Toshiba HD-A2 first impression

[dean_martin]

I'm just now getting my feet wet with HDTV and video. I started this week with the display - a 50" Panasonic plasma. It's an '07 model, but because it doesn't output 1080p, it can be found for the same price as most of the new 42" 1080p plasmas. I have DISH network with the HD satellite and hd capable wiring but I haven't switched over yet. I was told that when I make the switch all I will need is the new box. We'll see.

Anyhow, I was so into coming up with the right display at the right price that I forgot to plan for HD content. As luck would have it, Circuit City has the HD-A2 on sale for $269.99. (I'm sure it can be found for a little less online.) At Best Buy's website, I found a coupon for 20% off Acoustic Research Performance series and Pro II series cables including HDMI cables. I went to Best Buy last night to get an HDMI cable and to see if they would price-match Circuit City's price on the Toshiba. After verifying CC's price, BB matched it. (The guy who checked my receipt on the way out was surprised. He said $269.99 was below cost. Whether true or not, I don't know, but it made me feel good.) Acoustic Research's Pro II series HDMI cable is a hoss! It's already discounted by 10% because it's discontinued but the thing is much more substantial than the performance series cable. With the coupon that you can print out from BB's website it appears to be a steal, but so far I've only passed audio and video to my tv.

Setting up the player was not that difficult, but I think you have to go through the set-up options before you can play a disc. Initially, I put in the SuperBit version of The Professional. I got a message that the player cannot play the disc. My heart sank. I tried it again and got the same message. I ejected the disc, fumbled through the set-up options (manual? we don't need no stinkin' manual) and tried a regular dvd thinking that the superbit dvd's default to DTS might be presenting a problem. I tried Shaun of the Dead and it played fine, but I needed to know whether this player was going to play my superbit titles so I tried another one - Desperado - and it played. I put The Professional back in and it played. No more "cannot play disc" messages! I watched the whole thing. The upscaling to 720p (which I set in the menu options) was exactly as I had hoped. Natalie Portman could act before Lucas got to her. Her facial expressions during the dress-up scene were finely detailed. I could almost feel the texture of that striped sweater she wore during a long segment. When played on my old Pioneer Elite changer through s-video, the disc is almost unwatchable on the Panasonic. There's no definition in shadows, the picture is too grainy, etc. The aforementioned sweater has a white stripe in it which was problematic. I watched a little bit of Shaun of the Dead on the Toshiba as I was trying to figure out whether this player was going to play superbit discs and it looked very good as well, particularly with close-ups. Some graininess appeared in backgrounds but it certainly was not intolerable.

Like I said, I'm just getting my feet wet. I've only tested this player's abilities with sd dvds so far. Both CC and BB are offering 5 free hd movies with the purchase of any HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player. I'm mailing in my rebate form as soon as possible. I may have to pick up an HD-DVD title before my freebies get here.

I don't know whether HD-DVD will be around long term. I think the HD-A2 would be a nice addition at this price if you already have a dvd or universal player with a good upscaling processor. As a main deck for both sd and hd dvds, you might give up some convenience because it is slow. I don't have a feel yet for how durable or reliable this machine is going to be. It doesn't have the same build quality as my old Pioneer Elite, but it's no flimsier than the Panasonic and Pioneer dvd players in my kids' rooms. I don't have full blown home theater audio yet, but the limited audio output options might discourage some. As for me though, it's given me a taste of how well the Panasonic 50" plasma can perform even with upscaled sd material. And, its upscaling processing is such that I don't have to give up my dvd collection. I can't wait to watch HD-DVDs!

[pixelthis]

I had dish HD until a few years ago, really nice service.
And when a hurricane hit our coast the wind got to 45mph locally, everybody lost their cable but my dish never flinched

[PeruvianSkies]

I'm just now getting my feet wet with HDTV and video. I started this week with the display - a 50" Panasonic plasma. It's an '07 model, but because it doesn't output 1080p, it can be found for the same price as most of the new 42" 1080p plasmas. I have DISH network with the HD satellite and hd capable wiring but I haven't switched over yet. I was told that when I make the switch all I will need is the new box. We'll see.

Anyhow, I was so into coming up with the right display at the right price that I forgot to plan for HD content. As luck would have it, Circuit City has the HD-A2 on sale for $269.99. (I'm sure it can be found for a little less online.) At Best Buy's website, I found a coupon for 20% off Acoustic Research Performance series and Pro II series cables including HDMI cables. I went to Best Buy last night to get an HDMI cable and to see if they would price-match Circuit City's price on the Toshiba. After verifying CC's price, BB matched it. (The guy who checked my receipt on the way out was surprised. He said $269.99 was below cost. Whether true or not, I don't know, but it made me feel good.) Acoustic Research's Pro II series HDMI cable is a hoss! It's already discounted by 10% because it's discontinued but the thing is much more substantial than the performance series cable. With the coupon that you can print out from BB's website it appears to be a steal, but so far I've only passed audio and video to my tv.

