The shop I bought the player from (LASERDISKEN in Denmark) had made some improvements on the player, namely installing a switch for selecting either the modified or the real NTSC-signal. They also made it possible to select between the Analog or Digital soundtrack, via the "TV/LDP " button on the remote. When I already was taking the player apart with the AC-3 mod, I thought I'd try figuring out how these improvements were made. The Analog/Digital selector I wasn't so lucky with (If someone knows how it's done, please let me know!) But with the other I was, and thought I'd share the knowledge, so read on:

MODIFYING PIONEER CLD-1450 FOR REAL NTSC OUTPUT

This mod is extremely simple, no service-manual or obscure components required, one little switch is all you need. You don't even have to loosen any boards.

To make it easier understanding this I have drawn the mod. It's attached to this post (1450ntsc.gif - 8670 bytes). So download it now and take a look.

Remove the top-cover and view the player from it's right side. The mod is done on the board on the top, the one with the Scart-connector on it. You need to find jumper J168 and J195 and jack CN71. The wire who goes to pin 1 on CN71 you must cut off, and soldered a bit of wire which goes to the switch. Then cut jumper J168 in the middle, and solder wires to both pieces of it, going to the switch. (Be very fast when soldering to the pieces of the jumper, or else they will loosen on the other side - or use a pair of tongs to take the heat away.) Lastly, solder a wire to jumper J195 (this is ground-connection) going to the switch.

Drill a hole on the back-panel above the Scart-connector, mount the switch and that's that.

When the switch is set to "PAL" everything is exactly like before the mod - you get the same Pseudo-PAL signal out. When set to "NTSC" all the conversion-circuitry are by-passed and the player delivers a superb NTSC picture.

If you now test it out with an NTSC-disc and find that you get a black and white picture when switched to "NTSC", well, then your TV wasn't multi-standard after all. Go seek out the salesperson who told you it was, and give him/her a good shelling! - or fill up that person's post-box with dog-shit or something...

Note: When playing PAL-discs you should set the switch to "PAL." If set to "NTSC" all playback not in the right speed (i.e. trick-play with CAV-discs) will give a black and white picture.

And why stop there, it's possible to get an even better picture out of this player - at least theoretically. The two video-outputs are not identical, as one might assume. The Video Out on the Scart-connector is better than the RCA Video Out. That's because the RCA output has a much longer signal-path, it goes through two jacks (the CN71 mentioned above is one) onto another board, and also drives the RF output. The Scart is a lousier connector than the RCA, yes, but it could be worth trying it out.

S-VIDEO MODIFICATION

AC-3 LASERDISC PLAYER UPGRADING OF PIONEER CLD-1450

Excuse me if I get to detailed here, I don't think you are a bunch of bubbling morons, but better than being to vague... okay, here goes:

You must have the tray out to be able to do it, so push that eject-button, power the soon-to-be messed up machine off, and pull the plug out.

• Remove the top cover (six screws)
• Place the player with its right side towards you.
• You must to the board in the bottom, so you've to remove the two upper boards.
• Unscrew the rod in the top which goes from the front to the back (two screws)
• Remove the black plastic-dingus on the inside of the player's back. (straight under the rod you just removed) (one screw on the outer backside)
• Loosen the Scart-connector (aka EURO AV) from the back (two screws on outer backside)
• The two boards should be moved together, no need to loosen them from each other.
• On the lowest board (the one with downside up) loosen one screw and push one pain-in-the-ass plastic clip together.
• On the side of the player towards you, loosen the two screws (not the two on the upper board, but on the side)
• You can now flip the two boards towards you, together (after som major jerking - be careful)

On this big board (ASCB-board) you shall find the AFM RF-signal, the MUTE-signal, and Ground. The jumpers on this board are not numbered (which makes it sooo easy to explain this!)

On the middle of the ASCB-board you'll find Q616 and Q617. Between these transistors goes a vertical jumper on approx. 3 cm (little above 1 inch). On this jumper you solder the wire for AFM RF. (Be quick with the iron - you don't want to heat it so the jumper loosens!)
A parallell jumper at the right of the one you just soldered to, at the same size (Q616 is between the two jumpers) you solder the wire for Ground (GND).
On the edge of the board towards you, in the middle, you find IC804. And to the left of IC804 you find R871. Between IC804 and R871 there are four vertical jumpers, each approx. 1,5 cm (~0,5 inch). You shall solder the wire for MUTE to the vertical jumper nearest IC804.

It now remains to find +5V and -5V, but we won't take it from the big board, because it's to difficult explaining the jumpers (not to mention I'm boring my head of writing all this). So now, mount the two other boards back in place.

We shall get +5V and -5V from the PALB-board (the upper board, with the Scart-connector on it). In the middle of this board you find +5V on jumper J151 (it's even printed +5V there). You find -5V on jumper J152 (printed too!) Remember, yes... fast, fast fast, with the iron.

Drill a hole on the back (above the Scart-connector) for the RCA-jack, then solder the coax and C2 to it, and voila! Your single reason for living has gotten even more precious.

WATCH THIS SPACE - COMING NEXT WEEK:
Mods for turning the 1450 into a double-sided player, with a Gamma-Turn Mechanism!!
(Not really.)

And a good day to ya all.

RL
dvf01014@everyday.no