Toshiba HD-A2

[powerlord]

Does this unit just upconvert regular DVD's or is it a real HD DVD format player that will play regular and upscale to your TV's res? Thinking of getting rid of the game consoles and just a dedicated player for movies.Anyone with any experience with this?Thanks in advance.

[MikeC78]

That's the real deal!

It will play the new HD DVD format, and it will also upconvert SD DVD's.

Mike

[powerlord]

Thanks mike

[powerlord]

Or I could get the LG BH-100 and still have the best of both worlds with one unit!

[MikeC78]

Or I could get the LG BH-100 and still have the best of both worlds with one unit!

Yes and No.

That unit is $1200 and is full of bugs at the moment, the player doesn't support HDi for HD DVD.

BTW, You can get two stand alone players cheaper and definetly better. You already have the a BD player(PS3 in your sig), why the heck would you want the LG? The PS3 is one hell of a player, get a Toshiba stand alsone and you'll be all set and format free.

Do a search, the reviews are terrible on the LG.

Mike

[powerlord]

Oh,I didn't know this.Thanks again.

[powerlord]

The PS3 is broke down now for the 2nd time since I got it,and the sound from the 360 just blows,thats why I'm trying to get something thats dependable and has great sound.I like the Ps3 but it's proving to be a hassle,I've exchanged it once for a new one,now I'm having trouble with this one.And then I hear all this talk that either Blue ray or HD DVD is is going to win out over each other,so which to buy?

[josh_parsons626]

This probably sounds stupid but I have a feeling HD DVD is the gonna be the winner. Dont ask me why but I just feel like Blu-Ray is gonna be a piece of crap. I mean it's in PS3 and look at all the problems that PS3 has had since it's been out.

[millerman 3732]

Dont ask me why but I just feel like Blu-Ray is gonna be a piece of crap.

Are you kidding.

[MikeC78]

This probably sounds stupid but I have a feeling HD DVD is the gonna be the winner. Dont ask me why but I just feel like Blu-Ray is gonna be a piece of crap. I mean it's in PS3 and look at all the problems that PS3 has had since it's been out.

:) Polk_Audio_LSi-

Blu-Ray by no means is a piece of crap. Why would you say that, because of the select few having issues? Granted, I'm on my second PS3(first unit DOA) the PS3 is quit a machine for the money!

Read around, there are thousands of happy PS3 owners and only a handful of unhappy ones. Usually the ones that can't be happy anyway, no matter how good something is!

It's hard to say who's going to be the real winner? If someone was going to declare the format war over today, BR would have the advantage because of content. This was the exact opposite six months ago, the "war" is NO where near it's end! If Universal gives, I'd say we have a winner, until then only time will tell.

Mike

[Monster Jam]

I wouldn't make that claim (HD DVD winning) so fast. Blu-Ray is dropping prices this year, and they have the bulk of the movie studios. But assuming one format wins - did they *really* win?

I think when (and if) this war comes to conclusion, people will have found that the "winning" format isn't on disc at all - it will be online. TVs and Computers will have merged seemlessly and you will select your 1080p movie online and download it to your media center. But thats just my take.

[MikeC78]

I wouldn't make that claim (HD DVD winning) so fast. Blu-Ray is dropping prices this year, and they have the bulk of the movie studios. But assuming one format wins - did they *really* win?

I think when (and if) this war comes to conclusion, people will have found that the "winning" format isn't on disc at all - it will be online. TVs and Computers will have merged seemlessly and you will select your 1080p movie online and download it to your media center. But thats just my take.

I'm not claiming anyone is winning. I made an opinion, insinuating that if the format was was over today, I'd think Blu-Ray would be the winner by more content.

I still believe BR and HD DVD will all be a niche over time? I don't know about downloading movies like that, I don't think they would ever be enough bandwidth to do that, plus it would take forever? People just want to be able to pop a disk in a player and go, no work, IMHO.