Setting up the player was not that difficult, but I think you have to go through the set-up options before you can play a disc. Initially, I put in the SuperBit version of The Professional. I got a message that the player cannot play the disc. My heart sank. I tried it again and got the same message. I ejected the disc, fumbled through the set-up options (manual? we don't need no stinkin' manual) and tried a regular dvd thinking that the superbit dvd's default to DTS might be presenting a problem. I tried Shaun of the Dead and it played fine, but I needed to know whether this player was going to play my superbit titles so I tried another one - Desperado - and it played. I put The Professional back in and it played. No more "cannot play disc" messages! I watched the whole thing. The upscaling to 720p (which I set in the menu options) was exactly as I had hoped. Natalie Portman could act before Lucas got to her. Her facial expressions during the dress-up scene were finely detailed. I could almost feel the texture of that striped sweater she wore during a long segment. When played on my old Pioneer Elite changer through s-video, the disc is almost unwatchable on the Panasonic. There's no definition in shadows, the picture is too grainy, etc. The aforementioned sweater has a white stripe in it which was problematic. I watched a little bit of Shaun of the Dead on the Toshiba as I was trying to figure out whether this player was going to play superbit discs and it looked very good as well, particularly with close-ups. Some graininess appeared in backgrounds but it certainly was not intolerable.

Like I said, I'm just getting my feet wet. I've only tested this player's abilities with sd dvds so far. Both CC and BB are offering 5 free hd movies with the purchase of any HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player. I'm mailing in my rebate form as soon as possible. I may have to pick up an HD-DVD title before my freebies get here.

I don't know whether HD-DVD will be around long term. I think the HD-A2 would be a nice addition at this price if you already have a dvd or universal player with a good upscaling processor. As a main deck for both sd and hd dvds, you might give up some convenience because it is slow. I don't have a feel yet for how durable or reliable this machine is going to be. It doesn't have the same build quality as my old Pioneer Elite, but it's no flimsier than the Panasonic and Pioneer dvd players in my kids' rooms. I don't have full blown home theater audio yet, but the limited audio output options might discourage some. As for me though, it's given me a taste of how well the Panasonic 50" plasma can perform even with upscaled sd material. And, its upscaling processing is such that I don't have to give up my dvd collection. I can't wait to watch HD-DVDs!

Yeah, those old Pioneer Elite players were built quite well, along with Denon they are probably the best built players at their price. Just solid straight through.

[dean_martin]

Yeah, those old Pioneer Elite players were built quite well, along with Denon they are probably the best built players at their price. Just solid straight through.

The Elite has been a great player with our old Sony 32". I'm going to try its progressive scan through component out to the Panasonic plasma (couldn't do that with the old Sony tv) to see if it performs any better. If it doesn't, then it will follow the Sony to the bedroom. I'll have to use the new Toshiba as the main deck that everybody in the house uses for awhile. Hope it's up to the task.

I've been thinking about getting one of those serious Denon or Marantz universal players with HDMI/upscaling to serve as a main deck for the plasma and using the Toshiba for HD-DVDs only. I don't need 1080p so I've been able to look at some of the older models that are still available. The Denon 3910 is a couple years old but I found a demo for a decent price. I'm also considering a Marantz 7600 which has been discounted.

[PeruvianSkies]

The Elite has been a great player with our old Sony 32". I'm going to try its progressive scan through component out to the Panasonic plasma (couldn't do that with the old Sony tv) to see if it performs any better. If it doesn't, then it will follow the Sony to the bedroom. I'll have to use the new Toshiba as the main deck that everybody in the house uses for awhile. Hope it's up to the task.

I've been thinking about getting one of those serious Denon or Marantz universal players with HDMI/upscaling to serve as a main deck for the plasma and using the Toshiba for HD-DVDs only. I don't need 1080p so I've been able to look at some of the older models that are still available. The Denon 3910 is a couple years old but I found a demo for a decent price. I'm also considering a Marantz 7600 which has been discounted.

What is the price on the Marantz/Denon universals? Under 1K?

[dean_martin]

What is the price on the Marantz/Denon universals? Under 1K?

PS, you've been PM'd.

[PeruvianSkies]

PS, you've been PM'd.

You've been PM'd back...what is the outcome?

[dean_martin]

I'm going to have to wait, although your take on the Denon 3910 player was convincing. We've been changing out our furniture that we've had for 10 years to achieve a more contemporary (hip) look. After the new Panasonic 50" plasma, Laurier A/V stand,Toshiba HD-DVD player and leather ottoman to put my feet up while I watch, I have to get the wife new dining room furniture or I'll be out on the streets. We did schedule Dish Network to come set us up with their HD package. They said they have 30 channels at present.

I think I'll wait 'til Christmas for a universal player. If I come into a little extra money before then I'll try to get the Denon if it's still available. Otherwise, I may wind up with one of the newer, but lower model number Denon or Marantz players. Then, I'll need a receiver or pre-pro with HDMI switching. The Panny has only two HDMI inputs.

