romikgosai/squad_modified_2 huggingface dataset:
As Pioneer introduced Digital Audio to LaserDisc in 1985, they further refined the CAA format. CAA55 was introduced in 1985 with a total playback capacity per side of 55 minutes 5 seconds, reducing the video capacity to resolve bandwidth issues with the inclusion of Digital Audio. Several titles released between 1985 and 1987 were analog audio only due to the length of the title and the desire to keep the film on one disc (e.g., Back to the Future). By 1987, Pioneer had overcome the technical challenges and was able to once again encode in CAA60, allowing a total of 60 minutes 5 seconds. Pioneer further refined CAA, offering CAA45, encoding 45 minutes of material, but filling the entire playback surface of the side. Used on only a handful of titles, CAA65 offered 65 minutes 5 seconds of playback time per side. There are a handful of titles pressed by Technidisc that used CAA50. The final variant of CAA is CAA70, which could accommodate 70 minutes of playback time per side. There are not any known uses of this format on the consumer market.

Q1: What was the length capacity of the CAA55 format?
A1: 55 minutes 5 seconds
Q2: Why was Back to the Future released with analog sound?
A2: due to the length of the title and the desire to keep the film on one disc
Q3: What was the maximum length of the CAA60 format?
A3: 60 minutes 5 seconds
Q4: How many works were released to the public with the CAA70 format?
A4: There are not any known uses of this format on the consumer market
Sound could be stored in either analog or digital format and in a variety of surround sound formats; NTSC discs could carry two analog audio tracks, plus two uncompressed PCM digital audio tracks, which were (EFM, CIRC, 16-bit and 44.056 kHz sample rate). PAL discs could carry one pair of audio tracks, either analog or digital and the digital tracks on a PAL disc were 16-bit 44.1 kHz as on a CD; in the UK, the term "LaserVision" is used to refer to discs with analog sound, while "LaserDisc" is used for those with digital audio. The digital sound signal in both formats are EFM-encoded as in CD. Dolby Digital (also called AC-3) and DTS—which are now common on DVD titles—first became available on LaserDisc, and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) which was released on LaserDisc in Japan, is among the first home video releases ever to include 6.1 channel Dolby Digital EX Surround. Unlike DVDs, which carry Dolby Digital audio in digital form, LaserDiscs store Dolby Digital in a frequency modulated form within a track normally used for analog audio. Extracting Dolby Digital from a LaserDisc required a player equipped with a special "AC-3 RF" output and an external demodulator in addition to an AC-3 decoder. The demodulator was necessary to convert the 2.88 MHz modulated AC-3 information on the disc into a 384 kbit/s signal that the decoder could handle. DTS audio, when available on a disc, replaced the digital audio tracks; hearing DTS sound required only an S/PDIF compliant digital connection to a DTS decoder.

Q1: What was the difference between LaserDisc and LaserVision in the UK?
A1: "LaserVision" is used to refer to discs with analog sound, while "LaserDisc" is used for those with digital audio
Q2: The Phantom Menace was one of the first home videos to use what sound format?
A2: 6.1 channel Dolby Digital EX Surround.
Q3: What sound formatting do DVDs use?
A3: Dolby Digital audio in digital form
In the mid to late 1990s many higher-end AV receivers included the demodulator circuit specifically for the LaserDisc players RF modulated Dolby Digital AC-3 signal. By the late 1990s with LaserDisc players and disc sales declining due to DVD's growing popularity the AV receiver manufacturers removed the demodulator circuit. Although DVD players were capable of playing Dolby Digital tracks, the signal out of DVD player were not in a modulated form and not compatible with the inputs designed for LaserDisc AC-3. Outboard demodulators were available for a period that convert the AC-3 signal to standard Dolby Digital signal that was compatible with the standard Dolby Digital/PCM inputs on capable AV receivers. Another type marketed by Onkyo and others converted the RF AC-3 signal to 6-channel analog audio.

