248 of 273 people found the following review helpful:
Great player
Connected to a Sony KD-34XS955 HDTV
What can I say. It works great!
Easy to set up out of the box. Picture and audio quality were great as expected. Now that I've seen both I can honestly say you will not be able to tell the difference
Pros and Cons
Internet setup (DHCP for me) was a little time consuming but that had as...
106 of 136 people found the following review helpful:
Standard DVD ok- Intolerable HD DVD performance. Substandard.
I eagerly awaited the arrival of my Toshiba A3 for Christmas. I coordinated the arrival by also renting 3 HD DVD's to watch from Netflix. Installation was a breeze by connecting this to my Sony Grand Wega HD Televison. First impression was that after it booted up, (says Welcome) and I hit the open drawer button it took over 45 seconds to open the drawer.
This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
Connected to a Sony KD-34XS955 HDTV
What can I say. It works great!
Easy to set up out of the box. Picture and audio quality were great as expected. Now that I've seen both I can honestly say you will not be able to tell the difference
Pros and Cons
Internet setup (DHCP for me) was a little time consuming but that had as much to do with configuring it to work with my cable router and it's fire wall than the player itself. Once connected I uploaded and installed the latest firmware. It takes a while even over high speed so get it going then go do something else for a while. Once done the player will install the firmware and turn off. Turn back on and you're good to go.
Con?- No 1080P output. Since My HD TV's max is 1080i this doesn't matter to me. It may some 6 or 7 years in the future when I replace it but by then who knows where the content delivery world will be? A word to the wise...Most flat panel displays out there right now aren't even a true 1080 by 1920 resolution anyway so before you spend the extra dough on a 1080p player make sure your display has a NATIVE display of 1080X1920. Otherwise it will just downscale your 1080 picture and you will have wasted your money. The Sony 300 does output 1080P but so do like priced HD DVD players. The difference in picture quality is minute since a 1080p display will upscale the 1080i picture anyway. There is no broadcast 1080p.
Since the only other HD player I've looked at was the Sony 300 Blu Ray that's what I'll compare to
Pro- Short boot time (20 seconds) and disc load time (15ish)so far.
The Sony was at least a minute per.
Good response time to remote commands. Still slower than a standard DVD player and the scan is more like windows media player than a standard DVD player. The Sony's reaction time was terrible and it cued commands so you could easily lose track of where you were. The A3 also provides you with a soft beep (can be turned off) so you know your command was received.
Pro/Con Unlike the Sony this deck has zoom and pan however it does not like to play in slow while zoomed. This can be a pain if you like to check out CGI.
Pro-Did a great job upscaling my standard DVDs. Picture was as good as my Sony NS75H upscaling player. The Sony was terrible no matter what settings I used. I found that rather strange since I know they can make a good upscaling chip.
Pro- The afore mentioned internet connection. Simply put the 300 does not have one. I imagine it can be upgraded via disc as can this player.
All and all a great player for a great price! I'm not going to get into the content argument other than to say that I have a problem with a manufacturer trying to force me to pay inflated prices for an inferior product by withholding content. My simple remedy will be not to buy any content from Disney, FOX or any Sony exclusive even on standard DVD. Any releases held exclusive to Blu ray that I want to watch will be rented in standard def via NetFlix. In fact my DVD purchasing has all but stopped anyway. This is not only due to the huge amount of titles for rent at Netflix but also because Hollywood has produced little in the last few years worth owning. I know Toshiba has its partners and exclusives but they are not charging an arm and a leg and their format is much more stable Blu Ray.
When Sony or one of it's manufacturing partners comes out with a WORKING Blu Ray player that won't go obsolete in 6 months for $225 I'll get one. Until then my A3 will remain my only HD player.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
Pros:
Fantastic picture
Great price
1080i/ 720p output great for 720p HDTV's
Fast startup time
Slim design of the unit
Adequate remote
Some reviews of other Toshiba HD players have stated that you can't pause the movie, and come back to it later but I have not found this to be the case. As long as you leave the unit on, you can pause the movie as long as you want and resume it when you want to.