BTW, I just took a quick trip through your gallery. I like your stereo set-up. My gallery needs updating. I thought I had some movie poster pics in my gallery that I was going to post in your fave films thread, but the pics are on my office computer. Be on the lookout for a Japanese For A Few Dollars More, an Italian The Green Slime and some cool Japanese Godzilla movie posters. If I go by my office on Saturday I'll post them then.

(I have a vintage Italian Green Slime movie poster in my listening room and a vintage Once upon a Time in the West Belgian poster that I haven't framed yet.)

[pixelthis]

I'm going to have to wait, although your take on the Denon 3910 player was convincing. We've been changing out our furniture that we've had for 10 years to achieve a more contemporary (hip) look. After the new Panasonic 50" plasma, Laurier A/V stand,Toshiba HD-DVD player and leather ottoman to put my feet up while I watch, I have to get the wife new dining room furniture or I'll be out on the streets. We did schedule Dish Network to come set us up with their HD package. They said they have 30 channels at present.

I think I'll wait 'til Christmas for a universal player. If I come into a little extra money before then I'll try to get the Denon if it's still available. Otherwise, I may wind up with one of the newer, but lower model number Denon or Marantz players. Then, I'll need a receiver or pre-pro with HDMI switching. The Panny has only two HDMI inputs.

BTW, I just took a quick trip through your gallery. I like your stereo set-up. My gallery needs updating. I thought I had some movie poster pics in my gallery that I was going to post in your fave films thread, but the pics are on my office computer. Be on the lookout for a Japanese For A Few Dollars More, an Italian The Green Slime and some cool Japanese Godzilla movie posters. If I go by my office on Saturday I'll post them then.

(I have a vintage Italian Green Slime movie poster in my listening room and a vintage Once upon a Time in the West Belgian poster that I haven't framed yet.)

Take a look at Peruvians Samsung DVD player, it upconverts and plays SACD and DVDA
really well, I know because I have the same player. Mine cost 129$.
I dont think that paticular model is made anymore, but oppo has a nice player thats well reviewed for 199$, and Cambridge has one for 299$.
Dont need to spend that much on an upconverting DVD player, a highline model will have mostly incremental improvements.
And "upconversion" wont increase your resolution, but I think it makes a picture a little smoother, main reason I got mine was the SACD:1:

[PeruvianSkies]

I'm going to have to wait, although your take on the Denon 3910 player was convincing. We've been changing out our furniture that we've had for 10 years to achieve a more contemporary (hip) look. After the new Panasonic 50" plasma, Laurier A/V stand,Toshiba HD-DVD player and leather ottoman to put my feet up while I watch, I have to get the wife new dining room furniture or I'll be out on the streets. We did schedule Dish Network to come set us up with their HD package. They said they have 30 channels at present.

I think I'll wait 'til Christmas for a universal player. If I come into a little extra money before then I'll try to get the Denon if it's still available. Otherwise, I may wind up with one of the newer, but lower model number Denon or Marantz players. Then, I'll need a receiver or pre-pro with HDMI switching. The Panny has only two HDMI inputs.

BTW, I just took a quick trip through your gallery. I like your stereo set-up. My gallery needs updating. I thought I had some movie poster pics in my gallery that I was going to post in your fave films thread, but the pics are on my office computer. Be on the lookout for a Japanese For A Few Dollars More, an Italian The Green Slime and some cool Japanese Godzilla movie posters. If I go by my office on Saturday I'll post them then.

(I have a vintage Italian Green Slime movie poster in my listening room and a vintage Once upon a Time in the West Belgian poster that I haven't framed yet.)

You might be able to find the Denon 2910 rather inexpensive...I bought it from an e-tailer new for about $400. Great player, I ended up selling it on eBay and made profit too!

[pixelthis]

I'm going to have to wait, although your take on the Denon 3910 player was convincing. We've been changing out our furniture that we've had for 10 years to achieve a more contemporary (hip) look. After the new Panasonic 50" plasma, Laurier A/V stand,Toshiba HD-DVD player and leather ottoman to put my feet up while I watch, I have to get the wife new dining room furniture or I'll be out on the streets. We did schedule Dish Network to come set us up with their HD package. They said they have 30 channels at present.

I think I'll wait 'til Christmas for a universal player. If I come into a little extra money before then I'll try to get the Denon if it's still available. Otherwise, I may wind up with one of the newer, but lower model number Denon or Marantz players. Then, I'll need a receiver or pre-pro with HDMI switching. The Panny has only two HDMI inputs.

BTW, I just took a quick trip through your gallery. I like your stereo set-up. My gallery needs updating. I thought I had some movie poster pics in my gallery that I was going to post in your fave films thread, but the pics are on my office computer. Be on the lookout for a Japanese For A Few Dollars More, an Italian The Green Slime and some cool Japanese Godzilla movie posters. If I go by my office on Saturday I'll post them then.

(I have a vintage Italian Green Slime movie poster in my listening room and a vintage Once upon a Time in the West Belgian poster that I haven't framed yet.)

GREEN SLIME! One of the first "grownup" movies I saw as a kid.
Loved it, but not as much as "planet of the apes":arf: