The Official A2/XA2/A20 impressions thread
12-13-06 | 03:45 AM
#51
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Originally Posted by fryinpan1
- I like the HD menu access better than DVD, but the forced trailers are annoying
12-13-06 | 08:21 AM
#52
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From: AUSTIN - Land of Mexican Coke
Finally saw an A2 at Best Buy. Didn't look like they had any for sale, but they had the demo going on a 40 something inch Toshiba LCD. Looked really nice. I like the slimmer design, but I am sticking with my A1 for now. Sounds like there will be a firmware update soon from postings on AVS.
Still no new discs at Best Buy. Weak. So weak.
Still no new discs at Best Buy. Weak. So weak.
12-13-06 | 08:25 AM
#53
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From: Dallas, TX
Originally Posted by Suprmallet
Forced trailers? The only forced stuff on the discs I've seen have been the company logo and the FBI warning. WB has a little "Everything you know about DVD just got better" thing, but I've skipped past that every time without problems. Universal also sometimes puts a little "Universal globe morphs into HD DVD" logo thing, but I would hardly call that a trailer. Similarly, Paramount's trailer is also skippable.
12-13-06 | 08:53 AM
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From: AUSTIN - Land of Mexican Coke
Originally Posted by RockStrongo
Yeah, I think thats what he meant....they arent forced since you can skip past them, but they are annoying. I like the movie just to start up.
Why don't they put that trailer on standard DVD releases? Might get more people curious about the format.
12-13-06 | 08:55 AM
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From: Dallas, TX
Originally Posted by MBoyd
I find it annoying that the trailer on the WB disc actually goes into detail on the new features of HD DVD and says something like "put in the disc and the movie starts right up!" Uh no . . . the ad for HD DVD starts right up.
12-13-06 | 08:56 AM
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From: WV
Originally Posted by Suprmallet
Forced trailers? The only forced stuff on the discs I've seen have been the company logo and the FBI warning. WB has a little "Everything you know about DVD just got better" thing, but I've skipped past that every time without problems. Universal also sometimes puts a little "Universal globe morphs into HD DVD" logo thing, but I would hardly call that a trailer. Similarly, Paramount's trailer is also skippable.
12-13-06 | 10:09 AM
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Originally Posted by MBoyd
Why don't they put that trailer on standard DVD releases? Might get more people curious about the format.
If you watch through the Warner Bros. "infomercial" again it seems to be targeted at those without an HDDVD player by describing and demonstrating some of the features of HDDVD. It even goes as far as teasing you with a few of the WB licensed movies that aren't released yet (i.e. Matrix) to generate interest.
I'd put this thing on DVDs too.
12-13-06 | 10:14 AM
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Originally Posted by MBoyd
Still no new discs at Best Buy. Weak. So weak.
I was there yesterday, picked up the HDA2 and was looking for King Kong, Batman Begins, Miami Vice and they were nowhere to be found.
For what it's worth, the BB near me seems to be split 50/50 with titles on both formats. There are two racks for BD and two for HDDVD and these were at the front of the store.
12-13-06 | 10:59 AM
#59
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Originally Posted by fryinpan1
Nevertheless, it is annoying, but not a big deal.
12-23-06 | 01:42 PM
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From: WV
In my first impression post I mentioned that the sound seemed low on the A2. The enhanced dialog feature seems to correct this problem.
The only issues that I have had is that parts of the audio on Mutiny on the Bounty HD DVD are out of sync. Also, if you press stop on a standard DVD you can return to the movie by pressing play. If you press stop on an HD DVD, the disc basically resets.
Overall, I have been very pleased with the A2. Has anyone else purchased the A2 or pre-ordered the XA2?
The only issues that I have had is that parts of the audio on Mutiny on the Bounty HD DVD are out of sync. Also, if you press stop on a standard DVD you can return to the movie by pressing play. If you press stop on an HD DVD, the disc basically resets.
Overall, I have been very pleased with the A2. Has anyone else purchased the A2 or pre-ordered the XA2?
12-23-06 | 04:44 PM
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From: Rainy ass Seattle yes the weather sucks here, so do our sports teams.
I have had my A2 for about a week and I LOVE it! I had previously owned the A1 and had non stop issues with it so it was returned with a quickness. Picked it up at Crutchfield before they went OOS, nobody in my area carried it.
I am very happy with the quality, solid build, but very light and skinny. I am satisfied with the loading times and the boot up. HD DVD's look amazing and standard DVD's look great.
