Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD FAQ: Link and Discussion thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7495092&&#post7495092)

How about a thread for XA1 users?
After all, isnt this supposed to be Toshiba's "high end" model?
Has anyone gotten their's yet?
I expect to have mine tomorrow (fingers and toes crossed) :)
Lets have some feedback on the model "X" !

How about a thread for XA1 users?
After all, isnt this supposed to be Toshiba's "high end" model?
Has anyone gotten their's yet?
I expect to have mine tomorrow (fingers and toes crossed) :)
Lets have some feedback on the model "X" !

Be sure to show us some photos. ;)

Be sure to show us some photos. ;)

I will do that. I want to get pics of the inside of this puppy. The ones I see of the A1 have me curious. And besides, I'm like a little kid, I need to take stuff apart to see what makes it tick :p

Same here. It's due here tomorrow. I have TLS and Serenity waiting. I know one thing I will be checking is the DTS issue that the A1 is having.

Aren't the players the same internally?

Aren't the players the same internally?

No. it's shielded chassi in the XA1

Internally as in the components, not the housing.

arronwt, that's the $64,000 question. The latest information I saw said yes, the video and audio components are the same. But, the XA1 does have the SHARC Processor logo on the front and I don't believe that the A1 has one internally. So, I personally won't rule anything out until I have it and have the time to go thru it all.

I'm not sure how the motorized door thing is going to work in my video cabinet :confused: I remember my old JVC SVHS decks had a similar door (though not motorized) and it was a pain in the butt.
If my friend gets his A1 this week, I can make a real comparision :)

I will have my unit tomorrow (Thursday)...Then let the HD rain!!!

She's here!!!! :D

http://www.nepa-hdtv.com/images/hddvd/hd-xa1-boxed.jpg

http://www.nepa-hdtv.com/images/hddvd/hd-xa1-open.jpg

I've had the HD-A1 since Monday, but that X1 looks so sweet I might have to make an exchange!

congrats...right off the bat, please check the audio :)

Ohh that one is nice, lovely design.

Damn! I wish it was Thursday!

OK, a few initial things:

-The audio "problems" in the A1 are present in the XA1; DTS re-encoding, Warner titles to low. Warner today acknowledged it was an authoring issue (the volume, not the DTS part).
-It's slow, just like A1. At least I saw it coming.
-The front door is smooth and virtually impossible to hear as it opens and closes.
-The fan can be heard as the unit is turning on. I noticed during Serenity that after I hit play in the menu, it immediately slowed down to where I could barely hear it.

More to some as I go. Waiting for it to get dark in the room so I can really get a feel for it.

You ordered the same player and titles as me, why do I have to wait so long to get stuff the other side of the atlantic :)

Let us know what you think.

I will post some p;ic paired with Ruby.

Warner today acknowledged it was an authoring issue (the volume, not the DTS part).

Did Warner mention what they were going to do about existing discs with too low volume? (BTW, where did you see this mentioned?)

I don't believe an official announcement has been made.

I will post some p;ic paired with Ruby.

Boy does your player look fresh. Lets crank it up.

-Robert

Boy does your player look fresh. Lets crank it up.

-Robert

Thanks Robert, you guys are the BEST. :D
great do do busyness with you ;)

I will post some p;ic paired with Ruby.

I notice that you have both the HD-XA1 and the Sony Ruby.

I was wondering, if the HD-XA1 outputs 1080i60, and you feed that signal to the Ruby through HDMI, can the Ruby reconstruct the original 24 frames per second and display the signal as 1080p24?

Boy does your player look fresh. Lets crank it up.

-Robert

Got my X today, thanks Robert :)
Only had time to view Samuria and it looked awesome! Bye bye macroblocking, blacks look rich and smooth. No audio issues but I did have to turn the volume up a little more then usual (I have sd dvd's with lower vol. then this). Worked great right out of the box. No tweaking. Just pluge and play :p
Cant waite to get more discs.
Robert, per our arrangment, expect something in the mail in a few days ;)
More reports later, but now, it's almost my bedtime :(

I think I will go to bed early tonite so Thursday will come quicker!

OK a little more to feast on, but first:

bferr1, this was posted by Alan Gouger, one of the forum administrators. Not official, but they do know.

I just got a call From David ( From Mexico ) at a gathering with some industry insiders ( cant mention names without permission ) and all current software on the market has faulty audio track.
Robert, thank you for getting this to me so quick. Almost called and asked if I could drive to the store and pick it up yesterday. But, reason prevailed and I waited. Oh, and the almost $3 a gallon for gas killed that idea real quick too.

OK, now back to the player. I've had more time to play around and I've got a few more things to add.

-The fan getting slower once the movie starts that I mentioned before; turns out I was wrong. It was actually the disc speed slowing down.

-While the remote feels better than the one included with the A1, it's still no treat. The auto backlight is not consistent. I'll have it in my hand while the light is out and I'll try to make it come on by moving it or shaking it. Most of the time though, no luck. But, it'll be sitting on the couch and the bass will make it light up. Frustrating to say the least.

-I have the player hooked up via optical and 6-channel analog. It's hard to compare because the bass management and EQ settings are very different from the XA1 and my Pioneer Elite 56TXi. I'm not really sure which one I like more at this point.

-Serenity's authoring is bit rough. I've had the player search for about 30 seconds before getting to a scene after selecting it. This does not happen with TLS.

Last but not least, a fews more pics and A VIDEO!!

The HD Menu in action during TLS. (http://www.nepa-hdtv.com/images/hddvd/HD_Menu.wmv)

http://www.nepa-hdtv.com/images/hddvd/player_front.jpg

http://www.nepa-hdtv.com/images/hddvd/serenity.jpg

bferr1, this was posted by Alan Gouger, one of the forum administrators. Not official, but they do know.

Jeff, thanks for that. I did see Alan's post in the other thread, but for some reason I missed that he was one of the mods, and so I reflexively took what he was saying with a grain of salt-- especially because he mentions "David from Mexico" as a source. :D

Jeff, thanks for that. I did see Alan's post in the other thread, but for some reason I missed that he was one of the mods, and so I reflexively took what he was saying with a grain of salt-- especially because he mentions "David from Mexico" as a source. :D

He was most likely refering to David Bott, one of the operators of this forum ;)

Wow, I am really out to lunch on this one! LOL!

I notice that you have both the HD-XA1 and the Sony Ruby.

I was wondering, if the HD-XA1 outputs 1080i60, and you feed that signal to the Ruby through HDMI, can the Ruby reconstruct the original 24 frames per second and display the signal as 1080p24?
I did connected it directed via HDMI @ 1080i and it played beautifully.
NO problems at all.
The question is, I have CH set up and want to see how this player pairs with my VP30 + Ruby :)

I need to know... How is the 720P downscaling? Same as the HD-A1? or perfect?

Alan and David own/operate AVS Forum, and no, David isn't from Mexico. ;)

Would someone please check. Robert's preproduction model put out 480i over hdmi. How about the xa1? Could this be a change from the a1?

No go for 480i here on my XA1. Just 480p, 720p, and 1080i.

No go for 480i here on my XA1. Just 480p, 720p, and 1080i.

I tried that last night as well, no go for 480i over HDMI, at least not with an HD-DVD title (and i don't know why anyone would want to do that to an HD-DVD title)...I'll have to try it with an SD-DVD tonight.

Jeff, did you try it with an SD-DVD or with an HD-DVD?

No go for 480i here on my XA1. Just 480p, 720p, and 1080i.

Can you answer my question from above? How is the 720P downscaling? Perfect, or crappy like the A1

Tweeter just called. My XA1 is in the building!! I'll be joining this party soon! :D

Can you answer my question from above? How is the 720P downscaling? Perfect, or crappy like the A1

The two players have the same electronics inside. You won't find any difference there.

But, the XA1 does have the SHARC Processor logo on the front and I don't believe that the A1 has one internally.

The HD-A1's box has the SHARC logo on it.

But, the XA1 does have the SHARC Processor logo on the front and I don't believe that the A1 has one internally.

The guts of the HD-A1. Notice the Sharc chip on the board.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7491026&&#post7491026

My unit has just arrived! I am in HD HEAVEN as well!!! I will post back later with initial thoughts and impressions. Time for some alone time....

The guts of the HD-A1. Notice the Sharc chip on the board.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7491026&&#post7491026
In the March 2006 issue (#106) of Widescreen Review, they said.
Both devices will utilize Broadcom’s® new BCM7411D video decoder chip and will output copy-protected HD content through the HDMI interface in either 720p or 1080i. Both players will internally process Dolby Digital+, Dolby TrueHD (two-channel only), and DTS-HD, with the HD-XA1 employing four Analog Devices SHARC DSP chips for audio decoding. In addition, the SHARC chips will provide user selectable bass management, delay management, and channel level management.
It seems to imply that only the XA1 has four of them, but has no info on what the A1 has. It would be interesting to see if the XA1 really has 4, but I don't know how to figure out what they do differently than the A1.

In the March 2006 issue (#106) of Widescreen Review, they said.

It seems to imply that only the XA1 has four of them, but has no info on what the A1 has. It would be interesting to see if the XA1 really has 4, but I don't know how to figure out what they do differently than the A1.

I've had both in my posession, and off the top of my head, I don't recall there being any difference in the speaker/sub setup menus...I think the XA1 might just be identical to A1 as far as innards go!

The guts of the HD-A1. Notice the Sharc chip on the board.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7491026&&#post7491026

Where are the SHARC chip(s) in that pic, I can't find them in all that soup?

pclausen...where are you with your disassembled XA1 ??? :D

Where are the SHARC chip(s) in that pic, I can't find them in all that soup?
The reason you cant see them ISSSSSSSSS.....its a HDA1!

