Laserdisc

LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision (also known as simply "DiscoVision") in North America in 1978.

Although the format was capable of offering higher-quality video and audio than its consumer rivals, the VHS and Betamax videocassette systems, Laserdisc never managed to gain widespread use in North America, largely owing to high costs for the players and the video titles themselves. It also remained a largely obscure format in Europe and Australia. However, it was much more popular in Japan and in the more affluent regions of South East Asia, such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Laserdisc was the prevalent rental video medium in Hong Kong during the 1990s.

Significantly, the technologies and concepts behind Laserdisc are the foundation for later and more popular optical disc formats, including Compact Disc, DVD, and Blu-ray.