Sony HDL-2000 Demonstration Disc (1988 Analog HDTV 1080i HDVS Video BGV)

This is the "Sony HDL-2000 Demonstration Disc" (HD-100) from a Sony-made high-definition 12" HDVS videodisc. The HDVS disc format was designed to be a highly portable 12" laserdisc-derived media format for Sony's "High-Definition Video System" or "Hi-Vision" back in the early 1990's! Back then, high definition was a little different from how it is now. It was analog (not digital) & close to but slightly different in resolution to the 1080i picture we receive over the air today as it was technically 1125i/1035i. Before the earliest high-definition media was available to the public (via satellite, MUSE Laserdisc, & W-VHS tapes), Sony and other companies began shooting footage, doing research, and, showing public displays of high-definition television. There were three main ways of storing HDTV (or HDVS) at that time: Reel-to-reel tape (HDV-1000), cartridge tape (HDV-10 "UniHi"), & 12" Laserdisc-style discs (HDL-5800 / HDL-2000). This footage came from one of the Laserdisc-style discs.

These HDVS discs could only hold a maximum of 15 minutes of video (on CLV discs, even less on CAV discs)...but it held uncompressed, raw high-definition component video! Take that, Blu-Ray!

This demonstration disc was intended for functionality and picture quality verification of the Sony HDL-2000 HDVS disc player. Featured on the disc is a lot of various footage of scenery and indoor/outdoor environments, much of it shared with footage found on the ED Beta Demonstration Tape & Sony's TUNE UP A.V. LaserDisc, both released in 1988. As a result, it is very likely that all the footage contained in this video was taped no later than 1988. In addition, with a low catalog number (HDP-100), it may have been the very first disc released for the HDVS disc format.

Fun fact: Look at the sides of the image. Do you see that they don't fill your TV/monitor? Since this was recorded on the original 1984 pure-analog HDVS system, it also was recorded in the original, more-square 5:3 aspect ratio that NHK & Sony chose for the original HDTV system. By 1988, the HDTV standard was standardized to the 16:9 aspect ratio that began to be used on all HDTV systems forward and that we continue to use to this day; however, the hardware took a couple more years to be updated to 16:9. Surprisingly, YouTube supports videos uploaded in 5:3 aspect ratio so dust off & plug in your favorite 16:10 monitor to see less black bars than on a 16:9 monitor!

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This was recorded off on a Sony HDL-2000 Videodisc player which outputs analog component (1035i) video. Uploaded in the upscaled 4K ProRes for extra clarity!

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More of my vintage HDTV uploads can be found in this playlist:    • World's Oldest High-Definition Footage (Cl...  

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