Q1: What competition caused LaserDisc sales to decline?
A1: DVD's growing popularity
Q2: Did all AV receivers carry the demodulator circuits necessary for LaserDiscs, or only high-end models?
A2: higher-end
Q3: What did the Onkyo outboard demodulator covert the RF AC-2 signal to?
A3: 6-channel analog audio
At least where the digital audio tracks were concerned, the sound quality was unsurpassed at the time compared to consumer videotape, but the quality of the analog soundtracks varied greatly depending on the disc and, sometimes, the player. Many early and lower-end LD players had poor analog audio components, and many early discs had poorly mastered analog audio tracks, making digital soundtracks in any form most desirable to serious enthusiasts. Early DiscoVision and LaserDisc titles lacked the digital audio option, but many of those movies received digital sound in later re-issues by Universal, and the quality of analog audio tracks generally got far better as time went on. Many discs that had originally carried old analog stereo tracks received new Dolby Stereo and Dolby Surround tracks instead, often in addition to digital tracks, helping boost sound quality. Later analog discs also applied CX Noise Reduction, which improved the signal-noise ratio of their audio.

Q1: Was sound quality from disc to disc and between players consistent or varied?
A1: varied greatly
Q2: Was analog or digital formatting more popular with enthusiasts?
A2: digital
Q3: What result did adding CX Noise Reduction have on analog discs?
A3: improved the signal-noise ratio of their audio
Q4: Which company added digital sound option when re-releasing movies?
A4: Universal
Both AC-3 and DTS surround audio were clumsily implemented on LaserDiscs, leading to some interesting player- and disc-dependent issues. A disc that included AC-3 audio forfeited the right analog audio channel to the modulated AC-3 RF stream. If the player did not have an AC-3 output available, the next most attractive playback option would be the digital Dolby Surround or stereo audio tracks. The reason for this is the RF signal needs to bypass the audio circuitry in order to be properly processed by the demodulator. If either the player did not support digital audio tracks (common in older players), or the disc did not include digital audio tracks at all (uncommon for a disc which is mastered with an AC-3 track), the only remaining option was to fall back to a monophonic presentation of the left analog audio track. However, many older analog-only players not only failed to output AC-3 streams correctly, but were not even aware of their potential existence. Such a player will happily play the analog audio tracks verbatim, resulting in garbage (static) output in the right channel.

Q1: Which channel would not work in conjunction with AC-3 audio?
A1: right analog audio channel
Q2: What audio playback options were available if an AC-3 output was not present?
A2: digital Dolby Surround or stereo audio tracks
Q3: What happens to the right channel in a player that doesn't recognize AC-3?
A3: garbage (static) output
Only one 5.1 surround sound option exists on a given LaserDisc (either Dolby Digital or DTS), so if surround sound is desired, the disc must be matched to the capabilities of the playback equipment (LD Player and Receiver/Decoder) by the purchaser. A fully capable LaserDisc playback system includes a newer LaserDisc player that is capable of playing digital tracks, has a digital optical output for digital PCM and DTS audio, is aware of AC-3 audio tracks, and has an AC-3 coaxial output; an external or internal AC-3 RF demodulator and AC-3 decoder; and a DTS decoder. Many 1990s A/V receivers combine the AC-3 decoder and DTS decoder logic, but an integrated AC-3 demodulator is rare both in LaserDisc players and in later A/V receivers.

Q1: Are integrated AC-3 demodulators common in LaserDisc players or a rare find?
A1: rare
Q2: How many 5.1 surround sound options exist in LaserDiscs?
A2: Only one
Q3: What type of decoder logic is common in 1990s A/V receivers?
A3: DTS
PAL LaserDiscs have a slightly longer playing time than NTSC discs, but have fewer audio options. PAL discs only have two audio tracks, consisting of either two analog-only tracks on older PAL LDs, or two digital-only tracks on newer discs. In comparison, later NTSC LDs are capable of carrying four tracks (two analog and two digital). On certain releases, one of the analog tracks is used to carry a modulated AC-3 signal for 5.1 channel audio (for decoding and playback by newer LD players with an "AC-3 RF" output). However, older NTSC LDs made before 1984 (such as the original DiscoVision discs) only have two analog audio tracks.