Plays DVD+R discs with no problem even though this is not a stated feature.
Cons:
no 1080p output- not an issue for me since I have a 720p TV.
Haven't come across any.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
I just got my A3 and it's absolutely fantastic. The load times are fast, start-up is fast and it's an aesthetically pleasing device. Sleek new slim design, lightweight and includes non-combo edition of 300 and The Bourne Identity HD DVDs, fully packaged in red elite cases.
I also have the A2, and prefer this third generation unit but the A2 is still a solid, and great machine. The A3 upconverts DVDs beautifully, watching DisneyDVDs is great and they look amazing. Of course HD DVDs also look great, especially Troy Directors Cut, Transformers looks beyond words - just an amazing movie experience, and The Matrix is gorgeous. I also recommend Shrek the Third next week, that will be gorgeous too.
Finally, the A3 is a solid player, better load times than the A2, slightly smaller, a beautiful chassis that really compliments your HT and Toshiba REGZA or any piano finished black TVs, and a great value. I recommend it.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
Okay first of all I would like to start off my review by helping to clear up some confusion. Many people such as myself have debated whether or not to go with the higher priced A30 or A35 models since they offer 1080p resolution and the A3 model only offers up to 1080i. For those considering this offer keep in mind that the A30 and A35 models WILL BOTH only make a difference in 1080p if your HDTV supports HDMI V1.3 (1080p/24fps). Thing is that HDMI V1.3 didn't start getting introduced into new HDTV models until late 2006. So if you set is older than that regardless of whether or not it is 1080p or not then don't even bother with the higher priced models as you will be better off with the A3 and the excellent job it does in 1080i mode. Either way be sure of which version HDMI your set has before making your decision to purchase as it can save you some money and disappointment. I have the 37W3 37" Westinghouse True 1080p HDTV set and it only has the older HDMI V1.0 so I chose the A3 since I really couldn't benefit from the 1080p/24fps on the higher priced HD-DVD Players.
Right now that I have covered that I will get down to the review of the player itself. The Toshiba A3 and it's predecessor the A2 have become the most popular selling HD standalone units out there. There is a good reason for that as they offer simplicity and a nice piece of hardware at a relatively affordable price. This is Toshiba's 3rd generation entry model HD player and with each generation it seems to get just a little more compact than it's predecessor.
Out of the box you get the following:
The Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player supports 720p/1080i resolution and has 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound, DTS and Dolby HD sound
The remote and a set of batteries
The power cord
The instruction manual/warranty info
2 titles on HD-DVD (The Bourne Identity and "300")
The player has the following connections:
HDMI
Component
RCA
Ethernet jack (for web based content and firmware updates)
Optical Digital Cable
USB 2.0 port on the front left panel below the on/off switch
The player is very simple and straight forward to plug and play and doesn't require any complicated setup. The player does the following as far as functions it performs:
Plays HD-DVD format discs
Plays standard DVDs and up-converts them to 1080i (of course anyone who has compared the two knows that there is a definite difference between true HD-DVD and an up-converted DVD).
Plays CDs
It will play recordable media of any of the DVD and CD formats (not sure on re-writeable media since I don't usually bother with it) provided you use media from a quality media manufacturer.
Some will note the lack of i-net format support (ie divx, sacd, ect.) but, the way I see it most budget DVD players these days will support all of these and most already have players already in their possession that can serve in this capacity. I have an Oppo Digital DV-981HD 1080p up-converting player that supports virtually any format under the sun, so all I really care about is a player that does solid HD-DVD playback.
As many have noted the Toshiba HD-A3 takes a while to boot up, I have had boot-up times range from 30 seconds to almost a minute. The good news is that the current latest firmware (V1.3) will reduce the boot-up times to between 30-35 seconds every time you boot it up. One of the greatest features of the HD-DVD format is that even the entry line players can have firmware updates. For those who aren't familiar with what firmware is, think of it as essentially the programming code for your hardware. Firmware updates for this player also help out with certain discs where you might have playback issues. Keep in mind that the HD-DVD format is still a relatively new technology and even though the format is pretty much standardized, sometimes there are complications with new movies. Hence the reasons why firmware updates are so nice since you aren't stuck spending a couple of hundred dollars on a machine that becomes worthless each time a new title is released.
