Well, my player has died already. Was watching a little bit of 5th Element Superbit when the player just shut down. When I push the power button, it comes on for like 2 seconds, then shuts right back down again. I unplugged it for 15 minutes and tried again, same problem.

Fortunately, I was able to retrieve my DVD from the player using a paperclip in that little hole on the player once removing the front cover again.

Now I'm very glad I picked this up from a local B&M rather than order it online!

Do you think that maybe something happened when you opened it up to take pictures?

First, I am not saying the people with that have problems with this player are untrustworthy, but there is a "War" going on.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Blu-ray fans make some false statements, just to spoil the fun for the HDDVD customers.

So, who's going to volunteer to scratch up an HD-DVD and give us a report on how well the player handles scratches? :D

I was thinking the same thing, or at least some fingerprint tests.

Do you think that maybe something happened when you opened it up to take pictures?Very good question.

Did you try their recommended reset procedure (holding on/standby for 15 seconds)??? Pg. 60 of the manual?

I tried that just now but it didn't make a difference.

I wonder if it got de-authorized somehow being that I have it connected to my LAN which in turn is connected to the Internet? I didn't check the clock yet which I see is one of the first things you are supposed to do...

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Blu-ray fans make some false statements, just to spoil the fun for the HDDVD customers.Not in this case. See the pictures that he took of the unit, found on the previous page of this topic.

As others have noted, opening it up may have caused a problem.

I just got back from BB. Got my player and convinced them to sell me 3 HD DVDs.


http://www.nucleardvd.com/HDDVD/HD_DVD.JPG

http://www.nucleardvd.com/HDDVD/Serenity1.JPG

http://www.nucleardvd.com/HDDVD/Serenity2.JPG


The Serenity disc starts with the Universal HD DVD Intro and goes directly to the Menu. There are no trailers or anything before the Menu. There is motion video in the background, and the Menu itself looks like it is iHD, as it slides in from the left over the video. There are beeps/clicks on the buttons when you press them and the options slide out from beneath the Main menu that you see in the pictures.

Once you hit play, the Menu comes up over the movie and the play button turns to a pause button.

That's about as far as I've gotten now. I will be posting a more in depth review once I've had more time with the player.


I will be watching these tonight and I will report back. I have a Panasonic AE900, but my room isn't completely light controlled, so I will wait until tonight for any critical viewing.

Just got mine. It totally rocks. I picked it up at 10:15 Mountain Time at the BB in Broomfield Colorado. I have played two movies so far. It takes less than 45 seconds to load a DVD. No difference in quality between HDMI and Component Analog. I used it with my 65 inch Panasonic CRT and 46inch Sammy DLP. Set the output to 1080i and plugged the Optical Output into my Sony ES Recievor. I will say this much, their is no difference in sound quality. The unit is solidly built and I can't wait for the movies. The guys at BB wanted to sell me the movies but the manager wouldn't let me have them. I even asked him to let me borrow them or I would give him the cash to charge it on Tuesday, no go! am going out this afternoon to see if I can round up some of the movies.

Just picked up my hd-a1 from best buy here in Salt lake utah at 11:00 Mountain time...I tried to get the salesman to sell me some hd-dvd's but no luck...guess ill be waiting until Tuesday

I was able to get DD+ using the 5.1 outs to a Yamaha 5890.

I just spent the first two hours of my shift (Best Buy employee) messing with the Toshiba hd-a1 and a Sony 50a10. My manager called me last night at closing to let me know they hooked it up, so I was very excited to come in today and check it out.

I started with The Last Samurai. As another poster has said, I wasn't blown away by the picture quality like I thought I was going to be. Was it a great improvement over sd-dvd? Yes. Was it identical to the HD I've been watching on DirecTV here at work and Adelphia Cable at home? No. The colors were much better than the sd-dvd version of the film. There are a few specific things on DirecTV that looked better to me (on this TV) such as the drifting car show on Discovery (the name escapes me right now) and a few other movies have more of a "wow" factor then the media I've seen so far on the hd-a1.

I'm gonna hookup the hd-a1 to a 60xbr1 and hopefully it will have a better chance to shine. :D
It sure would be helpful if some enthusiastic individual would post a column or some such thing somewhere like post #1 of page #1 listing current owners and what display devices they’re using. :)

Just got mine. It totally rocks. I picked it up at 10:15 Mountain Time at the BB in Broomfield Colorado. I have played two movies so far. It takes less than 45 seconds to load a DVD. No difference in quality between HDMI and Component Analog. I used it with my 65 inch Panasonic CRT and 46inch Sammy DLP. Set the output to 1080i and plugged the Optical Output into my Sony ES Recievor. I will say this much, their is no difference in sound quality. The unit is solidly built and I can't wait for the movies. The guys at BB wanted to sell me the movies but the manager wouldn't let me have them. I even asked him to let me borrow them or I would give him the cash to charge it on Tuesday, no go! am going out this afternoon to see if I can round up some of the movies.

Try using Analog connections, sound will be better than, as it will be decoded dd+.

I guess if you have a display device limited to 720p/1080i this player might be ok, but I wouldn't buy any Blu Ray player or HD-DVD player that can't pass the native 1080p24 output. It is certainly affordable though... I'll be sitting back until Q3 or Q4 and reading what you have to say... 1080p outputs must be optimized for *players and projectors* before I'm buying into this mess... I guess this player is cheap enough that you could just toss this player and upgrade in 6-12 months as necessary.

anyone have non-region 1 dvds to confirm region coding?

I just tested a Region 2 (PAL) DVD and got a "Region Error."

:(

This thread is growing like a virus - damn record setter.

Could folks identify their panel when reviewng? Would be nice to see anyone that may have Native 1080P displays and see the impact on those maximum resources. :)

Just picked up my hd-a1 from best buy here in Salt lake utah at 11:00 Mountain time...I tried to get the salesman to sell me some hd-dvd's but no luck...guess ill be waiting until Tuesday

I am heading to the bb in Orem right now, I will let you know if they will sell me the movies.

I guess if you have a display device limited to 720p/1080i this player might be ok, but I wouldn't buy any Blu Ray player or HD-DVD player that can't pass the native 1080p24 output.

It *can* pass the native 1080p24 format for all practical purposes. Not a single pixel of information is lost transmitting 1080p24 as 1080i60. The result is bit-for-bit identical.

--
Steve

We need a standardized 1080p output for players and projectors, period. We need to display 1080p60 or 1080p48, 1080p30, 1080p24, etc... 1080p displays are the now AND the future, not 1080i.

I'll wait to see what happens with the next Gen HD-DVD with the updated HDMI. In the meantime, I'll also wait for Blu Ray player evaluation and 1080p projectors to het their act together. I suspect I'll buy the new version of the Qualia coming out later or the 1080p DLP.... I'll be happy just seeing you guys play with this player. I'll be waiting until late Q3/Q4.... have fun! Looking forward to a PS3 as well!!!

Yes, and a 48Hz playback for us CRT 9" HDMI equiped ;)

--Patrice ;)

Seeing your menu on here made me go back and look at mine.
Mine is not very sharp at all.
My pj's menu is very sharp but the players lettering and logos are very soft.

Mike, did you figure out the cause? Are you connecting via HDMI or Component?

We need a standardized 1080p output for players and projectors, period. We need to display 1080p60 or 1080p48, 1080p30, 1080p24, etc... 1080p displays are the now AND the future, not 1080i.

I'll wait to see what happens with the next Gen HD-DVD with the updated HDMI. In the meantime, I'll also wait for Blu Ray player evaluation and 1080p projectors to het their act together. I suspect I'll buy the new version of the Qualia coming out later or the 1080p DLP.... I'll be happy just seeing you guys play with this player. I'll be waiting until late Q3/Q4.... have fun! Looking forward to a PS3 as well!!!

Agreed.

... I guess this player is cheap enough that you could just toss this player and upgrade in 6-12 months as necessary.You are correct, sir!

We need a standardized 1080p output for players and projectors, period. We need to display 1080p60 or 1080p48, 1080p30, 1080p24, etc... 1080p displays are the now AND the future, not 1080i.


I think 1080i60 output for 1080p24 and 1080i60 source is perfect. 1080p60 output could lock in the judder. I don't think any video processor could reconstruct perfect 1080p24 from 1080p60 input. But a video processor could easily output 1080p24/48/60/72 from 1080i60 input depending on the source and display

All in all. for film, I want 1080p24 or 1080i60 output. For video, I want 1080i60 output.

Watched the best scenes off my SD-DVD Superbit version of Spidey2 and maybe I should have selected the Film option in the setup's video menu - instead of left at Auto(?) - because the PQ didn't exactly "wow" me.

In fact, it looked pretty soft most the time. Connected to my Panny 42PX50U via HDMI, outputting at 1080i.

I tried that just now but it didn't make a difference.

I wonder if it got de-authorized somehow being that I have it connected to my LAN which in turn is connected to the Internet? I didn't check the clock yet which I see is one of the first things you are supposed to do...

You are in new territory here I think ... not sure ... the extent of my "knowledge" was just from reviewing the user manual.

Is your player still dead? It is definitely weird, especially if it just froze up permanently during playback ... good luck

Watched the best scenes off my SD-DVD Superbit version of Spidey2 and maybe I should have selected the Film option in the setup's video menu - instead of left at Auto(?) - because the PQ didn't exactly "wow" me.

In fact, it looked pretty soft most the time. Connected to my Panny 42PX50U via HDMI, outputting at 1080i.

Maybe it is because it is not a HD Disc, just because it up-converts does not mean it will look any where near HD. :rolleyes:

My player started working again and I checked that the clock was set correctly and it was. I then went in and attempted a firmware update, but after a while it came back with the message "The software has alerady been updated. The update process will end".

My firmware version is 1.0/1.09/2.00 btw.

Not sure what the heck the problem was, but everything seems fine again.

Hmm,

hearing alot of "not knock your socks off" here in this thread. I will wait until we hear from some REAL 1080P displays owners before I pass judgement. My guess is that if you own a 720p display device, you might not get the full effects from HD-DVD or blu-ray (YES, REAL 1080p displays DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE)

My Ruby is waiting for one of the two above in a few months if PQ is better than what I am hearing in this thread so far. I expect BR and HD-DVD quality with regards to image to be about the same with no real advantage over the other expect perhaps the BR players that can output 1080p.

My player started working again and I checked that the clock was set correctly and it was. I then went in and attempted a firmware update, but after a while it came back with the message "The software has alerady been updated. The update process will end".

My firmware version is 1.0/1.09/2.00 btw.

Not sure what the heck the problem was, but everything seems fine again.
Pclausen:Please tell us about your experience trying to get a firmware update,what site did you connect to for this?

Watched the best scenes off my SD-DVD Superbit version of Spidey2 and maybe I should have selected the Film option in the setup's video menu - instead of left at Auto(?) - because the PQ didn't exactly "wow" me.

In fact, it looked pretty soft most the time. Connected to my Panny 42PX50U via HDMI, outputting at 1080i.You mean all my existing DVD's won't look like HD DVD? What a drag....

Mike, did you figure out the cause? Are you connecting via HDMI or Component?


HDMI
I want to find out how others are seeing it.

Hmm,hearing alot of "not knock your socks off" here in this thread.

Since most of us do not have Hd-DVD discs it will be hard to get that kind of a review.

Just out of curiousity, does anyone here have the player connected to a DVI input? Wondering how the player does in the HDMI to DVI handshake.

HDMI
I want to find out how others are seeing it.

Have you tried changing output res on the remote? Some people have reported 1080i looking better than 720p on 729p and other stuff, so try them all! :)

There was a poster a few pages back that said he has his hooked up with HDMI-DVI and it works great. So no worries there! >;)

I tried that just now but it didn't make a difference.

I wonder if it got de-authorized somehow being that I have it connected to my LAN which in turn is connected to the Internet? I didn't check the clock yet which I see is one of the first things you are supposed to do...