EDIT: I think you are reffering to Josh, disregard.;)

Mike

[Sherardp]

I wont say which is going to be a winner but I will say that every HD DVD title I have reviewed has been outstanding. Blu Ray has some good titles yes but some are subpar. If BR can get it together and put out good titles with outstanding PQ to match HD DVD then I think it would be allot better to say the least. Anyway, both are great formats, but the transfers on HD DVD are superior right now, IMHO.

[sickicw]

HD-DVD started out winning pretty good, but blu-ray has now surpassed hd-dvd in movie and hardware sales. Blu-ray has huge momentum behind them at this point and will only gain more as time moves on.

http://www.videostoremag.com/news/ht...ticle_ID=10323

[Monster Jam]

EDIT: I think you are reffering to Josh, disregard.;)

Mike

Yeah, I was referring to Josh - and as always, I never intend to flame.

However, your comment about bandwidth and the future of downloading....I know its difficult to see the future and the change that comes with it - but I feel very confident making this prognostication. If its one thing thats certain, its change.

I could get even crazier with my Nostadomus-like predictions and say that in the FAR future, we not only will be getting all of our content from the internet, it will be done so without wires at all. All the hardwire stuff will be a thing of the past. Go 75 years (or less) into the future and people will look at you talking about "coaxial cable" like your crazy.

But really, people are already downloading content. Thats not new. You can download content all over the place - I'm just unaware that its 1080p yet. If its not, it will be. And this adoption method is at hand. It might not beat HD DVD and Blu Ray to the market as mainstream, but all of our mp3 equiped teenagers are going to make this reality. Again, in my opinion.

[Sami]

I think when (and if) this war comes to conclusion, people will have found that the "winning" format isn't on disc at all - it will be online. TVs and Computers will have merged seemlessly and you will select your 1080p movie online and download it to your media center. But thats just my take.

Not until all households have fiber optic connections. Someday, but not very soon. Biggest concern with that would be copy-protection (and renting). If you can download one into your HD, it won't take long before we have movies available for free on P2P networks (like we have DivX now).

[powerlord]

It's a little confusing that a company such as LG would produce a line of players that play both formats when there is a war going on like this,I mean why would they spend the extra money to make something that plays both?Do you think they know something we don't?Seems like they would really lose their ass in production cost if one format dies.

[Sherardp]

Yeah, I was referring to Josh - and as always, I never intend to flame.

However, your comment about bandwidth and the future of downloading....I know its difficult to see the future and the change that comes with it - but I feel very confident making this prognostication. If its one thing thats certain, its change.

I could get even crazier with my Nostadomus-like predictions and say that in the FAR future, we not only will be getting all of our content from the internet, it will be done so without wires at all. All the hardwire stuff will be a thing of the past. Go 75 years (or less) into the future and people will look at you talking about "coaxial cable" like your crazy.

But really, people are already downloading content. Thats not new. You can download content all over the place - I'm just unaware that its 1080p yet. If its not, it will be. And this adoption method is at hand. It might not beat HD DVD and Blu Ray to the market as mainstream, but all of our mp3 equiped teenagers are going to make this reality. Again, in my opinion.

You must love sci-fi movies or either a huge Back to the Future Fan.

[Sherardp]

It's a little confusing that a company such as LG would produce a line of players that play both formats when there is a war going on like this,I mean why would they spend the extra money to make something that plays both?Do you think they know something we don't?Seems like they would really lose their ass in production cost if one format dies.

As mentioned earlier the player is full of bugs, some owners are on the AVSforum and they report nothing but problems, and lack of some features for HD DVD. I wouldnt buy one, I bought the sony bdps1 to be format neutral a few weeks back, awesome gear. I like both formats, too bad they both cant get along and play nice together.

[cheddar]

Yes, LG wanted to be clever and make a splash at CES. They did so. But when you get right down to it, all they did was take their Blu-ray player and bolt on an HD-DVD player without adequate software support.

