LaserActive

LaserActive

LaserActive CLD-A100 with the Sega Genesis module
Manufacturer	Pioneer Corporation
Product family	LaserDisc
Type	Converged device, home video game console
Generation	Fourth
Release date	JP: August 20, 1993 NA: September 13, 1993
Lifespan	1993–1996
Introductory price	¥89,800 $970.00
Discontinued	1996
Units sold	est. 10,000
Media	LD-ROM, CD-ROM, ROM cartridge, Hucard
Controller input	Sega Genesis 6-Button Controller Turbografx-16 Controller
Backward compatibility	PC Engine PC Engine CD-ROM² Super CD-ROM² Mega-CD/Sega CD Mega Drive/Genesis

The LaserActive (レーザーアクティブ, RēzāAkutibu) is a converged device and fourth-generation home video game console capable of playing LaserDiscs, Compact Discs, console games, and LD-G karaoke discs. It was released by Pioneer Corporation in 1993. In addition to LaserActive games, separately sold add-on modules (called "PACs" by Pioneer) accept Mega Drive/Genesis and PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 ROM cartridges and CD-ROMs.

Pioneer released the LaserActive model CLD-A100 in Japan on August 20, 1993, at a cost of ¥89,800, and in the United States on September 13, 1993, at a cost of $970. An NEC-branded version of the LaserActive player known as the LD-ROM² System, or model PCE-LD1, was released in December 1993, which was priced identically to the original system and also accepted Pioneer's PAC modules.

Accessories

PAC modules

The Japanese LaserActive shown with the Sega and NEC pacs

In the headings below, the Japanese model number occurs first, followed by the North American model number.

Mega LD PAC (PAC-S1 / PAC-S10)

Pioneer Electronics (USA) and Sega Enterprises released this module that allows users to play 8-inch and 12-inch LaserActive Mega LD discs, in addition to standard Sega CD discs and Genesis cartridges, as well as CD+G discs. It was the most popular add-on bought by the greater part of the LaserActive owners, costing roughly US $600. It comes with a LaserActive-branded version of Sega's 6-button control pad (CPD-S1).

LD-ROM² PAC (PAC-N1 / PAC-N10)

Pioneer Electronics (USA) and NEC Home Electronics released this module that allows users to play 8-inch and 12-inch LaserActive LD-ROM² discs, as well as CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM² discs, HuCards and CD+G discs. The Japanese version of the PAC can also run Arcade CD-ROM² discs through the use of an Arcade Card Duo. The retail price was US $600. It came with a LaserActive-branded version of NEC's Turbo Pad (CPD-N1/CPD-N10). An NEC branded version of the LD-ROM² PAC known as the PC Engine PAC (model PCE-LP1) was also released. Due to the unpopularity of the TurboGrafx-16 in North America, very few PAC-N10 units were produced, resulting in their scarcity compared to its Sega counterpart.

Karaoke PAC (PAC-K1 / PAC-K10)

This PAC allows the CLD-A100 to use all NTSC LaserKaraoke titles. The front panel has two microphone inputs with separated volume controls, as well as tone control. The retail price was US $350.

Computer Interface PAC (PAC-PC1)

The Computer Interface PAC has an RS-232 port, enabling the CLD-A100 to be controlled by a custom software developed for a home computer. The PAC came with a 33-button infrared remote control providing more functionality than the 24-button remote included with the CLD-A100. It also included a computer program called LaserActive Program Editor on floppy disk for DOS and classic Mac OS. The floppy disks had some sample programs created with the editor for use with the first five LaserDiscs in the Tenchi Muyo! anime series.

LaserActive 3-D Goggles

The LaserActive 3-D Goggles (model GOL-1) employ an active shutter 3D system compatible with at least six 3D-ready LD-ROM software titles: 3-D Museum (1994), Vajra 2 (1994), Virtual Cameraman 2 (1994), Dr. Paolo No Totteoki Video (1994), Goku (1995), and 3D Virtual Australia (1996), the last software title published for the LaserActive.

They can also be used to view 3-D images from autostereograms.

A goggle adapter (model ADP-1), packaged and sold separately from the 3-D Goggles, enables the user to connect one or two pairs of goggles to the CLD-A100.

Games

The standard LaserActive games were on LaserDisc encoded as an LD-ROM. An LD-ROM had a capacity of 540 MB (where digital audio would have normally been stored) with 60 minutes of analog audio and video.