Actaully, since you have verified that it has some "standard" pc components inside, it might have some form of "kill/tamper" protection as well. Or it could be as you say & it just "phoned home" realized that you are a few days early & shut down. If she comes back up 1 minute after midnight on the 18th, then we will know that the Illuminati are in charge! :D

There was a poster a few pages back that said he has his hooked up with HDMI-DVI and it works great. So no worries there! >;)



Cool, thanks! :)

This thing has 1Gig of DDR 333 RAM:

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/hda1ram.jpg

And this is the message you get when upgrading the firmware:

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/hda1legal.jpg

Maybe it is because it is not a HD Disc, just because it up-converts does not mean it will look any where near HD. :rolleyes:

\
Just trying to relay some info on an upconversion trial. I'll keep to myself in the future. No biggie.

I'm watching Last Samurai and my Sony 30XS955. I compared the PQ to the standard DVD, and the HD-DVD is clearer. I'd say about 25-50% better than the DVD. The problem is this particular film has a consistent fine film grain on it, which reduces its overall clarity.

I have seen clearer PQ via my digital cable with some sporting events.

I'm anxious to hear from people who are watching these first releases on large 1080p displays.

After seeing all of these posts of people getting the HD-A1 today I decided to go down to BB to see if I could get one. I checked the dvd player area but I did not see any so I asked an employee who then asked another employee. He told me they couldn't sell them yet. Before I could try and convince him to sell me one, he asked me to wait as he went to the back. After he left I noticed 3 HD-A1's sitting on the overstock shelf above the DVD players. When he came back I pointed them out and he said "I know, I'll get one down for you." SCORE!! :D

I couldn't get any movies though. Here it is sitting on the trunk of my car.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b329/automata03/hddvd.jpg

(YES, REAL 1080p displays DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE)
.

At this point in time that statement is just a opinion

You mean all my existing DVD's won't look like HD DVD? What a drag....

Hey, would you expect that a 9gig DVD would equal a 15 or 30gig HD-DVD? Well then, why bother buying High Def content??

Btw, you can get a dvd player that upconverts your DVD's to 1080p, if you'd like that.. But you will not gain anything in terms of PQ, if your scaler in PJ=>Scaler in DVD player.

Per

Pclausen:Please tell us about your experience trying to get a firmware update,what site did you connect to for this?

The player doesn't really tell you what site it connects to. During the update process, you see this on the screen:

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/hda1updating.jpg

And after about 30 seconds, I get the message:

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/hda1noupdate.jpg

I hope we'll be able to see some DVD vs. HD DVD screenshots soon :) Especially Serenity and The Last Samurai.

Hey, would you expect that a 9gig DVD would equal a 15 or 30gig HD-DVD? Well then, why bother buying High Def content??

Btw, you can get a dvd player that upconverts your DVD's to 1080p, if you'd like that.. But you will not gain anything in terms of PQ, if your scaler in PJ=>Scaler in DVD player.

Per

I believe that was sarcasm... :rolleyes:

I'm watching Last Samurai and my Sony 30XS955. I compared the PQ to the standard DVD, and the HD-DVD is clearer. I'd say about 25-50% better than the DVD. The problem is this particular film has a consistent fine film grain on it, which reduces its overall clarity.

I have seen clearer PQ via my digital cable with some sporting events.

I'm anxious to hear from people who are watching these first releases on large 1080p displays.

Can you find any sort of compression artifacts in TLS? Or do you believe that your copy on HD DVD is pretty much indistinguishable from the master?

Have you tried changing output res on the remote? Some people have reported 1080i looking better than 720p on 729p and other stuff, so try them all! :)

I can corroborate this: 1080i looks better than 720p on my Mits 52725 720p DLP. 720p looks softer, and you can see the difference right away in the FBI logo warning screen on the Samurai HD DVD.

Hey, would you expect that a 9gig DVD would equal a 15 or 30gig HD-DVD? Well then, why bother buying High Def content??

LOL. BTW, Ken is joking ...

I'm watching Last Samurai and my Sony 30XS955. I compared the PQ to the standard DVD, and the HD-DVD is clearer. I'd say about 25-50% better than the DVD. The problem is this particular film has a consistent fine film grain on it, which reduces its overall clarity.

I have seen clearer PQ via my digital cable with some sporting events.

I'm anxious to hear from people who are watching these first releases on large 1080p displays.

I think this might be some of what we are hearing. The movie is only as good as the source and how it was shot. Not every movie is going to be as sharp and vibrant as movies as "The Fast and the Furious" or computer animation "Toy Story".

I think we'll have a different opinion once Chronos is released to showcase off the technology ... Super Vibrant, High Detail, Sharply Focused :)

why does it say 16x9 on the back but still show bars, I don't know too much about aspect ratios btw.

Please remember its hard to compare HD sports/video content with film content. You need to compare like HBO-HD or HDNet Movies for it to be fair. Video-based HD content will always be more clear/etc.

why does it say 16x9 on the back but still show bars, I don't know too much about aspect ratios btw.

Some movies are 2.35:1 ratio compared to the 1.78:1 of 16x9. Therefor black bars are shown. But OAR is good! :D

My player started working again and I checked that the clock was set correctly and it was. I then went in and attempted a firmware update, but after a while it came back with the message "The software has alerady been updated. The update process will end".

My firmware version is 1.0/1.09/2.00 btw.

Not sure what the heck the problem was, but everything seems fine again.
Do you have to be hooked up via internet to check firmware version.
If not, how do you check it?

Watched the best scenes off my SD-DVD Superbit version of Spidey2 and maybe I should have selected the Film option in the setup's video menu - instead of left at Auto(?) - because the PQ didn't exactly "wow" me.

In fact, it looked pretty soft most the time. Connected to my Panny 42PX50U via HDMI, outputting at 1080i.

watched a Matrix scene at a local BB on Westinghouse (1080p model) at 1080i (now I dont know if they had it connected via HDMI or component) but was not impressed at all.

Bit the bullet and ran to both BB's near to me--one in Puyallyup, WA and the other in Tacoma, WA. Puyallup said they didn't have them yet but would next week. Tacoma store had one left under their demo unit, having just sold the first one a half-hour ago! They have the HD-DVD titles but aren't selling until Tuesday.

The HD-A1 is now sitting in my living room. :) First thing I'll try is some of my DVD+R's with transport streams. We'll see!

Highvista, head to Tukwila. ;-) They have had them in stock since last Sunday. I bought all three titles this AM.

Have you tried changing output res on the remote? Some people have reported 1080i looking better than 720p on 729p and other stuff, so try them all! :)

I've used all the resolutions and the film, video, and auto settings.
1080i looks best on my Panasonic 900. That is with a HD-DVD.

Like Darin, the down button on my remote does not function. Anyone else have that problem?

Like Darin, the down button on my remote does not function. Anyone else have that problem?

same here.
But one good thing is, you don't need to point it directly at the player for it to work, In fact mine works pointing it at the rear of the unit.

Do you have to be hooked up via internet to check firmware version.
If not, how do you check it?

RTFM ... LOL ... it's several pages (an addendum, and hence unnumbered) from the back, entitled "INFORMATION". If numbered, I think it would have been page 66.

sspears,
Mine did the same thing,have to keep pressing and it works,
Takes longer than normal. I think this is due the way up/down/righ/left is structured.
Thanks.
Sam.

watched a Matrix scene at a local BB on Westinghouse (1080p model) at 1080i (now I dont know if they had it connected via HDMI or component) but was not impressed at all.


Which version of THE MATRIX was it, the original release, or the one that was remastered for the box set? The original DVD was great for its time, but definitely has a dated transfer.

Like Darin, the down button on my remote does not function. Anyone else have that problem?
Yes, it moves down once, but then stops, won't go any further in the menu. I'm going to program my 880 and give it a try.

sounds exciting, pretty boring titles to start with, though... They need to ship an exciting title to get me pumped up enough to get it...

I can corroborate this: 1080i looks better than 720p on my Mits 52725 720p DLP. 720p looks softer, and you can see the difference right away in the FBI logo warning screen on the Samurai HD DVD.

I think page 64 of the user manual (http://www.*********************/images/pdf/HD-A1SN%20Manual.pdf) explains why.

I take this to mean the HD-A1 has a poor quality scaler, so you need to avoid it. The lack of a pass thru mode is a design flaw IMHO. This could also mean that this would be a poor choice for SD DVD upconversion.

Too bad. Maybe the next generation will be worth buying.

Like Darin, the down button on my remote does not function. Anyone else have that problem?

Mine was a bit funky at first also. Try pressing it straight down, not at an angle towards the bottom of the remote. Also, treat it like a mouse click. Don't press and hold, just give it a quick press.

Don't know if that will help, but it helped mine work better.

Highvista, head to Tukwila. ;-) They have had them in stock since last Sunday. I bought all three titles this AM.Thanks for the info!

Running the HD-A1 through a DVDO VP30 and then to a Mits 73" RPTV. The HDMI/HDCP puts the VP30 and display through contortions when starting up and changing discs, rather annoying. I believe the HDMI output is muted at certain points(no disc..etc..) so the VP30 has to reacquire signal lock each time.

My brother, the ambulance chaser lawyer, lives in Broomfield CO. Small world. :D

Which version of THE MATRIX was it, the original release, or the one that was remastered for the box set? The original DVD was great for its time, but definitely has a dated transfer.


I cannot tell which version they were playing. I told the salesguy that they need to start playing HD-DVD disks in there, otherwise they will never sell one unit with the quality they had on display. I was just disappointed, because I was expecting to be wowed, and they did have it hooked up to a decent display (Westinghouse 1920X1080 42 inch). However, I will reserve my opinion until I see the actual HD-DVD playing.

I think page 64 of the user manual (http://www.*********************/images/pdf/HD-A1SN%20Manual.pdf) explains why.

I take this to mean the HD-A1 has a poor quality scaler, so you need to avoid it. The lack of a pass thru mode is a design flaw IMHO. This could also mean that this would be a poor choice for SD DVD upconversion.

Too bad. Maybe the next generation will be worth buying.

My experience with the Motorola Comcast cable box has been the same: soft when set to 720p, much nicer when set to 1080i with my TV downconverting to 720p.

Yes, it moves down once, but then stops, won't go any further in the menu. I'm going to program my 880 and give it a try.

Anyone transfer learned codes to their universal remote yet? I'm wondering if that will help.

Just out of curiousity, does anyone here have the player connected to a DVI input? Wondering how the player does in the HDMI to DVI handshake.


I'm with you Larry, before I plunk down my $500+ I need to know:

Read the first end user takes on the early released Toshiba HD-DVD player
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=667248
and was wondering if my Infocus SP4805 can display High Def (1080i) thru the M1 connector to the Toshiba HD-DVD HDM1 output. Will this do the trick?

http://store.infocus.com/escalate/store/DetailPage?pls=infocus&bc=infocus&pc=SP-HDMI-ADPT&clist=&ret=&pls5catname=&tab=desc

And a 25ft HDMI-HDMI cable?

TIA,
sgibson

As I posted in: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=667498

It would be very helful to hear opinion of those 'jaded' with years of HD cable/satellite/over-they-year experience and those with D-VHS decks. How does it compare?

Does this unit's top get hot when a disc is playing???

Can I stack another component on top of it???? I'd like to place my Comcast Motorola DVR box on top of it.

Also, would like to hear more opinions about the fan noise from about 10 feet away.

Can you find any sort of compression artifacts in TLS? Or do you believe that your copy on HD DVD is pretty much indistinguishable from the master?

Excellent question. I can't be sure because of the consistent presence of light film grain. I really need something shot digitally to accurately check for compression artifacts. If there are any on TLS, they are very small and only visible from distances of 1 or 2 feet.

I must say that so far, I'm pretty pleased with the overall performance of the HD-A1. I was concerned the first generation players might occasionally freeze up or have other annoying performance glitches, but so far, I haven't experienced any.

Well .......We should all know that the picture quality is going to vary from movie to movie...RIGHT!?I'm still buying one regardless....I believe once King Kong becomes availible WE WILL get the WOW factor that everyone's expecting from these players!

