DthRdrX

Posted on AVS by Robert who is a dealer for HD-dvd.

"Thanks Peter. Last week a very reliable technical source told me that HD DVD will output 1080p by the end of this year. My source told me the HD-A1 and HD-XA1 firmware would be upgraded via the broadband connection to accommodate 1080p output. I took his info with a grain of salt.

However, when Peter visited me today the question of 1080p came up and I told him what I was told. Peter asked me for a flashlight and looked on the front panel display and low and behold Toshiba included 1080p on the display so the player is 1080p ready."

Deftones

That's good news.

digitalfreaknyc

Wonder what ELSE you get with yer upgraded firmware Maybe tracking devices on all yer dvd's? hmmm.

joshd2012

Of course it can do it, the point is, it won't do it - at least initially. The question still remains, will HD-DVD be launching with 1080i software to match the 1080i hardware?

digitalfreaknyc

I remember asking the rep that when I saw the demonstration and he said that everything will initially be 1080i. it all depends on what the studios give them to work with.

DthRdrX

Geez, this topic keeps getting brought up!

Discs are being encoded 1080p24. We have been told that for quite some time.

This is the first news that this machine will be be able to put 1080p to the display.

DthRdrX

double post*

Grubert

AFAIK, it takes a hardware modification to support 1080p. That was the case with the Samsung Blu-ray player, which has undergone design changes in order to output 1080p.

That isn't conclusive. That display cell may just be inactive for the first-generation product model.

Caveat emptor.

Josh Z

The Toshiba reps who attended the HD-DVD demos were sales and PR people. I did not get the sense that they were fully versed in the technical issues of disc mastering. What I've gleaned from AVSForum is that the discs are being mastered in 1080p24 format, even if the players are only capable of 1080i output.

chemosh6969

So would you say that BR is better?

joshd2012

I would say that a 1080p HD-DVD player is better than the 1080i Toshiba. But being that their is no other announced players, then you will likely have to go other places to get 1080p content. Blu-Ray is one of those options.

AllHallowsEve

How many people even have a 1080P capable tv?

Don't get me wrong. I agree with the notion that these should all be 1080P capable, but does anyone even own one? Most people who own an HDTV at this time don't even have a 1080P option. Very few.

I actually prefer Blu-ray, so this is not a Toshiba fan rattling off.

But, I will keep up to date with the products from both.

darkside

Whether or not the launch players output in 1080p is a non issue as long as the discs support it from the start. In two or three years when 1080p TVs are actually affordable then you can make the upgrade to it and a new 1080p player which by then will be affordable as well. Its not like we buy one player and stick with it for 10 years. I have upgraded DVD players 5 times since 1998 and will do the same thing with the HD formats.

I don't see a big need for players to support it when almost no one has a 1080p TV and probably won't for a couple of years.

joshd2012

Well, and argument can be made that having to make an additional purchase later defeats the purpose of buying a low cost player.

Josh Z

No matter which format you buy into, the first-generation players are not going to be as streamlined or capable as those that will come out in a year or two. You're going to want to upgrade eventually anyway, so why pay twice as much for a machine you know is not going to last?

darkside

Really? I think it helps the decision. There is no way a first generation player for either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD is going to cut it 2-3 years down the road especially for the early adopter types that want the best technology available. I think $500 makes more sense than $1000 when you know you will be upgrading 2-3 years down the road to one with more advanced features.