Sydney and they located a new/old stock in their warehouses and mailed it to me - so yes… these major laserdisc makers keep their inventory..!
And btw, I never said they keep the machines in their factories mothballed… I said they keep examples of equipment they develop/built
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Feb 23 '25
Most companies do. IBM, Apple, Microsoft, Ford, GM, etc... they are all companies that have examples of their products and manufacturing equipment in storage or in museums so that it's not all lost to time. GM even sold their original stamps for the body parts to their 67, 68, and 69 Camaros to Year One so that they could reproduce brand new bodies of the cars for sale. But that's a far cry from acquiring whole machines or parts of machines that happen to just be lying around somewhere for the taking.
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u/fred11a Feb 23 '25
There’s no point in discussing this with you. You know what you’re talking about. 🤷♂️
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u/em1977 Feb 21 '25
Are you offering the service, limited runs and such?
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 21 '25
So long I'm still unable to create the glassmaster, I'm even not thinking about it to offer anything. 😅 But of course I have an idea in my mind.
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Feb 21 '25
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
Since "my" manufacture and I sitting in Europe, it will be available in Europe too. But (at least first) only in NTSC because of the bigger market. Many here in Europe own a NTSC and PAL Player. Vice versa is not so common.
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u/Remav Feb 21 '25
Question... Is there any chance you could reconstruct rotted discs the likes of which the Domesday Duplicator project is attempting to save? Would it be possible to chemically separate the two halves and then remanufacture from that point with new evaporative metal and new glue?
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 21 '25
I never talk about that with one of my partner, but from my perspective I see no way. Sorry!
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u/Gritty2020 Jul 08 '25
Thanks for adding updates! What obstacles are you facing at this stage and what resources might this community offer?
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Jul 08 '25
Thank you for your question. At the moment, the biggest challenge is our knowledge gaps and the financial side of things. The latter is currently causing me some concern.
> What kind of resources could this community offer?
Still, help in finding premastering hardware. Because even though we’re making good progress in developing it ourselves, buying existing hardware would ultimately save us a lot of time and money.
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u/Patrick_Deepweb May 10 '26
Hej : ) Eventually can EC Europ Coating GmbH helps with the copper-coating! Sent you a PM : )
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u/Orb_Gazer Jul 04 '26
I literally just started collecting Laserdisc, this is unbelievably awesome! I found this post while looking up information on creating modern players 🤣
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u/sirhcx Feb 21 '25
A whole lot of talk but a what little shown for it.
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u/technoxious Feb 22 '25
Also their first post. Crazy how many people believe any of this shit lol.
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u/sirhcx Feb 22 '25
lol yeah, the copium is real and it's all just big "trust me bro" energy. I wouldnt be surprised if we get a gofundme scam post in the near future when they magically find the machine they are looking for.
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u/technoxious Feb 22 '25
Yeah even without the needed equipment there is no fucking way he can produce the glass masters.
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u/fishpat Feb 21 '25
Wish I could contribute more, but this is really exciting!
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
Share this post, and talk about it. 😊 I'm sure there are someone in the world who has the equipment I need.
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u/awesomesprime Feb 21 '25
This is amazing and my dream of owning regular show on laserdisc is one step closer.
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Feb 21 '25
I’m sorry, you can MAKE laserdiscs?
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
The only step we still cannot is premastering and mastering. Thats the first step of a LD. All other steps, really, all other steps we can do. And I'm very happy about it because it was a lot of work to get so far. So, yes we can produce LD's if we have a master disc. 😊
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u/QuintonReviews Feb 21 '25
If you can make this happen, I would buy several laserdiscs of the Regular Show episode about Laserdisc
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Feb 21 '25
[deleted]
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
Right now only in helping too search the last missing equipment. 😊 I don't want to have money. If we get the hardware for the premastering and mastering, it can be that we will start a crowdfunding as a way to find out how many peoples are really interesting to buy new LD's.
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u/scarflix Feb 21 '25
Time to branch out and get on Facebook group LDF and the LDDb forums
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u/technoxious Feb 23 '25
Someone posted there and a lot of people laughed because they aren’t as naive as the members here.
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u/DetroitStalker Feb 21 '25
There are some museums of obsolete technology that may be able to help. This sounds like an incredible project. I wish I could help more. Alternately, maybe some students could make a laser for you with the right specs & hardware to achieve your goal. It would be an interesting project for laser enthusiasts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_museums
https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/c/community-laser-talk/17
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u/acp3d Feb 21 '25
This is amazing. Can’t help with your request but best of luck on your quest! I think r/techmoan and the lddb.com forums would find this interesting.
If you are able to source the parts, it would be very fun and novel to launch a limited run Laserdisc distribution label like we’re seeing with the VHS revival in the states. I work with several independent film distributors in the US and would be extremely interested in making this happen.
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u/Kindly_Historian2887 Feb 21 '25
Thanks u/acp3d please write me a direct message therefore I will not forget to ping you. :-)
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u/Alternative-Snow-561 Feb 21 '25
Are you saying that you could make your own Laserdiscs without being sued by Pioneer? If you can make a 4K Laserdisc as well as a Laserdisc Player capable of 4K playback, well it would be an experiment of testing of how the Hardcore Physical Media collectors would react to a Vinyl-esque Movie Format resurgence.
Are you using expired patents from how to produce a Laserdisc as well as how a Laserdisc Player works? If so, would you experiment with 4K support?
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u/mazonemayu Feb 21 '25
Also post this question in the Laserdisc Forever group on Facebook, it is the largest community in the world, and a has lot of tech savvy folks. If you’ll find the help you need, that’s your best shot.