LaserDisc

LaserDisc

A LaserDisc (left) compared with a DVD.
Media type	Optical disc
Encoding	NTSC, PAL
Capacity	60/64 minutes per side on CLV discs (NTSC/PAL); 30/36 minutes per side on CAV discs (NTSC/PAL)
Read mechanism	780 nm wavelength semiconductor laser (early players used HeNe gas lasers)
Developed by	Philips, MCA Inc., Pioneer Corporation
Usage	Home video, data storage

LaserDisc (abbreviated as LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978. Although the format was capable of offering higher-quality video and audio than its consumer rivals, VHS and Betamax, LaserDisc never managed to gain widespread use in North America, largely due to high costs for the players and video titles themselves and the inability to record TV programs. It was not a popular format in Europe and Australia when first released but was popular in the 1990s . By contrast, the format was much more popular in Japan and in the more affluent regions of Southeast Asia, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and was the prevalent rental video medium in Hong Kong during the 1990s. Its superior video and audio quality made it a popular choice among videophiles and film enthusiasts during its lifespan. The technologies and concepts behind LaserDisc were the foundation for later optical disc formats including Compact Disc (CD), DVD and Blu-ray (BD).

Optical video recording technology, using a transparent disc, was invented by David Paul Gregg and James Russell in 1958 (and patented in 1961 and 1990). The Gregg patents were purchased by MCA in 1968. By 1969, Philips had developed a videodisc in reflective mode, which has advantages over the transparent mode. MCA and Philips then decided to combine their efforts and first publicly demonstrated the video disc in 1972.