Title	Region(s)	Language(s)	Required Modules	Release Date	Catalog Number
3D Museum	Japan, U.S.	English	NEC or Sega, Goggles	1994	PEANJ1012, PEASJ1012 (Japan), PEANU1012, PEASU1012 (U.S.)
3D Virtual Australia	Japan	Japanese	Sega, Goggles	March 11, 1996	PEASJ5042
Akuma no Shinban (Demon's Judgment)	Japan	Japanese	NEC	1993	PEANJ5003
Angel Mate	Japan	Japanese	NEC	1993	PEANJ5002
Back to the Edo	Japan	Japanese	Sega	1994	PEASJ5021
Billusion Collection: Minayo Watanabe	Japan	Japanese	NEC or Sega	1994	PEANJ5025, PEASJ5025
Billusion Collection, Vol. 2: Yuko Sakaki	Japan	Japanese	NEC or Sega, Goggles	1994	PEANJ5028, PEASJ5028
Don Quixote: A Dream in Seven Crystals	Japan, U.S.	Japanese (Japan), English (U.S.)	Sega	1994	PEASJ5022 (Japan), PEASU5022 (U.S.)
Dora Dora Paradise	Japan	Japanese	NEC	1994	PEANJ5005
Dr. Paolo no Totteoki Video	Japan	Japanese	Sega, Goggles	1994	PEASJ5030
Ghost Rush!	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	Sega	1994 (Japan), 1995 (U.S.)	PEASJ1018 (Japan), PEASU1018 (U.S.)
Goku	Japan, U.S.	Japanese (Japan), English (U.S.)	NEC (Japan), Sega (Japan, U.S.), Goggles	1995	PEASJ1010, PEANJ1032 (Japan), PEASU1010 (U.S.)
The Great Pyramid	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	Sega	1993	PEASJ5002 (Japan), PEASU5002 (U.S.)
Hi-Roller Battle	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	Sega	1993	PEASJ1002 (Japan), PEASU1002 (U.S.)
Hyperion	Japan, U.S.	English	Sega	1994	PEASJ5019 (Japan), PEASU5019 (U.S.)
I Will: The Story of London	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	Sega	1993	PEASJ1001 (Japan), PEASU1001 (U.S.)
J.B. Harold - Blue Chicago Blues	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	NEC (Japan), Sega (Japan, U.S.)	1994 (NEC), 1995 (Sega)	PEANJ5017, PEASJ5036 (Japan), PEASU5036 (U.S.)
J.B. Harold - Manhattan Requiem	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	NEC	1993	PEANJ5004 (Japan), PEANU5004 (U.S.)
Melon Brains	Japan, U.S.	Japanese (Japan), English (U.S.)	NEC (Japan), Sega (Japan, U.S.), Goggles	1994	PEANJ1031, PEASJ1011 (Japan), PEASU1011 (U.S.)
Myst	U.S.		Sega	prototype
Pyramid Patrol	Japan, U.S.	English	Sega	1993	PEASJ5001 (Japan), PEASU5001 (U.S.)
Quiz Econosaurus	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	NEC	1993	PEANJ5001 (Japan), PEANU5001 (U.S.)
Road Blaster (Japan), Road Prosecutor (U.S.)	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	Sega	1995	PEASJ1033 (Japan), PEASU1033 (U.S.)
Rocket Coaster	Japan, U.S.	English	Sega	1993	PEASU5013 (Japan), PEASU5013 (U.S.)
Space Berserker	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	Sega	1993	PEASJ1003 (Japan), PEASU1003 (U.S.)
Steel Driver				unreleased
Time Gal	Japan	Japanese	Sega	1995	PEASJ5039
Triad Stone (aka Strahl)	Japan, U.S.	Bilingual	Sega	1994	PEASJ5014 (Japan), PEASU5014 (U.S.)
Vajra	Japan, U.S.	English	NEC	1993	PEANJ1001 (Japan), PEANU1001 (U.S.)
Vajra 2	Japan	English	NEC, Goggles	1994	PEANJ1016
Virtual Cameraman	Japan	Japanese	Sega	1993	PEASJ5015
Virtual Cameraman 2: Phuket, Thailand / Pickup Compilation	Japan	Japanese	Sega, Goggles	1994	PEASJ5020
Zapping "Satsui"	Japan	Bilingual	NEC or Sega	1994	PEANJ5023, PEASJ5024

Contemporary devices

In the early 1990s, a number of consumer electronics manufacturers designed converged devices around CD-ROM technology. At the time, CD-ROM systems were expensive. The LaserActive was one of several multipurpose, multi-format, upmarket home entertainment systems with software stored on optical discs. These systems were premised on early conceptions of multimedia entertainment.

Some comparable systems are the Commodore CDTV, Philips CD-i, 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, and Tandy Video Information System.

Reception

Computer Gaming World in January 1994 stated that although LaserActive was "a better product in many ways" than 3DO, it lacked software and the NEC and Sega control packs were too expensive.

See also

• LD-ROM
• Edutainment
• Multimedia PC

External links

• Pioneer LaserActive at Computer Closet
• Pioneer LaserActive Archived 2010-08-10 at the Wayback Machine at laserdiscarchive.co.uk
• LaserActive Preservation Project