Pioneer HLD-X0/X9 vs. DVL-909/919

I’m still yet to acquire my own Laserdisc player, which is good because I haven’t gotten the wrong one, but bad because my perspective on the best player is constantly changing.

The HLD models have MUSE and are highly regarded among video and audiophiles as the ones with the best playback in the industry. However, the DVL models have Component output, which I hear is superior to S-Video. [I’m not 100% on the truthfulness of this, but still.]

So what do you guys think? Money is not much of a factor as I’m saving up to get the true master player. Of course, I’d love to save some money in the end, but not enough to compromise quality.

Any input is welcome and appreciated.

It’s quite funny that this question is still coming in 2018. Anyway, welcome to the Laserdisc community!

HDL X9 and X0 are indisputably the best players in the world, but also the most expensive. But there is no comparison in terms of quality: they are the best players.

DVL models are not good players, I would not recommend them. Their only interest was to have a DVD player coupled to the LD, but at the expense of the overall quality of the image.

For what purpose do you look for an LD player? To view records in your living room? to connect to a projector? To capture old LDs and encode them numerically? Only NTSC or PAL? To connect them to a video card, or to a video upscaler? What is your budget?

Depending on the needs, some models will be more recommendable than others…

ZigZig said:
DVL models are not good players, I would not recommend them. Their only interest was to have a DVD player coupled to the LD, but at the expense of the overall quality of the image.

Good to know. Will cross them off the list.

ZigZig said:
For what purpose do you look for an LD player? To view records in your living room? to connect to a projector? To capture old LDs and encode them numerically? Only NTSC or PAL? To connect them to a video card, or to a video upscaler? What is your budget?

Depending on the needs, some models will be more recommendable than others…

Right now, my collection is only NTSC. My reasoning for wanting an LD player is strictly for digital preservation so the quality and output is very important. I would use a standard video capture card for a format like Laserdisc. My budget is relatively unlimited because I would pay anything for the best player (not that I don’t look for a bargain), but let’s say $3,000 for all intensive purposes.