I purchased the Toshiba HD-A3 from Amazon.com when they were running a special. I got 10 free movies and the player for $200 shipped. I got the two movies mentioned above that came with the player. I got my choice of 3 movies from Amazon.com from a good sized list that they had and then there is the 5 free titles you select and then mail off for after receiving the player. I got Batman Begins, Serenity and Top Gun as my 3 free HD-DVDs from Amazon.com. I then just sent off for the 5 others via mail which I will receive in 8-10 weeks. Not a bad deal all things considered. Even if you don't care for the titles you can always pitch them on ebay and they will fetch $10-$15 a piece on ebay if they are still sealed. So you can either save yourself a bundle on purchasing titles that you really like or you can cut your total investment in the hardware drastically by selling the titles that you don't want. I did this with my 360 HD-DVD add-on and ended up shaving $40 off the total price of the player after selling 4 titles that I didn't want but got for free with the player.
Anyways, I have watched the following titles on HD-DVD all of the way through on the HD-A3 in order to give it a good work out and see how it performed: Serenity, Battle Of The Bulge, Batman Begins, Top Gun and disc #3 of the Planet Earth documentary series. I have also watched parts of the following movies just to see how the picture quality looked: Transformers and The Bourne Identity. I also watched it via component cable and HDMI to do a comparison and I couldn't tell the difference between the two, so I have stuck with component since I have only one HDMI input on my Westinghouse and I prefer to use my Oppo up-conversion player via HDMI. Via component and HDMI the picture quality is absolutely stunning and very life-like. Of course YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) depending on what sort of an HDTV you have and what it's specs are. The more brightness and the better your contrast ratio, the better the picture will look. Serenity and Batman Begins both looked stunning barring the darker scenes but that has more to do with the low contrast ratio of my HDTV set than does the HD-DVD player itself. I have yet to try any of the crazy special features that are loaded onto HD-DVDs since I have only recently hooked up my player to the internet via my D-Link DI-704 wired router.
As for the places where HD-DVD really shines, take a look at the Planet Earth and other high def documentary series. The other place where it really makes a difference that I have found is on the pre-1990s release films. It's not so much that they are the absolute best quality for HD-DVD but it's the contrast between the original DVD release and the HD-DVD release. I did side by side comparisons between Battle Of the Bulge and Top Gun. Keep in mind I was using my high end Oppo Digital DVD Player via 1080p up-conversion and HDMI to play the regular DVD discs and on the Toshiba HD-DVD Player I was using cheap component cables. The difference was night and day. On the original DVDs the picture was dull and faded and you could see a number of the film imperfections and artifacts from the original print. The HD-DVD versions on the other hand had ultra-rich color and all of the original print imperfections seemed to disappear. Also keep in mind that I got within 3 feet of the set at times just to see how clear it was and from a distance of 10 feet or more it is simply amazing. Outside of one freeze-up playing Serenity (this was prior to updating to the latest firmware update) I haven't had any playback quirks or pauses with the player and it hasn't happened since I updated the firmware.
The playback format takes some getting used to since it is different than DVD. While most HD-DVDs start out with a traditional menu, they differ from the DVDs in that you cannot stop an HD-DVD and then resume play from the same spot where you stopped it. However you can create a save point and it will start playing at that point. The big difference though is that you can access the menu right in the middle of watching the title and use features such as PIP (Picture In Picture) for watching special features content and comparing it side by side with the film. This is handy as you don't have to stop the film and exit out to access the menu. You can do it from right within the movie.
As for regular DVD Playback it does a pretty good job of up-converting but as mentioned above I prefer to leave that task up to my Oppo since being a high end player it can do the job better (that and the Oppo contains the coveted Faroudja processor whereas the Toshiba has Sharc processor). The Sharc processor is a great processor but it doesn't quite measure up to the Faroudja. Then again to my knowledge no HD Player currently on the market employs the Faroudja processor (outside of maybe the really high end models that cost a fortune). As others have pointed out though the HD-A3 has the annoying habit of putting side-bars on full screen DVD releases. You can use a stretch feature but it will force you to sacrifice some picture quality to do it.