Q1: Which has a longer playing time: PAL LaserDiscs or NTSC discs?
A1: PAL LaserDiscs
Q2: How many audio tracks do PAL LaserDiscs have?
A2: two
Q3: Which two audio options are available on PAL LaserDiscs?
A3: two analog-only tracks on older PAL LDs, or two digital-only tracks on newer discs
In March 1984, Pioneer introduced the first consumer player with a solid-state laser, the LD-700. It was also the first LD player to load from the front and not the top. One year earlier Hitachi introduced an expensive industrial player with a laser diode, but the player, which had poor picture quality due to an inadequate dropout compensator, was made only in limited quantities. After Pioneer released the LD-700, gas lasers were no longer used in consumer players, despite their advantages, although Philips continued to use gas lasers in their industrial units until 1985.

Q1: What was the name of the first solid-state laser consumer LaserDisc player?
A1: LD-700
Q2: Besides a solid-state laser, what else was unique about the LD-700?
A2: first LD player to load from the front and not the top
Q3: When did Pioneer release the LD-700?
A3: March 1984
Q4: Which company continued to use gas-lasers in industrial models of LD players although they were no longer used in consumer models?
A4: Philips
During its development, MCA, which co-owned the technology, referred to it as the Optical Videodisc System, "Reflective Optical Videodisc" or "Laser Optical Videodisc", depending on the document; changing the name once in 1969 to Disco-Vision and then again in 1978 to DiscoVision (without the hyphen), which became the official spelling. Technical documents and brochures produced by MCA Disco-Vision during the early and mid-'70s also used the term "Disco-Vision Records" to refer to the pressed discs. MCA owned the rights to the largest catalog of films in the world during this time, and they manufactured and distributed the DiscoVision releases of those films under the "MCA DiscoVision" software and manufacturing label; consumer sale of those titles began on December 15, 1978, with the aforementioned Jaws.

Q1: Which three names did MCA use for LaserDisc technology during its development?
A1: Optical Videodisc System, "Reflective Optical Videodisc" or "Laser Optical Videodisc"
Q2: To what did MCA change the name to in 1969?
A2: Disco-Vision
Q3: When did MCA remove the hyphen from the name Disco-Vision?
A3: 1978
Q4: Which company owned the rights to the world's largest collection of films during the 1970s?
A4: MCA
Q5: Consumer sales of MCA films began in 1978 with what movie?
A5: Jaws
Philips' preferred name for the format was "VLP", after the Dutch words Video Langspeel-Plaat ("Video long-play disc"), which in English-speaking countries stood for Video Long-Play. The first consumer player, the Magnavox VH-8000 even had the VLP logo on the player. For a while in the early and mid-1970s, Philips also discussed a compatible audio-only format they called "ALP", but that was soon dropped as the Compact Disc system became a non-compatible project in the Philips corporation. Until early 1980, the format had no "official" name. The LaserVision Association, made up of MCA, Universal-Pioneer, IBM, and Philips/Magnavox, was formed to standardize the technical specifications of the format (which had been causing problems for the consumer market) and finally named the system officially as "LaserVision".

Q1: What did VLP stand for in English-speaking countries?
A1: Video Long-Play
Q2: What was the first consumer VLP player?
A2: Magnavox VH-8000
Q3: Which group officially chose the name "Laservision"?
A3: The LaserVision Association
Q4: The Laservision Association was comprised of which companies?
A4: MCA, Universal-Pioneer, IBM, and Philips/Magnavox
Pioneer Electronics also entered the optical disc market in 1977 as a 50/50 joint-venture with MCA called Universal-Pioneer and manufacturing MCA designed industrial players under the MCA DiscoVision name (the PR-7800 and PR-7820). For the 1980 launch of the first Universal-Pioneer player, the VP-1000 was noted as a "laser disc player", although the "LaserDisc" logo displayed clearly on the device. In 1981, "LaserDisc" was used exclusively for the medium itself, although the official name was "LaserVision" (as seen at the beginning of many LaserDisc releases just before the start of the film). However, as Pioneer reminded numerous video magazines and stores in 1984, LaserDisc was a trademarked word, standing only for LaserVision products manufactured for sale by Pioneer Video or Pioneer Electronics. A 1984 Ray Charles ad for the LD-700 player bore the term "Pioneer LaserDisc brand videodisc player". From 1981 until the early 1990s, all properly licensed discs carried the LaserVision name and logo, even Pioneer Artists titles.