My only minor gripe like fryinpan1 said was the audio issues, but that was taken care of.
Now if we could get some more HD DVD releases.....
I am very happy with the quality, solid build, but very light and skinny. I am satisfied with the loading times and the boot up. HD DVD's look amazing and standard DVD's look great.
My only minor gripe like fryinpan1 said was the audio issues, but that was taken care of.
Now if we could get some more HD DVD releases.....
12-24-06 | 12:27 AM
#62
Banned by request
Fryinpan, the issue with HD DVDs restarting if you hit stop is something with the way they're authored. That will happen on any player.
And for those that say the HD DVD ads should be put on regular DVDs, I noticed that the the DVD side of Miami Vice features an altered version of the WB ad to include WB, Paramount, and Universal movies, and the ad is not present on the HD side. I don't know if the regular DVD has it or not, but clearly Universal noticed that at least people watching the HD side have no need for the ad.
And for those that say the HD DVD ads should be put on regular DVDs, I noticed that the the DVD side of Miami Vice features an altered version of the WB ad to include WB, Paramount, and Universal movies, and the ad is not present on the HD side. I don't know if the regular DVD has it or not, but clearly Universal noticed that at least people watching the HD side have no need for the ad.
Last edited by Supermallet; 12-24-06 at 12:29 AM.
01-01-07 | 05:07 PM
#64
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Originally Posted by waynekerr
Does the A2 still only upconvert SDDVD with HDMI? Or in my case HDMI-DVI.
01-02-07 | 02:45 PM
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From: Dallas, TX
I watched North by Northwest sd dvd last night on my A2.
I have to say it looks awesome upscaled!
Not only is that transfer probably the best restoration job, but upscaled it rivals hd rez imo.
If you have it, check it out.
I have to say it looks awesome upscaled!
Not only is that transfer probably the best restoration job, but upscaled it rivals hd rez imo.
If you have it, check it out.
01-02-07 | 03:00 PM
#67
just got the A2 the other night and loved it.
Does anyone know how fast the 3 free Hd-dvds will arrive?, as i just drop the offer in the mail today.
Does anyone know how fast the 3 free Hd-dvds will arrive?, as i just drop the offer in the mail today.
01-02-07 | 03:09 PM
#68
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Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
XA2's are shipping this week.
There's a lot of updated information about the chips and whatknot inside of the machine from AVS.
There's a lot of updated information about the chips and whatknot inside of the machine from AVS.
P.S. - Welcome back
01-02-07 | 03:26 PM
#69
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From: Dallas, TX
Originally Posted by DVD Josh
Good news to all of you waiting on the XA2 - it will have a Silicon Optix chip inside. This is the chip inside some of the best video devices in the world. I'd wait for the reviews to be definitive, but I would expect the XA2 to be the flagship HD player in any format / brand.
P.S. - Welcome back
P.S. - Welcome back
I got the A2 from BB on a spur of the moment purchase and now am thinking I should have spent the extra money on the XA2. Not that it isnt a good unit, but the XA2 sounds like a top machine.
Oh wait, I dont have any extra money. Im good.
01-02-07 | 05:26 PM
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From: NYC
Here's the full press release:
Silicon Optix HQV Video Processing Adopted for Toshiba’s New HD DVD Player
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silicon Optix, the leader in programmable video processors, announced today that its Reon-VX HQV video processor will be featured in Toshiba’s new top-of-the-line HD DVD player, the HD-XA2.
“As a reference standard for high-end video, HQV’s video processor complements Toshiba’s HD-XA2 HD DVD player with the capability to produce amazing detail and clarity from high-definition (HD) material,” said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Toshiba America Consumer Products Digital A/V Group.
HQV’s true 1080i-to-1080p HD deinterlacing delivers the sharpest, most detailed HD images possible by employing per-pixel motion-adaptive algorithms and a sophisticated multidirectional diagonal filter that ensures video free of jaggies. The powerful HQV processing engine also provides per-pixel motion-adaptive noise reduction, detail enhancement, and advanced scaling to deliver premium-quality upconverted SD material.
Toshiba’s new high-end HD-XA2 HD DVD player is designed to output 1920x1080p, the highest-definition signal currently available, via High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI™), which adds support for Deep Color technology.