For CD Playback it does a decent job but IMHO standalone video playback devices weren't really designed for such things so I don't use it much for that purpose.
The sound on this player is great either via HDMI or Component and seems to be more life-like than it's DVD counterparts. That being said I am only running it via my two 15 watt speakers that are on my Westinghouse. I don't have any fancy sound set-up due to the fact that I live in an apartment and can't really take advantage of such things
The A-3 also has a setup menu. You can set up default screen and audio options. Under the maintenance option you can also check your firmware revision and update it directly from the player via ethernet connection. I DO NOT recommend updating the firmware via wireless connection due to stability issues. Fortunately you can update it via CD-R after downloading it from the net on your PC and burning the image to a CD-R.
All-in-all I have found the HD-A3 to be a very smart investment at $200 shipped with 10 free HD-DVD titles to either keep or sell and thereby reduce my overall costs on the player. With a finalized spec, firmware updates, special features and region free format (can play any HD-DVD from anywhere in the world), this player is more than worth it. It has some short-comings but then again HD players of either format all have their own quirks, the difference is that with this player it is very comparable to it's higher priced counter parts as far as it it's functions as a high definition player, it just does it all at a significantly lower price. Of course there will be the Blu-Ray trolls who will come on here and say why it isn't worth investing in the format but IMHO (In My Honest Opinion) the performance of the player and the price speak for itself and it is a smart choice for anyone seeking to get into high-def without wanting to spend over $200 on a player. Definitely shop around though as there are frequent specials on this thing. Amazon currently has it for $179 shipped with 7 free movies.
Oh yeah and for reference Netflix has an awesome selection of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray titles so you definitely can rent titles for reasonable prices on HD-DVD or Blu-Ray from them.Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
This is my first HD-DVD purchase and an excellent player for the price, features, and free HD-DVDs!
First, the reason for a four star rating is the initial boot-up / load time for the player. Although the start up time is slower than regular DVD players, I found that once you are actually watching a movie or jumping around menus during a movie, those actions are definitely faster than a standard DVD player.
Okay, now that that's out of the way, I can get to the good stuff. I ended up purchasing the A3 two weeks ago at BestBuy for $175. They were also running the 10 free HD-DVDs promotion and I had a 12% rewards zone coupon. I had been on the fence about Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, but couldn't resist this price. I had missed out on the $99 Walmart deal for the A2, but I think this is a better deal in the end with the extra HD-DVDs you get.
Setup was easy. Just plug in the HDMI for video to my TV and plug in the optical audio out to my receiver. I needed to set the audio out on the A3 to bitstream to get correct 5.1 sound to my Sony receiver. Eventually, I will purchase a receiver that will decode lossless audio (I'm looking at you Onkyo 605!!), and allow me to have the audio and video connection both through HDMI.
There have been 2 updates for this player so far and I would suggest updating to the latest firmware. This can be done in the setup menu by plugging in your A3 into your home network and grabbing a dynamic IP. Be sure to reboot your A3 so that it picks up the new settings. The A3 will contact Toshiba's servers and download and install the latest firmware. Each update took about 30 mins to complete. The current firmware is 1.3/1.1.
Our current HDTV in the house is the Samsung 56" DLP (HL-T5689S) which supports 1080p resolution. Although the A3 can only output up to 1080i, the TV does an excellent job reconstructing the 1080p signal. I have read the debates about 1080i/1080p and in the end, the picture quality from the Samsung and the A3 look amazing! There are some moments when you are watching a movie and it almost seems 3D because of the clarity in the picture!
The A3 also supports up converting of my old DVDs so I do not need to worry about purchasing HD-DVD version of those any time soon (at least until this silly format war is over with). Up converting works really well and I have no complaints. If I had to compare HD-DVD to DVD picture quality, it would be like putting on a pair of new glasses. Everything is much clearer and visible.
