Pioneer ends LaserDisc player production

Who knew they were still banging 'em out?

Pioneer ends LaserDisc player production View more images

15 January 2009 14:53 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

In what may come as more of a surprise that they were still making them, Pioneer has announced that it will cease to manufacture its LaserDisc players.

Pioneer introduced its first consumer LD player, the VP-1000, in the US market in 1980, followed by a Japanese launch in '81.

The company has seen worldwide sales of its LD players reach the dizzy heights of more than 9.5 million units to date, in a market that saw worldwide sales hit 16.8 million.

Pioneer says that "in the market environment in which new media such as DVD and Blu-ray discs now dominate, it has become difficult for Pioneer to procure the parts required to produce LD players".

And, for those of you out there still clinging to your LaserDisc player, Pioneer says it will "maintain" the spare parts market.

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Comments

  • Were these the precursor to DVD's then? I've never heard of these! But then again I was born in '86 Posted by Matt, UK
  • I remember walking through a department store as a wee nipper about 15 years ago and seeing a 50" Pioneer telly with a LaserDisc player beneath. I forget what film was being shown at the time but I remember wanting one straight away...they just looked the business: as retro as an LP with that 'cutting edge' thing going on.

    Where exactly can people buy laserdiscs these days? What titles were released on this format?

    And I was born in '85, by the way...
    Posted by Jim R, UK
  • Nearly all major hits and others as well, independent etc. - I think about 7500 titles in the US and about the same in Japan. europe had its own market which was unadequately fed and died before it could breathe, it never really started. Technically it was the high quality medium before DVD, regarding the fact that there has never been a real S-VHS market.
    Having had 3 players, I didn't know they were still making them.
    Posted by AUGE, Suisse

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