So can Josh or anyone else confirm if the new firmware helped the judder issue on the XA2?

Well..I ordered the XA2 thru Value Electronics w/ 2 free movies + the 5 from Toshiba (which I'll send off once I get the receipt & UPC).

I'm hoping I don't run into the same probs you're having, Josh. From most reviews on the net, this seems to be a top notch player.

You'd think with all the hype about Blu-Ray leading and such, that I'd go for one of their players, but nope, went HD-DVD. Gotta hope there are many like me out there who go for HD-DVD because of prices on the cheaper players and help HD-DVD win this thing or atleast 'stick'.

No, it didn't. But I've spoken directly to Toshiba senior management and provided them with specific examples of what I'm seeing. They're trying to replicate and analyze the problem now.

Because when the iHD specs were finalized, 24hz-capable displays were an infintessimal fraction of the market (and still are), so no one ever contemplated that it would be an issue.

The exact same problem affects BD-Java.

Thanks for the update Josh. Looks like I'll still be waiting for the A20 if I want a 1080p Tosh box.

Robert of VE now says his first allocation of A20 players will ship by the end of this month, which is 1 month ahead of his original date. So we may be getting a A2 price drop alittle sooner than expected, at least I hope so.

****NEW DEAL****

Robert of VE continues to show aggressive pricing. The A20 is now $449.

So, $449 + 5 free movies from Toshiba + 2 from him (but I think these are pre-selected, DVE and Saltwater Aquarium?) + free HDMI cable + free shipping

I don't see any other retailer selling this unit below $599 at launch.

I couldnt pass it up...Ill ebay my A2 when this comes in.

A quick update on this. Toshiba tells me they've replicated the problem and believe they can have it fixed in the next firmware.

Haven't heard an update on the LFE issue yet.

Wondering how to setup my XA2 when I get it today.

I have the Mitsu HC5000 projector and a Denon3806 receiver along w/ a Gefen 3:1 switcher.

If I want to hook up the XA2 via HDMI only, how would I do this? Could I hook up the HDMI to my receiver, and then send an hdmi connect to the gefen switcher for video? Will this work?

The problem w/ my setup is everything goes thru the Gefen switcher for video.

Yes, this should work. However, the more components you put in the chain, the more possibility that you'll encounter HDCP handshaking errors. If all the handshaking works as it should, you don't need to worry about the purely digital video signal degrading. You'll either get a perfect picture or no picture at all.

Thx for the info.

My alternative is to send the HDMI cable straight into the Gefen switcher for video, and use an Co-Ax to the receiver for sound...

What's the best way to hook this up for video & sound?

You'll need either HDMI or 5.1 analog to get full Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD. Both are downconverted to standard DD 5.1 over coax or optical.

However, with the XA2's current audio problems, I recommend going the coax/optical route until a firmware update can fix the sync and LFE issues.

Full HD-XA2 Review:

http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/hreview_hdxa2030207.html

Didn't you mean DTS 5.1?
And, wow...I didn't know there were audio issues with the HD-XA2.

Havn't heard this either. LFE to me, would be a HUGE problem. I'm gonna get this hooked up this week and test that.

Has this LFE problem been tested w/ the Denon 3806?

If so, with the next firmware really far off, I'm wondering if Value Electronics would take a return. I've only had this since FRI...

Please share with us your thoughts on the audio aspect of the XA2 once you've had a chance to analyze it. Thanks in advance.

I can tell u this much, if there is no LFE as Josh has reported w/ his findings, then this player IS going back.

I will NOT tinker w/ speaker settings and db stuff, which will screw every other set top device I have connected. You should not have to adjust as much as some ppl have done, just to get LFE. That's total bullshit.

This is a MAJOR problem and should be reported as so! Shame on Toshiba to let this unit out w/ a problem like this.

I havn't even hooked mine up yet, and now I'm leery to. I will do it though and report my findings.

As mentioned in the review, the XA2 downconverts to DD 5.1, not DTS 5.1 as the HD-A1 and HD-XA1 did.

I'm using a Denon 3803. It doesn't have HDMI, so I can only test S/PDIF and 5.1 analog. LFE is fine over S/PDIF (downconverted to DD 5.1), but absent over 5.1 analog.

Wow, didn't know the XA2 downconverted to DD 5.1. I'm no audiophile, so digital connections are fine with me. I think DTS 1.5 mbps sounds great. So with the XA2, using a digital connection, the best you'll get is 640 kbps?

Yes, currently. Supposedly Toshiba is planning to allow a manual choice of DD or DTS in a future firmware.

It's odd that Toshiba elected to do this, but I have seen stranger things.
But like you've been saying, a firmware upgrade will take care of this.

The XA2 is now down to $699. It's at Amazon.com. Although not sold directly from them, but J&R, which is a good site.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...306494-4822408

J&R is a great site. Look for an cheap item that has free shipping and add it to your cart to get free shipping on the whole order.

Damn! That's a helluva good price. I'm wondering if I should cancel my A20 preorder and just get the XA2.

What am I really losing with the A20? I know about the lack of HDMI 1.3 and the analog inputs. But what about the Reon chip? Does that mean the HD-DVDs will look noticeably inferior?