Why Laser Disc Was Way Ahead of its Time
The story of a technology that peaked too early
The 1980s brought us a lot of new technology all at once. Some, like the VHS, became commonplace — others had trouble lasting.
LaserDisc was a technology that goes all the way back to the 50s and became commercially made in the late 70s. It was pushed in the 80s as being superior to the VCR, and even though it had advanced technology, there were many problems that lead to it eventually fading away.
LaserDisc definitely had some massive problems with it, and I don’t think they considered the consumer's needs the same way VHS did. This would eventually lead to its downfall. It would compete against VHS and then the DVD — which ultimately took over from all of them.
Still, the LaserDisc remains a significant part of the 80s, even if it’s just from a novelty standpoint. No one really owned one, but everyone knew it.
Let’s check out all things LaserDisc.
What Was LaserDisc?
LaserDisc was a record-sized disc that looked like a CD. It was 12 inches in diameter and made up of two-sided aluminum discs layered in plastic. As much as it had a digital appearance, the LaserDisc was actually analog.
