CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

[mnallard]

I recently purchsed a DVD recorder thinking that I might be able to preserve my collection of CEDs. The first few movies transfered no problem. But when I got to "Singin' In The Rain", the recoder displayed a message "SIGNAL PROTECTED".

I find it odd that a format this old would have movies encoded with copy protection. It seems that the MGM studio releases are the only ones with the protection. All of my other CEDs have already been preserved.

I'm currently looking for a device that I can connect to my computer that will allow me to copy these to my hard drive (I have 3 300GB hard drives). Any way that I can preserve the CEDs that are not on VHS or DVD is what I'm interested in. Open for suggestions...post your knowledge or opinions here.

[Jesse Skeen]

I've never heard of any CEDs having copy protection- the common Macrovision system on VHS started in 1986, before that they had something called 'Stop-Copy' but I don't have any tapes that have that. Laserdiscs could not have Macrovision because the area in the vertical interval where it goes (the white squares) is used for time-code. This is why some Disney titles were delayed about a year from the VHS release, or not put out on laserdisc at all.

I've recorded a couple MGM discs to DVD with no problem, I'll have to try Singin' In The Rain just to see if it works or not- I assume that's the one on the MGM/UA label and not the RCA one? On a couple home-recorded VHS tapes, I've seen them trigger the DVD recorder's "copy protection" and not allow it to record, but it worked when playing them a second time, maybe your recorder just sensed something it thought was copy protection?

By the way, DO NOT buy a Philips DVD recorder! I got a DVR-985 since it was the first affordable model to come out, but it quit working after 2 years and I had to send it to the company for repair. They replaced the laser, but 2 years later it's just started doing the same thing! The laser can't read or write on any discs you put in it; it always displays "NO DISC". I'm now looking for a new DVD recorder to replace it, and it WON'T be a Philips!
_________________
Videodisc and stereo sound- there's no better value around!

[rsrendfeld]

I would like to find some way of protecting the cover art / labels on my CEDs.
A Mylar or polyester sleeve like the ones made for LP album covers would be just the thing. I have checked with Light Impressions and some other Archival Supply companys but no one offeres anything that is made for CEDs.
LP album covers are too small.
Anyone else looked into this?

Ron Rendfeld
Indianapolis IN