Q1: Which company joined a 50/50 partnership with MCA in 1977?
A1: Pioneer Electronics
Q2: In what year was the first Universal-Pioneer player released?
A2: 1980
Q3: What was the name of the first Universal-Pioneer player?
A3: the VP-1000
Q4: Which singer did an ad for the LD-700 player in 1984?
A4: Ray Charles
During the early years, MCA also manufactured discs for other companies including Paramount, Disney and Warner Bros. Some of them added their own names to the disc jacket to signify that the movie was not owned by MCA. After Discovision Associates shut down in early 1982, Universal Studio's videodisc software label, called MCA Videodisc until 1984, began reissuing many DiscoVision titles. Unfortunately, quite a few, such as Battlestar Galactica and Jaws, were time-compressed versions of their CAV or CLV Disco Vision originals. The time-compressed CLV re-issue of Jaws no longer had the original soundtrack, having had incidental background music replaced for the video disc version due to licensing cost (the music would not be available until the THX LaserDisc box set was released in 1995). One Universal/Columbia co-production issued by MCA Disco Vision in both CAV and CLV versions, The Electric Horseman, is still not available in any other home video format with its original score intact; even the most recent DVD release has had substantial music replacements of both instrumental score and Willie Nelson's songs. An MCA release of Universal's Howard the Duck, sees only the start credits shown in widescreen before changing to 4:3 for the rest of the film. For many years this was the only disc-based release of the film, until widescreen DVD formats were released with extras. Also, the LaserDisc release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is the only format to include the cut scene of Harrison Ford playing the part of the school headmaster telling off Elliott for letting the frogs free in the biology class.

Q1: What other companies did MCA manufacture discs for?
A1: Paramount, Disney and Warner Bros
Q2: What quirk is present in MCA's release of Howard the Duck?
A2: only the start credits shown in widescreen before changing to 4:3 for the rest of the film
Q3: What is unique about the LaserDisc release of E.T.?
A3: only format to include the cut scene of Harrison Ford playing the part of the school headmaster
Q4: Which film is only available with its original score in LD format , even today?
A4: The Electric Horseman
LaserDisc had a number of advantages over VHS. It featured a far sharper picture with a horizontal resolution of 425 TVL lines for NTSC and 440 TVL lines for PAL discs, while VHS featured only 240 TVL lines with NTSC. It could handle analog and digital audio where VHS was mostly analog only (VHS can have PCM audio in professional applications but is uncommon), and the NTSC discs could store multiple audio tracks. This allowed for extras like director's commentary tracks and other features to be added onto a film, creating "Special Edition" releases that would not have been possible with VHS. Disc access was random and chapter based, like the DVD format, meaning that one could jump to any point on a given disc very quickly. By comparison, VHS would require tedious rewinding and fast-forwarding to get to specific points.

Q1: How many horizontal TVL lines did LaserDisc have in comparison to VHS's 240?
A1: 425
Q2: Which medium was chapter based like DVD format, Laserdisc or VHS?
A2: LaserDisc
Q3: Which medium allowed for multiple audio tracks, Laserdisc or VHS?
A3: LaserDisc
LaserDiscs were initially cheaper than videocassettes to manufacture, because they lacked the moving parts and plastic outer shell that are necessary for VHS tapes to work, and the duplication process was much simpler. A VHS cassette has at least 14 parts including the actual tape while LaserDisc has one part with five or six layers. A disc can be stamped out in a matter of seconds whereas duplicating videotape required a complex bulk tape duplication mechanism and was a time-consuming process. However, by the end of the 1980s, average disc-pressing prices were over $5.00 per two-sided disc, due to the large amount of plastic material and the costly glass-mastering process needed to make the metal stamper mechanisms. Due to the larger volume of demand, videocassettes quickly became much cheaper to duplicate, costing as little as $1.00 by the beginning of the 1990s.