I recently purchased refurbished Harman Kardon HKTS 18 speakers for $280. These provide the best sound for a low price for my audio setup. The 200 watt subwoofer that comes with these speakers creates intense sound for action movies, but also provides the mids I need for music.
So, back to the player. The physical dimensions keep getting smaller with every generation. The A3 is about the same width and depth as my DVR from Insight cable. The A3 is slimmer overall than the DVR. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't worry about the size.
As far as additional features of the HD-DVD spec, I am happy with the ability to browse menus while the movie is still playing, something that regular DVDs will not allow. The ability to play back additional commentaries is nice too. You basically watch two movies at once (picture in picture). One video is the actual movie, the other is the commentary. Another cool feature is the ability to download additional content from the web. This content will download and play during a movie (a la Transformers GPS featurette). Very cool!
This is what I like about HD-DVD over Blu-Ray, a completed spec for each system that is made and sold to consumers. When you purchase an HD-DVD player, you will be able to play older and newer HD-DVDs and not have to worry about "does my player support this or that feature?" No fussing with Blu-Ray profile 1.0, 1.1. 2.0, etc. Blu-Ray is still meddling with their specs and not all players are equal. There will be a lot of PO'ed people when they realize their 1.0 player can not take advantage of 1.1 or 2.0 features. With HD-DVD, I don't worry about that.
In the end, I would recommend purchasing this player for anyone that wants to start the HD movie collection. Especially with the 10 free HD-DVDs, you can't go wrong. Amazing features, completed specs, excellent up-conversion of older DVDs.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
I'm not an early adopter, but I do know quite alot about High Def and all the technology involved. I have been on the fence for so long, waiting for the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray war to be over, so I wouldn't buy into the losing format. But, after recently getting an Plasma HDTV, I felt it was time to jump in.
I purchased this on 12/27/07, which was right before Warner Bros defected over to the Blu-ray side, producing movies exclusively for Blu-Ray. My first thought was to return the player. But the more and more I thought about it, there was no reason to return this. Here are some reasons why, and why you should NOT believe all the hype about Blu-Ray:
It is a fantastic player. Very very well-built, great features, high quality, and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice a player this is. I look at details, finish work, etc. For example: take a look at the many lower cost DVD players, and when their trays open up. Many are flimsy, open fast then slow down, or even open up shaky. Not the Toshiba A3. When the tray opens, it pushes the front door down as it slides open. No flimsyness, the tray speed is consistent from open to close, doesn't clunk, etc. Fit and finish is tight. The metal cabinet and the front panel are nearly seamless and very consistent.
As with all HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players, the HD-A3 does take some time to "boot up". These devices are not mearly "fancy DVD players". Rather, they're more like computers, so they do take some time to come up. From the time you press the power button, and the movie starts playing, is about a minute or so. The slowness is way over-hyped. Turn it on, pop the movie in, and go grab your popcorn. Before you even get back, the movie is all set. It's really not much slower than regular DVD; just takes a little bit to get accustomed to.
Toshiba is now touting the Upconvert ability this player has to upconvert all of your existing DVD movies to near HD quality. Well, no HD-DVD (or Blu-Ray) player will make ANY DVD look like HD, but depending on the type of player you have, the quality of the upconvert varies greatly. The HD-A3 upconverts DVDs EXCEPTIONALLY. It is truly amazing the difference. The only one superior to these (the A3, A30, A35) is Toshiba's own HD-XA2, which has a different chip inside, and, as such, is far more expensive.
To see the difference, I compared my Daewoo DVD player to a Panasonic DVD-S53K I had (before returning it), to the Toshiba HD-A3. I used "Finding Nemo" and "The Wild". On the Daewoo, both movies looked fine, which means it was what I've been used to seeing on my TV for months now. Nice. The Panasonic is a dedicated upconvert DVD player, and I definitely noticed an improvement. But when I tried it on the HD-A3, the difference was phenomenal. Both movies were so so close to looking like they were HD movies, that I was shocked!! Keep this in mind as Blu-ray players don't upconvert nearly as well as HD-DVD players.