Can you answer my question from above? How is the 720P downscaling? Perfect, or crappy like the A1

It's a short and unfortunate answer, yes it's crap.

So far I have not been able to get the XA1 to work with the iscan VP30. I am getting HDMI ERROR 0...I am now trying to get it to work without the scaler...

My HD-A1 box says "SHARC processor by Analog Devices" on the top, right next to all the other logos. So it must have at least one.

I think Toshiba has a trick up their sleeve.. See all those Xilinx chips? Those are programmable logic chips, they can be programmed to do anything, they arent made for one thing. from Xilinx's website about those chips "You can integrate embedded processing, digital signal processing (DSP), and connectivity capabilities into Spartan-3 devices at no extra cost." So if toshiba can reprogram the chips with a firmware update... they could fix stuff and even enable new features.. perhaps a DD encoder isn't too farfetched? just a thought.

What's wrong with just a DTS encoder?

Where are the SHARC chip(s) in that pic, I can't find them in all that soup?

You can't find them? There are four of them in the HD-A1. The writing is upside down in that pic.

I rotated and cropped the image. Can you see them now? :)

pclausen...where are you with your disassembled XA1 ??? :D
Why not.. :D

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/hdxa1-1.jpg

http://www.cstone.net/~dk/hdxa1-2.jpg

pclausen,

That is the guts of the HD-A1, right?

pclausen,

That is the guts of the HD-A1, right?
I was wondering how long it would take before someone would call it. :)

I suspect that the guts of the A1 and XA1 are identical...

You can't find them? There are four of them in the HD-A1. The writing is upside down in that pic.
Great news for A1 owners. Thanks for verifying it. At least now we won't have a bunch of people scrambling to figure out what the XA1 does better and if they should upgrade.

I got my XA1 from Tweeter today in San Diego. I just got couple of hours to test it out. Currently I have Meridian G98AH, Lexicon MC12B, Pioneer 1130HD and now added XA1. I played "Samurai" in 1080i. What I immeditely noticed is like this:

1. Played Samurai and I could see Dolby Digital in MC12B.
2. Sound is very low compared my earlier calibrations
3. Next played one of my Indian languages (Telugu) movie DVD. The DVD is basically good quality. At this stage I noticed Dolby THX in MC12B (Please remember this DVD is only DD and I verified after played in my Meridian G98AH
4. Compared upscaling of G98AH and Toshiba felt G98 sligtly better
5. After this I palyed again Samurai and now I see dts 5.1 in my MC12B. It certainly proves that there is a bug. Look at step 1 Samurai was DD

And you made no changes on the HDMI out to pcm, auto, downmixed pcm, or bitstream?

For some reason now the XA1 is working with the VP30 but not with the Belkin Razorvision (I use it in pass thru mode)... Everything else I have has worked fine (all HDMI components) so I am hopeful the XA1 will follow suit. I will be calling them today to discuss firmware upgrades to help make the HDMI more compatible. It is really not a good feeling when your XA1 gets the "shakes"... If they do not get this HDMi issue resolved quickly then I can't see to many people keeping theirs with a 50% ratio (half the time it works/HDMI ERROR 0)...

And you made no changes on the HDMI out to pcm, auto, downmixed pcm, or bitstream?

No change during switching between Indian Language DVD and Samurai. During initial setup I choose Bitstream on "Digital out SPDIF".

I will try to do little more research this weekend to see how consistently the SPDIF out works .

I have one question: How do I suppress audio on HDMI cable ?

i want i want :P
Good pics

Red/Green power on/off light is the same as the 2005/2006 line of Denon's AVRs and DVD-s right? hmm

When my HD-XA1 arrived yesterday, I noticed that the internal box (not the outside packaging from VE) was sealed with tape that said "Inspected by Southwest Airlines Cargo." Anyone else notice this? There didn't appear to be anything disturbed inside.

I am now having no problems with my XA1. It does not like the belkin razorvision though. I am lucky I can disconnect it rather easily. I mainly use it for sports anyhow. I was wondering if TLS and POTO automaticaly play in HD DVD? Serenity gives you an option when you first put it in but I have not noticed that with the WB titles. Serenity looks great. TLS so far I have not been impressed. And yes it is playing in 1080i output. I just want to make sure there wasn't a special HD DVD selection that I am missing...

When my HD-XA1 arrived yesterday, I noticed that the internal box (not the outside packaging from VE) was sealed with tape that said "Inspected by Southwest Airlines Cargo." Anyone else notice this? There didn't appear to be anything disturbed inside.
Same here. The seal underneath was not broken and everything inside was sealed. Maybe it goes through X-Ray machines to check the contents and that tape is to let Southwest employees it passed?

I suspect that the guts of the A1 and XA1 are identical...
If that's the case, than why get the XA1?

rs232, the backlit remote, motorized door and to say you spent $300 extra to have the high end toshiba......

So far the known differences are:

* RS-232 port for control
* Motorized Front
* Motion Activated Backlit Remote
* Large insulated stabilizing feet
* All extruded aluminum construction (double wall)
* Different appearance

So far the known differences are:

* RS-232 port for control
* Motorized Front
* Motion Activated Backlit Remote
* Large insulated stabilizing feet
* All extruded aluminum construction (double wall)
* Different appearance

you forgot the blue "knight rider" light in the front under the display panel :)

Got mine today. :)

Component only so far but HDMI will be fixed on my system soon. I have only tried TLS so far but the picture is a defnite imporovement over the PAL dvd. Its is sharper and looks more film like, the menus are cool too. For all those that believe there wont be much imporovement with 720P displays, this is not the case, significantly better looking picture feeding 1080I into my Lumagen and then 720P out to my Benq.

Yes, 720p (native H79) from a VP30 looks excellent as well. The screen looks very crisp, clear and artifact free. Between HD DVD, HD DirecTv, and my DTHEATER collection, I should have plenty of HD options!

Congrats Krobar! The remote is not that bad. I have seen many worse. And I agree that many will probably use a universal remote anyway...

So far the known differences are:

* RS-232 port for control
* Motorized Front
* Motion Activated Backlit Remote
* Large insulated stabilizing feet
* All extruded aluminum construction (double wall)
* Different appearance


Do they both use the same HDMI transmitter chip? The A1 uses the Silicon Image
Sil 9030CTU, which is capable to 720p/1080i. The SiI9030CTU-7 is capable to 1080p.

getting mine thursday...

When my HD-XA1 arrived yesterday, I noticed that the internal box (not the outside packaging from VE) was sealed with tape that said "Inspected by Southwest Airlines Cargo." Anyone else notice this? There didn't appear to be anything disturbed inside.


Mine too. The guy that sold me the player told me that Toshiba is trying to keep up with demand by shipping via Southwest Air. He said that they routinely inspect the cargo for security reasons and that I could bring it back if there is a problem.

Everything inside of the box was perfect.

Dave Wellington

If that's the case, than why get the XA1?

Well......

A) The extra ridgid/heavy chassis and large shock absorbing feet alone make it worth the extra 300$, esp. if you like to play your subwoofer LOUD.

B) The motorized door is WAY cool, esp. when you have friends over to "show off".

C) Us "X" owners have good taste, and lots of money :D

Do they both use the same HDMI transmitter chip? The A1 uses the Silicon Image
Sil 9030CTU, which is capable to 720p/1080i. The SiI9030CTU-7 is capable to 1080p.

maybe at some point i will get the kahunas to pop open the case, but for now, no kahunas :)

now if we can just get pclausen to buy an XA1, then we would be set (pclause, don't post A1 pics, get the XA1! :))

maybe at some point i will get the kahunas to pop open the case, but for now, no kahunas :)

now if we can just get pclausen to buy an XA1, then we would be set (pclause, don't post A1 pics, get the XA1! :))

Ben, I was going to open mine up this weekend and take a few pics. I dont know though, I'm too lazy :o We'll see.

My friends were "wowed" over the motorized door. I know it is something simple, but they just thought it was cool making it open and close while we were in our seats. Then they were "wowed" over the picture quality!

Any way to turn off the blue light?

Last night I finally had a chance to sit down and watch an entire movie (Serenity) on my XA1 that I picked up on Thursday. It's connected via HDMI to a Sammy HL-R6768W (calibrated by Eliab). I've always thought that my set looked fantastic with HD programming from DirecTV and standard DVDs up-converted with my Sony 3100ES. When Eliab finished the calibration of my Sammy a few months back, he told me that I haven't seen anything yet...wait until I see HD-DVD or BluRay on it. Last night was the best that my set has EVER looked. I had no idea that my DLP was capable of producing a picture like this. The detail and depth that I witnessed on the screen was phenomenal. I've read that Serenity has the worst picture quality of all of the recent releases. If that's the case, I can't wait to see what the other discs (and future releases) will look like. The sound was no slouch either!

I'm afraid that it's going to be extremely difficult to watch standard DVDs from this point on. We need more releases!

My HD-XA1 is supposed to get here on Monday 4/24. I have been reading that the HD DVD of "Phanton of the Opera" has a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track. I will be using my Denon DVD-5910CI for all of my regular DVD's but when I'm using my HD DVD player with a lossless soundtrack I want to be able to take advantage of it. I have heard the only way I can access this is through the players RCA multi-channel analog outputs...is this true?