They thought they could get away with it 'cause they anticipated hardware prices to remain high. Well blu-ray hardware prices are falling through the floor through the summer and into next year. So I wouldn't put much faith in universal players like LGs as the future. More like an idea that came a year too late.

[cheddar]

HD-DVD started out winning pretty good, but blu-ray has now surpassed hd-dvd in movie and hardware sales. Blu-ray has huge momentum behind them at this point and will only gain more as time moves on.

http://www.videostoremag.com/news/ht...ticle_ID=10323

...And it's amazing what a $10 drop in price will do for software sales...I mean blu-ray was leading on all measures before. Now with the amazon sale, seems like all those ps3 owners still sitting on the fence have jumped in...

I wonder how high casino royale (not part of the sale but still #1) will go when it's released next week?

http://www.eproductwars.com/dvd/

Please, oh, please keep having these sales...this war is great for the consumer who shops smart. :D

[cheddar]

Hey powerlord, where were you last week? I posted a link to BB where they were giving away 4 movies for free with every HD-A2 purchase. I checked and it seems to be gone now.

[powerlord]

Hey powerlord, where were you last week? I posted a link to BB where they were giving away 4 movies for free with every HD-A2 purchase. I checked and it seems to be gone now.

I always miss the good deals!:o I love the blue ray and want to stick with the PS3 but I've had one totally poop out on me,and the one I exchanged it for is now in for the 2nd time,I mean when do you just say enough and sell?I've had 3 xbox 360's now and none of them have had any problems yet but it seems as though microsoft didn't add the bells and whistles that Sony did to their console.What a dilemma these companies have caused to buyers.

[MikeC78]

Check out this deal!

http://www.valueelectronics.com/Toshiba_HD-A2.htm

Fully authorized and very well known over at AVS(sponser). 7 free HD DVD's, HDMI cable, double-boxed and shipped for free. $399

[cheddar]

What's the problem? I haven't had any trouble with mine. There was a glitch in the 1.50 firmware update that froze the blu-ray playback on some ps3s. But they released an update real quick to fix it. I think they're up to 1.54 now and they'll release 1.55 this month to allow download queing.

[cheddar]

Check out this deal!

http://www.valueelectronics.com/Toshiba_HD-A2.htm

Fully authorized and very well known over at AVS. 7 free HD DVD's, HDMI cable, double-boxed and shiped for free. $399

That's a nice deal. Aren't you the one always saying competition is grand? ;)

[powerlord]

I'm not a tech, but the first one just didn't power back up,the 2nd one just stopped putting a picture on the screen,and did it again after I got it back.I know these consoles are pretty new and not without their problems,but I'm almost getting used to not watching or playing it again due to it's down time.

[MikeC78]

That's a nice deal. Aren't you the one always saying competition is grand? ;)

Yep, Thank goodness for Toshiba!:D

[cheddar]

I'm not a tech, but the first one just didn't power back up,the 2nd one just stopped putting a picture on the screen,and did it again after I got it back.I know these consoles are pretty new and not without their problems,but I'm almost getting used to not watching or playing it again due to it's down time.

That sucks. I wouldn't blame you for being frustrated and deciding to switch platforms. But all of the electronics these days have the potential to produce a few lemons. Just ask shizelbs. But he got satisfaction through CS and all seems well now. I wouldn't expect you to be insulated from production line defects just because you buy a stand alone. We're really still in the tail end of the early adoption phase.

I hope you get things worked out and that sony CS is treating you well. You might want to base your purchasing decision on which format has the movies you want, though.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=766588

It sounds like hardware prices are collapsing to the point where the big price differentials will be done with by next Christmas.

[powerlord]

Personally I think the PS3 is the best looking console to ever come out,and as far as video playback it's bar none,everything about the PS3 screams elegant,I will probably stick by it till the bugs are out,or until the frustration is over.It would have been nice if Microsoft would have come out with an HDMI connection and an integrated player,but i guess all of this was meant to befuddle all of us new technology seekers.