As for actual HD-DVD movies, the picture and audio quality are nothing short of stunning!!! The tiniest of details are shown in such great detail, its like you're watching the movie for the first time again. Do yourself a favor and purchase the Planet Earth series on HD-DVD, and watch you and all your friends/family's jaws drop !!! The same can be said with all the other HD-DVD's I've purchased so far...with Transformers also being a totally stunning viewing.
Toshiba HD-DVD players are FAR less expensive than Blu-ray players. Currently, the cheapest Blu-ray is more than twice the price of the HD-A3. To some, they might perceive this as proving that HD-DVD is less quality. This is not true for the general consumer. True...the HD-A3 is only 720p/1080i, but if you really want a 1080p player, then get the HD-A30 or HD-A35. Most people have a 720p/1080i HDTV, so you won't get any benefit in purchasing a 1080p player, but if you do have a 1080p HDTV, then the A30 or A35 will be your better option. Either way, only a diehard Video junkie will ever notice the difference. Trust me on this one. I can go into audio codecs and Dolby Digital/DTS, audio sampling rates, bit rate conversion, etc, but honestly the general consumer will never notice the difference.
Also don't believe the hype about Blu-ray discs having more capacity than HD-DVD. OK...currently they do: Blu-ray has 50Gb discs where HD-DVD has 30Gb. However, Toshiba and the HD-DVD group recently approved a triple-layer 51Gb disc. These will work flawlessly in any HD-DVD player, and upcoming movies will take full advantage of this extra space. And to me, isn't 51 > 50?
Speaking about compatibility, what the Blu-ray group and Sony "forgot" to mention to the consumer is that Blu-Ray has 3 different formats/profiles/specs. Yes, they released their technology before it was completed in order to compete with HD-DVD, and as such, they have 1.0 players, 1.1 players, and eventually, 2.0 players. Well guess what...if you just went out and bought a Blu-ray player, and it's a version 1.0, you are pretty much out of luck when it comes time to play the bonus features available on 1.1 discs (and eventually, when they come out, 2.0 discs). This means, many of the bonus features like extra scenes, menu interactivity, additional footage, picture-in-picture commentary, multiple viewing angles, raw footage, and web-enabled features won't be accessible to you. And 1.0 players can NOT be upgraded. To some people, they can care less about the bonus features. But why buy a movie that when you put it in your profile 1.0 or 1.1 player, 1/2 the menu options are greyed out and not accessible? Did Sony tell you about that?
As for HD-DVD, they had a finished spec since Day 1. All HD-DVD players have USB and Ethernet ports. Upgrading is as simple as connecting your Cat-5 cable to the back of the player. When I got my HD-A3, I needed to upgrade the firmware to version 1.3. I plugged the Cat-5 cable, went into the settings, and the player did the rest. The upgrade was flawless and simple. In addition, only HD-DVD players can take advantage of this internet connection, and download new content, movie trailers, and tons of additional features. All something that Blu-ray can't do currently, and won't be able to until profile 2.0 comes out for them (late Fall 2008).
Another feature only available for HD-DVD players are the COMBO movies. These are movies that have HD-DVD on one side of the disc and standard DVD on the other side. What better way to move into the HD world by having both formats on 1 disc. Advantages of this? You can watch the HD-DVD version on your TV, and if your friend/relative wants to borrow the movie to watch it on their standard DVD player, they can do so. Or think about the typical American family road trip. The kids can watch Shrek the Third at home on their stunning HDTV, and when it comes time to pack up, they can bring the movie with them and watch it in the car. No need to buy both versions. And your right....Sony and Blu-ray can NOT do this.
Add to the fact that when buying this player you get 2 free movies (Bourne Identity and 300) right in the box, as well as 5 free movies by mail, and you can not beat this deal.