I think page 64 of the user manual (http://www.*********************/images/pdf/HD-A1SN%20Manual.pdf) explains why.

I take this to mean the HD-A1 has a poor quality scaler, so you need to avoid it. The lack of a pass thru mode is a design flaw IMHO. This could also mean that this would be a poor choice for SD DVD upconversion.

Too bad. Maybe the next generation will be worth buying.

The Page 64 I see is the Canadian General Warranty -- could you check please, as I am interested in understanding what you are referring to.

Ok who has tried the 5.1 channel analog out and compared DD+ with regualr spdif DD?

I cannot tell which version they were playing. I told the salesguy that they need to start playing HD-DVD disks in there, otherwise they will never sell one unit with the quality they had on display. I was just disappointed, because I was expecting to be wowed, and they did have it hooked up to a decent display (Westinghouse 1920X1080 42 inch). However, I will reserve my opinion until I see the actual HD-DVD playing.

Playing HD-DVD titles would be the obvious choice with the Westy 42". It's been waiting for a 1080p source (outside of HTPC) so why play a 480i encoded source upsampled to 1080i which still has to get de-interlaced to 1080p to play on the display. It may still look good, but that's not the whole point of it right?

Shouldn't judging of the format be based on HD-DVD discs played on 1080p dispalys through HDMI or DVI-HDCP? Otherwise you're grading processing.

Whether or not HD-DVD / BD represents a big difference for 720p displays is a valid but different point, but I think its better to start with more pixels and downconvert that start with less and try to upconvert.

Ok who has tried the 5.1 channel analog out and compared DD+ with regualr spdif DD?

good question

I believe that was sarcasm... :rolleyes:Indeed.

Does this unit's top get hot when a disc is playing???

Can I stack another component on top of it???? I'd like to place my Comcast Motorola DVR box on top of it.

Also, would like to hear more opinions about the fan noise from about 10 feet away.

it does not get hot on top: there are no vent holes on top: there are vent holes on the bottom

I would recommend against stacking components that have drives running as the vibrations could be transmitted from one to the other

A lot of the questions being asked in the last hour or so have already been answered earlier in the topic.

Please read the topic before posting questions.

Anyone had any luck playing DIVX/XVID files? I have tried several different formatted DIVX/XVID Files and it seems that Toshiba, in their infinite wisdom, did not include support for DIVX. :mad:

I looked around all of the bay area best buy locations and milpitas was the only one that had them in stock. i ended up buying all three for myself and my buddies.

The question that I would definitively want answered is if the people that have seen the HD-DVD's opinion on the quality of the pictures to what we are used to seeing in HD content on cable (such as Comcast, TW, etc.).

Are they pretty much the same as the HD quality on cable? If it is better, is it just slightly better or a significantly better? Also, what is the difference?

I think knowing this will help me to manage my expectations when I get this.

The question that I would definitively want answered is if the people that have seen the HD-DVD's opinion on the quality of the pictures to what we are used to seeing in HD content on cable (such as Comcast, TW, etc.).

Are they pretty much the same as the HD quality on cable? If it is better, is it just slightly better or a significantly better? Also, what is the difference?

I think knowing this will help me to manage my expectations when I get this.
There are already a number of comments on this, earlier in the topic.

Read before posting.

Excellent question. I can't be sure because of the consistent presence of light film grain. I really need something shot digitally to accurately check for compression artifacts. If there are any on TLS, they are very small and only visible from distances of 1 or 2 feet.

I must say that so far, I'm pretty pleased with the overall performance of the HD-A1. I was concerned the first generation players might occasionally freeze up or have other annoying performance glitches, but so far, I haven't experienced any.
I managed to freeze up the hd-a1 during playback of The Last Samurai. I was fast forwarding and hit the play button, and it stopped. Couldn't get it to start playback again, so I had to hit the power button and restart it. Only happened once though. ;)

The Page 64 I see is the Canadian General Warranty -- could you check please, as I am interested in understanding what you are referring to.

Go by page 64 in Adobe rather than the page that actually says "64". It basically says that you need to set the output mode to match the native resolution of the disc for HD. Weird. They might as well have just written "eh.. our scaler sucks, so make sure to pick whatever the back of the DVD case says..." Although, doesn't the back of the DVD cases say 1080p? That one's not an option Toshiba! :rolleyes:

That section specifically refers to HD content, so I don't know what that says about upscaling standard DVDs...

Can someone tell me if the HDMI cable's that comes with the player is constructed as good as Monoprice's HDMI cables?

Go by page 64 in Adobe rather than the page that actually says "64". It basically says that you need to set the output mode to match the native resolution of the disc for HD. Weird. They might as well have just written "eh.. our scaler sucks, so make sure to pick whatever the back of the DVD case says..." Although, doesn't the back of the DVD cases say 1080p? That one's not an option Toshiba! :rolleyes:

That section specifically refers to HD content, so I don't know what that says about upscaling standard DVDs...

I haven't found this reference in the manual yet, but on page 21, I noticed it does say: "Set the resolution to output from the player in accordance with the scanning method of the connected TV."

Like Darin, the down button on my remote does not function. Anyone else have that problem?Ditto - mine worked fine, but pretty much bit the dust while I was setting in the distances to my speakers in the speaker config. It is intermittent now, so I am next going to try and load this in my MX-700 remote so I am not dependent on it.

Ken

First thing I'll try is some of my DVD+R's with transport streams. We'll see!

What is the result for MPEG2 TS file? :) I mean disc without authoring.

So far I've only been able to get 480p, 720p, and 1080i over HDMI. I'm not sure if there is something else I'm supposed to be doing to get 480i.

--Darin Does it pass 480i over HDMI? I thought that the initial specs indicated that the players would pass 480i over HDMI. Otherwise, unless I am mistaken, those with external scalers will have to run HDMI and Component. And possibly be downcoverted by the movie studios in the future.

Can somebody else check this out?

Can someone tell me if the HDMI cable's that comes with the player is constructed as good as Monoprice's HDMI cables?It is considerably thinner than the 33ft Monoprice cable I put in the ceiling for my Ruby. It also does not gold plated connectors.

Ken

Go by page 64 in Adobe rather than the page that actually says "64". It basically says that you need to set the output mode to match the native resolution of the disc for HD. Weird. They might as well have just written "eh.. our scaler sucks, so make sure to pick whatever the back of the DVD case says..." Although, doesn't the back of the DVD cases say 1080p? That one's not an option Toshiba! :rolleyes:

That section specifically refers to HD content, so I don't know what that says about upscaling standard DVDs...

I respectfully disagree with your conclusion: this is standard verbiage to set the output of a source to the NR of the display

It is considerably thinner than the 33ft Monoprice cable I put in the ceiling for my Ruby. It also does not gold plated connectors.

Ken
Thanks khoyme...I will order an HDMI cable from Monoprice today!

I respectfully disagree with your conclusion: this is standard verbiage to set the output of a source to the NR of the display


That isn't what it's saying. It's saying to set the output of the source to the NR of the disc.

All -

Was at Value Electronics today covering the HD-DVD east coast launch. Just got home with my HD-DVD Player :)

This morning, using the new Ulead DVD Movie Factory 5, I was able to take some of my Sony HDR-HC1 High Def HDV footage and author an HD-DVD .iso file which I burned to a DVD+R disc using Nero and the Toshiba HD-DVD Player recognized the disc format as HD-DVD and it played back in glorious 1080i format.

Inexpensive program ($39) -- and will allow us to Author HD-DVD discs until HD-DVD bruners and media are available and cheaper. A single layer DVD disc can hold 20 minutes of HDV footage and a Dual-Layer can hold 40 minutes.

Have fun all!
Aaron

That isn't what it's saying. It's saying to set the output of the source to the NR of the disc.

See post #342.

Anyone transfer learned codes to their universal remote yet? I'm wondering if that will help.
Yes, I just programmed my Harmony 880 and it works perfect. I had to learn all the commands though as the HD-A1 doesn't appear to be in the Harmony database yet. Up, down, left, right and select/OK all work perfect.

I have to say, maybe I'm too old, but the Toshiba remote is ridiculously hard to read, even with light shining on it.

The Page 64 I see is the Canadian General Warranty -- could you check please, as I am interested in understanding what you are referring to.

Page number as reported by the PDF reader. Not the one with 64 printed on it.

Look 2 pages further on.

Relevant text attached

That isn't what it's saying. It's saying to set the output of the source to the NR of the disc.

Ah OK

now I see it on an addendum included in the packet with that statement

but again it is standard verbiage: if you can avoid intervention of the scaler, you are best setting the output res to that of the disc to match the NR of the display if possible: that would always be the optimal setting if available

what I take issue with is your conclusion that that means the scaler in the HD-A1 sucks:

my take is that no intervention of a scaler is better , regardless of the quality of the scaler, if you can match the source to the display

obviously it is necessary in many cases and my first impression of the HD-A1 scaler is that it looks very good

The stor only got 3 units in? Hope they have a few more then that on the 18th

Got the player! Got Phantom (DD TrUE) Got things set up in a true analog pass through on my MC-12, my calibrator is emailing down a custom bass software file to input into my DSP for this player. Set up should be ideal for audio and video! Can't wait to run it!!

Jeff,
Will you compare in your reviews how much better/equal analog 5.1 DD+ is compared to regular DD spdif from this player.

Judging by his past reviews he will. Jeff covers all basses in his reviews. J.H.

but again it is standard verbiage: if you can avoid intervention of the scaler, you are best setting the output res to that of the disc to match the NR of the display if possible: that would always be the optimal setting if available

what I take issue with is your conclusion that that means the scaler in the HD-A1 sucks:

my take is that no intervention of a scaler is better , regardless of the quality of the scaler, if you can match the source to the display

obviously it is necessary in many cases and my first look at the HD-A1 scaler looks very good

Read it again. Its telling you to set the output to match disc content regardless of the native res of the display. Thats not the "standard verbiage".

Is your display 720 or 1080?

so, Mark, in other words, they're saying 1080i material is best viewed on a 1080i display? Seems like common sense to me, and doesn't necessarily mean the scaler sucks.

Perhaps a direct quote from the errata appendix, will help clarify:

"To achieve high definition output when playing high definition material, it is necessary to set the output resolution of the player to match the native resolution of the disc. For example, when playing a disc with a native resolution of 720p, set the player output to 720p. For a disc with native resolution of 1080i, set the player to 1080i.

..."

Not the resolution of the display device. So what are 1080p HD-DVD disc owners to do?

I think this might be some of what we are hearing. The movie is only as good as the source and how it was shot. Not every movie is going to be as sharp and vibrant as movies as "The Fast and the Furious" or computer animation "Toy Story".

I think we'll have a different opinion once Chronos is released to showcase off the technology ... Super Vibrant, High Detail, Sharply Focused :)

Good point. Also, I'm not sure everyone is seeing "fair" comparisons between DVD and HD-DVD yet. Two reasons:
1. Many here are comparing the 1-3 currently available selections to what they consider their "reference" for SD-DVD quality. Remember, the first DVD's released didn't look nearly as impressive as today's releases, HD-DVD may very well be the same. Perhaps dusting off an old DVD will give HD-DVD's young technology a fairer fight.

2. Do we even know for sure that the 3 HD-DVD's currently out there were remastered from the original source? Could it be that these are just mediocre upconverts? If so, the only PQ advantage they would hold is utilization of the larger HD color space. This would certainly explain the generally lukewarm impressions I'm reading so far.

EDIT> I saw the unit at BB and was pretty impressed by the build quality. Very heavy! The remote is really slick looking to my eyes, but at the expense of function.

but again it is standard verbiage: if you can avoid intervention of the scaler, you are best setting the output res to that of the disc to match the NR of the display if possible: that would always be the optimal setting if available

I do not see your interpretation in that paragraph. If that's what they mean, they have a really poor writer.

