I think I found another copy of the Astro German disc. I will definitely replace it if it pans out. Then I can sell the cracked one on ebay; I'll still probably get $25 or so for it. I'll know next week.
Well yeah, since laserdisc is 425i and VHS is 250i, it essentially is an upscaled VHS with slightly more resolution. Never ask LD nuts to explain their obsession! My brother thinks I am nuts when I can get a DVD or bluray for a fraction of the price (at least with some of the rare LD releases; many are worthless now). I told him and I will tell you: Some people collect Elvis clocks. I collect laserdiscs! Having said that, I only have about 100 discs so I keep my obsession in check.