The Phantom 2040 LaserDisc was produced by Hearst Entertainment, Inc. in association with Minos S.A. and France 3, manufactured by Pioneer Video Manufacturing, Inc. and distributed by Family Home Entertainment (fhé) (which was a division of LIVE Entertainment at the time) in the US in 1996.
The LaserDisc was a marvel of late 20th-century engineering that offered a glimpse into the future of home cinema long before DVDs or streaming existed. Launched in 1978, these massive 12-inch platters looked like giant, shimmering CDs and represented the first commercially available optical storage medium. Unlike the VHS tapes of the era, which relied on magnetic tape and suffered from physical wear and lower resolution, LaserDiscs provided a significantly sharper picture and high-fidelity audio.
They were a favorite among cinephiles because they supported multiple audio tracks—allowing for the birth of “Director’s Commentaries”—and didn’t require rewinding. However, their premium status came with a high price tag and physical limitations; because the discs were analog-encoded, they could only hold about 30 to 60 minutes of video per side, often forcing viewers to flip the disc halfway through a movie.
Despite their superior quality, LaserDiscs never achieved mainstream dominance outside of Japan and dedicated enthusiast circles. The players were expensive, the discs were prone to a phenomenon known as “laser rot” where the adhesive layers would oxidize and degrade the image, and they lacked the recording capabilities that made VHS so practical for the average household. By the time the digital revolution arrived in the late 1990s, the much smaller and more convenient DVD quickly rendered the bulky LaserDisc obsolete.
Nevertheless, the format left a lasting legacy on the industry, pioneering features we now take for granted, such as chapter menus, anamorphic widescreen, and bonus features. Today, they remain a beloved relic for collectors who appreciate the unique “warmth” of their analog video signal and the striking, LP-sized cover art that modern digital formats simply cannot replicate.
The Phantom 2040 LaserDisc is based on the Phantom 2040 cartoon series, produced by Hearst Corporation and Minos S.A. in France and released in 1994. The series is et in the year 2040 in the city of Metropia (formerly New York), it follows 18-year-old Kit Walker, who learns he is the 24th in a line of heroes known as “The Phantom.” He must stop Rebecca Madison and her corporation, Maximum Inc., from using “Biots” (robotic labor) to strip the Earth’s remaining resources.
The two sided LaserDisc has a running time of approximately 97 minutes in full color with a title of ‘Phantom 2040: The Animated Movie – The Ghost Who Walks’. While the cover calls it ‘The Animated Movie’, this is actually a movie edit of the show’s pilot arc (Generation Unto Generation). Many 90s animated series were stitched together into features for VHS and LaserDisc release to appeal to rental markets. The unique, spindly, and avant-garde character designs were created by Peter Chung, the famous animator behind Æon Flux. This gives the show a much more mature, cyberpunk look compared to other cartoons of the era.
The Phantom 2040 LaserDisc was presented in a full-color cardboard jacket, securely sealed in clear shrink-wrap plastic and measuring 12.5 inches by 12.5 inches, while the LaserDisc itself has a diameter of 12 inches. The Phantom 2040 LaserDisc is formatted in Extended Play (CLV), enabling a duration of up to 60 minutes of video on each side. Additionally, the audio/video components feature Digital Sound and are CX-encoded, utilizing a noise reduction system designed to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of the analog audio tracks.
The front and back of the Phantom 2040 LaserDisc can be seen below, which prominently features the Phantom as he’s seen in the Phantom 2040 cartoon series, illustrated in his futuristic costume and weaponry.
The physical Phantom 2040 LaserDisc is a standard 12-inch silver optical disc. Because it’s a Double-Sided (2 Sides) release, both sides of the disc contain data. A “Side 1” and “Side 2” Label is printed in the center around the spindle hole. For this specific Family Home Entertainment (fhe) release, the labels are often red or black with white text, mirroring the logo colors seen on your jacket. Unlike modern DVDs or Blu-rays which have a purple or gold tint, LaserDiscs have a highly reflective, mirror-like silver finish.
A small description of ‘Phantom 2040: The Animated Movie – The Ghost Who Walks’ is found on the rear of the cardboard jacket:
The year is 2040. The city: Metropia. Teenager Kit Walker discovers an ancient skull ring that leads him to the strange jungle he has been dreaming about for weeks. It is in this virtual African wilderness that he learns he is the 24th in a long line of “Phantoms” dating back over 500 years. Although Kit just wants to be a normal 18-year-old, he must now become a superhero with the dangerous job of saving the world from the evil plans of businesswoman Rebecca Madison and her wicked son, Maxwell. The Phantom must stop the Madisons from creating a factory, run by “Biots,” that will use up all of the Earth’s resources. The Phantom must succeed… or life on Earth will be doomed.
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