The thing is, it is telling you that if you want high definition output, you MUST set the output to match the resolution of the DISC. Whether that is reality, that is what it says. It isn't my interpretation. I think that would be pretty funky if it's true, but it could explain why everyone so far has said that 1080i looks better than 720p. I'm pretty sure people with native 720p displays have posted that they've achieved better results outputting 1080i, haven't they? That section of the manual may explain why.

I think everyone should check it out and read it carefully. It may be important. Again, it may also just be poorly written.

The first sententce (hope this is ok) - "To achieve high definition output when playing high definition material, it is necessary to set the output resolution of the player to match the native resolution of the disc."

Notice the word "display" is nowhere in that sentence. And since 720p isn't the native resolution of any of the discs... That is essentially an addendum to what is on page 21/22, probably added later, I'd assume.

This thread is moving too fast! By the time I'm done writing my long winded response, there are two others that beat me to it!

Read it again. Its telling you to set the output to match disc content regardless of the native res of the display. Thats not the "standard verbiage".

Is your display 720 or 1080?
From real experience with this player, I would say it is meant to match the disc resolution, 1080i, at least that's the resolution that looks best on my 720p native display.

Good point. Also, I'm not sure everyone is seeing "fair" comparisons between DVD and HD-DVD yet. Two reasons:
1. Many here are comparing the 1-3 currently available selections to what they consider their "reference" for SD-DVD quality. Remember, the first DVD's released didn't look nearly as impressive as today's releases, HD-DVD may very well be the same. Perhaps dusting off an old DVD will give HD-DVD's young technology a fairer fight.

2. Do we even know for sure that the 3 HD-DVD's currently out there were remastered from the original source? Could it be that these are just mediocre upconverts? If so, the only PQ advantage they would hold is utilization of the larger HD color space. This would certainly explain the generally lukewarm impressions I'm reading so far.

I am still waiting for a comparison with D-VHS

Got the player! Got Phantom (DD TrUE) Got things set up in a true analog pass through on my MC-12, my calibrator is emailing down a custom bass software file to input into my DSP for this player. Set up should be ideal for audio and video! Can't wait to run it!!

I can't seem to say the right things to get a disc . I'm sitting here with a player and .................... :(

Art

Just picked up my A1 at Best Buy this morning. Was there at around 10:30... they hadn't gotten any. The guy actually took my name and number. Wife and I went out shopping and about 1/2 hour later he called. Ran back over and picked one up. They got 3... 1 was a demo. I walked out with 1 so they had one more to sell.

This is almost as crazy as the 360 launch.

This is rediculous. I am way to jealous. Why do I have to have this stupid xbox 360? Anyone have a clue as to when the hd-dvd drive is being released for 360? Tempted to put it all on ebay and run out and buy an A1. Keeps the reviews coming guys! ...... btw serenity = amazing lovin

I do not see your interpretation in that paragraph. If that's what they mean, they have a really poor writer. ... That is essentially an addendum to what is on page 21/22, probably added later, I'd assume.

And why would they add an addendum with "standard verbiage"?

I think they discovered the problem after design was finalized.

They could recover by just adding a pass thru mode in a software update.

Good point. Also, I'm not sure everyone is seeing "fair" comparisons between DVD and HD-DVD yet. Two reasons:
1. Many here are comparing the 1-3 currently available selections to what they consider their "reference" for SD-DVD quality. Remember, the first DVD's released didn't look nearly as impressive as today's releases, HD-DVD may very well be the same. Perhaps dusting off an old DVD will give HD-DVD's young technology a fairer fight.

2. Do we even know for sure that the 3 HD-DVD's currently out there were remastered from the original source? Could it be that these are just mediocre upconverts? If so, the only PQ advantage they would hold is utilization of the larger HD color space. This would certainly explain the generally lukewarm impressions I'm reading so far.

EDIT> I saw the unit at BB and was pretty impressed by the build quality. Very heavy! The remote is really slick looking to my eyes, but at the expense of function.
You would think they would want their first 3 releases to be the best pq possible to try and push this new format.
So far my opinon is it's just a small step forward.
Guess we can wait for SBHD-DVD.

For whatever reason, when using the SPDIF or Toslink digital inputs, my HDA1 sees DTS on Phantom. However, there is no DTS on Phantom. When I putin a regular DVD, the processor (Lexicon MC12) picks up the DD signal right away. Pop Phantom back in and DTS comes up (and I can't switch it to DD).

1. Either the Lexicon is seeing something it doesn't like in the bitstream (Lex bug)
2. I have a defective HD DVD
3. ?

I am going to exchange Phantom. Unfortunately, it is the only HD DVD I bought.

The sound is thin when playing Phantom and lower in output but when I threw in the regular DVD, all was fine.

Not sure what to do short of exchanging disc.


And boy does this piece boot up sloooooowwwwwww!

I can't seem to say the right things to get a disc . I'm sitting here with a player and .................... :(

Art
$$ might be the right words :D

I am using Component Output ... so I don't know how much of this applies to you HDMI folks.

Store dvds play at 480p over component output ... to me it looks just like standard 480p output.

Recorded dvds play at 1080i over component output ... to me it looks "just below" the quality of DVHS (I have one of those also) ... but not as good as broadcast quality HD.

The optical output sounds as good as DVHS tapes for 5.1. My DVHS player doesn't play DTS, so I can't compare; but DTS output sounds very good to my ears.

Am I glad I purchased this player? You bet your life!! Bring on the HD-DVDs! If the picture quality grows exponentially like it has from 480i to 480p to 1080i (upscaled) then whoop! whoop!

I am still waiting for a comparison with D-VHS

Ken Ross and I were talking about this: early take is that HD-DVD is at least as good and probably better: and no head wear

so you don't have to worry how many times you play a disc or worry about dropouts

Optical discs will be the final blow to D-VHS : now if I could buy an optical disc of the Japan demo tape: WOW!

From real experience with this player, I would say it is meant to match the disc resolution, 1080i, at least that's the resolution that looks best on my 720p native display.

thaxx,

I completely agree with you. I have a Panasonic AE900 720p projector, and the 1080i output of the HD-A1 looks better on it than the 720p output of the HD-A1.

I can't seem to say the right things to get a disc . I'm sitting here with a player and .................... :(

Art

In the same boat as you Art, you would think that selling the HD disc of the SD disc that have been out for years would be a no brainer. Till Tuesday.....

I authored an HD-DVD using Ulead with a few mpeg2 ts HD demos, one is pioneer and the other is a demo loop of NY and Paris from Astra Satellite. Now I just gotta wait for my player :)

You would think they would want their first 3 releases to be the best pq possible to try and push this new format.
So far my opinon is it's just a small step forward.

Compared to what? DVD? That's impossible. If it matches D-VHS (and it must) it's a big step forward.

Called my local BB and they had it in stock. I am Mr. Cumpulsive buyer and I get very excited and off I went...

They had it hooked up to one of those Sony SXRD projection units. I am just not crazy about this display. I wished it were connected to a Plasma. I thought the Picture was very very nice in some scenes and average in others. This was "The Last Samurai".

The unit got some kind of error message once while playing. Something like HDMI error or HDMI cable error or something like that. The kid went behind the player and played with the cable for a minute or so and it came back.

WOW!! What a menu on these HD Disks. I never imagined there would be so many extras to view. The problem I had with this unit is I had to really point the remote right at the player. I also had a hard time in some places navigating through the extras menu. I had to push the execute/enter button very hard and sometimes multiple times to get the cursor to move around the screen.

They had the unit tied down on the shelf for some reason but the unit did not seem like it was very heavy to me.

I have a Pioneer Elite 59AVi and it is such a quality unit. I just did not get this feeling of quality from the Toshiba.

I know Technologies change and this Player is a blessing but I think I will sit tight and see what the other Manufacturers bring out.

The trailer for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" looked great.

I am glad my compulsive drive settled down and I came to my senses on this one.

Rick

Boy this thread is growing fast. Is anyone watching movies yet? I posted some updates about the audio in the Answers to HD-A1 and HD-XA1 Audio Questions thread that I started some time ago. It may answer some of the questions asked here but I haven't read everything.

Thanks to Robert for posting the whole manual. Attached are some scans of items I don't think have been posted yet. Two are the front and back of an insert with last minute updates to the manual. The other is the "Important Firmware Update Information" card, which essentially says you will need updates and if you can't download them you can request a disc from Toshiba.

It would be very helful to hear opinion of those 'jaded' with years of HD cable/satellite/over-they-year experience and those with D-VHS decks. How does it compare?

Exactly.I'm not buying unless it looks "as good" as D-theater.Anything less is unacceptable.

Just got back from a 5 hour jaunt around town to view this. Could not get a single store to sell me any titles:(

Onto some observations...In two places I was fortunate to have the saleperson(who was equally interested as I) to move the player around. Store #1(BB) had it orginally setup on a 42 Westy playing Phantom of the Opera. The pricture was grainy, washed out and unimpressive in any way. I wandered back over to the higher end displays and was looking at the Bravia and Pioneer elite (which were next to each other). He asked if I wanted to see the player hooked up to these...YES, of course.

As we were moving the player - stopped at the samsung 1080p 56incher and I wondered out loud "how this would look". :D A few minutes later we were hooked up passing 1080i via HDMI into the Sammy. Significantly better than the Westy. Not wow, but really good PQ. My parents happen to have this set and it was pretty well adjusted as I meandered through the PQ options. We played a bit more - but while the colors appeared richer...and it was a VERY clean picture...it wasn't "WOW". Just really good.

Onto the Bravia...which was playing the same feed as the 930 elite next to it. I mention this because both displays looked darn good. I certainly would give the edge to the 930 - but the Bravia was pretty impressive. Probably the best I have ever seen one look.

Player gets hooked up and off we go to the same scenes we had previously been viewing. (BTW - the menus sytem is pretty cool!). This was another giant step up from the prior two displays. At this point I would say"punchier" than the Sammy, light years better than the Westy with tons of detail. I finally was getting impressed. We now had a "crowd" watching. We played for around 20-30 minutes and while I wouldn't say it was better than some of the best calibrated sets playing movies I have ever seen (Qualia, etc). It was very, very good and for a 500 player - held its own against some very expensive players on the market - at least with the HD material. We then tried LOTR and upconverted. Very clean - although I now detected the shrotcomings of the bravia with is lower contrst and black levels. STill as good as I have seen many of the upconverting players(Oppe , S97 etc).

Finally moved the player over to the 930. Played the same scenes and quite frankly - WOW - finally happened. It was breathtaking, detail like you had never seen, beautiful whites, immsersive color and detail. Just outstanding. I have seen this display setup with some really good players - Denon 5910, marantz etc - and to my recollection - NOTHING looked as good as this. It simply caused every display around it - showing a darn nice 1080i feed - to pale.

I won't bore you with the rest of my journey - but I ended up seeing all 3 titles (ones I could NOT buy - UGH) played. Serenity - IMHO - was the weakest of the transfers - with Phantom and Samurai being very good to excellent.

Clearly - what display they were being played on had everything to do with how well they looked. While in the past DVD players has some dependence on display etc for PQ. My opionion is that this player is going to end up with very different reviews predicated upon the display. Saw it a few more times on both the Westy (the fav BB seems to use) and the Sammy, as well as on the new Panny 50incher.

What it did answer in my mind - would it be worth it if you had 720/768 p panel - or is 1080p mandatory....For a very good panel - yes - I believe it would be worth it - for some of the others - nope. And interestingly enough the true 1080p panel was the weakest of all that I saw today.

Therese

Could some people be reporting 1080i looks better on their 720p tv because most 720p type tvs are actually 768p, and setting the player to 720p means the tv is upscaling, and downscaling 1080i results in a slightly higher res picture? I have a Sony 55inch 55xs955, which is 768p, but wouldn't choosing 1080i have the worse trade off on having to deinterlace?

