With NetFlix out of the HD-DVD game, if your still within your return period...

I've already got a $98 Toshiba HD-A2 and the Xbox 360 add on, so maybe I'll just dump the 5000. The problem is, there is still NO other stand alone player on the market that is at least fully 1.1 compliant (I'd prefer 2.0) and doesn't have any major glitches (sorry, the PS3 is not an option for me, and the Panasonic's poor DVD playback and LFE issue rule that one out). The announced Pioneer Elite BD-05 may fit the bill, as may the Denon 3800, but being that both vendors have already announced that future players will be incorporating SACD and DVD-Audio playback (and I've got a substantial collection of both), I'd much rather have one of them. Plus, while I don't care all that much about web-enabled content, I'd still prefer to have a fully functioning (2.0) BD player.

Whys isn't the PS3 an option for you?

I can only repeat myself: why would any sane person return a $100-200 one of the best upconverting DVD and HD DVD player that comes with 8-10 HD movies, that's just beyond me...

Some people don't want Sony shoveling **** down their throats.

Amen.

I guess one could argue that a gaming system shouldn't be the best source for playing BR movies. It is pretty sad that the stand alones don't work. waiting for a working 2.0 unit is probably everyones best bet.

Aw for f***s sake, I just threw away the box for the Samsung A3 I got as a gift. I think it's too late to return it.

That's exactly why I won't buy a PS3, because to me it's nothing more than a game console. I want a stand-alone, but I want one that actually works, just like my A30...

I was very close to buying the PS3, untl I heard the excessive fan noise. Turns out 5k has a better picture quality too, according to reviewes.

Hey, thanks for taking the time out of your otherwise busy schedule to concern yourself with the health of my wallet

PS3 is a gaming console, with almost no good games

Noisy, compared to better BD/HD players (nowhere near as bad as a 360, but loud enough)

No SACD or DVD-Audio support (yes, I know that the original units could support SACD, but no DVD-Audio, and now SACD support is gone too)

No RF or IR remote support without add-ons or adapters. Won't work with my home theater master remotes

Finally, I am a bit anti Sony at this point. I really am disgusted by how the whole blu-ray format has worked out thus far. While I admit that blu-ray was the superior format ON PAPER and via SPECIFICATIONS, its practical roll out has been less than perfect. Having had experience with both formats, I am just far more satisfied with how HD-DVD has just consistenty worked better (at least for me). The standard was finalized from day one and the format as a whole just seems to work BETTER. None of this ever evolving format crap. yes, the HD machines may have needed some firmware updates to play a few titles, but I have never had a single HD disc on either my A2 or 360 add refuse to play. BD on the 5000 is another story. Granted, the BD-P5000 is not exactly the greatest player on the market, but I had a Samsung 1200 for 30 days as well, and that machine just plain sucked. It's a shame really, as both the 1200 and the 5000 have fantastic PQ on both DVD and HD disc, due to the Reon (which is the main reason I bought either of them). Granted, I might be a bit happier if I had a Pioneer Elite 94 or 95, but while I am a huge Pioneer Elite fan, spending $1000 for a player that was outdated before even being released (due to lack of 1.1 support, never mind 2.0) is just foolish. Plus, no DVD-A or SACD. I really want to dump my Elite DV-47Ai for a new player that can do it all.

Hell even my wife has commented on how she thinks blu-ray screwed the pooch on execution. She's been forced to sit through the ridiculously long load times and constant glitches over the past month with BD disks on the 5000. The HD discs always seem to work fine.

Yes, I realize that BD has won the war now, and I love the audio and picture quality that BD offers, but I still wish that HD had won. Honestly, they deserved it, but the massive Sony marketing machine (how many PS3 commercials mentioned NOTHING about games, just Blu-ray?) was just too much to overcome. Frankly, I think HD-DVD/Toshiba's marketing departments lost the war for them.

Yeah, I was totally in the Blu-Ray camp---until i got both an A3(HD0DVD) and a BD-P1000(blu-ray): the first works perfectly and the other is too light to use as a boat anchor!

Heh, heh, it's too late for me to return my Toshiba HD-A35 HD-DVD only player. I already cut-out the UPC label and mailed it in for my 5 free HD-DVDs rebate offer. Did that because it seemed to be an excellent player overall and I decided to keep it. Even when I already knew there was great chance that HD-DVD format was on its last leg. Why? Because there are many HD-DVD discs out there and movies and music concerts.

