Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD Player
At last High Def DVD is here!
After watching broadcast HD for 2 years finally Hi Def DVD is here and there is no going back. I would probably give this product 4 stars when compared to current DVD technology but given it is a first generation product I am willing to live with some of its minor flaws. The first is the load times and while they are slower than current DVD players it is not too distracting, only if you are frantically loading and unloading discs will you notice this as a problem. The remote is also a poor design with no backlighting - it is impossible to see the button labels even in good light. If you are using a universal remote problem solved - otherwise you will have to memorize the functions of the buttons. Otherwise the remote is full featured and responsive so over time it is not a major issue. Some have complained about the size of the player - it is a normal size completely fitting its status as a premier component and looks entirely at home with my other equipment. If anything, current DVD players have gotten so light and unsubstantial as to be throwaway designs. After viewing 7 of the HD-DVD movies that I purchased, many rentals and plenty of SD DVD's and CD's I have not experienced a single player glitch so while there may be some bad units by no means is there anything intrinsically wrong with the player. So how do the movies look? In one word phenomenal! you will feel like a curtain has been removed from most movies and that your level of enjoyment is exponentially higher. For the price that Toshiba has brought HD DVD out you can enjoy HD today or wait for the priveledge of using Sony's \\"annointed\\" format for twice the price with less features (No ability to play audio CD's, No Ethernet Connection, Less capacity, last generation video CODEC's ... oh and did I mention a price of $1000!). Many of the studios which are counted in Blu Ray's 90% studio claim were avid and exclusive supporters of DIVX vs. DVD in the last format war and we know that didn't last long so studio's who don't want to support HD-DVD are losing money today while waiting for Blu Ray's reality to meet its promises.