Also, heres some picks, no HD-DVD movies, the Best Buy employees wouldn't sell them, something about losing their jobs and blah, not that big of a deal :)

Front with remote on top:
http://premium1.uploadit.org/TimothyB//hda1_1.jpg

Back of the unit:
http://premium1.uploadit.org/TimothyB//hda1_2.jpg

Close shot of remote with plastic still on:
http://premium1.uploadit.org/TimothyB//hda1_3.jpg

Macro of 5.1 and 2ch analog outs:
http://premium1.uploadit.org/TimothyB//hda1_4.jpg

Page number as reported by the PDF reader. Not the one with 64 printed on it.

Look 2 pages further on.

Relevant text attached

Thats pretty stupid of Toshiba in this regard. My Mitsubishi Diamond WS-65813 will NOT take a 720p from anything other than an OTA signal. 720p fed to any jacks are simply not recognized. I think 1080i for all material will be fine though.

I'm with you Larry, before I plunk down my $500+ I need to know:

Read the first end user takes on the early released Toshiba HD-DVD player
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=667248
and was wondering if my Infocus SP4805 can display High Def (1080i) thru the M1 connector to the Toshiba HD-DVD HDM1 output. Will this do the trick?

http://store.infocus.com/escalate/store/DetailPage?pls=infocus&bc=infocus&pc=SP-HDMI-ADPT&clist=&ret=&pls5catname=&tab=desc

And a 25ft HDMI-HDMI cable?

TIA,
sgibson

As I posted in: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=667498

Larry...anyone?

The thing is, it is telling you that if you want high definition output, you MUST set the output to match the resolution of the DISC. Whether that is reality, that is what it says. It isn't my interpretation. I think that would be pretty funky if it's true, but it could explain why everyone so far has said that 1080i looks better than 720p. I'm pretty sure people with native 720p displays have posted that they've achieved better results outputting 1080i, haven't they? That section of the manual may explain why.

This does seem to be the case. If it's mandatory for HD output to match the output resolution of the DVD player to that of the disc, why in Heaven's name didn't they write some code into the operation software to recognize and do this automatically??
Future update perhaps? :)

Last Samurai:
VC-1: 1080P, 18 Mbps avg, 24 Mbps peak
Dolby Digital-Plus: English 5.1, 640 Kbps 16 bit/48 kHz

Phantom:
VC-1: 1080P, 15 Mbps avg, 21 Mbps peak
Dolby True HD: English 5.1, 1.6 Mbps average and 3 Mbps peak, 16 bit/48 kHz
Dolby Digital-Plus: English 5.1, 640 Kbps 16 bit/48 kHz

Serenity:
VC-1: 1080p, 16 Mbps avg, 24 Mbps peak
Dolby Digital Plus: English 5.1, 1.5 Mbps, 16 bit/48 kHz

I'm wondering what these movies would look like on my Sceptre 37' 1080p monitor. Someone mentioned that they saw it playing back content on a Westinghouse 1080p monitor but it appears it was only a SD-DVD. I guess I'll pass on being an early adopter this time.

BTW, I'm pretty sure someone will find a way to drop this drive into a PC and write some drivers for it. It sounds like it's pretty much a a PC-HD-DVD rom dropped into a low end motherboard with 1gb ddr.

I think 1080i for all material will be fine though.

Today yes, but what happens when you buy a 720p disc? We will not know until such discs are available.

For whatever reason, when using the SPDIF or Toslink digital inputs, my HDA1 sees DTS on Phantom. However, there is no DTS on Phantom. When I putin a regular DVD, the processor (Lexicon MC12) picks up the DD signal right away. Pop Phantom back in and DTS comes up (and I can't switch it to DD).

1. Either the Lexicon is seeing something it doesn't like in the bitstream (Lex bug)
2. I have a defective HD DVD
3. ?

I am going to exchange Phantom. Unfortunately, it is the only HD DVD I bought.

The sound is thin when playing Phantom and lower in output but when I threw in the regular DVD, all was fine.

Not sure what to do short of exchanging disc.


And boy does this piece boot up sloooooowwwwwww!

I'm seeing the same thing with a Denon 3805 using the optical connection, it shows it as DTS, cannot get DD to display at all. My guess is the output of the HD-A1 is different enough that the receiver thinks it's DTS. Odd...

Compared to what? DVD? That's impossible. If it matches D-VHS (and it must) it's a big step forward.
Well, yes, some dvd's like 5th Element, The Fast and the Furious, and I'm sure others.
What I meant mostly was brodcast HD on Directv lite.
I have fliped back and forth several times between HD-DVD and Directv HD and in almost ever case the brodcast TV looks better.
For instance, right now HDNET has Art Mann presents on , and it is MUCH better than the Serenety HD disc is.
Some are about the same.
I was expecting better quality than Directv HD quality.

Heh, or just hope that all material stays 1080p and be done with it! Wishful thinking I know, but with me and other Mitsu owners of similar models, we get no 720p love.

[QUOTE=MarkZ]... why in Heaven's name didn't they write some code into the operation software to recognize and do this automatically??
QUOTE]

Thats what I meant by "pass thru mode". Most HD STBs have this feature.

Just got back from a 5 hour jaunt around town to view this. Could not get a single store to sell me any titles:(

Onto some observations...In two places I was fortunate to have the saleperson(who was equally interested as I) to move the player around. Store #1(BB) had it orginally setup on a 42 Westy playing Phantom of the Opera. The pricture was grainy, washed out and unimpressive in any way. I wandered back over to the higher end displays and was looking at the Bravia and Pioneer elite (which were next to each other). He asked if I wanted to see the player hooked up to these...YES, of course.

As we were moving the player - stopped at the samsung 1080p 56incher and I wondered out loud "how this would look". :D A few minutes later we were hooked up passing 1080i via HDMI into the Sammy. Significantly better than the Westy. Not wow, but really good PQ. My parents happen to have this set and it was pretty well adjusted as I meandered through the PQ options. We played a bit more - but while the colors appeared richer...and it was a VERY clean picture...it wasn't "WOW". Just really good.

Onto the Bravia...which was playing the same feed as the 930 elite next to it. I mention this because both displays looked darn good. I certainly would give the edge to the 930 - but the Bravia was pretty impressive. Probably the best I have ever seen one look.

Player gets hooked up and off we go to the same scenes we had previously been viewing. (BTW - the menus sytem is pretty cool!). This was another giant step up from the prior two displays. At this point I would say"punchier" than the Sammy, light years better than the Westy with tons of detail. I finally was getting impressed. We now had a "crowd" watching. We played for around 20-30 minutes and while I wouldn't say it was better than some of the best calibrated sets playing movies I have ever seen (Qualia, etc). It was very, very good and for a 500 player - held its own against some very expensive players on the market - at least with the HD material. We then tried LOTR and upconverted. Very clean - although I now detected the shrotcomings of the bravia with is lower contrst and black levels. STill as good as I have seen many of the upconverting players(Oppe , S97 etc).

Finally moved the player over to the 930. Played the same scenes and quite frankly - WOW - finally happened. It was breathtaking, detail like you had never seen, beautiful whites, immsersive color and detail. Just outstanding. I have seen this display setup with some really good players - Denon 5910, marantz etc - and to my recollection - NOTHING looked as good as this. It simply caused every display around it - showing a darn nice 1080i feed - to pale.

I won't bore you with the rest of my journey - but I ended up seeing all 3 titles (ones I could NOT buy - UGH) played. Serenity - IMHO - was the weakest of the transfers - with Phantom and Samurai being very good to excellent.

Clearly - what display they were being played on had everything to do with how well they looked. While in the past DVD players has some dependence on display etc for PQ. My opionion is that this player is going to end up with very different reviews predicated upon the display. Saw it a few more times on both the Westy (the fav BB seems to use) and the Sammy, as well as on the new Panny 50incher.

What it did answer in my mind - would it be worth it if you had 720/768 p panel - or is 1080p mandatory....For a very good panel - yes - I believe it would be worth it - for some of the others - nope. And interestingly enough the true 1080p panel was the weakest of all that I saw today.

Therese


This was a review I've been waiting for. Thank you very much. That explains the lackluster picture I saw today at my local BB while connected to Westy 42. No question Pioneer is probably the best plasma on the planet, and has been so, in my opinion, since the beginning. Incidently, it is also one of the most expensive plasmas on the planet.

What is remarkable in your review is that you experienced much better picture on Pio 1366X768 display than on Westy 1980X1080 display. All the native pixel talk aside.

Has anyone hooked up the A1 (via HDMI) to a Sammy 46" DLP with 1280x720 native resolution? I'd like to find out how it looks before I go spend the $500 to get one.

I really must say this new thread for the Toshiba HD-DVD is really keeping me entertained. I am working at a pc help desk and we a very slow today but keeping up with this thread has made my day go fast. I posted early stating that I was at the BB store in Midtown Manhatten and they had 3 players for sale. I was very close on pulling the trigger but decided to wait for Blue Ray since I am a Panny fan I will wait for their Player. Good luck to all who purchased the players today and keep the post's coming.

Rob

wpwj40e - Great review! Thanks for posting! Exactly how I'd like to spend my evening...

......Clearly - what display they were being played on had everything to do with how well they looked. While in the past DVD players has some dependence on display etc for PQ. My opionion is that this player is going to end up with very different reviews predicated upon the display.

wpwj40e, thanks for your observations. They pretty much confirm my own results with this player. Those looking for the HD-A1 to generate pixels that their displays could not resolve before HD-DVD will be disappointed, much like the guy who buys a $10,000 CD player and doesn't hear any improvement through his $500 speaker system. However, for those with displays similar in quality to the ones on which you observed notable improvements in PQ, the cost of the HD-A1 is fairly small given the potential rewards should the software (movie titles) develop and encoding techniques become more consistent.

What it did answer in my mind - would it be worth it if you had 720/768 p panel - or is 1080p mandatory....For a very good panel - yes - I believe it would be worth it - for some of the others - nope. And interestingly enough the true 1080p panel was the weakest of all that I saw today.


Which answers the question, "Will a 1080P display give me the best PQ with the HD-A1?" Not if it is a piece of crap like the Westy..... :rolleyes:

So we have the first lucky guys among us in possession of HD-DVD players and titles. We also have a popular thread running telling us first hand experiences with this exciting new technology. I don't mean to sound unrespectful but comments like "OMG! This does look so much better than my (upsampled) DVDs!!!" don't tell us the whole thruth.

What we need now are profound observations of members with a lot of experience with all the other HD sources available. I'm talking all kind of TV sources (OTA, cable, ...), HTPC contents (trailers, clips, demos,...) and above all -> D-Theater. Up until now I think it is fair to say that D-Theater was the best available consumer HD medium - PQ and audio quality wise. There is also a whole lot of quite amazing HD content coming from some TV stations (e.g. C More HD) nowadays. We have lots of members here (including myself) that have extensive experience with watching all kind of HD content.

If you are one of them please give us your valued opinion about the following question:

How does HD-DVD compare to all the other HD sources you have been able to experience? How would you rate PQ attributes (picture detail/sharpness, compression artifacts, Edge Enhancement, color,...) AND audio quality (DD+, DTSHD, DD TrueHD verus DD, DTS) in comparison?


Please don't forget to provide some basic information about your equipment and the software titles used.

Westy? and what is a 930?

I forgot all aboot that post. I've been reading this thread since 8am this morning; that's a lot of info to take in...

Thank you, thaxx!

Has anyone hooked up the A1 (via HDMI) to a Sammy 46" DLP with 1280x720 native resolution? I'd like to find out how it looks before I go spend the $500 to get one.

Look at my post from last night. It looks amazing. Don't hesitate to buy one. Best HD content I've every had on my HDTV.

-DD

This was a review I've been waiting for. Thank you very much. That explains the lackluster picture I saw today at my local BB while connected to Westy 42. No question Pioneer is probably the best plasma on the planet, and has been so, in my opinion, since the beginning. Incidently, it is also one of the most expensive plasmas on the planet.

What is remarkable in your review is that you experienced much better picture on Pio 1366X768 display than on Westy 1980X1080 display. All the native pixel talk aside.