My HD-XA1 is supposed to get here on Monday 4/24. I have been reading that the HD DVD of "Phanton of the Opera" has a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track. I will be using my Denon DVD-5910CI for all of my regular DVD's but when I'm using my HD DVD player with a lossless soundtrack I want to be able to take advantage of it. I have heard the only way I can access this is through the players RCA multi-channel analog outputs...is this true?

partially correct...unfortunately these first generation players from Toshiba can only output 2 channels of the TrueHD, not all the channels...so it downmixes the TrueHD into 2 channel stereo and that is output via the analog.

partially correct...unfortunately these first generation players from Toshiba can only output 2 channels of the TrueHD, not all the channels...so it downmixes the TrueHD into 2 channel stereo and that is output via the analog.
yeah, I had heard that but I guess I was hoping it was wrong...how nice of them to release players that can't take advantage of the technology on the discs they are supposed to be able to play...will HDMI v1.3 (when implemented) take care of that (in a one-cable digital form)?

It still sounds great without TrueHD! I'd rather have multichannels sound at a lower resolution than TrueHD in strero. I guess it's something to look forward to when the next gen receivers come out.

Last night I finally had a chance to sit down and watch an entire movie (Serenity) on my XA1 that I picked up on Thursday. It's connected via HDMI to a Sammy HL-R6768W (calibrated by Eliab). I've always thought that my set looked fantastic with HD programming from DirecTV and standard DVDs up-converted with my Sony 3100ES. When Eliab finished the calibration of my Sammy a few months back, he told me that I haven't seen anything yet...wait until I see HD-DVD or BluRay on it. Last night was the best that my set has EVER looked. I had no idea that my DLP was capable of producing a picture like this. The detail and depth that I witnessed on the screen was phenomenal. I've read that Serenity has the worst picture quality of all of the recent releases. If that's the case, I can't wait to see what the other discs (and future releases) will look like. The sound was no slouch either!

I'm afraid that it's going to be extremely difficult to watch standard DVDs from this point on. We need more releases!

My own thoughts exactly! I have a 50''SXRD and the thing that really struck me when viewing HDDVD was the contrast and the BLACKS. Yes, the resolution is excelent, but I have NEVER seen blacks like this! The blacks are, well, BLACK! no hint of green, purple, etc. They are smooth and rich, with no visible banding, blocking. After all this time watching OTA and sat. HD now I finally know what this display can do, and it is simply outstanding.
I just cant express how thrilled I am. The cinema has been my main intrest in life since I was 16 (dont ask how long ago that was :rolleyes: ) and this is like a dream come true for me. The next few years will be very exciting. When I think of how HDDVD and BD will look on future displays (like SED) I get a hard..... er, well, you know what I mean ;)

Is the RCA model exactly the same as Toshiba?

Rob

It still sounds great without TrueHD! I'd rather have multichannels sound at a lower resolution than TrueHD in strero. I guess it's something to look forward to when the next gen receivers come out.
I agree, but I wish they could have gotten their act together BEFORE releasing the players...I didn't go with the HDMI card on my Integra RDC-7.1 for that very fact...I'll be buying the v1.3 card the second they release it though...

The blacks do look great. You really don't need the super high end displays to really enjoy this format. When we get more titles (reference type) then we will really be posting about how great these discs are!

The blacks do look great. You really don't need the super high end displays to really enjoy this format. When we get more titles (reference type) then we will really be posting about how great these discs are!

Your right joerod, this is (hopefully) only the tip of the perverbial iceburg.
Great things are yet to come :)
And no, you really dont need a super high end display to enjoy and see the difference.
I hooked the "X" up to my 34'' XBR (in my bedroom) and it looks awesome.

The blacks do look great. You really don't need the super high end displays to really enjoy this format. When we get more titles (reference type) then we will really be posting about how great these discs are!

Isn't black just sending a "0" over HDMI? Why would HD-DVD have any better blacks than regular DVD? Perhaps they've pumped up the contrast and/or color saturation or something to make it look more impressive to try and sell the format. I doubt it's inherent to the format itself. I don't see any reason why you couldn't make a regular DVD that was identical to the HD-DVD except for being lower resolution.

--
Steve

Well, with the added resolution making a crisp, clear picture and nicely saturated colors the blacks are bound to look nicer as well. Even if it is an illusion, it is a very nice one indeed. The darkers scenes in these movies are so clear they are scary. Just wait til we get our first slasher flick. Now that will be even more scary...

3. Next played one of my Indian languages (Telugu) movie DVD. The DVD is basically good quality.

Athadu?
Chatrapathi?
Sri Anjaneyam?
Okkadu?? :)

what type of display do you have? (curious to know what Telugu DVD's look like on diff displays/equipment) :D

maybe at some point i will get the kahunas to pop open the case, but for now, no kahunas :)

now if we can just get pclausen to buy an XA1, then we would be set (pclause, don't post A1 pics, get the XA1! :))


C'mon dude, you know you want to. :D

Seriously though, if I knew that the XA1 had the "-7" chip, I'd buy it instead. There wouldn't be a firmware 1080p guarantee, but at least the capability is there.

Last night I finally had a chance to sit down and watch an entire movie (Serenity) on my XA1 that I picked up on Thursday. It's connected via HDMI to a Sammy HL-R6768W (calibrated by Eliab). I've always thought that my set looked fantastic with HD programming from DirecTV and standard DVDs up-converted with my Sony 3100ES. When Eliab finished the calibration of my Sammy a few months back, he told me that I haven't seen anything yet...wait until I see HD-DVD or BluRay on it. Last night was the best that my set has EVER looked. I had no idea that my DLP was capable of producing a picture like this. The detail and depth that I witnessed on the screen was phenomenal. I've read that Serenity has the worst picture quality of all of the recent releases. If that's the case, I can't wait to see what the other discs (and future releases) will look like. The sound was no slouch either!



I'm afraid that it's going to be extremely difficult to watch standard DVDs from this point on. We need more releases!

I agree the space scenes and some of the chase stuff were the cleansest sharpest images I've ever seen period. Today I compared it to I Robot on DTheater and the FX looked better ! I had made some earlier comments the first time I saw it that talked about it being a little soft and it was some of the live action shots that were slightly out of focus etc. This may ultimately not be a reference title but it is spectacular none the less !

Art

I agree the space scenes and some of the chase stuff were the cleansest sharpest images I've ever seen period. Today I compared it to I Robot on DTheater and the FX looked better ! I had made some earlier comments the first time I saw it that talked about it being a little soft and it was some of the live action shots that were slightly out of focus etc. This may ultimately not be a reference title but it is spectacular none the less !

Art

YES...especially the space scenes. The scene where Serenity is flying through the fleet of Reaver ships (1Hr and 12 minutes in) is crazy!! I couldn't believe the detail in the ships! Jaw-dropping... :eek:

Athadu?
Chatrapathi?
Sri Anjaneyam?
Okkadu?? :)

what type of display do you have? (curious to know what Telugu DVD's look like on diff displays/equipment) :D


I played only one Telugu movie so far "Nijam". I have Pioneer Elite 1130HD

Guys, anyone else here been tempted to accidentally take the DVD Forum demo disc that some BBs have running? :D

Man, I would even pay for that demo disc...some GREAT stuff on there...my wife was wondering why my quick Home Depot run took so long :)

I couldn't walk away, I wanted to see all the movies that are coming out soon...the Serenity disc had an insert with a bunch of upcoming titles as well.

And, OMFG, did Kong look spectacular.

I read about people seeing a demo disc but never personally saw it and thought most of the references were to the "intro" on the WB discs...

I played only one Telugu movie so far "Nijam". I have Pioneer Elite 1130HD

You should check out the titles I mentioned. Other than Okkadu, the rest have 24fps progressive flags!

Does the player upconvert standard DVDs and does it have a zoom feature?

Is the XA1 remote same design as the A1 but with backlight, or different/better?

Does the player upconvert standard DVDs and does it have a zoom feature?

Yes, it does a great gob of up-converting SD DVDs through its HDMI connection.

The Zoom is 2x/4x/8x.

-Robert

Is the XA1 remote same design as the A1 but with backlight, or different/better?

The remotes are exactly the same. The XA1 is motion sensored to activate the back-light. Very useful in a dark room.

-Robert

Or backlit manually, the unused button above the "A" on the A1 remote is labelled backilight

First the good news. I fired up my XA1 using HDMI with my JVC HD-2K projector and watched "Serenity." It looked terrific. Picture was sharp, colors were vibrant, no video noise or chroma noise, no dropouts, etc. Looks the equal of D-Theatre and broadcast HD so far.

Problem: I wanted to use the 5.1 analog outputs into my Lexicon processor. I went into the XA1's speaker settings menu and set the proper sizes and distances for my speakers and then went to the settings for speaker levels with the automatic test tone. I clicked on the automatic test tone and it went immediately to the left speaker with tone which I was then able to adjust. However, when I then tried to go to any of the other speakers the test tone would go away. I tried several times (including rebooting the XA1) with the same results. I can only hear a test tone from the front left speaker. The others go silent and the "automatic test tone" light goes off. Has anyone else had this problem? Perhaps I missed it elsewhere in the forum. Since I couldn't set the balance, I listened to the movie with through the optical out converted to DTS 5.1 which sounded very good to my ears (with a powerful low end).

Problem: I wanted to use the 5.1 analog outputs into my Lexicon processor. I went into the XA1's speaker settings menu and set the proper sizes and distances for my speakers and then went to the settings for speaker levels with the automatic test tone. I clicked on the automatic test tone and it went immediately to the left speaker with tone which I was then able to adjust. However, when I then tried to go to any of the other speakers the test tone would go away. I tried several times (including rebooting the XA1) with the same results. I can only hear a test tone from the front left speaker. The others go silent and the "automatic test tone" light goes off.

