praj-17/QA-MCQ-Open-ended huggingface dataset:
Title: LaserDisc
Context: Another significant issue unique to LaserDisc is one involving the inconsistency of playback quality between different makers and models of player. On most televisions, a given DVD player will produce a picture that is visually indistinguishable from other units. Differences in image quality between players only becomes easily apparent on large televisions and substantial leaps in image quality are generally only obtained with expensive, high-end players that allow for post-processing of the MPEG-2 stream during playback. In contrast, LaserDisc playback quality is highly dependent on hardware quality. Major variances in picture quality appear between different makers and models of LD players, even when tested on a low to mid-range television. The obvious benefits of using high quality equipment has helped keep demand for some players high, thus also keeping pricing for those units comparably high. In the 1990s, notable players sold for anywhere from US$200 to well over $1,000, while older and less desirable players could be purchased in working condition for as little as $25.

question: Is LaserDisc quality consistent or inconsistent between player brands?  

answer: inconsistency

question: What is LaserDisc playback quality dependent on? 

answer: hardware quality

question: How cheaply could an older LaserDisc player be purchased in the 1990s? 

answer: $25

question: What range of prices were high-end LaserDisc players in the 1990s? 

answer: US$200 to well over $1,000
Title: LaserDisc
Context: Many early LDs were not manufactured properly; sometimes a substandard adhesive was used to sandwich together the two sides of the disc.[citation needed] The adhesive contained impurities that were able to penetrate the lacquer seal layer and chemically attack the metalized reflective aluminium layer, causing it to oxidize and lose its reflective characteristics. This was a problem that was termed "laser rot" among LD enthusiasts, also called "color flash" internally by LaserDisc-pressing plants. Some forms of laser rot could appear as black spots that looked like mold or burned plastic which cause the disc to skip and the movie to exhibit excessive speckling noise. But, for the most part, rotted discs could actually appear perfectly fine to the naked eye.

question: What substandard product was used in LD manufacturing that caused "laser rot"? 

answer: adhesive

question: What was the internal name for "laser rot" within LD processing plants? 

answer: "color flash"

question: What problems could occur with laser rot? 

answer: black spots that looked like mold or burned plastic which cause the disc to skip and the movie to exhibit excessive speckling noise
Title: LaserDisc
Context: LaserDisc did not have high market penetration in North America due to the high cost of the players and discs, which were far more expensive than VHS players and tapes, and due to marketplace confusion with the technologically inferior CED, which also went by the name Videodisc. While the format was not widely adopted by North American consumers, it was well received among videophiles due to the superior audio and video quality compared to VHS and Betamax tapes, finding a place in nearly one million American homes by the end of 1990. The format was more popular in Japan than in North America because prices were kept low to ensure adoption, resulting in minimal price differences between VHS tapes and the higher quality LaserDiscs, helping ensure that it quickly became the dominant consumer video format in Japan. Anime collectors in every country the LD format was released, which includes both North America and Japan, also quickly became familiar with this format, and sought the higher video and sound quality of LaserDisc and the availability of numerous titles not available on VHS. LaserDiscs were also popular alternatives to videocassettes among movie enthusiasts in the more affluent regions of South East Asia, such as Singapore, due to their high integration with the Japanese export market and the disc-based media's superior longevity compared to videocassette, especially in the humid conditions endemic to that area of the world.

question: Why didn't LaserDiscs become popular in North America? 

answer: high cost of the players and discs

question: By 1990, how many American homes were estimated to use LD? 

answer: nearly one million

question: Why were LaserDiscs more popular in Japan? 

answer: prices were kept low to ensure adoption

question: Which format was more popular in high humidity areas such as Singapore? 

answer: LaserDiscs
Title: LaserDisc
Context: The format also became quite popular in Hong Kong during the 1990s before the introduction of VCDs and DVD; although people rarely bought the discs (because each LD was priced around USD100), high rental activity helped the video rental business in the city grow larger than it had ever been previously. Due to integration with the Japanese export market, NTSC LaserDiscs were used in the Hong Kong market, in contrast to the PAL standard used for broadcast (This anomaly also exists for DVD). This created a market for multi-system TVs and multi-system VCRs which could display or play both PAL and NTSC materials in addition to SECAM materials (which were never popular in Hong Kong). Some LD players could convert NTSC signals to PAL so that most TVs used in Hong Kong could display the LD materials.

question: How much did a LD cost in Hong Kong in the 1990s? 

answer: USD100

question: Broadcast in Hong Kong used which standard formatting? 

answer: PAL standard

question: In contrast to broadcast, which format did consumers use in Hong Kong? 

answer: NTSC
Title: LaserDisc
Context: Although the LaserDisc format was supplanted by DVD by the late 1990s, many LD titles are still highly coveted by movie enthusiasts (for example, Disney's Song of the South which is unavailable in the US in any format, but was issued in Japan on LD). This is largely because there are many films that are still only available on LD and many other LD releases contain supplemental material not available on subsequent DVD versions of those films. Until the end of 2001, many titles were released on VHS, LD, and DVD in Japan.

question: By what year had DVD taken over the LaserDisc market? 

answer: late 1990s

question: Which collector group highly values LaserDisc for their rareness? 

answer: movie enthusiasts

question: Until the end of what year were movies released in VHS, LD, and DVD in Japan? 

answer: 2001

question: What country was the only to receive a LD release of Disney's Song of the South? 

answer: Japan
Title: LaserDisc
Context: In the early 1980s, Philips produced a LaserDisc player model adapted for a computer interface, dubbed "professional". In 1985, Jasmine Multimedia created LaserDisc Juke Boxes featuring music videos from Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, and Cyndi Lauper. When connected to a PC this combination could be used to display images or information for educational or archival purposes, for example thousands of scanned medieval manuscripts. This strange device could be considered a very early equivalent of a CD-ROM.

question: In what decade did Philips produce a "professional" LD model for computer? 

answer: early 1980s

question: In what year were LD jukeboxes created? 

answer: 1985

question: Who created LD Jukeboxes in 1985? 

answer: Jasmine Multimedia

question: Which musical artists were featured on LD Jukeboxes in 1985? 

answer: Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, and Cyndi Lauper
Title: LaserDisc
Context: In the mid-1980s Lucasfilm pioneered the EditDroid non-linear editing system for film and television based on computer-controlled LaserDisc players. Instead of printing dailies out on film, processed negatives from the day's shoot would be sent to a mastering plant to be assembled from their 10-minute camera elements into 20-minute film segments. These were then mastered onto single-sided blank LaserDiscs, just as a DVD would be burnt at home today, allowing for much easier selection and preparation of an Edit Decision List. In the days before video assist was available in cinematography, this was the only other way a film crew could see their work. The EDL went to the negative cutter who then cut the camera negative accordingly and assembled the finished film. Only 24 EditDroid systems were ever built, even though the ideas and technology are still in use today. Later EditDroid experiments borrowed from hard-drive technology of having multiple discs on the same spindle and added numerous playback heads and numerous electronics to the basic jukebox design so that any point on each of the discs would be accessible within seconds. This eliminated the need for racks and racks of industrial LaserDisc players since EditDroid discs were only single-sided.

question: How many EditDroid systems were ever built? 

answer: 24

question: Were EditDroid discs single or multi-sided? 

answer: single-sided

question: Which production company engineered the EditDroid machines in the 1980s? 

answer: Lucasfilm
Title: LaserDisc
Context: In 1986, a SCSI-equipped LaserDisc player attached to a BBC Master computer was used for the BBC Domesday Project. The player was referred as an LV-ROM (LaserVision Read Only Memory) as the discs contained the driving software as well as the video frames. The discs used the CAV format, and encoded data as a binary signal represented by the analog audio recording. These discs could contain in each CAV frame video/audio or video/binary data, but not both. "Data" frames would appear blank when played as video. It was typical for each disc to start with the disc catalog (a few blank frames) then the video introduction before the rest of the data. Because the format (based on the ADFS hard disc format) used a starting sector for each file, the data layout effectively skipped over any video frames. If all 54,000 frames are used for data storage an LV-ROM disc can contain 324 MB of data per side. The Domesday Project systems also included a genlock, allowing video frames, clips and audio to be mixed with graphics originated from the BBC Master; this was used to great effect for displaying high resolution photographs and maps, which could then be zoomed into.

