This phenomenon is not unique to HD DVD or BD. This can happen from one DVD player to another. It could be that the disc is marginal, and other players are able to play it. I would check into a replacement for the disc, assuming you are not having widespread problems with SD-DVDs.

I thought I had an issue tonight with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It froze at the hour and 7 minute point and I immediately started cursing combo discs. I bookmarked it and took out the disc, but it was just a big greasy mark on the back. I don't remember touching the disc, but maybe I did or maybe it just came that way.

Anyway, cleaned it off and replayed the scene with no issues. I have watched Bourne Ultimatum, Knocked Up and HP 5 all in the past week and all the combos worked fine so my luck has been good lately.

You're supposed to start the movie before you break out the fried chicken.

Well, half of your crummy advice worked. I tried another HD disc and it wouldn't play it either. I unplugged the device completely, waited 30 seconds, hooked it back up and now both discs are playing fine.

Weird.

Did you carry it over to the window and at least threaten it?

So far I only have one HD disc that is giving me trouble. The disc plays fine, but it causes my A2 to "rev up" and make a loud, vibrating sound. Anyone know what might be the cause for this?

Other than that one particular disc, I haven't had any issues with HD discs (including combos).

Peg,

Haven't forgotten about this. INCOMPETENT FedEX delivered my replacement A-3 to the wrong address, and it took a kind neighbor to bring it over to me since FedEX seemed to care less.

So it took a bit longer to receive than expected and thus far, I have only had the chance to watch one movie, "The Mummy". It played flawlessly. Hopefully, will have watched several more by this weekend and will report back.

Elizabeth, on my (I'm now convinced defective) A3, The Mummy and Serenity were the only 2 disks that played flawlessly initially, so eagerly await your trial of several more movies. I was thinking that I want a working HD player since the future is not so bright and I better not stall too long, so I went ahead and called Toshiba yesterday and I sent my machine back to them today. While they say they won't swap it out for a new machine, they are still contracted to "fix" it. I have 2 separate "Eastern Promises" HD disks and both say "No disk" when I put them in, despite the open ventilation, which, as you suggest, probably has nothing to do with anything. Very frustrating, but at least it prompted me to call Toshiba and get this ball rolling. I just hope Toshiba actually does something to my unit and doesn't just return it saying it's a question of faulty disks. But fingers crossed for your testing the rest of this weekend. Look forward to hearing about it.

Peg,

I hope things work out with your repair! Let us know what happens.

I watched another movie tonight -- pixellation and freezing!!!!!!! I just about feel sick of it already. It didn't have problems until 1:30 into the film, so I was hopeful. . . I may try another film or two just to watch them, but I think I will wash my hands of it and will be returning this one as well. I only have about 20 HD-DVDs to trade or sell, at least. It breaks my heart I will have to give up the only anamorphic version of "Streets of Fire" I know of.

Elizabeth, I know how frustrated you're feeling! You know, while the HD disks may or may not be manufactured with the best of care/quality, it just seems that there's either something different about the A3 that makes it harder for it to read the disks or there's just a monstrously bad batch of machines. I frankly am tired of watching a movie with that sick feeling in my stomach, just waiting for it to freeze and pixellate. In your shoes, I would indeed return the player.

In my case, I remain tentatively hopeful that Tosh actually finds something defective. Surely this is something they're aware of. Gotta say that with this experience--and reading of other quirks in BR machines (although nothing like this)--if the A3 still has problems, I'm stepping out of the HD waters. I miss just watching a movie and enjoying it without checking the counter to see if I'm getting near that dreaded time period when movies are more likely to freeze. Funny...I watched Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" last night in SD (great movie, too) on my Denon DVD player, and towards the end of the movie there are several scenes where the movie seems to freeze, which was just an artistic device to focus on what was happening, but my stomach just fell, as I immediately felt I was watching my A3 and it was gonna freeze on me and I was preparing to get upset! But the movie just continued and all was well with the world. But it slammed home that I just don't want to be bothered with all this frustration, I just want to enjoy the movie. Of course, if my A3 is all fixed, I'll be buying or trading for all those fire-sale HD-DVDs!