I just bought $169 worth of them from Amazon.com (at 50% off sale) yesterday and plan to enjoy them.
I also plan on taking advantage of the price drops if and when they decide to stop supporting and producing HD-DVDs altogether. The great PQ and AQ will still be there to always enjoy. Plus I will have another collector's item to sell in the future (or my kids can sell it in the future when I am long gone off this existence)!:

P.S. - I also am still collecting SACD and DVD-Audio discs when I can find them! I love great audio recordings. Just does it for me when the sound quality is great.

Of course I have my new Samsung BD-P1400 Bluray DVD player too for the BD discs.
I have my Oppo 980H for the SACD and DVD-Audio discs.
I am in heaven for now enjoying all of the state of the art audio technology and formats.

a big +1 from me.....zero probs with my HD-A2.

plus -- every single SONY retail electronic equipment I have owned has failed.

among the list...car stereo (smoked up my car), home AVR receiver, cassette deck, walkman, watchman (TV), discman, PS2....I vow to never ever buy a Sony product again.

How the hell BR won the format war was purely Sony $$$$, nothing at all to do with execution......sad.

You're trolling, right?

Not even that. It has more capacity and bandwidth, but it's mostly unneeded. No one has ever shown that HD DVD was insufficient to the task, and considering that it was complete and working when blu-ray still isn't, one has to suggest -- from a practical engineering standpoint -- that the few BD advantages aren't worth the delay and price.

Now, if there was some issue with HD DVD being incapable... but that's hardly true. No one has ever said "we can't bring out that movie because HD DVD doesn't have the bandwidth" or some such.

Not that it matters anymore. If you have HD DVDs get a dual player before they go away. Maybe Toshiba will sell them. Otherwise it's blu-ray, like it or not. The "consumer" has chosen. So they say.

Just boxed mine up and will be sending it back tomorrow. With no new firmware updates out yet, Bluray a slam dunk winner and since I only rent from Netflix, there is no reason for me to keep a multi disc player. Too bad, because I did like the Reon processing and the overall build quality of the unit.

Be that as it may but if you want a Blu-ray player that seems the best way to go. i have the A-2 and Just recently got a 40gig PS3 so I'm format neutral (finally). I agree it's BS they tried to push a new media format via a gaming console but at this point if your going to get a Bluray player may as well get one that can play games when they finally come out.

I just dumped Netflix. I would rather do that than return any of my players.

According to wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ps3

It is only the 40GB model that does not support SACD - the rest do.

the samsung a3 or the toshiba ps3?

You are blaming Sony because your Samsung gear is crap? FWIW I bought a PS3 and have not had any problems playing any BD or DVD movie. Load times for BD are similar to a DVD. I did not buy it primarily to play games but my 80GB unit came with Motorstorm which is an excellent game. There are plenty of other games available including most of the PS2 library (if you don't buy the 40GB unit).

I felt like doing the same when I got the official email notice yesterday from Netflix but then decided not to as I rent about 10 movies for every one that I buy. There just aren't that many films I want to see again. Right now I only own a universal disc player and an HDDVD player. The thought of having to have three players, one for Blu Ray, one for HDDVD and one to play my DVDA's and SACD's is not appealing to me. Guess I will have to eventually decide to go combo player or Blu Ray only. I just got my 5 free DVDs from toshiba too!

Yeah, I think this is just stupid. These companies provide a service and they do have to make money, but this doesn't seem like a financial or logistical issue as much as a "buyout" by Sony. 2 of the next movies I have in my queue that haven't been released yet (Beowolf and American Gangster) are only coming out on HD-DVD.

I guess this will help facilitate the transition, but until then it is the consumer that will have to suffer not just having 2 players or a more expensive dual format player, but now no access to some movies in HD-DVD unless they buy those movies.

Wrong, I am still buying HD DVDs. How else do you get Universal and Paramount movies in HD? And I am actually even buying Warner movies on HD DVD.

I am actually thinking about selling my PS3. I think there will be a nice Marantz dual format player at the end of the year. Until then I got enough HD DVDs to watch and do not really need a frankenstein game conole-blu-ray player.

I won't support a company like NETFLIX who decides to pull the floor out from under my rental decisions. And to think they were planning to change my HD DVD selections to SD dvds!

I've got 3 dvds from Netflix, at home. I'm sending them back and dumping Netflix. Sometimes, these companies act like football fans, rather than business. They are not going to give me the choice of renting hd-dvds- I'm not going to give them my money.

+1