question: In what year did the Doomsday project occur? 

answer: 1986

question: Which equipment was used for the Doomsday Project? 

answer: a SCSI-equipped LaserDisc player attached to a BBC Master computer

question: What does LV-ROM stand for? 

answer: LaserVision Read Only Memory

question: The Doomsday Project discs used which formatting? 

answer: CAV
Title: LaserDisc
Context: Apple's HyperCard scripting language provided Macintosh computer users with a means to design databases of slides, animation, video and sounds from LaserDiscs and then to create interfaces for users to play specific content from the disc through software called LaserStacks. User-created "stacks" were shared and were especially popular in education where teacher-generated stacks were used to access discs ranging from art collections to basic biological processes. Commercially available stacks were also popular with the Voyager company being possibly the most successful distributor.

question: Which of Apple's programming languages allowed users to ceatively manipulate LaserDiscs? 

answer: HyperCard

question: What did LaserStacks software enable Mac users to do? 

answer: play specific content from the disc

question: Where were "stacks" created with the LaserStack software used? 

answer: in education

question: Which commercial company was LaserStack's most successful distributor? 

answer: Voyager
Title: LaserDisc
Context: Under contract from the U.S. Military, Matrox produced a combination computer/LaserDisc player for instructional purposes. The computer was a 286, the LaserDisc player only capable of reading the analog audio tracks. Together they weighed 43 lb (20 kg) and sturdy handles were provided in case two people were required to lift the unit. The computer controlled the player via a 25-pin serial port at the back of the player and a ribbon cable connected to a proprietary port on the motherboard. Many of these were sold as surplus by the military during the 1990s, often without the controller software. Nevertheless, it is possible to control the unit by removing the ribbon cable and connecting a serial cable directly from the computer's serial port to the port on the LaserDisc player.

question: A combination computer/LD player was comissioned by what government entity? 

answer: the U.S. Military

question: How much did Matrox's computer/LD combo weigh? 

answer: 43 lb (20 kg)

question: How could Matrox's computer unconventionally be controlled? 

answer: removing the ribbon cable and connecting a serial cable directly from the computer's serial port to the port on the LaserDisc player
Title: LaserDisc
Context: The format's instant-access capability made it possible for a new breed of LaserDisc-based video arcade games and several companies saw potential in using LaserDiscs for video games in the 1980s and 1990s, beginning in 1983 with Sega's Astron Belt. American Laser Games and Cinematronics produced elaborate arcade consoles that used the random-access features to create interactive movies such as Dragon's Lair and Space Ace. Similarly, the Pioneer Laseractive and Halcyon were introduced as home video game consoles that used LaserDisc media for their software.

question: What quality made LDs a consideration for videogames in the 1980s and 1990s? 

answer: instant-access capability

question: What was the first game to use LaserDiscs? 

answer: Sega's Astron Belt

question: In what year was Sega's AStron Belt released? 

answer: 1983
Title: LaserDisc
Context: In 1991, several manufacturers announced specifications for what would become known as MUSE LaserDisc, representing a span of almost 15 years until the feats of this HD analog optical disc system would finally be duplicated digitally by HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Encoded using NHK's MUSE "Hi-Vision" analogue TV system, MUSE discs would operate like standard LaserDiscs but would contain high-definition 1,125-line (1,035 visible lines) (Sony HDVS) video with a 5:3 aspect ratio. The MUSE players were also capable of playing standard NTSC format discs and are superior in performance to non-MUSE players even with these NTSC discs. The MUSE-capable players had several noteworthy advantages over standard LaserDisc players, including a red laser with a much narrower wavelength than the lasers found in standard players. The red laser was capable of reading through disc defects such as scratches and even mild disc rot that would cause most other players to stop, stutter or drop-out. Crosstalk was not an issue with MUSE discs, and the narrow wavelength of the laser allowed for the virtual elimination of crosstalk with normal discs.

question: With what operating ratio would MUSE Discs operate? 

answer: 5:3

question: What benefits did the MUSE narrow wavelength red laser have? 

answer: capable of reading through disc defects such as scratches and even mild disc rot that would cause most other players to stop, stutter or drop-out

question: In addition to scratches and rot, what other common LaserDisc issue was to be eliminated by MUSE discs? 

answer: Crosstalk

question: How many years did it take Blu-ray and HD-DVD players to duplicate MUSE technology? 

answer: almost 15 years
Title: LaserDisc
Context: In order to view MUSE encoded discs, it was necessary to have a MUSE decoder in addition to a compatible player. There are televisions with MUSE decoding built-in and set top tuners with decoders that can provide the proper MUSE input. Equipment prices were high, especially for early HDTVs which generally eclipsed US$10,000, and even in Japan the market for MUSE was tiny. Players and discs were never officially sold in North America, although several distributors imported MUSE discs along with other import titles. Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Lawrence of Arabia, A League of Their Own, Bugsy, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Chaplin were among the theatrical releases available on MUSE LDs. Several documentaries, including one about Formula One at Japan's Suzuka Circuit were also released.

question: What was the price for early HDTVs? 

answer: US$10,000

question: Did MUSE have a large or small target market, even in Japan? 

answer: tiny

question: What were some movies that were released on MUSE LaserDiscs? 

answer: Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Lawrence of Arabia, A League of Their Own, Bugsy, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Chaplin
Title: LaserDisc
Context: With the release of 16:9 televisions in the mid-1990s, Pioneer and Toshiba decided that it was time to take advantage of this aspect ratio. Squeeze LDs were enhanced 16:9-ratio widescreen LaserDiscs. During the video transfer stage, the movie was stored in an anamorphic "squeezed" format. The widescreen movie image was stretched to fill the entire video frame with less or none of the video resolution wasted to create letterbox bars. The advantage was a 33% greater vertical resolution compared to letterboxed widescreen LaserDisc. This same procedure was used for anamorphic DVDs, but unlike all DVD players, very few LD players had the ability to unsqueeze the image for 4:3 sets, and very few if any 4:3 sets could be set to play them properly either. If the discs were played on a standard 4:3 television the image would be distorted. Since very few people owned 16:9 displays, the marketability of these special discs was very limited.

question: What were "Squeeze LDs"? 

answer: enhanced 16:9-ratio widescreen LaserDiscs

question: With what aspect ratio did Squeeze LDs operate? 

answer: 16:9-ratio widescreen

question: Why did Squeeze LDs have a very limited market? 

answer: very few people owned 16:9 displays

question: Could the 16:9 aspect ratio be easily resized by a normal LD player, or was the image significantly distorted? 

answer: distorted

question: What percent vertical resolution increase did Squeeze LDs feature over regular widescreen LDs? 

answer: 33%
Title: LaserDisc
Context: There were no anamorphic LaserDisc titles available in the US except for promotional purposes. Upon purchase of a Toshiba 16:9 television viewers had the option of selecting a number of Warner Bros. 16:9 films. Titles include Unforgiven, Grumpy Old Men, The Fugitive, and Free Willy. The Japanese lineup of titles was different. A series of releases under the banner "SQUEEZE LD" from Pioneer of mostly Carolco titles included Basic Instinct, Stargate, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Showgirls, Cutthroat Island, and Cliffhanger. Terminator 2 was released twice in Squeeze LD, the second release being THX certified and a notable improvement over the first.

question: Which movie was released twice on Squeeze LD? 

answer: Terminator 2

question: What improvement was added to Terminator 2's second Squeeze LD release? 

answer: THX certified

question: What Warner Brothers films were available in 16:9 aspect ratio Squeeze LDs? 

