The Laser Bin : Laserdiscs sometimes offer special features and content beyond the capabilities of videocassettes. Here are a couple of examples.

“Audubon Society’s Video Guide to the Birds of North America: Volume I” (Mastervision, 906 Park Ave., New York, N.Y. 10028, $39.95) is an extraordinary laserdisc encyclopedia covering 116 species--loons, grebes, pelicans, swans, geese, ducks, hawks, vultures, falcons, pheasant, grouse and quail among them. It’s an effective use of laser technology with still photos, action footage, computer-drawn maps, actual bird sounds. The laser presentation is vastly superior to the excellent tape edition: The pictures and freeze-frames are sharper and chapter stops make it simple to locate any bird in an instant.