I did not want to turn this into a panel discussion - there are many threads for that! However, I did see this player on another elite 50incher and an LG(among about 10 others total). I was pre-disposed to believe that this would be outstanding on a 1080p panel - so Yes - I was very surprised at my reaction. What I have concluded - especially since I am also in the market for another panel - is that the better the black/contrast and detail - the better this player was - regardless of resolution. While we have always known this to be ture - I finally feel I can let go of my determination to await a 1080p panel...At least settling for a perhaps inferior one (black/contrast etc). If the panel is good - then you will LOVE this player. You will be awed and amazed. Truly 3-d like. In one high end AV store - the gentlement next to me literally took a step back during the dancing scene of Phantom - we were pretty close (about 8 feet) and it was literally that dimensionalized. To avoid the panel discussion - suffice to say this was on one of the top notch 720p 50 PDP's.

I was very cynical regarding the capability and I have an excellent display - but this is really a significant step up. Paired with a nice display - WOW!!!

Therese - Who finally can get a new panel and not worry about 1080p!!!!

Here is my 30 second review.

First my gear.

AE700
106" High Contract Cinema Vision Screen
I am switching audio back and forth between DD+ through Multi Channel and Toslink on my Pioneer Elite 56txi

-Remote is well made, but unusable in the dark. I have to set up Harmony 880 ASAP.
-1080i is markedly better than 720P. This was true in the store on the 32 inch Bravia and it is true on the AE700.
-1080i is rock solid. The best HD output that I have seen.
-Output on SD-DVD is solid on all outputs.
-Upconversion is solid as well. IMO looks as good as my Panny S77.
-Switching back and forth between the DD+ and DD yields a noticeable difference. Sound is quite pleasing.
-Menus and load time are painfully slow.

Which answers the question, "Will a 1080P display give me the best PQ with the HD-A1?" Not if it is a piece of crap like the Westy..... :rolleyes:

I thought many here on AVS actually liked that Westy set? By the way, do we really have that many choices in 1080p native Plasma or Over-the-42-inch LCD? Westy, Sceptre,,,there are not that many choices today. I am obviously not talking about fat DLPs and LCDs.

I'm just so happy to finally be moving from debating the theoretical to experiencing the actual! :)

Here is my 30 second review.
.

Thank you

Westy? and what is a 930?

Sorry :rolleyes:

Westinghouse 42 LCD 1080p. Commonly seen at BB - can be foudn elsewhere. One of the few panels that both accept and display 1080p.

PRO-930HD 43" Plasma TV 16:9, 1024x768, 3000:1,

Has anyone tested the Toshiba HD DVD player to an HDTV CRT.
I happen to have a Sony 30 inch HDTV and would like to know the PQ on these or any other brand of CRT's.

thanks

I recently saw Last Samurai on HBO, and while it was decent, I was far more impressed with the level of detail I saw on the HD DVD. Certain scenes I would say were stunning in the detail.

A real test would be Chronos, as I have that on my DVR and can easily do an A/B comparison once the disc is available. (But will I buy it?)

Oh, viewing on a Mits WD-52725 720p DLP w/ the A1 set to 1080i (this gives the best results, IMO).

I thought many here on AVS actually liked that Westy set?

Not to get OT, but the Westy is a budget 1080P panel, no matter how you slice it. And, to be truthful, the Toshiba HD-A1 is priced like you would expect a budget HD-DVD player to be priced. So, expectations IMHO are a little skewed on the high side with this player. But, at least we have reports of top notch PQ from the Toshiba when paired with a capable display.

I wasn't going to be an early adopter this time around but when I was at Best Buy earlier today and saw one sitting on the shelf I decided to go ahead and buy it. I was going to at least wait for the Xbox 360 component. I am weak. :p Unfortunately, the store I was at did not have the software in so I could not pick it up. Not really interested in those 3 titles but would have bought Serenity probably. Hate that it seems to be the weakest of the 3 titles. I will be watching on a Panny 900.

wpwj40e - Great review! Thanks for posting! Exactly how I'd like to spend my evening...

Unfortunately my family insisted I return home. Otherwise I 'm afraid it would have been an all day/eveing jaunt! :D

It was loads of fun though and somewhat educational - alot of my "preconceived" notions regarding this whole topic were dispelled.

Does anyone have an Panasonic 47x54 that they installed there Toshiba DVD player on. I am curious on how this player does on a HDTV RP

Rob

Westinghouse 42 LCD 1080p. Commonly seen at BB - can be foudn elsewhere. One of the few panels that both accept and display 1080p.

PRO-930HD 43" Plasma TV 16:9, 1024x768, 3000:1,


Westinghouse 42 LCD 1080p - $2499.00

Pioneer Elite PRO-930HD 43" Plasma TV 16:9, 1024x768, 3000:1 - $4500.00

:D

The sound is thin when playing Phantom and lower in output but when I threw in the regular DVD, all was fine.

Not sure what to do short of exchanging disc.


And boy does this piece boot up sloooooowwwwwww!

Thanks. How about the PQ in your Qualia 004? :)

Unfortunately my family insisted I return home. Otherwise I 'm afraid it would have been an all day/eveing jaunt! :D

It was loads of fun though and somewhat educational - alot of my "preconceived" notions regarding this whole topic were dispelled.

:) :) During the last 6 months, I've been in this mood .... keep questioning my decision 3 years ago to buy a lower res plasma, and not waiting for these new exciting 1080p sets... now I feel much better!

I'm anxious to hear reports of the Toshiba with a true 1080p projector like the Sony Ruby and a scaler performing good 1080i de-interlacing, like a Realta or Gennum scaler.

I would, but since I'm in Canada, I have to wait... Sigh... My Ruby and Gennum scaler are feeling lonely tonight after reading all this... :(

Reading reports about PQ with a 4805 or a 34" displays are interesting, but not really telling us alot about PQ improvement compared to regular DVDs... Where are all those HD2K, Qualia and Ruby owners impressions?

The unit itself looks pretty tall. How is the height compared to a standard player for those of us with cabinets?

The unit itself looks pretty tall. How is the height compared to a standard player for those of us with cabinets?

The player is four inches tall.

I'm anxious to hear reports of the Toshiba with a true 1080p projector like the Sony Ruby and a scaler performing good 1080i de-interlacing, like a Realta or Gennum scaler.

I would, but since I'm in Canada, I have to wait... Sigh... My Ruby and Gennum scaler are feeling lonely tonight after reading all this... :(

Reading reports about PQ with a 4805 or a 34" displays are interesting, but not really telling us alot about PQ improvement compared to regular DVDs... Where are all those HD2K, Qualia and Ruby owners impressions?
I agree, I need a good excuse to tell the wife why this new HD-DVD player isen't what I thought it would be. Now I need a 1080p pj to make it shine.

-1080i is markedly better than 720P. This was true in the store on the 32 inch Bravia and it is true on the AE700.
This and Thaxx's findings on the AE900 are the most bizarre to me. Unless the scaling in the A1 absolutely stinks, you should get a much better picture with 720p than 1080i. With 1080i, you are essentially getting upscaled 540p in the Panny PJs (and most other 720p PJs, for that matter).

Later,
Bill

It's nice to sit back for once... I know I'll also be anxious to see support for a lossless DD/DTS track...!!! Go lossless! No more of those tiring DD vs DTS wars!! Lossless = no debate!
All this stuff about 1080i... why? Why would I want to display 1080i when I could display the native 1080p on the disc straight to the projector... besides I want to display 1080p not 1080i.... Can't wait to replace my DWIN CRT in Q4 with a new 1080p Qualia or 1080p DLP!!!

Couple other quick observations. I tried to get my local store to hook it up to sony 1080P SXRD to no avail. Nonetheless, the bravia that it was hooked up to did display how rock solid the 1080i output was and the clear difference between the 720P and 1080i. The Bravia and Panny AE700 internal conversion to 720P was superior to the player itself. May be a consideration if your display does not downconvert well. The media shows the encoding to be in 1080P and 1080i clearly benefits from the data and simple downconversion.

Really like the ability to access the menu in the middle of the movie and the near instantaneous resumption once exiting. When you press menu, the disc menu overlays the movie image and pauses the movie. Navigation was fast and the menus were high resolution. When you exit the menu, the movie resumes very quickly.

I think someone was looking for some feedback on a Sammy DLP. I will maybe hook it to my HLN-437W1 later tonight if there remains a need. It would be interesting to see if the Sammy deals with the 1080i to 720p better than the player outputs 720p.

Larry...anyone?


I don't have the player yet, but others have said that it works with the DVI input fine.

Anyone understan when you should use Film, Video or Audio?

I can't seem to say the right things to get a disc . I'm sitting here with a player and .................... :(

Art
Art, you got further than me. They told me Monday morning for the player. :(

I don't think the scaling of SD-DVD's is that bad on the HD-A1, but de-interlacing is another story. I ran the HQV benchmark through my HD-A1, and it pretty much flunked everything. It locked in on the grandstand shots on the Film Detail test in a reasonable amount of time, and handled the standard cadence tests OK, but that was about it. I saw a lot of noise in the picture on the tests that are created to reveal NR quality in a player.

Right now, watching Sin City extended cut upscaled to 1080i, PQ is close but not quite a match for my Pio DV-59AVi. I would love to see this movie in HD-DVD as it was a fully digital production. Would probably be amazing. :)

This and Thaxx's findings on the AE900 are the most bizarre to me. Unless the scaling in the A1 absolutely stinks, you should get a much better picture with 720p than 1080i. With 1080i, you are essentially getting upscaled 540p in the Panny PJs (and most other 720p PJs, for that matter).

Later,
Bill

I don't know the technical reasons why, but this is what I saw. The Bravia and my AE700 were consistent. I asked them at BB why they had it on 1080i and not 720P on the Bravia, so I asked them to switch it. They did and the difference was clear. It was not that 720P was bad, but 1080i was razor sharp on both the displays. I have a buddy coming over right now and am sure that he will post his thoughts once I demonstrate for him.

Maybe need to try the DLP just to verify one more time.

What is the result for MPEG2 TS file? :) I mean disc without authoring.Not good, I'm afraid. Both a DVD+R and a DVD+R DL with a TS file locked up the player. It tried loading the disk and identified it as "CD" on the front LED display. The monitor flashed, and then the player was locked up and had to be reset via holding down the power button for 10 seconds to turn it off, followed by hitting the tray open button to both power on and eject before it tried to load the disk again.

For grins, I also tossed in a CD-RW with some Xvid files. It figured out it couldn't read this and said so on the monitor, without hanging up the player.

Ah, well. I'm going to try using ULead to author an HD-DVD disk from a TS, as discussed in the thread linked below, and see how it works.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=667462

Topics merged again.

You know it's really not fair what Best Buy does to these Westy 1080p monitors. Once calibrated correctly the picture is astonishing. Watched Madagascar on mine today through Comcast HD On Demand and it looked freaking amazing. You need to see the new 42" and 37" 1080p models. Far better than the older models. When will we see a 1080p HD-DVD player that outputs 1080p??

Does anyone have an Panasonic 47x54 that they installed there Toshiba DVD player on. I am curious on how this player does on a HDTV RP

Rob

I have this TV and just picked up my Toshiba today. I'll let you know how everything looks/works.

Anyone understan when you should use Film, Video or Audio?

I assume you mean Auto in the picture mode? These are the settings for how the HD-A1 should handle material when converting interlaced content to progressive. As I have tested the de-interlacing skills of the HD-A1 and found them lacking, I would suggest that you leave it in Auto mode as the HD-A1 will struggle with any improperly flagged material, and does not handle video based material without producing serious "jaggies".

If you have a quality SD-DVD player that handles de-interlacing properly or a player that you feed 480i to a scaler (either HDMI or SDI), I would not even consider the HD-A1 as a SD-DVD source.

Keenan,

RE:Bug causing processor coming up as DTS instead of DD on HD DVD discs

Did you notice this problem with Phantom or another disc(s)?