The test tones will automatically cycle through all of the speakers if you leave them be. If you try to manually move to the next speaker, the test tones turn off.

It's a little annoying, but it will work.

Does the player upconvert standard DVDs and does it have a zoom feature?
O my GOODNESS :(

Yes, it does a great gob of up-converting SD DVDs through its HDMI connection.

The Zoom is 2x/4x/8x.

-Robert



How do you activate the Zoom function? Can't find it mentioned anywhere in the HD-A1 manual.

How do you activate the Zoom function? Can't find it mentioned anywhere in the HD-A1 manual.

I know it's the "A" button for HD DVDs. I don't know about SD DVDs.

The test tones will automatically cycle through all of the speakers if you leave them be. If you try to manually move to the next speaker, the test tones turn off.

It's a little annoying, but it will work.


Many thanks!

Gosh, Tango22's and Art Sonneborn 's post in this page makes me want to buy the HD-XA1 . Ohh well.

Dual core processor or HD-DVD :P

I would get the XA1. It is really a nice piece of equipment. The motorized door is a neat option. And the remote is easy to read since it lights up quickly. We like a darkened room, so this is a bonus...

Played my first SD DVD last night on this puppy.
Looks quite good, less blocking then my Denon 3910 but it took a long time, and a few tries for the player to recognize the disc (over and above the usual 1 min. load time). Player kept trying to find a disc, but could'nt. It finally read it after pulling the disc out, and pressing play after closing the tray drawer.
Havent tried any other discs yet. The HD discs play automaticly when you close the drawer.
When I get home today, I'm going to try loading several different discs to see if the problem repeats.
Is anyone else having trouble with loading SD DVD's ?

No problems here, Nats, and I've tried store-bought DVDs, as well as burned DVD+Rs and DVD+R DLs. Haven't tried any rewritables, yet, though.

No problems here, Nats, and I've tried store-bought DVDs, as well as burned DVD+Rs and DVD+R DLs. Haven't tried any rewritables, yet, though.

Hmmm! I guess it's just me :confused:
I will play with it more when I get home.
Havent had much time, and I would still like to take some pics of the inside of this thing and post them.

Some people are saying it's the brand of blanks you use that might make a difference. I use Verbatim for my dual-layers.

I haven't had any issues either playing SD dvds... I would definitely experiment with other dvds as soon as you can...

I'm about to pick up the XA1 at a local retailer... just came in today. Wondering what the current thinking is on buying an extended warranty for this model.

No problems here, Nats, and I've tried store-bought DVDs, as well as burned DVD+Rs and DVD+R DLs. Haven't tried any rewritables, yet, though.


Strange.

The Toshiba web site indicates the following:
Disc Playback: HD-DVD/HD DVD-R/DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RAM/DVD-RW/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/

+Rs aren't listed. :confused:

+R format isn't officially recognized by the DVD Forum; only the -R format. Compatibility with +R is a given, but not a documented and promoted feature.

Warranties are really insurance. I would rather gamble with the manufacturer's warranty than spend extra for something that might not be used. That extra money could by more HD DVDs...

I'm sorry if this doesn't fit in this thread but I was wondering if someone could point out the best place to buy the XA1?

Value Electronics...

No problems here, Nats, and I've tried store-bought DVDs, as well as burned DVD+Rs and DVD+R DLs. Haven't tried any rewritables, yet, though.

Must have just been the disc, or the machine was in a bad mood ;)
Didnt have a problem with the ones I played last night.

I'm sorry if this doesn't fit in this thread but I was wondering if someone could point out the best place to buy the XA1?

Try Robert at Value Electronics. He may still have them. And maybe you can still get a free HD title with your purchase :)

Strange.

The Toshiba web site indicates the following:
Disc Playback: HD-DVD/HD DVD-R/DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RAM/DVD-RW/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/

+Rs aren't listed. :confused:
Some background. I have an old 1998 Toshiba SD-3109 connected to my Toshiba 65H85C. The 65H85C does an excellent job of up-converting the component-out from the SD-3109. I also video edit family events on to DVD-R and DVD+R DL.

My Toshiba SD-3109 will play DVD-R and DVD+R DL, which isn't stated in the manual. When I first started using DVD+R DL they wouldn't work on the SD-3109. After getting answers to my problem, I had to set the DVD Burner's Book-Type to DVD-ROM for DVD+R DL disks, then my old 1998 SD-3109 player would play them without any problems.

...Angelo

I would definitely try another disc...

Does Value Electronics still have them, the XA1 that is ??

-Gary

I believe so... Atleast last I heard...

Does Value Electronics still have them, the XA1 that is ??

-Gary

If not, check the "returns" at the various retailers.

I am sure there is not that many "returns"....

Just finished watching Serenity on a Pio 1130 via an HD-XA1, wow the PQ and the BLACKS are truly amazing, I am afraid to use the "enhanced Blacks" option in the set up menu. Has anyone tried this? I agree that the backlit remote is actually pretty sweet, and the motorized drop down door, very cool. Although I would prefer the green "on" light to be a cobalt blue, like the "on" light on the Pio. I can hardly wait to see this on the upcomming 65" 1080p Panny plasma. Looks like September though.

Good question, I wonder how may are using enhanced blacks...

Does Value Electronics still have them, the XA1 that is ??

-Gary
They will be back in stock tomorrow (Thursday).

Thank God...

I just placed my order with Value Electronics a few hours ago. I am already getting super anxious to get it.

does anyone know if these drives will work on the pc yet? do they have drivers for windows yet?

Way to go chrishicks! You won't be dissapointed...

Does Value Electronics still have them, the XA1 that is ??

-Gary
Yes.

-Robert

does anyone know if these drives will work on the pc yet? do they have drivers for windows yet?


they show in the system panel but don't work

they show in the system panel but don't work
Have you tried it on Vista Feb CTP ?

PM Sent Robert ;)

-Gary

has anyone tried a dvd audio disk?

they show in the system panel but don't work

THX MAN

I'm sorry if this doesn't fit in this thread but I was wondering if someone could point out the best place to buy the XA1?
crutchfield.com has them...

Not for long though because I heard they were almost out...

XA1s are a little easier to find.

-Robert

Because they came out later and they cost more? That could sound familiar......

XA1s are a little easier to find.

-Robert
acutally my AX1 was easier to find than the A1 crutchfield sold the A1s out instantly probably because folks didnt care about the Ax1 since they are the same as A1 just price diff.

I just got my player hooked up to my infocus 7205 m1 to an hdmi adapter and I have audio and no picture?

I hooked up component and I do have a pic

also on either I cant pull up the menu to set up the dvd player, I tried to stop the dics and no setup menu?


help

I currently have the bravo d2 using hdmi and direct tv sat box same way

I found the secret door on the remote, and I now have pic on hdmi :)

Secret door??? You mean the Voutput button?

No, the bottom half slides down revealing more buttons. Took me a while before I noticed as well :)

yeah, the v.output button is quicker :)

I got X-A 1 from Value Tronics, first two days nightmare. I just kept getting welcome screen, and blue screen for hdmi/dvi hdcp. None of buttons would respond. It would work on component like charm, after i disconeected the hdmi plug. What i learnt, is that try differenct cable, i purchased 5 different cables, single link dual link, etc and three different hdmi / dvi adapters, the last one from Magnolia, and a geffen blue dvi cable that came iwth my splitter did trick. so ultra try different combination.

Now that its working, i find the remote alone to be worth $300, love the sheek looks player. This player is now very responsive, i like the solid construction. I have tweaked my Mitsubishi 65813 diamond to it using perfect color, had it isf serviced, i am never going to theatre again. the picture is stunning. .Iwas upset initially, now i am happy.

My favorite thing is the Martian blue light on panel , it reinforces it is blue laser, looks cool glowing in the dark.

My only wish were the movies would fill the entire screen, is there an option to do that on the player, crop some of the picture .

My only wish were the movies would fill the entire screen, is there an option to do that on the player, crop some of the picture .

thats a shame.

"My only wish were the movies would fill the entire screen, is there an option to do that on the player, crop some of the picture . "

Try the "Zoom" on the remote.

yeah, the v.output button is quicker :)
Hmm, that button did nothing for me and doesn't access the setup menu :confused:

it won't access the setup menu but the op was having difficulty getting hdmi to work...if you want to get into the setup screens, yes, you need to slide the little door down and press setup.

The player is beautiful, built like a tank but it responds very slow its annoying!
I know its a first gerneration player but its still frustrating.

will the response time improve with firmware updates?

also can I view pictures from my computer via the player?

I have only seen sd dvds so far I dont have any hd dvds yet I hope it blows me a way

The firmware disc they will be sending (hopefully sooner than later) should address the menu speeds...And hopefully a few other things... I am still very happy with my unit but I also realize there is always room for improvements...

So far I spent the evening viewing sd discs perfect storm, 2 fast 2 furious, toy story 2, spiderman 2. I have come to the conclusion that the bravo d2 holds it own against the Toshiba. Hd dvd better be smokin!

one thing I came to learn is that when im watching the toshiba and I switch video inputs on my TV there is a HDMI error 0 that pops up. Kinda odd so I gotta take the disk out and start again.

So far I spent the evening viewing sd discs perfect storm, 2 fast 2 furious, toy story 2, spiderman 2. I have come to the conclusion that the bravo d2 holds it own against the Toshiba. Hd dvd better be smokin!

seems like we are building up to a big crescendo...

You're right BenDover!

seems like we are building up to a big crescendo...