answer: Unforgiven, Grumpy Old Men, The Fugitive, and Free Willy

question: What films were available for Japanese market Squeeze LDs? 

answer: Basic Instinct, Stargate, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Showgirls, Cutthroat Island, and Cliffhanger
Title: LaserDisc
Context: Another form of recordable LaserDisc that is completely playback-compatible with the LaserDisc format (unlike CRVdisc with its caddy enclosure) is the RLV, or Recordable LaserVision disc. It was developed and first marketed by the Optical Disc Corporation (ODC, now ODC Nimbus) in 1984. RLV discs, like CRVdisc, are also a WORM technology, and function exactly like a CD-R disc. RLV discs look almost exactly like standard LaserDiscs, and can play in any standard LaserDisc player after they have been recorded.

question: What does the acronym RLV stand for? 

answer: Recordable LaserVision disc

question: Which company originally developed and marketed the RLV? 

answer: Optical Disc Corporation (ODC, now ODC Nimbus)

question: In what year did ODC develop the Recordable LaserVision Disc? 

answer: 1984.
Title: LaserDisc
Context: The only cosmetic difference between an RLV disc and a regular factory-pressed LaserDiscs is their reflective purple-violet (or blue with some RLV discs) color resulting from the dye embedded in the reflective layer of the disc to make it recordable, as opposed to the silver mirror appearance of regular LDs. The purplish color of RLVs is very similar to DVD-R and DVD+R discs. RLVs were popular for making short-run quantities of LaserDiscs for specialized applications such as interactive kiosks and flight simulators.

question: What is the difference in appearance between an RLV disc and a regular LD? 

answer: reflective purple-violet (or blue with some RLV discs) color

question: Why do RLV discs have a blue or purple reflective color? 

answer: to make it recordable, as opposed to the silver mirror appearance of regular LDs

question: For what purpose were RLVs popular? 

answer: making short-run quantities of LaserDiscs for specialized applications such as interactive kiosks and flight simulators

question: What color were regular LaserDiscs, in contrast to RLVs blueish purple hues? 

answer: silver mirror
Title: LaserDisc
Context: There were also 12 cm (4.7 in) (CD size) "single"-style discs produced that were playable on LaserDisc players. These were referred to as CD Video (CD-V) discs, and Video Single Discs (VSD). A CD-V carried up to five minutes of analog LaserDisc-type video content (usually a music video), as well as up to 20 minutes of digital audio CD tracks. The original 1989 release of David Bowie's retrospective Sound + Vision CD box set prominently featured a CD-V video of Ashes to Ashes, and standalone promo CD-Vs featured the video, plus three audio tracks: "John, I'm Only Dancing", "Changes", and "The Supermen".

question: In contrast to large LD disks, what is the size of a standard CD? 

answer: 12 cm (4.7 in)

question: What were CD size "single"-style discs called that were compatible with LaserDisc players? 

answer: CD Video (CD-V) discs, and Video Single Discs (VSD)

question: How much video content could be stored on a CD-V disk? 

answer: up to five minutes of analog LaserDisc-type video content

question: What were CD-V's video capacities usually used for? 

answer: music video

question: Which artist released a music video and three audio tracks on CD-V in 1989? 

answer: David Bowie
Title: LaserDisc
Context: CD-Vs are not to be confused with Video CDs (which are all-digital and can only be played on VCD players, DVD players, CD-i players, computers, and later-model LaserDisc players, such as the DVL series from Pioneer that can also play DVDs). CD-Vs can only be played back on LaserDisc players with CD-V capability. VSDs were the same as CD-Vs, but without the audio CD tracks. CD-Vs were somewhat popular for a brief time worldwide, but soon faded from view. VSDs were popular only in Japan and other parts of Asia, and were never fully introduced to the rest of the world.

question: What were VSDs lacking that CD-Vs included? 

answer: audio CD tracks

question: In what areas of the world were VSDs popular? 

answer: only in Japan and other parts of Asia

question: Were VSDs or CD-Vs all digital and also playable on DVD players? 

answer: VSDs