BTW PQ on my Qualia is just as good (or better than D Theater). I also didn't see any MPEG artifacts on subtitles either!

When will we see a 1080p HD-DVD player that outputs 1080p??

Blu-Ray or next generation HD-DVD, unless the hardware in the Toshiba HD-A1 is powerful enough to support 1080p through firmware updates. Which I am skeptical of, since the movies that are out are 1080p. If I had the capability to handle 1080p and I was Toshiba, I'd make damn sure my players had it on their feature list. :)

This and Thaxx's findings on the AE900 are the most bizarre to me. Unless the scaling in the A1 absolutely stinks, you should get a much better picture with 720p than 1080i. With 1080i, you are essentially getting upscaled 540p in the Panny PJs (and most other 720p PJs, for that matter).

I guess A1 is worse than Panny in scaling - the assumption that panny is downconverting from 1080i to 540p before upscaling to 720p is wrong ?

Just got mine today. Going to post Flickr link with pics inside as soon as I can get 5 posts up.

I also saw the player on a Westinghouse 1080p at a local BB today. I have to admit I wasn't as impessed as I thought I would be but I also think the set was still using the factory defaults. I have a 9 month old Westy 37" 1080p that I picked up from BB (for about $1000 less than the new ones) and although I might be biased, I think my settings at home give it a better picture. I had thought the Westy would have been a really good test but without tuning, I agree that it will not compare at all to a set 3x the price. I love my Westy but don't think for a moment it will compare to a plasma.

One thing that I wanted to compare was component to HDMI. They had both hooked up but the sales guy couldn't change the inputs. I noticed he kept getting Error on the front of the player. Phantom of the Opera was playing and although it looked good, the FBI warning screen looked better to my eye. Source material really is going to play a big part.

Although I would have loved to picked up one of these, I have made a couple of big purchases lately and will wait. If the price had been about $100-$150 less...

Oh, I know there is a separate thread for retail sightings but those in the Austin area can go to the BB in Round Rock and get both player and movies. I didn't see Serenity but saw the other 2.

Anyone else having troubles getting the HDMI output to work with a Sony KD34-XBR960? I can get the component out to work, but not HDMI. I get no picture at all. FYI, this is the first time I have used the HDMI input on the TV, so that could be the problem.

Nothing too new to report here, yet, in regards to what's already been posted.

I went to a Best Buy today and bought the player, and even though they had the titles available, they wouldn't sell them to me until the 18th. So I went to BB #2 that's about 20 minutes further south, and they had them, and would sell them to me. They only had Last Samurai and Phantom available, so I picked up Last Samurai.


http://www.picfury.com/p/HDA1andLastSamurai-2-th.JPG (http://www.picfury.com/p/HDA1andLastSamurai-2.html)

I've been having the slight "green blob" issue with my Sony 60" SXRD and Tweeter's been great about it. They've got a set in their store that they're checking for me and I went to look at it today, it has no issue, so they're going to swap it with me. This is what I'll be hooking my HD-A1 up to. For now, I can still get an idea of the PQ even on my current set, since the issue isn't too horrendous. It can take a 1080i signal and displays 1080p, btw.

I have the OPPO 971H that's been doing all the upconverting of my current SD DVD's. Been very, very pleased with it, although I need a 50ms audio delay to compensate for sync when outputting 1080i. Have had no issues with macroblocking at all. I'll compare the upconverting quality of the OPPO to the HD-A1.

To be honest, I have no interest in testing component output vs HDMI. HDMI on all hardware I've ever tested with this set has always had better PQ than component for me when resolutions being sent were equal. Just my experience.

My receiver is an RCA RT-2280 (don't laugh) and I'll be sending the sound out via coax and optical to start, but am interested in the DD vs DD+ I can get via 5.1 analog as well.

So I just got mine today and cracked it open as soon as I got home. Here's some pics of the internals....

Flickr Link to HD-A1 photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zerokills/sets/72057594108018321/)

I ran the HQV benchmark through my HD-A1, and it pretty much flunked everything. It locked in on the grandstand shots on the Film Detail test in a reasonable amount of time, and handled the standard cadence tests OK, but that was about it. I saw a lot of noise in the picture on the tests that are created to reveal NR quality in a player.

Oh well. What do you or others think are the odds of this kind of concern being addressed by a firmware update?

Anyone else having troubles getting the HDMI output to work with a Sony KD34-XBR960? I can get the component out to work, but not HDMI. I get no picture at all. FYI, this is the first time I have used the HDMI input on the TV, so that could be the problem.

The player will only show video out one port at a time, hit Vouput on the remote until HDMI is lit on the player or you see picture through hdmi.

I got no picture from HDMI on starting it up nor from simple composite. You'd think they'd default it to a cable they included in the package.

So I just got mine today and cracked it open as soon as I got home. Here's some pics of the internals..There are some already posted earlier in this topic.

Are the audio tracks on these discs really only 16 bit/48 kHz or is this what the player converts the bitstreams to in order to output via HDMI (or some other wierd conversion)? How is this data getting generated?

Stacy Spears even listed the Phantom's TruHD track as 16 bit/48 kHz! Wow, where the heck did they get these soundtracks from? They're definitely not using the master recordings since most new soundtracks are at least 24 bit/48 kHz.

Hey Hollywood, 16 bit/48 kHz is not high resolution audio!! We're looking for master quality sound losslessly compressed or uncompressed.

Now, was The Last Samurai shot Super 35 or was it anamorphic Panavision? The fine grain being discussed may be an artifact of Super 35 photography as it always tends to be grainier. Or, was a poor master used, or is this VC-1 compression artifacting?

Film has a lot more real time resolution than HD video, it's just how accurate the telecine scanner is at eeking out the last nth degree of resolution. Some are much better than others, and some can't even get a full 1920x1080 from their sensors. I'd like to see the archival 2k and 4k digital IP's used rather than slip shod consumer grade telecine jobs.

Dan

I don't have the player yet, but others have said that it works with the DVI input fine.


Thanks Larry!

Since I'm currently enjoying Hi-Def via Directv Tivo, and upconverting standard DVDs via Samsung HD-841, guess I'll play the wait and see. At least for the time being. I am enjoying the first end user posts on the Toshiba HD-A1. I appreciate (and envy) those early birds and their feedback. This is a great forum !

Regards,
sgibson

Anyone else having troubles getting the HDMI output to work with a Sony KD34-XBR960? I can get the component out to work, but not HDMI. I get no picture at all. FYI, this is the first time I have used the HDMI input on the TV, so that could be the problem.

Make sure the display panel has "HDMI" lit; if not hit the V.Output button on the remote to enable HDMI.

The HQV benchmark disk is for standard SD-DVD material only, and don't tell us anything about HD. The Toshiba is an HD player, and I'm not surprised at all that SD performance is not optmized on those. Kris Deering (and other pros) already predicted more than 1 year ago that SD performance would be sub par on those HD players.

Does anyone really taught that a 500$ player would be optimized for both SD and HD?

After all these years there is still SD players out there with the CUE bug. So... It was predictable...

It would have been nice as to be able to use a single player for both types of Discs.

Will HDCP stripper(from moome) work with this player and a non HDCP display?

Sonisame

So I just got mine today and cracked it open as soon as I got home. Here's some pics of the internals....

Flickr Link to HD-A1 photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zerokills/sets/72057594108018321/)

Is there anyway to peek around to see what brand (ie. NEC...) of HD-DVD drive is in the unit? There has been some questions as to which drive it uses.

b2b

I have this TV and just picked up my Toshiba today. I'll let you know how everything looks/works.


Thanks PT

I finally got this thing to sync via hdmi...and the picture is worlds better at 1080i than 720p, even though its a native 720p pj...with a so so scaler

There is compression in the panoramic sky scenes as well as when Cruise is making his cross ocean voyage in the dark scene in the cabin...but Samurai looks pretty good otherwise.
The colors are great, and for the most part, theres no visible compression any where else.
I would say that it looks like D-vhs, but not quite as sharp as the very best D-vhs such as X Men 2. Man on Fire and I robot....which also have no visible compression at all that I could see.

The player is fairly loud when your not used to hearing fans and have a quiet pj like my Optoma H-78dc3....but you can always turn the volume up ;)

I will let others talk about load speeds because I am not about to time them....but there fairly slow

The menu on this player is very hard to use or change settings...sometimes having to push the button 10 times to get anything to happen...but once there set...who cares I guess.

Maybe I should go back and buy Serenity so I have two movies to check out.
I have yet to try an sd dvd, but will later on tonight.

Oh well. What do you or others think are the odds of this kind of concern being addressed by a firmware update?

Not likely. I'm sure Toshiba is committed to making these 1st generation players solid performers with respect to HD-DVD, but I would think that since their SD-DVD players are pretty mediocre at present, they are not worried that the HD-A1 cannot compete in that area with the better SD players available.

Does anyone really taught that a 500$ player would be optimized for both SD and HD?

Exactly.....Considering the 1st generation DVD players were at or above this price point back in '97, these HD-DVD players are about what we should expect for this kind of money. The important thing that we will need to determine is how good of an HD-DVD player is the HD-A1? Until more titles and different players (not just re-skinned HD-A1's) come on the scene, this remains to be seen.

http://members.cox.net/znasouri/hddvd/100_2127.jpg

http://members.cox.net/znasouri/hddvd/100_2131.jpg

http://members.cox.net/znasouri/hddvd/100_2132.jpg

http://members.cox.net/znasouri/hddvd/100_2127.jpg

You need to hire a maid!!!

The menu on this player is very hard to use or change settings...sometimes having to push the button 10 times to get anything to happen...but once there set...who cares I guess.

Maybe I should go back and buy Serenity so I have two movies to check out.
I have yet to try an sd dvd, but will later on tonight.

Funny...all the posts mentioning the non-responsive down arrow button on the remote and trouble working with the players' menus, and I have not had any of this while working with my unit. I wonder if there might be some bad remotes or IR receivers on these players?

Earz, you might want to hold off on your idea of picking up Serenity. It's been reported to be the weakest title PQ-wise among those available. I was considering it and now will just settle for renting it from Netflix.

You need to hire a maid!!!

Coming tommorow on easter :(

Funny...all the posts mentioning the non-responsive down arrow button on the remote and trouble working with the players' menus, and I have not had any of this while working with my unit. I wonder if there might be some bad remotes or IR receivers on these players?

Earz, you might want to hold off on your idea of picking up Serenity. It's been reported to be the weakest title PQ-wise among those available. I was considering it and now will just settle for renting it from Netflix.

Just to make sure...I installed some different batteries....and the main menu is still a pita to use...but like I said, you only have to deal with it once.

Thanks for the tip on Serenity.....and my display looks at least 5 times as good as Phantom did at BB...so they obviously had something hooked up wrong.

Bunk - the data rate is 3 or 4 times higher on HD DVD, so I don't buy that
Then go buy your own player and find out yourself.

Now I know it's Bunk - DD+ *is* output on analog. Lost credibilty with me, I'm afraid...
If you had read further, you would of seen I was mistaken, and was not using analog.
Do you have stock in HD-DVD?
Sure sounds like it.

Bunk - the data rate is 3 or 4 times higher on HD DVD, so I don't buy that

But this is your standard response to everything that doesn't agree with you. So it's not a surprising response.

But this is your standard response to everything that doesn't agree with you. So it's not a surprising response.
Thanks for the heads up on this guy, I kinda figured that.

rdjam, why are you asking thaxx what the last 3 digits in the serial number is? Do we know something about firmware and serial numbers that I'm not aware of? :confused:

last 3 numbers are 179, like it matters.
I sell it to ya for what I bought it for provided you come pick it up.
So you can see for yourself.

The only real problem I've had with the player is that I don't think that it's sending out data on a regular basis when not in use. For example, when I first booted it up and connected via HDMI/DVI, it had no signal at all. Of course, Ijust had to change the v.output to hdmi. That required a shutdown for it to take effect as my TV didn't register a signal. On boot-up again, it did show the HD DVD logo and went into things. But as I put a disc in and wait for it to load, it drops back to not registering a signal (as the TV will display that it's at the Digital In connection). Has anyone had similar experiences?

