Obsoleteness

Released

December 11, 1978

Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision (also known as simply DiscoVision) in 1978. Pioneer Electronics later purchased the majority stake in the format and marketed it as both LaserVision (format name) and LaserDisc (brand name) in 1980, with some releases unofficially referring to the medium as Laser Videodisc.

Movies Discontinued

September 21, 2001

By 2001, LaserDisc had been completely replaced by DVD in the North American retail marketplace, as media were no longer being produced. Players were still exported to North America from Japan until the end of 2001.

Players Discontinued

July 2009

Pioneer produced LaserDisc players up until July 2009.

Discontinued

Currently Available

NOS (New Old Stock), Refurbished, Pre-owned LaserDisc Players and Movies are still available.

DiscoVision/LaserVision/LaserDisc

MOVIES

PRICE RANGE: Less than $10 USD to Over $1,000 USD

Laserdiscs are now considered collectibles. Many LaserDisc releases are still sought after by collectors, particularly titles with exclusive content or superior transfers that have not been re-released DVD or Blu-ray.

Criterion Collection: Many classic and significant films were released on Laserdisc by the Criterion Collection, known for their high-quality transfers and extensive special features.

Star Wars Trilogy: The original, unaltered versions of the Star Wars trilogy were famously available on Laserdisc, making them highly sought after by fans.

LaserDisc

PLAYERS

PRICE RANGE: Less than $50 USD to Over $2,000 USD

Today, lower end LaserDisc players can be found for around $50 USD, while some of the better LaserDisc players still sell for $1,000 USD or more. Higher end LaserDisc Players offer performance features not available in lower end models, such as providing enhanced experiences in video and audio.

LaserDisc

ACCESSORIES

PRICE RANGE: Less than $10 USD to Over $200 USD

LaserDisc accessories include everything from protective sleeves to multidisc storage holders, remote controls, and Video Enhancer/Processor devices for improved audio and video.

LaserDisc

TECHNOLOGY

The technology and market development of LaserDiscs laid the groundwork for the success of future optical disc formats like DVDs and Blu-ray discs, and set higher standards that would shape the future of home entertainment, multimedia, and data storage industries.