The HD-XA2 HD DVD player also incorporates a 297MHz / 12 bit Video DAC with high-quality 4x oversampling for increased bandwidth, for true playback of an HD picture to a video source. The HD-XA2 comes with a Picture Setting function that allows customers to optimize picture quality via settings for color, contrast, brightness, edge enhancement, and block noise, among others. The HD-XA2’s 1080p output capability complements Toshiba’s Cinema Series® Pro LCD TVs, which provide true HD 1080p input capability via HDMI.
HD DVD players support leading-edge efficient video-compression standards, including MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1, as well as MPEG2. To meet the latest advancements in audio/video interfaces connect to HDTV sets via HDMI—the multi-industry-supported, all-digital A/V connection capable of providing the transmission of uncompressed digital video and multichannel audio on a single cable.
The HD-XA2 outputs HD DVD content through the HDMI interface at 720p, 1080i, or 1080p. Through the HDMI interface, standard-definition DVDs can also be upconverted to match the resolution of HD displays. Because the conversion takes place in the player, the signal remains free of digital-to-analog conversion artifacts. Like all other current HD DVD players, the HD-XA2 is backward-compatible so users can continue to enjoy their libraries of current DVD and CD software.
For more information on Silicon Optix’s HQV processing, please go to www.HQV.com.
The Toshiba HD-XA2 is now shipping with a Suggested Retail Price of $999.
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silicon Optix, the leader in programmable video processors, announced today that its Reon-VX HQV video processor will be featured in Toshiba’s new top-of-the-line HD DVD player, the HD-XA2.
“As a reference standard for high-end video, HQV’s video processor complements Toshiba’s HD-XA2 HD DVD player with the capability to produce amazing detail and clarity from high-definition (HD) material,” said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Toshiba America Consumer Products Digital A/V Group.
HQV’s true 1080i-to-1080p HD deinterlacing delivers the sharpest, most detailed HD images possible by employing per-pixel motion-adaptive algorithms and a sophisticated multidirectional diagonal filter that ensures video free of jaggies. The powerful HQV processing engine also provides per-pixel motion-adaptive noise reduction, detail enhancement, and advanced scaling to deliver premium-quality upconverted SD material.
Toshiba’s new high-end HD-XA2 HD DVD player is designed to output 1920x1080p, the highest-definition signal currently available, via High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI™), which adds support for Deep Color technology.
The HD-XA2 HD DVD player also incorporates a 297MHz / 12 bit Video DAC with high-quality 4x oversampling for increased bandwidth, for true playback of an HD picture to a video source. The HD-XA2 comes with a Picture Setting function that allows customers to optimize picture quality via settings for color, contrast, brightness, edge enhancement, and block noise, among others. The HD-XA2’s 1080p output capability complements Toshiba’s Cinema Series® Pro LCD TVs, which provide true HD 1080p input capability via HDMI.
HD DVD players support leading-edge efficient video-compression standards, including MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1, as well as MPEG2. To meet the latest advancements in audio/video interfaces connect to HDTV sets via HDMI—the multi-industry-supported, all-digital A/V connection capable of providing the transmission of uncompressed digital video and multichannel audio on a single cable.
The HD-XA2 outputs HD DVD content through the HDMI interface at 720p, 1080i, or 1080p. Through the HDMI interface, standard-definition DVDs can also be upconverted to match the resolution of HD displays. Because the conversion takes place in the player, the signal remains free of digital-to-analog conversion artifacts. Like all other current HD DVD players, the HD-XA2 is backward-compatible so users can continue to enjoy their libraries of current DVD and CD software.
For more information on Silicon Optix’s HQV processing, please go to www.HQV.com.
The Toshiba HD-XA2 is now shipping with a Suggested Retail Price of $999.
01-04-07 | 09:23 AM
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From: NYC
here's a review of the XA2 from AVS:
We spent our day with the XA2 at one of my stores. I've so far loved the HD content available, but today...
WOW
This player... is currently the best HD content player on the market, hands down. It is just amazing in PQ.
First we hooked it up to a Ruby, then we decided to go to the small room and see how it looked on the Mitsu 5000BL.
It looked great on the Ruby. On the $4,500 5000BL it looked better. It was sharper and more 3D, in fact many movies just looked a heck of a lot better on it.
We finally had our ISF tech calibrate the full Mitsu/Tosh setup. The results were amazing. He was very pleased with the internal picture changes available.
There is no doubt that the Realta chip in this player makes it top dog.
I've been living with a 360 addon at home, because well I didn't feel any of the 1st gen (or the A2) were worth the money. I wanted to wait until a company like Arcam or Meridian got a hold of the technology. I changed my mind today. I brought one of the units home.
