Toshiba HD-XA2 1080p HD-DVD Player

Average customer rating:

The BEST HD player on the market

Toshiba HD-XA2

Best H.D.

Toshiba HD-XA2 a Wonderful HD player!!

Quite impresive

Toshiba HD-XA2 1080p HD-DVD Player

Manufacturer: Toshiba
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

All | DVD Players & Recorders | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
HD DVD Players | DVD Players & Recorders | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
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Product Features:

HD DVD (720p / 1080i / 1080p) playback

Video Up-Conversion (720p /1080i /1080p)

Multi Format Compatibility

Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD & Dolby True HD

Bi-directional RS-232 out & HDMI 1.3 - Deep Color

ASIN: B000M6XKEK

Product Description

Although many DVD discs on the market offer widescreen display, they are not necessarily high-definition. If you want to get optimal video results from DVD on your HDTV set, HD-DVD is the format that's set to deliver resolutions up to 1080p for top visuals. High Definition video requires a tremendous amount of space on a disc, thus a new Blue laser (versus a Red Laser for DVD) is utilized for HD DVD. The blue laser, with its shorter wave length, allows for information to be stored more densely on the disc, thus improving storage capacity by about over 3 times compared to that of a red laser technology. Additionally, more accurate and efficient video compression like MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1. (based on Microsoft Windows Media) compress information to achieve file sizes that are less than half of those of the current standard DVD's MPEG2. Enjoy backwards compatibility and play your collection of standard DVDs on the player. In addition, via the HDMI interface, the HD-XA2 scales the standard definition DVD output to a resolution of 720p, 1080i or 1080p to match your HDTV's performance. Not only does this output the video in HD standard resolution, but because the conversion takes place in the player, the signal remains free from excessive digital-to-analog conversion artifacts. The HD-XA2 has built-in processors to handle the multi-channel decoders for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS and DTS HD (core only). Move up to High Definition play with HD-DVD and upgrade your home for true home-theater enjoyment. Includes backlit remote control Unit Dimensions 17.2? x 13.58? x 2.91? - Home-theater component stackable Many movies are now available in HD-DVD format

Customer Reviews:

The BEST HD player on the market.......2007-12-25

Top quality worksmanship for the build of this player. Works flawless with firware updrage 2.7. Bitstreams the newest HD audio codecs direct to your new 1.3 hdmi receivers. SOunds great, looks fantastic.

Excellent reference quality HD-DVD player. A must own for every movie enthusiast with an HDTV.

Toshiba HD-XA2 .......2007-12-24

I don't use all the bells and whistles. I just watch movies. You will need the updated software. Video is awesome. It's what HDTV should be. The audio out setting is not right without the software. The audio played 6 channel PCM till I upgraded the software.

Best H.D........2007-12-24

This is an awsome H.D. player,In my opinion its has far better picture quality than the Blue Ray type players.I like being able to update my player when new updates are available.I have a Sharp 1080p lcd t.v. and with this player even my old d.v.d.s look great!

Toshiba HD-XA2 a Wonderful HD player!!.......2007-12-18

I bought this player to augment my Sony Bluray player and become format neutral in the high definition DVD game.

I originally intended to look at the A30 series, but after reading other reviews, and finding that I could update the firmware, I opted for the XA2. I find it quiet and very fast to load compared to the Sony S301 Bluray. I now use the XA2 for all CD and SD-DVD playback (it does upconvert!!), as well as HD-DVD viewing. (All connections are through HDMI to my Mitsubishi 65" DLP via a Pioneer Elite audio-video receiver.)

From the short time that I have had it, the XA2 has performed flawlessly.

Quite impresive.......2007-12-14

I must admit, I was skeptical of this player's dvd upconversion. I read a guys review about the HD-A35 being a better player and almost bought that one until I read some disturbing things about the frame rate. That being said, a lot people won't notice the the issue and it is still a solid player. Still, I'm quite the videophile and demand only the best.

