Toshiba HD-XA2
Well, the battle between blu-ray and hd-dvd formats is still on. Both formats have had their initial setbacks. The original Samsung blu-ray player was less than impressive, and to date, we still believe the PS3 blu-ray player is the best blu-ray player for the money! The only hd-dvd players, foolishly, were never equipped for more than 1080i output, handicapping the full potential of 1080p.
Finally, TOSHIBA has released the HD-XA2 model. The original Toshiba hd-dvd players were not user friendly, suffering from slow start-up times, various technical glitches and more.
The HD-XA2 model has an SRP of $999.00, similar to the pricing for stand-alone blu-ray players. The HD-XA2 has had its first firmware update available via internet and this review was done after the update. This update was easy to install, so non-computer savvy owners should have no problem here.
Appearance-
The HD-XA2 is less cumbersome and more stylized than the previous HD-DVD players. Black and relatively sleek, the thin model offers a flip-down panel provides a Mode selector, manual stop, play and skip buttons as well as two extension ports(that aren't explained?)n
An LED display and panel offers blue light, which can be dimmed via the "dimmer" button found on the remote control.
The back panel offers a welcome variety of connection features, including S-video and composite video outputs for those, presumably with tvs or LCDS without High Definition capability. A analog Component Video and Digital HDMI output are also available on the back panel. The HDMI offers full 1.3
A variety of audio connection options are also available on the back panel. Optical S/PDIF, Digital Coaxial, 2 channel and 5.1 analog connections are offered as well as an Ethernet port for firmware updates and an RS232 port for computer options.
It's to Toshiba's credit that all of these options on the front and back panel are well placed and the units overall design is aesthetically pleasing.
A small drawback lies in the look and functionality of the remote control. Similar but even less pleasing than the SONY PS3 Blu-ray player remote, it's lengthier than we'd have liked and some of the buttons take some time finding. Thankfully, TOSHIBA has included a backlight option, found under the open/close button on the top left of the controller, to make operating less problematic during darker viewing settings.
Backward Compatability-
Like all blu-ray and HD-DVD players, the HD-XA2 player can play standard dvds. Unfortunately, however, it doesn't have the advantage of some cheaper stand-alone dvd players, like PAL conversion and region-free options. However, it will upscale standard dvds to either 720p, 1080i or 1080p, depending on what the user selects on the setup menu. So, if one buys a lot of dvds with differing region codes, it would be necessary to keep that cyberhome player around.
For software with mixed-source content, the HD-XA2 really impresses with its Optix Reon-VX chip, providing flawless deinterlacing in a manner that the previous HD-DVD models couldn't even come close to achieving. A variety of video processing options can be found in this player due to the Reon chip, including Brightness, color, tint and more. However, this reviewer prefers to use these options via the LCD monitor rather than the player. There are also a variety of noise reduction options, but these all sacrifice other areas when utilized and this reviewer recommends leaving these options alone.
High Definition Performance-
While older hd-dvd models could take up to 3 1/2 minutes to boot, the HD-XA2 boots up and plays a title in a smooth and timely manner. Although we couldn't get any title to play within seconds, discs did start up and play in under a minute.
The HD-XA2 is the only current HD-DVD player with the ability to output 1080"p" resolution. While we're a little disappointed that we're not actually getting the original 1080p inherent on the hd-dvd, rather 1080"i" which is then processed before being deinterlaced for 1080"p", the final image is 1080"p." The resulting image on hd-dvd titles we checked(30) in all, were consistently impressive and slightly better than the image from same titles on the older HD-XA1 1080"i" model. None of the artifacts plaguing some of these titles on the 1080"i" model were visible on the new HD-XA2.
AUDIO PERFORMANCE-
A great reason to purchase the HD-XA2 model over any other HD-DVD model available, including the blu-ray/hd-dvd (2 in one) model from LG, is the fact that this one offers true HD 1.3 compatibility. Because most HD-DVD titles are offered with Dolby Digital Plus, the HD-XA2 converts the signal to Dolby Digital 5.1. But, to get the full potential of Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus, one should utilize the analog outputs available. Unfortunately, no manufacturer has provided a receiver that can decode Dolby TrueHd as of today, but the sound quality offered via the HD-XA2 and our Sony Dolby Digital/DTS receiver is on equal par with the best soundmix of any standard dvd.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT-
The fast boot-up, excellent 1080p display capability, HDMI "1.3" capability and overall quality make the HD-XA2 model easy to recommend over the less expensive 1080i(only), HDMI(non 1.3) models out there. Additionally, because of the HDMI "1.3" option, it's worth choosing the HD-XA2 model over the (2 in one) more expensive blu-ray/hd-dvd player.