I have read the toshiba was preferred to most upconverting players, I personally dont see any differences. I know the toshiba is sold mainly to be a hd player but for me I would be replacing my bravo d2. Im just posting my thoughts of this player so far I dont think I have badmouthed the toshiba? but I guess if you dont have glowing reviews altogether then you just dont fit in :)

Btw hoping to get my netflix hddvds in today:)

I'm returning my Toshiba today, just too flaky for me. However, going back to my Denon 2900 there is an easily noticeable difference and the Toshiba was definitely better PQ and especially SQ wise with SDDVDs. It was so much better then my Denon (component) that I'm almost sad and going to miss the Toshiba because it did a pretty outstanding job upconverting over HDMI and audio seemed much crisper and it more full if that's possible.

Then why return it... Maybe you should try the RCA model or even the D1...

I'm returning my Toshiba today, just too flaky for me. However, going back to my Denon 2900 there is an easily noticeable difference and the Toshiba was definitely better PQ and especially SQ wise with SDDVDs. It was so much better then my Denon (component) that I'm almost sad and going to miss the Toshiba because it did a pretty outstanding job upconverting over HDMI and audio seemed much crisper and it more full if that's possible.

Hey Kid, sorry to hear about your problems, but DONT return it until you try using different cables. I hope your not using those crappy factory HDMI cables! If so, get yourself some decent ones, and try again.
Not all HDMI cables are the same (I found that out the hard way), and alot of handshake issues can be cured with the right cable.
Much to my own surprise, I also like the XA1 better for sd DVD's over my Denon 3910. The Toshiba has a much cleaner picture.
Do yourself a favor and please try my suggestion. If swapping cables doesnt do the trick, maybe you have a lemon :( ! Just exchange it. Dont give up quite yet :)

This HD DVD unit is definitely worth the trouble... Good suggestion about the cable...

I think I may have believer in HD-DVD. Had an ex Boston Celtic come over to the house today and he loved the quality of the movies on HD-DVD. I showed him scenes of POTO and Serenity and he just sat there and was, as he put it "in movie heaven". He is putting in a theater with a 106" diag screen and wants the player too. I won't give his name but he played college ball at Louisville and was the 25th pick of the draft to the Clippers.

Thanks for the hints...

I got mine on Monday. Have not had the time to watch a full HD-DVD movie yet , but I saw the beginning of DOOM.

The HD-DVD picture is of course superb, you can tell even when the Universal logo shows up. The SD-DVD is great over HDMI but over component I thought the image was not that good (well I'm comparing to the Denon 5910). I watched a whole movie on SD-DVD over HDMI and initially I saw some bands on the top of the image which surprised me. I had to turn everything off due to some other stuff I had to do. When I turned everything on a couple of hours later the banding disappeared. Also the first time I connected via HDMI the image did not appear at all. I had to go back to component and watched like 10-15 minutes, then switched back to HDMI and the image showed up. Weird !!! But that was when I got the banding. Ever since I played other DVDs and so far no banding. I still have one issue with HDMI, the Setup menu will not show up (it works fine over component).

Operational wise it is very slow and the Setup menu particularly is very unresponsive.

Build quality seems Ok, I have not had time to check the audio but it plays CDs and the CD layer in SACDs fine.

More later.

Got mine yesterday from Tweeters. I received a flyer from them for a May discount sale. I got mine for 10% off. It was the last one in the store, although they said the have 40 in their Houston wharehouse.

So far I like this player. I haven't had any operational problems. It does a real good job on SD DVDs. I don't like the way they implemented the zoom function.

Congrats TWD!

.... yesterday from Magnolia in Seattle. I also got the 4 year service program for $65 which for a first generation machine at this cost is a bargain I feel.

Well, I forgot to purchase an HDMI to DVI adapter for the player end so instead of plugging it in to my HD-72 Optoma, I used the component outputs to my Panasonic Plasma HD instead. I didn't bother to hook up audio yet until I get the adapter and run it through my PJ later tonight.

One of the STRONG reasons I purchased HD-DVD is because of the fact that it can play standard CD's. As a realtor, I am constantly burning CD's, CD-R and the like. In fact, last night I burned a DVD-R from a Quicktime trailer for Poseidon and it worked beautifully. As of now, the Blue Ray system assumes you'll have yet another machine for music. So much for keeping standards with the video optical disc consortiums.

Anyway, watching Apollo 13 last night on the Plasma was absolutely amazing. More than amazing-- simply breathtaking. The first thing you'll notice is that there are none of the typical compression artifacts that are associated with HD broadcasts. The filmic quality is literally palpable. The player itself is elegant and very prestigous looking. It looks like hi-end gear. And I do really like the remote actually. Every button is placed well and it feels solid with a heavy quality to it.

I like how the display reads "DVD" or "HD-DVD" depending on the disc. And of course, in the dark, the player is sexy as all get out with the stunning blue spill flourescence coming from the center. Pressing "display" on the remote reveals the output resolution, the soundtrack encoding and the codec used for the disc. Lovely touch.

With Apollo 13, the menu overlays the video playback at any point in the movie. So, if you want to look the chapters available, click on the menu button and the movie continues to play in the background while you make your choices. Also, you can use the 4 way shuttle to bring the main menu on and off screen at any time.

Speaking of menus, they are slow to come on screen and slow to exit- as they stutter a bit. It's as if the player's processing power is not quite enough to do all things at once. But not an annoyance and perhaps a more efficient firmware update will fix this.

Tonight, we'll do the big test on the projector and connect the sound system and its various possibilities. I'll be back with screen shots of Apollo 13 as well as any more musings that I may have about this player. But so far, I believe Toshiba has created a rather mature product for a first generation HD player. And, if you want the best in build quality, get one of these now. Chances are, this product category will be built off-shore without the refinements you see now.

I really like the cool blue light look as well. It reminds me of my JVC HM5U and its long blue light...

Hey Clint,

Shouldnt you be out taking pictures? Im alsmot ready to get an XA1 myself.

I would get one ASAP since they are going fast lately. The XA1 is a very nice unit. I am glad I spent the extra to get it. I may end up getting another one real soon for my 50" plasma... That's how much I like it! :)

Let's see... I've had the unit less than 24 hours and here's what I know...

I don't question the step up in picture or sound quality, and the new menu overlays are relatively convienent. What I've seen of Serenity is quite impressive, but that where the issues arrise.

I have yet to go more than twenty minutes into the film without it either completely locking up, or going out of sync. I'll check my copies of Million Dollar Baby and Last Samurai tonight, but honestly, I'm expecting the same results.

The menu set up is cool, but I cannot move any cursor down, unless the film has locked up, then it works perfectly. Which would be useful if I could actually play the movie.

I've already e-mailed the issues to Toshiba, since these issues are most likely hardware based... Why do I say these are hardware based? There is no consistancy in the problems, aside from the no down function in the menus. Everything pops up randomly.

I hope they have a firmware upgrade ready. My unit was manufactured in February 06, so I wonder if anything was adressed at all.

Good thing I bought this unit from a physical store... Should I need to return it, which is seeming very likely, I can get my refund fairly quickly.

So far, this launch is looking like a complete cluster (insert explicitive), and going to nothign but damage the future of packaged HD media.

fitprod

fitprod, That down button is tricky. If you hear two clicks when you press it you entered the input between down and left or right. You will only hear one click if you press the down button correctly. It took me a while to get the hang of it but it works consistently now whereas before I thought my player was defective.

If you are happy with the picture I would either experiment more with your current player of bring it back and exchange it for another...

rs232, the backlit remote, motorized door and to say you spent $300 extra to have the high end toshiba......

Or the wireless networking?

In my own case, I have an existing wireless router (Linksys WRT54GS) in the room next door to where the Toshiba is going. Given a choice of running wires or going wireless, wireless wins.

Let's see... I've had the unit less than 24 hours and here's what I know...

The menu set up is cool, but I cannot move any cursor down, unless the film has locked up, then it works perfectly. Which would be useful if I could actually play the movie.

Good thing I bought this unit from a physical store... Should I need to return it, which is seeming very likely, I can get my refund fairly quickly.

So far, this launch is looking like a complete cluster (insert explicitive), and going to nothign but damage the future of packaged HD media.

fitprod


I have to agree I watched apollo 13 with a bunch of people in my theater and it locked up 5 times had to uplug the unit and wait and wait.

I like the player but Its way to buggy for me, its going back:(

I bought mine on Tuesday at Ultimate Electronics. They were having a "preferred" customer special tonight with 10% off most purchases and told me if I came back tonight they could give me the 10% off the Xa1 + any movies. Just got back and am a happy camper. :)

While I was there I mentioned to the salesperson that my player had locked up while watching Phantom of the Opera, and he acknowledged that they (as a company) were aware of the bugs. He claims that's why the launch was pushed back a month until April. Whether or not he really knew, he implied that a firmware update was on the way.

fitprod, That down button is tricky. If you hear two clicks when you press it you entered the input between down and left or right. You will only hear one click if you press the down button correctly.

Clark, with all due respect, I shouldn't have to listen for the "click" to know if I've done something correct with the remote. It's a defective design.

If you are happy with the picture I would either experiment more with your current player of bring it back and exchange it for another...

Joerod, "Being happy with the picture" can only take one so far. If the unit can not play back the superior picture back properly, what's the point?

I've experimented with the player with three different HD DVD's, there nothing more to "experiment" with. I've already E-mailed Toshiba all of the problems I've had. Hopefully they'll respond promptly.

It's sort of a shame since it has quite awesome up-conversion for standard DVD's and HD... Well that explains itself.

It figure that my gut instinct about Toshiba is coming true... Couldn't build a standard def player properly, can't build an HD unit either.