To those worried about this being a dying format, here's a few things to think about: If HD-DVD were to die, it's not like these HD-DVD players will all of a sudden stop working. There are well over 600 HD-DVD movies currently out, with many more to come. HD-DVD is region-free encoding, meaning, you can purchase HD-DVDs anywhere in the world, and they will work fine on your player. Not so with Blu-Ray. HD-DVD has the exclusive support of Paramount, Dreamworks SKG, and Universal, all major movie studios. Plus you can play ALL of your regular DVD's in stunning near HD upconvertability. Finally, with the recent price drop on all the Toshiba players, many many more people are jumping on the bandwagon. Do you honestly think all the other Blu-ray exclusive studios are going to continue supporting only Blu-ray with such a large number of HD-DVD players out there? As for sales, just look at Amazon's consistent ranking of the HD-A3 player in the top 10 in ALL of Electronics. The closest Blu-ray player? A paltry #68.
Do yourself a favor and puchase this player. You will not have any regrets.
My apologies for this review being so long, but I hope I have provided you with a wealth of information, and that you now have the facts between what you hear about Blu-ray being superior, and what's actually true.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
I have owned and thoroughly enjoyed the Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player for a full year now. It was and continues to be worth every penny of the $400 I paid for it. With its successor, the HD-A3, now selling for only $125 on Amazon, I couldn't resist. I was in the market for a second DVD player - one that would equal the HD-A2 in playing standard DVD's and at the same time provide the novelty of the occasional full HD experience.
I am happy to report that the HD-A3 is every bit as good as the phenomenal HD-A2. In fact, it just struck me tonight in watching a standard DVD why Sony and Warner Brothers have conspired to tank HD-DVD and specifically the incredible players from Toshiba. Both the HD-A2 and A3 produce a picture from standard DVD that surpasses anything you will see at your local multiplex - a picture extremely close to full HD. When you think of the number of standard DVD movies available though Netflix, movies that will never be transferred to HD, especially Blu-Ray given its extra production costs, then getting a Toshiba HD-A3 is the way to go. Based on everything I have read, absolutely no Blu-Ray player can upscale standard DVD's like these Toshiba machines. Is this perhaps because Blu-Ray is so radically different from DVD that the players are at a disadvantage in even playing DVD's let alone upscaling them?
HD-DVD players from Toshiba upscale standard DVD movies effortlessly. I am using an Optoma projector and seven foot wide screen and getting spectacular results. The sound is also amazing. So if you like movies - I mean really like movies - then what are you waiting for? Get a Toshiba HD-DVD player for its ability to bring you the over 90,000 movie titles at Netflix with virtual HD quality. It is certainly a great way to wait out the format wars and growing pains of HD and the ever changing specifications of Blu-Ray, giving you time to see if even Blu-Ray makes it in the market place. After all, whatever happened to DVD-Audio and SACD which were supposed to replace the CD? They both failed, and even the CD is being replaced by MP3 files and the Ipod. It is very likely that both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray will go the same way. In the meantime, you can enjoy the HD-A3 and send a message to Warner and Sony in the process.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
This player is an incredible deal -- especially with the latest price drops. I've been playing HD movies with no issues and the quality is great on my 1080p TV, as is to be expected. Startup times are a bit longer than DVD players, but it's not a problem really.
I just want to point out to people that the lack of a 1080p output is not as significant as you might think. If you have a 1080p TV, it will deinterlace the 1080i signal and create the exact same picture you would get from a 1080p output. In most cases, there is NO quality reduction. It's the same picture -- just a different processing path.
There only two cases where you might get improvement from a 1080p output.
1.) Your TV has a 72Hz or 120Hz refresh rate and can accept 1080p/24 as input. In this case, 3:2 pulldown is avoided, potentially reducing some "judder".
2.) Your TV has a deinterlacer that doesn't work properly, which might be true on a few older/value sets.
Bottom line: Don't buy into the marketing nonsense surrounding 1080p outputs. The HD-A3 is a great player even for those of us who have 1080p TVs.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
I think this HD player is great- especially for the price. The picture is amazing. I bought the "Planet Earth HD DVD" set and watched it and its unbelievable to watch.
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This review is from: Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player (Electronics)
If you are in the market for an upconverting DVD player, this is your best bet. I have a Phillips upconverter machine and it doesn't do the job near as well as this Toshiba. The HD-DVD format may die, but so what; you'll have one of the best upconverting machines out there.
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