Let me tell you something...this player rocks!!! After doing a side by side comparison with my PS3 and HD-A2 there was no competition. HD-DVD's looked crisp and clear, DVD's were cleaner and more refined, and the picture options are quite helpful. For those who are skeptical about the upconversion, don't be! I have a 50 inch LED DLP and I definately could tell the difference between the three. That being said, the PS3 is a great blu-ray player, but I use it mainly for games. As dumb is this sounds, I just like the look, design, and name of Hd-dvd better. It's also good to note that the new hd-dvd players are in the top 100 list (the a3/30/35) for electronics.

I got the hd-xa2 refurbished through Amazon. It said there was a cosmetic blemish and damage on the outer box. There was a slight rip on the repackaged box but the player was fine. No blemishes or scratches. Don't be afraid to buy this player refurbished, at least through Amazon.

Average customer rating:

dont buy it, waste of money
Erratic
Excellent PQ, but not without its issues...
1st HD purchase
WARNING Stay away

Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD Player

Manufacturer: Toshiba
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

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Product Features:

Plays high-def HD DVD discs for sharper, more detailed picture performance than standard DVD discs ; measures 17.7 x 4.3 x 13.4 inches (WxHxD)
Backwards compatible with current DVD and CD formats; upconverts DVD movie discs to near high-definition
Ethernet port for upgrades; USB port on front; compatible with MP3, WMA, and JPEG files
Connections: composite (1 out), S-Video (1 out), component (1 out), HDMI (1 out), USB, Ethernet
DVD offer Dolby True HD/Dolby Digital/DTS decoding; coaxial and optical digital audio outputs

ASIN: B000E1PTGK

Product Description

Watch your favorite movies with a new generation DVD that uses Blue Laser HD technology to deliver outstanding resolution, bright, vivid colors and stunning sound.

High Definition DVD playback via HDMI™ interface at 720p/1080i resolution
Standard DVD upconversion to 720p or 1080i through the HDMI interface
Multi-Format compatibility: HD DVD, DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, CD, CD-R/-RW
Onboard Dolby® Digital Plus, Dolby® TrueHD (2-ch), DTS and DTS-HD decoding with 5.1 analog audio outputs
Multi-Channel 24-Bit/192kHz audio DACs
Includes an HDMI Cable

The DVD player comes with a pre-programmed remote control with TV controls.

Amazon.com Product Description

Get ready for the next generation of DVD entertainment with the Toshiba HD-A1 DVD player, which is compatible with the new HD DVD format. It combines the superior image and sound quality of high-definition images and multichannel surround sound with the convenience of DVD disc playback. In addition to the new HD DVD format, you'll also enjoy backward compatibility with your current DVD movie CD audio libraries, as well as content burned onto DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, CD-R/RW. The HD-A1 also scales standard definition DVD output via the HDMI connection to a resolution of 720p or 1080i to match your HDTV's performance. And because the conversion takes place in the player, the signal remains free from excessive digital-to-analog conversion artifacts. High definition output is only available from the HD-A1 via an HDMI connection. To get the most out of this player, you'll want to connect it to an HDMI compatible HDTV.

HD DVD movie discs provide the ability to search the on-screen menu, make changes to set-up options or access other menu functions while the movie is playing. Scene searching is facilitated with thumbnail images on the TV screen that allow you to use the cursor to go directly to a specific scene. You can even access bonus material like directorÕs comments while the movie is playing without going back to the discÕs menu. DVD playback features include fast forward/reverse, slow play, step play, time search, and parental lock.

The HD-A1 has built-in processors to handle the multi-channel decoders for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD (2 channel), DTS, and DTSHD. It employs the use of four DSPs to decode the multi-channel streams of the wide array of audio formats. These 32-bit floating-point DSPs are world renown for their high accuracy and are employed in many high quality audio solutions in the home theater market.

This DVD player includes a USB interface on the front panel, enabling you to connect "mass storage classification devices"--i.e., external hard drives, portable thumb drives, and compatible MP3 players/digital cameras--and play JPEG, WMA, and MP3 files. You can also connect the player to the Internet via an always-on broadband connection using the Ethernet port in the rear. In addition to accessing special HD DVD sites, this function can be used to access firmware updates when available. Here's the full listing of video and audio connections:

Composite A/V: 1 out
S-Video: 1 out
Component Video: 1 out
HDMI: 1 out
USB: 1
Digital audio: 1 coaxial, 1 optical

HD DVD Disc Format
Officially endorsed by the DVD Forum industry organization as the next high-capacity DVD disc, the HD DVD format delivers sharper, more detailed picture performance than standard DVD discs. Moreover, the HD DVD format opens new avenues of interactivity including enhanced on-screen menus, scene searching, directorsÕ commentaries and the potential for online shopping. HD DVD discs can offer both the current DVD and HD DVD formats on one disc, which means that special HD DVD discs will play in older DVD players as well as new high definition players.