If there isn't quick fix, I'm returning the player and waiting for someone to build a good HD DVD unit.

fitprod

I've just had a second disc freeze up on me today... I'm suddenly less optimistic about my player. I was 1 hour 16 min into Last Samurai and the image froze and audio dropped. The image stuttered for a bit and would not stop until I pressed the chapter skip. I restarted the disc and went back to the same spot. This time it played through but then about 40 seconds later it froze again and this time made a very loud static noise.

Minute-wise this was about the same place where Phantom of the Opera froze on me earlier today. In both instances I was simply watching and had not touched the remote since the movie started.

Today was the first time I had tried watching any movie all the way through so now I'm wondering if I have a defective unit. My player is level and it is well ventilated. Should I be exchanging the unit or the software?

Wow.

On the giant screen with the Optoma HD72, I felt like I was transported back 11 years to the premier of "Apollo 13". What a stunning transfer to HD-DVD-- the movie has never ever looked this good. Universal should be proud.

The fidelity of the HD color pallet is enormous. Mrs. Lovell's red hair glistens with Auburn and red highlights. The period clothing (lots of yellows, red, green and blue) sparkles with a sort of digital technicolor. And every expression of fear, anxiety and hope is expressed with crystal clear clarity through the eyes of each performer. Indeed, the quality is so good that it actually enhances the story and takes on an altogether different discovery. In fact, during close-ups of the color console television broadcasts, you could even see the shadow mask through the glass! Believe me when I say this takes on a 70mm kind of appeal I have yet to see in any high definition broadcast. Don't forget that HD is not JUST about resolution, it also contains a much larger color space that makes standard DVD look pale in comparison.

And after the closing credits were completed, this HD-DVD disc automatically cues up the first available special content on the disc. How is that for first class authoring?

Oh, and the sound. Absolutely explosive soundtrack in Dolby Digital Plus puts you in the center of all the action. Yet, in the middle of a field we hear the soft breeze of wind against the tall grass and the chirping sounds of birds in the distance. You could hear a pin drop. (This also speaks well to the very low noise of the Optoma HD72 projector). Having dual 15" powered subwoofers can't hurt either! To do this, of course, I used the built in decoder in the player and sent all 5.1 tracks out manually to my Denon. Using a radio shack SPL meter, I used the channel balance set up in the player menu and it worked just fine.

And the player worked without a hitch. The entire movie was void of any lock-ups, HDMI errors or any other issues. I turned off the panel display and simply enjoyed the movie.

A few notes are in order: Be sure you eject the disc and turn the player off BEFORE you turn the projector off (using HDMI). Once the projector is OFF, it no longer handshakes with the player and warns you with an HDMI error that something is wrong in the signal path. Also, with this movie, I found that shifting the gamma to PC actually opened up the mid tones just a bit and naturalized the skin tones.

The remote control is really easy to operate and in a darkened theater, the backlight feature is very welcome. If the rest of the HD movies are as superb as Apollo 13, I have many hours of enjoyment to look forward too.

This is truly state of the art viewing.

However, going back to my Denon 2900 there is an easily noticeable difference and the Toshiba was definitely better PQ and especially SQ wise with SDDVDs.

I have also switched from a 2900 to an XA1 tonight. I haven't tried any HD-DVD titles yet. I've been messing with Kong and Dances With Wolves (2-disc DTS version.)

I am also noticing much better picture quality. The only problem I am having is that it seems like some scenes seem "over-exposed", like the highlights are getting blown out. But, it could just be me.

Fitprod you need to exchange your unit ASAP. I would not settle for lock ups and audio dropouts. I would return my unit if it was doing that. As these threads continue we are learning more people are having issues while many others are not. So if you get a defective unit get it back before they run out of XA1a...

Fitprod you need to exchange your unit ASAP. I would not settle for lock ups and audio dropouts. I would return my unit if it was doing that. As these threads continue we are learning more people are having issues while many others are not. So if you get a defective unit get it back before they run out of XA1a...

Hmmmm! I'm seeing a disturbing number of posts from folks with defective players. Seems like the same lock-up problem in all cases. Did you guys see this right out of the box, or had it been working, and it started later? Does it also lock-up when playing sd discs, or just HD?
I guess time will tell how many defects Toshiba turned loose on the consumer.
Hell of a way to launch a new format! :(

Let's not forget the most vocal consumers are the ones with the problems. I am sure there are many happy customers that we don't hear from...

My XA-1 has locked up twice while watching HD Serenity. Image froze and stuttered and I had to go back to chapter beginning to resume play.

It may be dust on the disc (a Blockbuster rental).

I have watched 10+ SD movies with 0 problems and the image quality is absolutely incredible. It blows away my Panasonic S97 (both using HDMI).

The SD version of Sahara was almost HD on my Pioneer 43" plasma. The XA-1 is well worth the money to me just for the SD quality.

Don

I am more and more amazed at how great this dvd player does at upconverting...

only a few more days for me before I get my HD-DVD fix. I was shipped the A1 instead of the XA1 so now I'm waiting for my exchange.

I am more and more amazed at how great this dvd player does at upconverting...

Me too! I am very surprised that the "X" has a cleaner picture then my Denon 3910. I had figured I would need to use the Denon for sd playback, assuming the X couldnt possibly out perform it. I guess the Toshiba will be my main player now.

It should be your main player. It is now mine as well. It is doing as good as my SP1000, and now I am trying it against a Pioneer 79... Way to go Toshiba!

Got my XA-1 from Robert at ****************.
Works perfectly!
Audio is spectacular especially over the 5.1 analog output.
Beautiful HD picture that plays every title so far with not one lock up .
Upconverting is better than my Denon 5910 I recently sold!

Hey Gang,

First, I just placed an order for the XA1 from Value Elec.

Now, I know when I am watching HD DVDs, for now, I will be utilizing the analog 5.1 outs so that I may listen to DD+ on my HK 635.

My question is, what happens when I watch an SD? Can I also keep the toslink cable plugged into the XA1 and tell it to use that output when watching SDs? Would I need to go into the setup menu of the XA1 to tell it to use which output and when?

Thanks for your help!

Tom

I have both connected and I switch from COAX to MULTICHANNEL on my receiver. It works fine for me that way...

Let's not forget the most vocal consumers are the ones with the problems. I am sure there are many happy customers that we don't hear from...
like my sarcastic post in the 60inch XBR1 post this is what i got to say:
if I post a post that means I got a problem, but if I dont post a post that means I dont have a problem, but if I dont post this post that means you dont know I have a player which means I dont know if I have one or not. So posting this post does not mean I have a problem with my player, but in regards if I posted that means to some folks I have some kind of problem, but im mentioning now I dont have a problem im only posting to say I dont have a problem like eveyrones post thats post something saying they have a problem I dont have a problem I watch 4 movies in HD on my player each move played 3x so far, but no problems, but im still posting this to indicate I dont have a problem........no sirrrrrr...no problem yet.

Now, I know when I am watching HD DVDs, for now, I will be utilizing the analog 5.1 outs so that I may listen to DD+ on my HK 635.

Can I also keep the toslink cable plugged into the XA1 and tell it to use that output when watching SDs?

That is the same setup I have, I have the "DVD" input set to Optical 1 and the 6 channel analog hooked up to the Analog inputs. When watching SD I use the DVD setting (for Logic 7) and when watching HD I switch over to 6 channel. The player sends out both the Digital and Analog signal at the same time.

I will be interested to see if you have the huge difference in sound quality between the SPDIF and Analog that I see with my 635.

Good post jocktheglide... I think it would be great to hear from members without issues...

Oh and congrats steviec... :)

Ezra,

Do i need to go into the 635s menu to tell it to use the 6 ch analong in or is there a button on the 635s remote?

ezra,

may i get your email address? i know i have some more questions.

For example, if I have the toslink and 6 ch analog connected on the xa1 at the same time...

and i have the toslink from the xa1 coming into the 635 as opt 1 and the 6ch analog from the xa1 coming into the 6 ch analog inputs on the 635, would i then tell the xa1 to only output 6ch analog for HD and toslink for SD or would I need to manipulate the 635 in some way via menus to do the same? Thanks for your help!

Feel free to PM me but the answer to your question is that the 6 Channel Direct has it's own discrete button on the remote, you can actually switch back and forth between the 6 Channel and Digital inputs by using the remote.

No issues, great video and sound quality. Even did a "burn-in" test wtih serentiy three times in a row.

probably the HDMI handshake is one of the main culprits, my guess. I'd wonder how those folks would do with component? However, all my testing has been HDMI into a DTRO vision DVI to RGBHV converter for my NEC CRT FPTV. No issues at all.

Cool! ^^^

That is the same setup I have, I have the "DVD" input set to Optical 1 and the 6 channel analog hooked up to the Analog inputs. When watching SD I use the DVD setting (for Logic 7) and when watching HD I switch over to 6 channel. The player sends out both the Digital and Analog signal at the same time.

I will be interested to see if you have the huge difference in sound quality between the SPDIF and Analog that I see with my 635.

I own a Pioneer elite vsx-47 THX Ultra 2 reciever and have usually listened to everything in THX surround -ex and THX DTS-ex and I have to say I am blown away by the sound from the 5.1 analog which I hear is Dolby Digital plus which is 1.5 GBS?
Anyway, I dont even miss using the rear channels everything is so smooth and dynamic.
Also I no longer need THX processing and I have always been a THX freak! M&K 150's in 7.1 config.
Of course I went into the player audio menu and set the speaker distances the same as I have on my reciever and also changed the sub crossover to 80hz. and all I can say is I am one happy camper!