Anyone compare sound quality with the HD titles...

PCM out with HDMI vs. 5.1 analog outs?

Keenan,

RE:Bug causing processor coming up as DTS instead of DD on HD DVD discs

Did you notice this problem with Phantom or another disc(s)?


BTW PQ on my Qualia is just as good (or better than D Theater). I also didn't see any MPEG artifacts on subtitles either!
Noticed it on Phantom, the same thing with TLS, couldn't get Serenity. They both show as DTS signal on my Denon 3805. When I try to force DD it defaults back to DTS, with a 48khz sampling frequency...bizarre..

The only real problem I've had with the player is that I don't think that it's sending out data on a regular basis when not in use. For example, when I first booted it up and connected via HDMI/DVI, it had no signal at all. Of course, Ijust had to change the v.output to hdmi. That required a shutdown for it to take effect as my TV didn't register a signal. On boot-up again, it did show the HD DVD logo and went into things. But as I put a disc in and wait for it to load, it drops back to not registering a signal (as the TV will display that it's at the Digital In connection). Has anyone had similar experiences?

Just had that happne as I left the set-up menu and tried to go back to the DVD. Will report if I see it happen more.

I'm figuring it must be some sort of handshake issue between the HDMI going through to the DVI. Hopefully prices on pure hdmi-dvi cables will go down; those Monster cables at CC for $150 scare me.

last 3 numbers are 179, like it matters.
I sell it to ya for what I bought it for provided you come pick it up.
So you can see for yourself.
:) Hey, sorry about that, it was a bit over the top.

Guess I'm just getting frustrated because I don't have mine yet! Apologies.

In all seriousness, though, my reply was a bit curt, but the PQ should be better than cable. Perhaps it is the display or how it is hooked up. Is it a 1080p display, or 720p?

Thats pretty stupid of Toshiba in this regard. My Mitsubishi Diamond WS-65813 will NOT take a 720p from anything other than an OTA signal. 720p fed to any jacks are simply not recognized. I think 1080i for all material will be fine though.

Just for the record, your 65813 will accept 720p via the 1394 I/O. Obviously this does nothing for you here.

Noticed it on Phantom, the same thing with TLS, couldn't get Serenity. They both show as DTS signal on my Denon 3805. When I try to force DD it defaults back to DTS, with a 48khz sampling frequency...bizarre..
I wonder if it is possible that the player's processor is re-encoding as DTS to send over Toslink?

I noticed in the manual that when the player downsamples, it sets everything to 48/24. It could be that you are getting this in PCM or some sort of DTS-coded PCM stream, perhaps?

:) Hey, sorry about that, it was a bit over the top.

Guess I'm just getting frustrated because I don't have mine yet! Apologies.

In all seriousness, though, my reply was a bit curt, but the PQ should be better than cable. Perhaps it is the display or how it is hooked up. Is it a 1080p display, or 720p?
No problem. I understand.
It's actually Directv, and I agree it should be better.
It's a simple hook up direct HDMI to my Panasonic AE-900.
I have tried all of the settings 1080i, 720p ect. I'm not saying the picture is bad, it's just not what I expected.

If you had read further, you would of seen I was mistaken, and was not using analog.
Do you have stock in HD-DVD?
Sure sounds like it.
No - just getting frustrated over the last 24 or 48 hours at not getting mine yet! - It'll pass :)

Apologies again!

The only real problem I've had with the player is that I don't think that it's sending out data on a regular basis when not in use. For example, when I first booted it up and connected via HDMI/DVI, it had no signal at all. Of course, Ijust had to change the v.output to hdmi. That required a shutdown for it to take effect as my TV didn't register a signal. On boot-up again, it did show the HD DVD logo and went into things. But as I put a disc in and wait for it to load, it drops back to not registering a signal (as the TV will display that it's at the Digital In connection). Has anyone had similar experiences?
This happened to me as well, I don't think it's sending data all the time as my VP30 blinks from no signal to signal, had to turn off my VP30 and back on again, and did the same with the display, to get an image on the screen. Sounds like HDCP handshaking, maybe the 3 devices use different HDCP locking timings...?

Coming tommorow on easter :(

LOL!!! :) :) :)

Just to make sure...I installed some different batteries....and the main menu is still a pita to use...but like I said, you only have to deal with it once.


If you have a universal, try programming it to emulate the Toshiba remote, I programmed a Harmony 880 and it works perfectly.

I have the HD-A1 here along with the Last Samurai and plan to connect it to my Mitsu HC3000 DLP PJ tonight . The salesperson at BB said they were only able to get HDMI to sync (handshake) with the 60" Sony SXRD , all the other displays they tried would not get an image . I forsee a firmware update real soon on these units or they might have more returns than they bargained for .

--- The salesperson also said they broke street date on the movies and don't care , they will just pay the fine . More important to move the HD-DVD players , and that is tougher to do when there is no media .

----------- Jason

Is there anyway to peek around to see what kind of HD-DVD drive is in the unit? There has been some questions as to which drive it uses.

b2bAlready been answered.

Read the topic before posting.

I wonder if it is possible that the player's processor is re-encoding as DTS to send over Toslink?

I noticed in the manual that when the player downsamples, it sets everything to 48/24. It could be that you are getting this in PCM or some sort of DTS-coded PCM stream, perhaps?
I'm not sure what's happening with it, there's something about the bitstream that the Denon thinks it's a DTS signal. I'm going to play around with it later tonight and see if I can get anything to come up as DD.

I should add that I haven't even opened up the manual.. :p :D

All,

Great to be finally reading about HD-DVD actually in use. Exciting indeed. Sounds like the Toshiba isn't such a bad machine for the very first player, and indeed, its much cheaper than the first DVD players if you take into account inflation.

Can anyone scan in a decent quality image of the back and front of the "The Last Samurai" packaging? Im interested to know if it lists anything about region coding.

Also, does anyone have any word on how discs in PAL regions will be encoded, eg, will they still be 1080p24? I really have a bad feeling they mayby encoded at 1080p25 to allow easier output to our 1080i50 displays in Australia , im not sure just how many can accept 60Hz input. How much processing power is required to convert (eg speed up) 1080p24 to 1080i50? It sure would be a shame to not finally get rid of the encoding differences across the world.

Danny.

The only real problem I've had with the player is that I don't think that it's sending out data on a regular basis when not in use. For example, when I first booted it up and connected via HDMI/DVI, it had no signal at all. Of course, Ijust had to change the v.output to hdmi. That required a shutdown for it to take effect as my TV didn't register a signal. On boot-up again, it did show the HD DVD logo and went into things. But as I put a disc in and wait for it to load, it drops back to not registering a signal (as the TV will display that it's at the Digital In connection). Has anyone had similar experiences?

Yes, this is what mine does as well. It doesn't sem to be a problem, though.

I'm not sure what's happening with it, there's something about the bitstream that the Denon thinks it's a DTS signal. I'm going to play around with it later tonight and see if I can get anything to come up as DD.

I should add that I haven't even opened up the manual.. :p :D


IF you figure it out let me know...WHT hd dvd WERE YOU USING?

I can only get DTS on my processor (and lower output) when I pop in Phantom... This happened over Toslink and CoaX!

No idea what it is???

Hopefully prices on pure hdmi-dvi cables will go down; those Monster cables at CC for $150 scare me.

I believe a few AVS sponsors have more reasonably priced HDMI/DVI cables.

Some folks have no concern for their follow man. I least leave one for the next guy...............Jeez :p


LMAO, after "setting your player up on your bench (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7491026&&#post7491026)" you are surprised that it failed... :confused:

IF you figure it out let me know...WHT hd dvd WERE YOU USING?

I can only get DTS on my processor (and lower output) when I pop in Phantom...

No idea what it is???
Both Samurai and Phantom exhibit the same behavior, DTS shows as the input signal, no DD. Don't have Serenity.

Yes, this is what mine does as well. It doesn't sem to be a problem, though.

Yeah, it doesn't seem to be a problem overall, though at first it was like "uh oh, looks like I can't go hdmi..." It's definitely an odd quirk though. It's interesting to see where it decides to stop sending a signal.

Hmmmm....WHat to do? I can't use the player if this cannot be fixed!

And clarifying yet again, the rules for upsampling DVDs is that non-computer devices are not allowed to output more than 480p on their analog connections. Instead, you must use a digital, copy protected output such as HDMI or DVI+HDCP. This has nothing to do with ICT flag which does not exist on DVDs anyway. Unlike ICT, no studio has a choice. It is a licensing thing for the player itself.

I wonder who set up such brain-dead, stupid rules in the first place, for god's sake, we are talking about SD DVD, if studios allow component 180i/720p output for HD materials, then what's the point not allowing it for upscaled 480i SD material.

Hmmmm....WHat to do? I can't use the player if this cannot be fixed!
I going to try all the possible output modes later tonight, I'll let you know if I come up with something, although, I'm not really expecting much change.

Anyone who mentioned the handshake problem using a HDMI to DVI cable? I am running the DVI cable from my Sony to the DVI-HDMI Adapter plugged into the player...getting the drop outs on mine...was curious if a pure hdmi-dvi cable might change this?

Echo

Earz, or anyone else, do you happen to know how the Optoma H78's scaler compares to the Optoma HD72's? I guess my real question is how will the HD72's scaler handle 1080i content? I think it just upconverts 540p. Is this what most of 720p displays mentioned do? I picked up a player today, but couldn't get any movies.

Hmmmm....WHat to do? I can't use the player if this cannot be fixed!

Jeff, why? Just because the Lexicon says DTS, so what? Maybe it IS DTS, and the labelling on the package is wrong. The MC-12 handles DTS just fine. So what is the problem?

Can anyone scan in a decent quality image of the back and front of the "The Last Samurai" packaging? Im interested to know if it lists anything about region coding.

Also, does anyone have any word on how discs in PAL regions will be encoded, eg, will they still be 1080p24? I really have a bad feeling they mayby encoded at 1080p25 to allow easier output to our 1080i50 displays in Australia , im not sure just how many can accept 60Hz input. How much processing power is required to convert (eg speed up) 1080p24 to 1080i50? It sure would be a shame to not finally get rid of the encoding differences across the world.

There is no regional coding for HD DVD, according to amirm.

As for the output formats, they will have to match up with the electrical system used in that part of the world. In any event, the HD-A1 will not do 1080p at this time.

Anyone else having troubles getting the HDMI output to work with a Sony KD34-XBR960? I can get the component out to work, but not HDMI. I get no picture at all. FYI, this is the first time I have used the HDMI input on the TV, so that could be the problem.


Got it figured out. It appears the HDMI cable was the culprit. That was the easiest fix.

What is the best way to hook up audio from hd dvd player into a reciever???the anlog 5.1, Coaxial, or fiberoptic???

I went with optical myself; been using it since it came out on all my players and just used the same cable for this when it took the place of my Zenith. One cable, no fuss. Looking forward to eliminating it someday and just using hdmi for everything.

Thanks for the info.. just bought a sony home theater in a box wish i could have afforded something better but for the time being it will have to do

What is the best way to hook up audio from hd dvd player into a reciever???the anlog 5.1, Coaxial, or fiberoptic???

Well, until receivers with some of the new decoders come out, it seems like the only way to get DTS-HD/DD+/DD True HD will be with 5.1 analog cables.

I've got 5.1 Analog AND Optical hooked up, will play around with it more when I get the actual titles.

Got it figured out. It appears the HDMI cable was the culprit. That was the easiest fix.
Was this the cable that came with player?

So to use the Analog outs, I would have to have matching analong inputs on my receiver right?

Im gonna check as I don't know if I have em or not on my reciever. I got it in 99 and know it does vanilla DTS and DD. Heck, probably wont matter much until I move and get a new sound system, however, if I have the capability, I want to take advantage of the best of what's available when I finally get my player.