Tech Talk
HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).

Component video (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound.

DVD-RAM is the most flexible of the recordable DVD formats when it comes to recording, editing and playback. With a DVD-RAM disc, you'll be able re-record content approximately 100,000 times.

What's in the Box
HD DVD player, remote control (with batteries), printed operating instructions

Customer Reviews:

dont buy it, waste of money.......2007-11-29

the other comments listed under 1 star are correct, it is a waste of money

Erratic.......2007-09-07

When it works, it is dazzling. Problem is, it does not work all the time in spite of all the available firmware fixes.

Let me explain.

Any HD DVD is sheer brilliance with this player. A regular DVD is spectacular when it works. But, about 80% of the time, it will play a regular DVD for a while and then freeze. And, that DVD works fine on a regular player. I subscribe to the philosophy that making something better is worthwhile only if something else is not broken in the process.

As a result, I am selling all my HD DVDs and bowing out of the HD DVD camp.

Excellent PQ, but not without its issues..........2007-08-26

We've had the HD-A1 for almost a year now. By this time, I'm pretty sure this model has been replaced by an upgraded version. Nevertheless, I'll give the basic run-down, as most anything I say about this model can be applied to newer versions.

The picture quality is fantastic, no question about it. I have an upconverting DVD player, but the true HD quality of the Toshiba easily rivals it. Plus, this unit does a good job of upconversion in and of itself, so it serves dual duty. PQ between this and a blu-ray is a toss up -- they're both the same.

The downsides are few, but they are there, and may be enough to deter some people. For starters, the included remote, although very cool looking and retro, is straight up impossible to read in the dim light most people watch movies in. Until you get the remote memorized, you will have to turn the lights on to use it.

The next gripe comes with a delay of sorts when powering on. When I first got the unit, I would hit the power on, then hit it again, then hit it again, and nothing would happen. After doing a little research, I basically realized I had to point the remote at the unit, hit power, and wait almost a minute for the thing to come on, from there, it took about another minute until the thing was ready to accept a disk.

However, this little bit of tedium is easy to get by once the movie is rolling. Plus, I'm sure these problems have been, or are being, delt with by Toshiba.

My advice? Wait until the format war is over, then pick up a unit. By then, prices will have lowered to resonable levels, and the hardware will have had all the bugs worked out.

1st HD purchase.......2007-08-10

Greetings to all the folks in HD land. I had the luck to find a used version of this unit and had it shipped all the way to Riyadh. The price was amazing! i have only had it for a day and it seems to be working fine so far. I would like to share a few thoughts before i up or down this product:

* i am in the process of purchasing an LCOS JVC and currently only have a TOSHIBA 42 1080i capable TV with no HDMI
* This player is mainly reviewed while connected to my DELL 24'' via component video
* It was just the mere price that attracted me to this player
* I only bought this to have Matrix on HD!
* Most of my other movies are in BluRay
* i did not do any firmware updates to this unit
* i have yet to do any sound tests

On the dell LCD panel the output on the image is amazing. I was sort of hoping a bit more on the up conversion of SD content but i guess i have to wait for the LCOS. i think there are limitations to my DELL monitor.

All in all, if your looking to just give HD-DVD a try without breaking the bank, get a used HD player like this one. I think it was a steal.

WARNING Stay away.......2007-07-13

I got this DVD player 2 weeks ago and it is already dead! - It is very slow to load a dvd or eject a DVD ~ 20 seconds. Then when I had issues with it not recognizing a DVD I whent on the network and downloaded a firmware upadate. This then killed all my HD capacity and now I only have regular dvd playback. Toshiba support said wait for another firmware update to see if it could fix it but did not say when probably a few months or more. Oh how I wasted $500 on this junk!

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