[Maximus9000]

The photos aren't great at showing the scale. It was like a CD but it was as big as a vinyl record. like this:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3833/9373539522_a3065346b8.jp...

[userbinator]

Also double-sided. AFAIK there weren't any single-sided LDs, which meant the unused side had to be filled with something else, like this memorable graphic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwTDdyZTX48

[itisit]

The dead side of A Video Standard [0] was white opaque plastic. Still a physical side, but not a readable one obviously. Closest I’ve seen to a single-sided disc.

[0] https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/10498/LD-101/Video-Standard-A...

[happycube]

Aside from very early prototypes, there were LD singles which were thinner and made more like CD's. Mostly 8" but there were a few 12"s made by Sonopress in Europe.

[crtasm]

I wonder why they didn't stamp the same data on both sides?

[PopAlongKid]

>On the convenience front, the discs were a foot across, about half a pound, easily damaged, and had to be flipped half way through a film.

there is one picture near the end of the article ("Domesday") that does show the scale relative to a standard keyboard/monitor.

[detourdog]

I have never felt older than ready these comments. I started working with interactive media exhibits right in between laserdiscs and mpeg files.

I loved the tension between the quality of analog devices and the convenience of digital.

[js2]

Behold, the epsilon turn:

https://youtu.be/t34dj8m1UGw?si=qh0JB48bmcpxY26B

The player stops spinning the disc, rotates the laser around to the other side, then starts spinning the disc in the opposite direction.

[jonhohle]

Later high end players had lasers on both sides and would “auto-flip” for you.

[toast0]

> It was like a CD but it was as big as a vinyl record

Vinyl records are just black laserdiscs that are audio only :P Well, some records are jell-o colored, but you know.