I just bought the HD-XA1 and hooked it up to my Infocus 7200 via an HDMI - DVI cable. The projector can't synch with the signal. It's trying to setup a picture, showing the input and then "Setting Up Picture" but in just goes back to "Input 1" again and so on. I have firmware v4.0 (the latest) in my 7200. My cable is good because the HD-XA1 works with my Samsung LCD with DVI.
The Toshiba says HDMI Error1 when connected to the 7200.. Tried unplugging and plugging the cable, restarting the projector, etc. Any ideas?? (I of course am using the required M1-DVI adapter on the projector).

TA

It has been mentioned somewhere that HDMI connections are having problems communicating between certain pieces of equipment. There's also an editorial from Monster Cable inside this month's Widescreen Review adressing this issue.

fitprod

I have to agree I watched apollo 13 with a bunch of people in my theater and it locked up 5 times had to uplug the unit and wait and wait.

I like the player but Its way to buggy for me, its going back:(
For everybody that says this, have you read the paper that was packaged with the player? If everybody that is unhappy with the player calls Toshiba's customer service first, then maybe the issues will be addressed with releases of FW and/or another working unit. I think Toshiba knows there will be some bugs and growing pains, but it looks like they are asking us, the early adopters, to help them iron out most if not all of the bugs that people are complaining about.

It has been mentioned somewhere that HDMI connections are having problems communicating between certain pieces of equipment. There's also an editorial from Monster Cable inside this month's Widescreen Review adressing this issue.

fitprod

good article

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7535483&&#post7535483

I just bought the HD-XA1 and hooked it up to my Infocus 7200 via an HDMI - DVI cable. The projector can't synch with the signal. It's trying to setup a picture, showing the input and then "Setting Up Picture" but in just goes back to "Input 1" again and so on. I have firmware v4.0 (the latest) in my 7200. My cable is good because the HD-XA1 works with my Samsung LCD with DVI.
The Toshiba says HDMI Error1 when connected to the 7200.. Tried unplugging and plugging the cable, restarting the projector, etc. Any ideas?? (I of course am using the required M1-DVI adapter on the projector).

TA
TA, try turning on your PJ first and make sure that the PJ doesn't search for a signal and have it set on the M1\DA input. Then turn on your player and make sure the player is outputting HDMI and that the resolution is 1080i. (I can't remember off the top of my head but there are 2 buttons on the remote, Voutput and resolution, something like that). Hope this helps as I also have a 7200 and it works.

I think Toshiba knows there will be some bugs and growing pains, but it looks like they are asking us, the early adopters, to help them iron out most if not all of the bugs that people are complaining about.

You know, having delayed the product at least twice, Toshiba has had plenty of time to iron out critial issues on the hardware. Incompatibilty with select disc is one thing, not being able to play back any HD DVD's properly is inexcusable.

Unfortunately, having talked to a Toshiba tech, they seem rather oblivious and already beaten down. At this point, I'm going to take the advice that maybe I picked up a bum unit and get a replacement. Maybe I'll have better luck this time.

If the new unit doesn't work properly, I'm done with it. I'll wait for a real company to build an HD DVD unit.

fitprod

paul_seng

I had the same issue with my BenQ PE7700 and my Sanyo PLV-Z3 projectors and the Toshib a HD-XA1. The Sanyo worked perfectly with the HDMI cable that came with the player but when I tried connecting it directly to the BenQ. HDMI ERROR 1
I went to Mangolia home theater in BB and bought a good Audio Quest 2 M HDMI cable took it home, hooked it up to the BenQ and AWAY WE GO. Some on the PJs need a good quality cable.

I think Toshiba has a trick up their sleeve.. See all those Xilinx chips? Those are programmable logic chips, they can be programmed to do anything, they arent made for one thing. from Xilinx's website about those chips "You can integrate embedded processing, digital signal processing (DSP), and connectivity capabilities into Spartan-3 devices at no extra cost." So if toshiba can reprogram the chips with a firmware update... they could fix stuff and even enable new features.. perhaps a DD encoder isn't too farfetched? just a thought.


Hi folks, I work at Xilinx, and yes, the Spartan chips inside the player can be reprogrammed depending on what the toshiba engineers want to do. Those chips are quite powerful, and aren't being completely utilized at this point. I know the 'general products division" (spartan guys) at the factory quite well, and was having lunch with them. Any particular question you want me to ask? Again, they don't chat with the Toshiba guys, but I may be able to get some very technical "stuff" out of them if that's what you're interested in.

BTW, I really enjoy my XA1. I replaced a Cary DVD-6, which was terrific, but having the upscaling is a plus...

Best,

Stieger

Well... I happy to say, it looks like my first XA1 was just a bum player. I just went through Serenity with only one hick-up around the 1 hr 10 min mark where it stuttered and went out of sync. I paused the player and it corrected itself.

Must be an oddity with the layer break, since the disc is HD-30, and that seems about right for a layer-break. (I thought HD DVD units were supposed to have enough buffer to avoid this...)

Now to start testing more discs... And still be a worry wort... :D

fitprod

there is no layer break, these are single layered disk.

there is no layer break, these are single layered disk.
whats wrong with folks making stuff up to say something bad about a product? its been happening a lot on the forums lately :cool: :rolleyes: :p

Well... I happy to say, it looks like my first XA1 was just a bum player. I just went through Serenity with only one hick-up around the 1 hr 10 min mark where it stuttered and went out of sync. I paused the player and it corrected itself.

Must be an oddity with the layer break, since the disc is HD-30, and that seems about right for a layer-break. (I thought HD DVD units were supposed to have enough buffer to avoid this...)

Now to start testing more discs... And still be a worry wort... :D

fitprod
Good luck. tell us how it goes

there is no layer break, these are single layered disk.

the universal titles, ARE DUAL LAYER, as indicated by the 'hd-30' marking on the back (it is small, but it IS there). but i don't think the stutter was a layer break, likely something else. every time i fire up serenity for the first time, in the first 5 minutes or so, the audio cuts out/stutters for a slit second (doesn't go out of synch or anything; could be a result of using the s/pdif connection in my case and either an s/pdif 'sync' issue or something to do with the dts, on the fly, transcooding going on...i'll have to try using the analog out...can you believe i still haven't connected the analogs!)...if i rewind and resume, no stutter/dropout.

fit, were you using optical/coax out for sound by any chance?

now i don't know if this marking on the universal packaging indicates that warner has only released hd-15 discs (single layer) or that they just didn't bother with, or forgot to add, the hd-30 marking on their packaging.

I'm using the 5.1 outpout straight into my receiver for audio, and HDMI directly to my television for picture.

It wasn't as simple as the film going out of sync, the video paused for a moment as well. After the pause in playback, the audio went out of sync. I backed it up about 30 seconds and the disc player perfectly in sync from there on out.

fitprod

Seem to have problemsgetting my AX1's HDMI PCM audio to work through my Denon 5805's HDMI input. My Receiver is supposedly HDMI 1.1
Anyone else seem to be having this issue?
El

For all the people that are having problems with random lock ups, how much ventilation do you have around your unit? kinda like the xbox360 problems that are mostly heat related the toshiba's are pretty much p4 system with a hd dvd drive in them. If you put any p4 system into a inclosed place like where most dvd players are its gonna lock up.....just an idea for some that are having problems take the unit out of the rack and put it on top of your tv or someplace in the free air and see if some of the problems go away.

Keith

Thought of something else because not all cpu's are the same some are able to handle heat/stress alot better aka why some can overclock easy because of where they came from on the cpu wafer which would explain why some have no problems when their toshiba hd-dvd is in a rack with little air

Keith

Good post. The amount of ventilation is often overlooked. Plus it is the deadliest sin for electronics...

A question. Does the HD DVD 2x zoom picture, which fills my 110-inch Draper Gray screen, and looks a lot like the type of image on Directv HD, degrade the Toshiba DVD HD picture quality to any degree? Just looking at it, I can't tell. But I'm probably biased and don't want to see any dropoff in quality. Come on, one of you smart techy guys or gals out there has to know the answer: Is there life after zoom? By the way, my Ax1 signal is traveling by HDMI cable through a new Denon 4806 to a new Samsung 710 (both items purchased at AVS and calibrated by David). Answers please, or at least informed opinions. Thanks.

my opinion would be that of course the image will be degraded if you zoom...just like a digital zoom on a camera.

HD-XA1 owners, please comment your player here.:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayerform.php?DVDname=Toshiba+HD-XA1

HD-A1 here.:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayerform.php?DVDname=Toshiba+HD-A1

HD-D1 here.:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayerform.php?DVDname=Toshiba+HD-D1

And the RCA HDV5000 here.:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayerform.php?DVDname=RCA+HDV5000

To participate in these questionaires we need to do a lot of testing. It is a good idea though. Atleast they can get a good consensus of what is working with the players...

I am wondering if there is anyway to loop an HDDVD so that it plays over and over again unless told to stop. I know this feature is typically disc dependent, but I thought I would ask if anyone may have stumbled on a way to accomplish this through the xa1.

OK guys, I need some help. I bought the HD-XA1 last weekend and connected it to my Toshiba 57HX83 RPTV via a IXOS HDMI to DVI cable.

I have watched Apollo 13 and The Last Samurai HD DVD's, Matrix Reloaded SD and The 5th Elememt Superbit SD DVD's. With that, I have to say I am not real impressed with HD DVD picture quality. I would say 5th Element Superbit looks simular in quality to TLS HD, and looks BETTER then Apollo 13 HD. I just know in my gut, this isn't right, and I need to figure it out, as the wife is ready to take the player back. I am not ready to give up yet.

