Posted by T.B. on 01/24/08 01:37

"Richard C." wrote:

>>>=================================
>>>Actually, LD was developed long before VHS.
>>>Sales of commercial LDS and players started in 1977.
>>
>> You're an idiot. It was late December, '78.
>>
>> VHS came out in September, '76.
>>
>> One was before I graduated High School, and the other was after, and I
>> remember them both quite distinctly.
>
> ========================
> As I said: LD was DEVELOPED long before VHS. That is a fact.
> Sales in test areas started in 1977.
> MCA had working prototypes in 1969.
>
> I have this magazine:
> http://www.mindspring.com/~laserguru/popsci.htm
>
> also:
> Laserdisc technology, using a transparent disc, was invented by David Paul
> Gregg in 1958 (and patented in 1961 and 1969). By 1969 Philips had
> developed a videodisc in reflective mode, which has great advantages over
> the transparent mode. MCA and Philips decided to join their efforts. They
> first publicly demonstrated the videodisc in 1972. LD was first available
> on the market, in Atlanta, on December 15, 1978, two years after the VHS
> VCR and four years before the CD, which is based on laserdisc technology.
> Philips produced the players and MCA the discs. The Philips/MCA
> cooperation was not successful, and discontinued after a few years.
> Several of the scientists responsible for the early research (Richard
> Wilkinson, Ray Deakin, and John Winslow) founded Optical Disc Corporation
> (now ODC Nimbus), and that company is still the world leader in optical
> disc mastering technology
>
> http://www.retrothing.com/2006/02/mca_laserdisc_t.html
> etc etc.....
>
> Now who is the idiot?

Umm, what you quote indicates that "LD was first available on the market, in
Atlanta, on December 15, 1978" about "two years after the VHS VCR" and the
other guy (aka Darkmatter or whatever screen name he's using this week)
claimed "It was late December, '78" and that "VHS came out in September,
'76" which basically is exactly what your article backs up.

T.B.

[Back to original message]