There are a few things you might want to review when looking at an auction for a laserdisc on eBay.

• Make sure it is actually a Laserdisc (with the  logo on the cover) as some sellers sometimes put on eBay other video formats (such as  or ) assuming they can be played on a LD player. This is not the case! And if you take a CED disc out of its cartridge, you basically just destroyed it;

• Titles on LD might have been released several times, it might be useful to make a quick search on LDDb.com (The LaserDisc Database) to found out about the most recent releases (usually remastered for better quality, possibly with an upgraded 5.1 soundtrack);

• Confirm that your player can handle the video signal from the disc (either NTSC or PAL) -- there is no region coding on LD;

• If you are buying a Japanese release, confirm in the description (or by contacting the seller) than the original Obi (outer paper informational stripe) is included. Most music titles and some movies will also include a paper insert inside the cover. They are needed to make a LD 100% complete for collection purpose.

• Soundtracks can typically be:

• Analog (very old NTSC and PAL discs) with or without  sound expansion

• Analog + Digital  (most common releases)

•   Analog + Digital + AC3 5.1  => your player will need an AC3RF output and an external AC3RF demodulator

• Analog + DTS 5.1  => DTS is simply sent to the standard digital outputs (Coaxial or Toslink)

Additionally, LDs are notoriously fragile and can be easily damaged (cracked disc or damaged cover). Do not accept a "paper" wrap or a single layer of bubble wrap as a packing. The probability that the disc/cover will not reach you in perfect shape is HIGH. Always require rigid paper cardboard with additional bubble wrapping for protection. Because US LDs covers were made out of a thinner, less expensive paper, you might want to request the seller to put the disc outside the cover before shipping.

Finally, in case of a very old release (80's) or for recent LDs manufactured by SONY DADC USA, you might want to ask the seller to play the disc before shipping it and check for LASER ROT.Laser rot is an oxidation of the reflective aluminum layer inside the disc (sorry, it's not silver or gold!). It not reversible, self-destructive, and will manifest itself as random colored dots on the screen when playing the moving. More serious degree or rot might also distort sound or simply cause the player to give up trying to access this disc.

I hope this checklist will be helpful and prevent any disappointment when receiving some LDs purchased through eBay.


Julien
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http://www.lddb.com/ - The LaserDisc Database