I've also decided to remove the Ruby from my house for the Mitsu. Although I'm still honestly waiting for the new JVC....
The XA2 makes titles like HULK, KONG, BATMAN BEGINS, etc. even BETTER. In fact our ISF tech agreed "Now it's blowing BD away, this isn't close. Someone needs to make a better BD player."
I wasn't paying any attention to load times. So the answer would be "Whatever it was, it wasn't noticable."
As for HDMI audio issues or freezing or any of the problems that seem to happen to certain people...
We had no issues. Batman Begins looked better than we'd seen it before and sounded brilliant. Same with Kong. The Hulk however was mind blowingly three dimensional.
There is definately some amazing synergy with the XA2 and the Mitsu. I'd suspect the Panasonic LCD would work well too, as it's right behind the Mitsu in sharpness.
I expected a better player. I wasn't expecting this. For a 2nd Gen player, it's awesome.
WOW
This player... is currently the best HD content player on the market, hands down. It is just amazing in PQ.
First we hooked it up to a Ruby, then we decided to go to the small room and see how it looked on the Mitsu 5000BL.
It looked great on the Ruby. On the $4,500 5000BL it looked better. It was sharper and more 3D, in fact many movies just looked a heck of a lot better on it.
We finally had our ISF tech calibrate the full Mitsu/Tosh setup. The results were amazing. He was very pleased with the internal picture changes available.
There is no doubt that the Realta chip in this player makes it top dog.
I've been living with a 360 addon at home, because well I didn't feel any of the 1st gen (or the A2) were worth the money. I wanted to wait until a company like Arcam or Meridian got a hold of the technology. I changed my mind today. I brought one of the units home.
I've also decided to remove the Ruby from my house for the Mitsu. Although I'm still honestly waiting for the new JVC....
The XA2 makes titles like HULK, KONG, BATMAN BEGINS, etc. even BETTER. In fact our ISF tech agreed "Now it's blowing BD away, this isn't close. Someone needs to make a better BD player."
I wasn't paying any attention to load times. So the answer would be "Whatever it was, it wasn't noticable."
As for HDMI audio issues or freezing or any of the problems that seem to happen to certain people...
We had no issues. Batman Begins looked better than we'd seen it before and sounded brilliant. Same with Kong. The Hulk however was mind blowingly three dimensional.
There is definately some amazing synergy with the XA2 and the Mitsu. I'd suspect the Panasonic LCD would work well too, as it's right behind the Mitsu in sharpness.
I expected a better player. I wasn't expecting this. For a 2nd Gen player, it's awesome.
01-04-07 | 12:18 PM
#72
DVD Talk Hero
Digi, is there not a mis-statement in that review? I thought it was a Reon, not a Realta chip.
The review doesn't surprise me. I predicted this would be the best player of HD content on the market. $500 better is a question for consumers to justify. I'd just as soon get a A2 and an HDMI receiver for the same price.
The review doesn't surprise me. I predicted this would be the best player of HD content on the market. $500 better is a question for consumers to justify. I'd just as soon get a A2 and an HDMI receiver for the same price.
01-04-07 | 08:45 PM
#73
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Wow, I may be tempted to upgrade my 'new' A2 with this bad boy, though the price is still hard to justify. I'll wait to read/hear more user reviews as this player hits the market.
01-05-07 | 09:30 AM
#74
DVD Talk Legend
Well, I was supposed to have an XA2 in my hands yesterday, but Fed Ex in all their wisdom decided instead to deliver it to a completely random person at another address. And the response from their top-notch customer service team? "Somebody signed for it."
Somebody signed for it? Somebody at the wrong address signed for it?!
And what are they going to do about this? "We'll send along a note to the driver to ask where he delivered it..... Next Monday."
Somebody signed for it? Somebody at the wrong address signed for it?!
And what are they going to do about this? "We'll send along a note to the driver to ask where he delivered it..... Next Monday."
01-05-07 | 10:51 AM
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From: NYC
wow...that SERIOUSLY blows. I'm sorry Josh.
Definitely looking forward to your review of it when you get it. Should help with your own reviewing as well. Wonder how much it will improve the HD's you watch...and it would be interesting to go back and take a look at some that you thought were less than stellar beforehand and see if they still are.
Definitely looking forward to your review of it when you get it. Should help with your own reviewing as well. Wonder how much it will improve the HD's you watch...and it would be interesting to go back and take a look at some that you thought were less than stellar beforehand and see if they still are.