Q1: Were Laserdiscs initially cheaper or more costly to produce than their VHS counterparts?
A1: cheaper
Q2: How many parts does a VHS tape have that must be manufactured?
A2: at least 14
Q3: How much did LaserDiscs cost to produce by the end of the 1980s?
A3: $5.00 per two-sided disc
Q4: How much did VHS cost to produce by the 1990s?
A4: as little as $1.00
LaserDiscs potentially had a much longer lifespan than videocassettes. Because the discs were read optically instead of magnetically, no physical contact needs to be made between the player and the disc, except for the player's clamp that holds the disc at its center as it is spun and read. As a result, playback would not wear the information-bearing part of the discs, and properly manufactured LDs would theoretically last beyond one's lifetime. By contrast, a VHS tape held all of its picture and sound information on the tape in a magnetic coating which is in contact with the spinning heads on the head drum, causing progressive wear with each use (though later in VHS's lifespan, engineering improvements allowed tapes to be made and played back without contact). Also, the tape was thin and delicate, and it was easy for a player mechanism, especially on a low quality or malfunctioning model, to mishandle the tape and damage it by creasing it, frilling (stretching) its edges, or even breaking it.

Q1: Were Laserdiscs or VHS more durable in the long run?
A1: LaserDiscs
Q2: Why is physical contact with a VHS tape less desirable than an optical reading?
A2: progressive wear with each use
Q3: Where do VHS tapes store their information?
A3: magnetic coating
LaserDisc was a composite video format: the luminance (black and white) and chrominance (color) information were transmitted in one signal, separated by the receiver. While good comb filters can do so adequately, these two signals cannot be completely separated. On DVDs, data is stored in the form of digital blocks which make up each independent frame. The signal produced is dependent on the equipment used to master the disc. Signals range from composite and split, to YUV and RGB. Depending upon which format is used, this can result in far higher fidelity, particularly at strong color borders or regions of high detail (especially if there is moderate movement in the picture) and low-contrast details like skin tones, where comb filters almost inevitably smudge some detail.

Q1: How is data stored on DVDs?
A1: digital blocks which make up each independent frame
Q2: What device seperated the black and white and color signals in LaserDiscs?
A2: the receiver
Q3: In what areas are comb filters most likely to lose detail?
A3: low-contrast details like skin tones
Q4: Are comb filters exact, or is some data smudged?
A4: comb filters almost inevitably smudge some detail
In contrast to the entirely digital DVD, LaserDiscs use only analog video. As the LaserDisc format is not digitally encoded and does not make use of compression techniques, it is immune to video macroblocking (most visible as blockiness during high motion sequences) or contrast banding (subtle visible lines in gradient areas, such as out-of-focus backgrounds, skies, or light casts from spotlights) that can be caused by the MPEG-2 encoding process as video is prepared for DVD. Early DVD releases held the potential to surpass their LaserDisc counterparts, but often managed only to match them for image quality, and in some cases, the LaserDisc version was preferred. However, proprietary human-assisted encoders manually operated by specialists can vastly reduce the incidence of artifacts, depending on playing time and image complexity. By the end of LaserDisc's run, DVDs were living up to their potential as a superior format.

Q1: Do LaserDiscs or DVD use analog video?
A1: LaserDiscs
Q2: Are DVDs partially or entirely digital?
A2: entirely
Q3: What is contrast banding?
A3: subtle visible lines in gradient areas
Q4: What step of the DVD production process causes contrast banding?
A4: MPEG-2 encoding process
LaserDisc players can provide a great degree of control over the playback process. Unlike many DVD players, the transport mechanism always obeys commands from the user: pause, fast-forward, and fast-reverse commands are always accepted (barring, of course, malfunctions). There were no "User Prohibited Options" where content protection code instructs the player to refuse commands to skip a specific part (such as fast forwarding through copyright warnings). (Some DVD players, particularly higher-end units, do have the ability to ignore the blocking code and play the video without restrictions, but this feature is not common in the usual consumer market.)

Q1: How does LaserDisc operation vary from DVD?
A1: the transport mechanism always obeys commands from the user
Q2: What are "User Protected Options" on DVDs?
A2: where content protection code instructs the player to refuse commands to skip a specific part
Q3: Where are User Protected Options commonly found on DVDs?
A3: copyright warnings
Q4: Which format, LaserDisc or DVD, gives the user the most control over playback?
A4: LaserDisc