Toshiba updates their HD site with only 3rd generation hardware, I have a question

The advantages are that the A35 has bitstream audio (only usefull if you have a new 1.3 receiver to decode the bitstream) and it has analogue outs if you don't have HDMI receiver. The HDDVD video quality and SDDVD upscaling is the same as the A30.

Yes.

Is that the only HD-DVD player that can send bitstream out via HDMI (A35 and XA2)? I know I shouldn't be thinking about purchasing anything new right now, but I just bought a new receiver capable of decoding bitstream.

doesnt the A30 have also bitstream audio? i own the A30 and I see the bitstream option on my set up...

That's bitstream over the optical connection. It will only give you downmixed DD@640k, not HD audio.

The XA2 and A35 are the only two players that can send DD+ and TrueHD using HDMI to a receiver that is capable of decoding these. ALL of the other Toshiba players will decode these two codecs and send them as PCM data to the receiver. Letting a receiver do the decoding usually gives you more options.

True.

This is one of the economic advantages of HD DVD over Warner's new little whore, BD. In order to get TrueHD you dont need a new receiver that can decode the TrueHD DD+. If you have alegacy receiver you can let the player decode it and send the optical bitstream. Then again, I guess decoded bitstreamed TrueHD is not really TrueHD - I cannot tell the difference in audio between HDMI/multichannel TrueHD and optical bitstream. But my ears have been pretty banged up since that 7 Seconds show at the SHowcase Theatre in Riverside ...

I have asked a dozen times and can never get a straight anwser so here goes again.


.......... Does the A-35 output 1.5 via optical like the A-2 or only 640 like the A-3/30 ?

640.

OMG dude, I almost fell off my chair laughing when I read that line...........good one!!

I hope for all the right reasons!

Thank you. I bought an A-1, and an A-2, and would have bought an A-3 if not for this very stupid move. I wonder if it was to save a few bucks or if it was to make the player more capatable with J6P's older receiver ?