The player is set to HDMI and 1080i. My TV is set to 1080i on DVI.

Now I will admit I have not run DVE or AVIA to calibrate it, but the DVI was calibrated to my HTPC a while back. Out of the box the HD DVD should be much better than SD DVD as I have read all the reviews.

I am going to try and run a set of component cables just to try. Anymore suggestions?

Johnand, By all means use Avia and DVE and calibrate your player to your display.
This technology is so good that it is actually much better than what most displays can show.
So I would say get a new display. If there is a problem it is going to be the display.(of course slow loading time is the way the player functions)
look I have owned many hi-end setups and the last one was the $3500.00 Denon 5910 dvd player with HQV processing and I prefer the upconverted picture on my XA-1 to the 5910!
Another thing you might try is to take this player back and try new unit.

I am wondering if there is anyway to loop an HDDVD so that it plays over and over again unless told to stop. I know this feature is typically disc dependent, but I thought I would ask if anyone may have stumbled on a way to accomplish this through the xa1.

the manual says :Press repeat on the remote.
use the up or down arrows to select between all repeat,title repeat,chapter repeat,a.b repeat or cancel. then press O.K.

Steviec I am with you. The Toshiba HD DVD players do a tremendous job upconverting. I so far have not had anything out perform it yet. And I think you are right about the 5910 as well. People are paying 499 for a dvd player that can perform better with SD dvds then players twice the price or more! And the majority are not realizing (or have nothing to compare).

the manual says :Press repeat on the remote.
use the up or down arrows to select between all repeat,title repeat,chapter repeat,a.b repeat or cancel. then press O.K.

Yes the manual says that, but I also noticed on the same page is says that that the repeat function does not apply to HD DVD.

I just got my XA1 up and running after mild frustration with the down button on the remote, and then an HDMI 1 error. The first was fixed by trial and error, waiting a bit more between button pushes and will be soon permanently by a Harmony 880 remote (I hope, with respect to the down button.) The HDMI 1 error was fixed by using channel 1 instead of 4 on my Dtronics 4-way DVI switcher. Anyone with a switcher should try a different input as well as the usual unplugging and replugging.

IMO the PQ is just like DVHS or a bit better maybe due to greater picture stability.

I have yet to try to the upconversion with SD DVDs and will compare with my Oppo.

Dan

The problem with upconversion is that you have to use hdmi and it has an inability to pass btb. When I used the THX optimizer, there is no btb THX shadow. Sucks. I guess that we need to use component for hd-dvd and then hdmi for the upconversion.

When will someone put out a HD-DVD test disc for callibration?

Rafael

The problem with upconversion is that you have to use hdmi and it has an inability to pass btb. When I used the THX optimizer, there is no btb THX shadow. Sucks. I guess that we need to use component for hd-dvd and then hdmi for the upconversion.

When will someone put out a HD-DVD test disc for callibration?

Rafael

I have been working on producing a HD DVD calibration disc, but am having a hard time finding all of the test patterns in 16:9. So I may go ahead and begin shooting with the few 16:9 and the rest 4:3 just to get it out as quickly as possible.

-Robert

I just got my XA1 up and running after mild frustration with the down button on the remote

Helpful hint: press lightly on the outer edge of the ring, not squarely on the ring itself. I find that really helps make the remote useable.

The problem with upconversion is that you have to use hdmi and it has an inability to pass btb. When I used the THX optimizer, there is no btb THX shadow. Sucks. I guess that we need to use component for hd-dvd and then hdmi for the upconversion.

When will someone put out a HD-DVD test disc for callibration?

Rafael

I have been working on producing a HD DVD calibration disc, but am having a hard time finding all of the test patterns in 16:9. So I may go ahead and begin shooting with the few 16:9 and the rest 4:3 just to get it out as quickly as possible.

-Robert

I've been enjoying my HD-XA1 all week. I go from the DVD player to my Optoma HD-72 projector. I use an HDMI to DVI cable. I affixed an HDMI/DVI adapter at the DVD end.

All week playing HD-DVD discs was spectacular. My setting were dialed right in- and the picture was exceptional. In this connection, both COLOR and TINT were not available on the menu screen, but the advanced items were. So far so good.

Tonight, on receiving Phantom from Netflix, I noticed the picture was clear- but not exceptional like the other titles. The player was set to output 1080i. The projector was saying it was an HDMI 1080i 60Hz signal.

However, the COLOR and TINT controls are back and they have never been before all week. Nothing in the connections have changed. I reset both projector and player several times, and the image STILL looks now like 540P. And it was spectacular just last night. Now the image is just a bit better than normal DVD resolution.

This doesn't make any sense. So, I tried my Apollo 13 disc and it too dropped down in resolution. The ONLY different thing I can see is the sudden appearance of the COLOR and TINT controls which were not available before.

Anyone have an idea of what is going on? Thanks!

I just bought the HD-XA1 and hooked it up to my Infocus 7200 via an HDMI - DVI cable. The projector can't synch with the signal. It's trying to setup a picture, showing the input and then "Setting Up Picture" but in just goes back to "Input 1" again and so on. I have firmware v4.0 (the latest) in my 7200. My cable is good because the HD-XA1 works with my Samsung LCD with DVI.
The Toshiba says HDMI Error1 when connected to the 7200.. Tried unplugging and plugging the cable, restarting the projector, etc. Any ideas?? (I of course am using the required M1-DVI adapter on the projector).

I didn't see if you found a resolution. I have a Toshiba MT8 (same as InFocus 7200) I was having the same problems but I found a resolution/workaround that works for me.

I power the FP up on any input but when I go to power the XA1 up I switch my FP to any input other than the M1/DVI. When the XA1 initializes and displays 'no disk' I switch the FP to M1/DVI. After that I have had no HDMI issues. I did pull the HDMI cable after the XA1 initialized and got the 'HDMI Error'. Just wanted to see what happens. Other than that I've never seen it.

Other than the power up sequence I have had NO ISSUES at all. Been playing Serenity and Samurai in HD, and lots of SD DVDs. Incredibles, LOTR ROTK, Harry Potter GOF, Serenity SD, etc for over a week.

A minor annoyance or two :) The remote is touchy, but workable. I cannot set the remote to control the volume on my Yamaha receiver.

I have not tried the analog audio outputs yet. Just using optical for now. I don't do DVD-A or SACD so I have no experience with the analogs. Is the setup straight forward, I keep hearing about bass management issues?

My XA1 does not pass PLUGE on HDMI, from what I have read it should over component. Have not tried that yet.

I'll skip all the glowing comments, just say I'M VERY HAPPY WITH MY XA1 :) Put me into the 'plus' column.

I have some pics, not the best quality. Where is the Silicon Graphics Chip? I'll try for a close up of it.

Forum says I can't post pics via URL until after 5 posts. I'll post this and try again.

Front Panel Closed (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=46&mid=335&pid=0)

Front Panel Open (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=47&mid=335&pid=0)

Front Panel Open RH Side (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=48&mid=335&pid=0)

Front Panel Open LH Side (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=49&mid=335&pid=0)

Back Panel (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=50&mid=335&pid=0)

Back Panel Connectors (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=51&mid=335&pid=0)

Back Panel Connectors Again (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=52&mid=335&pid=0)

Cover Off (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=58&mid=335&pid=0)

Around the CPU and Cooling Fan (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=56&mid=335&pid=0)

PCB for Back Panel Audio Connectors, Memory Module on Main Board (http://www.leesspot.com/DesktopModules/Photos/view_image.aspx?id=57&mid=335&pid=0)

Other notes:

I connected the XA1 to my broadband and did the update, said I was already updated (in so many words) Onscreen message and VUP Error 136 on the front panel (I believe it was 136). There are posts on the subject somewhere here on the forum.

With all those programable chips, replaceable memory module and software updates, I would really wish for a painless 1080p upgrade. Who knows. Until I upgrade to a 1080p FP it is not an issue anyway.

LeeS-

I tried all kinds of different power-up combos, changing inputs, etc. Could never get the projector (7200) to "set up" a picture. I have a 7210 that had no issues.
At this point, I'm through messing with the 7200 and simply use the 7210. I guess I could send the 7200 in for a mod, but I'm in no hurry. Thanks for the feedback.

TA

Can anyone tell me if the HD-XA1 HD DVD player will plan my .tp files on my DVD+r disk? I recored alot of programs on DVD's with the 1080i .tp format and would like to know if I can play them.

It cannot play the files directly but you can create HD-DVD type disks - look at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=667462

Hey Gang,

Finally setup the XA1. I havent had a chance to watch an entire movie yet. A question about the remote. When I forst put the batteries in the remote, the backlighting did come on as advertised when it sensed movement. I put the remote down overnight and went back to it the next day. Now, the backlighting only works when I press a button. Does anyone elses remote work this way? Thanks!

My remote lights up whenever my LFE is stronger. I would reinsert the batteries (just for the heck of it). It should light up over the slightest movement...

Hey Gang,

Finally setup the XA1. I havent had a chance to watch an entire movie yet. A question about the remote. When I forst put the batteries in the remote, the backlighting did come on as advertised when it sensed movement. I put the remote down overnight and went back to it the next day. Now, the backlighting only works when I press a button. Does anyone elses remote work this way? Thanks!

backlighting on my remote is very quirky...sometimes you have to move the remote through various orientations before it will light and stay lit, other times i walk in the room and find the remote is lit all on its own, with nothing going on in the room...maybe it picked up the vibrations of my footsteps coming down the stairs ? :D :eek: