Toshiba HD-A35 1080p HD DVD Player by Toshiba
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Digital camera reviews of Toshiba HD-A35 1080p HD DVD Player
Digital camera Review: DO NOT BUY
Summary: 1 Stars
Do not buy any Toshiba HD DVD players. Press releases state that they are no longer in the HD DVD business. They have quit making them.Digital camera Review: Demonstrable improvement
Summary: 5 Stars
My first entry into high definition dvds was precipitated by an impressive performance of a 32" Sony Bravia LCD HDTV. Its resolution was so improved over a Sharp Aquos (purchased 2+ yrs ago) that my standard definition DVDs looked less impressive. For example, an X-Men Last Stand now showed easily visible digital artifacts that made it less enjoyable.
So I plunged with a new Toshiba A35 player. I have now watched 4 HD DVDs and several standard definition DVDs and can say they are awesome. The Last Stand DVD indeed improved in appearance, definition, and, most importantly, enjoyment. While I would not necessarily get this for the SD DVD improvements, they are in fact beautiful. I do not think I would replace my SD DVDs with HD DVDs -- but I've thought about it.
Operation is pretty standard. The firmware update worked smoothly (via direct ethernet connection into an Airport Express wireless to my DSL). I did need to set dynamic IP settings to ensure no intranet difficulties. I just left it plugged in so when I try out the internet connectivity DVDs I will have easy access. Remote is satisfactory, but not as many options as my Pioneer Elite DVD player. On the other hand, that remote also controls the tv volume, power, channel, and most importantly, the input source on the tv. Are you tired of having four or five different remotes sitting around? This helps a bit.
My connection to the Sony Bravia is via HDMI. Picture is beautiful. The Chronicles of Riddick HD DVD is spectacular. The picture is detailed, crisp, fast responding with no discernible digital artifacts, and otherwise thrilling. Stardust reveals an incredibly horrid Michelle Pfeiffer as the wicked witch, but also dazling special effects. Bourne Identity (one of the box freebies) was also impressive, though with less graphical fanfare than Riddick. Some stress with the other box freebie, 300. At first the graininess was a bit distracting. Several have mentioned this at IMDB, and eventually I accepted it as an artist statement by the director. 300 is so good, that you are drawn into the story and ambience -- closest I felt to being at the movies in a long time.
The HD DVD experience is truly exciting. The choice between Blu-Ray and HD DVD was tough. Ultimately I went with this (which apparently is resonant with the last 2007 upsurge in HD DVD and Player sales). My guess is that the studios aligned with a particular format will just make their content available on both media -- how can you not? If you are skittish about the format war, wait. Or use some of those points you have accumulated... I am looking forward to the release of the Lord of the Rings in HD format. I would like Fifth Element, but that's in the Blu-Ray camp today.
I have read that the VHS-Beta formats was largely settled by the porn industry going VHS. So will that be the case here?
I am completely satisfied with the choice of the A35: it offers a wide variety of enhancements and features. It is a bit slow on start-up, but maybe a firmware update will improve that. Right now the question is which HD DVDs to get next...
PS: I just updated the software (2/17/08). Can't say what impact it has had. I had never had a software hang-up (as some have reported). It did seem snappier in start-up -- but I might have fantasized that.
Digital camera Review: Diggin' the great picture and the 5.1 multichannel analog outputs.....
Summary: 5 Stars
I had an A3 that was a Christmas gift - saw the prices fall on the A35 and upgraded. Connected via HDMI to a Mits 1080p 65 inch DLP. The picture with HD content is smoother than the A3, especially at 1080p/24hz. 2001, and Bladerunner look and sound fantastic!
Been listening to the audio using the 5.1 Analog outputs to a Panasonic SA-HE200 receiver - my Velodyne sub is getting a real workout, and, I'm getting full bandwidth audio reproduction from the player when engaging Dolby True HD. (Don't forget to balance your speakers for the best results in 5.1 multichannel- there is a setting in the A35 menu screen for that adjustment - use an inexpensive Radio Shack analog sound pressure level meter for best results.)
The connection via an optical cable sounds crisper, but I found analog surround audio has more depth, and a more natural sound when I switched between Dolby Digital Surround, and TrueHD. This replaced a 5 year old Panasonic dvd-s55 that had analog outputs.
The A35 had the most current firmware, so I was up and running in less than ten minutes. Will probably pick up a blu-ray player when the prices are more reasonable - there is content only available on BD that I would like to see sometime. If Toshiba would produce a dual format player, I'd buy it.
Some minor quirks:
1080P/24hz setting makes standard def dvd a little herky-jerky - leave it on "up to 1080P" if you watch more SD dvd material.
HD DVD does not remember where you left off if you exit the movie and come back to it again - you have to create a bookmark. A tedious, time consuming process.
I suspect that HD DVD will be around for a while. I'd probably buy one anyway, even if I had no interest in high def movies. It's an excellent upconverting player at a good price - makes my standard def dvds look almost HD.
Next purchase will more than likely be a new av receiver with hdmi connections and support for next gen audio formats, like the Onkyo 605 or 705. The 705 still has a phono input - I still have a turntable.....
Digital camera Review: Do you want to pay $300+ to be a beta-tester?
Summary: 1 Stars
Because it was the best-featured and most-recommended HD-DVD player among those listed in a December 2007 Amazon promotion, I paid $300+ for this unit. I don't have a Blu-Ray player, but after lots of online and in-store research, I bought this as the DVD player for a brand-new setup comprising a Pioneer Kuro PDP-5080 HD 50-inch plasma HD TV and a Sony STR DA5300ES A/V receiver (both of which I'm well satisfied with). They're all connected via HDMI, and I kept my multi-thousand mid-1990s 5.1 speakers set-up (which the Sony receiver is driving very nicely). The final main component, for which I'm still awaiting installation, is a DirecTV HD-receiver/DVR, to replace my existing DirecTV/TiVo DVR.
When it's working smoothly, the picture and sound from this DVD player -- right out of the box, with little tweaking and no serious massaging, barely cracking any of the owners' manuals -- is drop-to-your-knees thank-you-Jesus fabulous.
But this DVD player is not remotely ready for prime-time. It's INSULTINGLY BAD, and I'm frankly angry at Amazon for promoting it to me.
To begin with, this is fricking 2007. I do not expect to pay $300+ for any electronic component for which I have to re-enter the year, date, and time whenever there's a power loss. (NO BATTERY BACKUP. For that alone, someone at Toshiba should be compelled to commit career sepuku.)
Beyond that, notwithstanding my connection of the player to the 'net and execution of the firmware update (to 3.1, the most current version available), this machine cannot smoothly play BRAND NEW unscratched unmarred HD-DVDs fed to it directly out of the manufacturer's wrapping without so much as a fingerprint, much less a serious scratch. Skipping/non-tracking seems to recur on Track 3, about 20 to 21 minutes into, EVERY SINGLE HD-DVD I've tried so far.
Roughly once in every three hours of play-back, it will simply lock up. I have to unplug the damned thing and reboot it from scratch. And each such time I have to tell it: Umm, yes, it's still December 14th, just like the last time you seized up, you ridiculous piece of high-priced crap.
Given that I can spend $50 for a highly refined ordinary DVD player (with, thank you, battery backup) from any of a dozen different manufacturers -- ALL of which will smooth out and play, without skipping, rental DVDs that are vastly more scratched and marred -- I can't help but conclude that this product isn't fit to be marketed yet. If you buy it, you will not just be an "early adapter," you will be a "FRUSTRATED early adapter." I feel cheated.
Digital camera Review: Excellant HD-DVD player
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first hooked this up, I thought I was going to have the same problem I had with my HD-A2 player-it wouldn't boot up. However, this player booted up just fine and I am very impressed with the picture. The sound on Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby True HD soundtracks is terrific when played through my Onkyo 805 receiver. I do have a quibble with the Dolby True HD on some discs, though. I put in one and every time I went to a different track or tracked forward, there was about a minute that the picture was silent. I found that the set up on the machine was very easy and the instruction manual is well written and informative. The remote is the same as the one for my HD-A2, so if I lose this one, I can use the other one. The machine is smaller than the HD-A2 and is very easy to move around. It's quite light, but feels sturdy when you pick it up. All in all this is an attractive unit, performs very well, and will blow your ears off when it kicks in full tilt on a good sound track. Can't wait to watch 300 on it. 300 and The Bourne Identity both are included in the package.