HD-DVD Players

[BKville]

Since I'm getting a new LCD HDTV I've been thinkin' about HD-DVD players.. I haven't done any research on pricing and what not yet but, did read somewhere that Sony has found an easier way to produce them and expected a $100 price drop..

What make / model do you have and opinions..

Am I going to be better off looking for a used player..

Are there many rental HD-DVD's or is it a buyers market..

Any help, opinions and resources are appreciated..



Thanks, Brent

[Duffinator]

Here's the link (http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=114415) to a Toshiba player for $199. There won't be many used players on the market and the first generation HD players were pretty buggy. Netflix rents both HD and BD for the same price as regular DVD's.

You can read up on the format wars between HD and BD so I won't go into that. The Toshiba player above is a good upconverting player as well plus you get five free HD DVD's so it's a pretty good deal any way you shake it. What TV did you buy?

[BKville]

Did I miss something or what.. Because the price says $299

[uofmtiger]

Sony has found an easier way to produce them and expected a $100 price drop..


Thanks, BrentThere are two popular high definition formats: HD DVD and Blu Ray. Sony is actually behind Blu Ray.

The $199 is not available on Crutchfield anymore, but would be a good price if you are in the market for a great upcoverting DVD player that also does HD DVD.

Most BluRay players on the market are actually PS3s. The PS3 is a multimedia device and may be more than you want.

LG also makes a player that will play both HD DVDs and Blu Ray discs, so you can get the best of both worlds in one player.

I am not sure how easy it will be to find a used player for a decent price. You are probably better off trying to find one of the Toshibas on sale.

added later: There is a special with a Toshiba, Matrix and a bunch of movies on Amazon if you want HD DVD. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_4871052_2/104-3648150-7250343?ie=UTF8&docId=1000089051&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=top-1&pf_rd_r=0MSDP9N78JFDHKE9XFXP&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=293377201&pf_rd_i=172514)

[Duffinator]

Did I miss something or what.. Because the price says $299Looks like the deal (or mistake :D ) has ended. I ordered one for $199 delivered and it should ship two weeks from today. Some Costco's have them for $249.

[BKville]

There are two popular high definition formats: HD DVD and Blu Ray. Sony is actually behind Blu Ray.
I must have miss read something..

The $199 is not available on Crutchfield anymore, but would be a good price if you are in the market for a great upcoverting DVD player that also does HD DVD.
So, what is this upcoverting..

LG also makes a player that will play both HD DVDs and Blu Ray discs, so you can get the best of both worlds in one player.
Are these more expensive..

I'm in no hurry to buy something so I can wait for another great deal.. I just like to know what I'm buying..


Thanks, Brent

[emoxley]

Circuit City has the new, cheaper Blu ray player, for $499. See it here:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-Blu-ray-Disc-Player-BDP-S300/sem/rpsm/oid/184588/catOid/-16221/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
I like the movie titles on Blu ray better, myself.

[uofmtiger]

I must have miss read something..


So, what is this upcoverting..


Are these more expensive..

I'm in no hurry to buy something so I can wait for another great deal.. I just like to know what I'm buying..


Thanks, Brent

Upconverting players actually takes the 480P signal of the DVD and optimizes for your HDTV (720P, 1080i, 1080P). This, in general, leaves you with a better looking picture. Most HDTVs have their own scaler and optimizes the picture for what it can handle. However, the benefit of a good upscaling DVD player is that it does the job better than the TV.

Yes, the combo players are usually more expensive than one of the players that handles only one of the formats.


There is a thread "BluRay is amazing" that will help you decide which format you want to jump into. This is very early in the process, so it is hard to tell which technology will come out on top, so you could get stuck with a player that is the equivalent of Betamax for the average consumer in the future.

For BluRay, I would get the PS3 (and actually did). However, the price is near $600, so it is not inexpensive. You will probably find a better deal on HD DVD players, if you want to go that route. It really is a matter of which technology you think is better, what you want to spend, and which one has more movies now and in the future that you want to see.

In the other thread, I am on the BluRay side of the aisle. However, I can see the benefit of paying $199 for a player that can do a great job with DVDs AND play HD DVDs.

[yrly]

I have an HD-A2 as well as the original first gen version.

The first gen players have the advantage of analog outputs for surround sound. You could hook up seperate power amps for each channel if you so choose and make one heck of a HT setup. The first gen players are slower to load, but the image appears to be slightly better so far as upconverting. I've seen new HD-A1s go for as little as $150 on ebay. Technically if you can get some sort of receipt to prove you bought it if the box still has the barcodes you can still submit for 5 free movies.

The A2 I use here in the bedroom hooked up to my 32 inch LCD TV (which isn't exactly current, its about a year and a half old). It loads almost as fast as any ordinary DVD player, upconverts about as well as the best of them, think the A1 is slightly better but not by much.

I use both players with HDMI connections.

Picture quality of the best HD DVDs is stellar. So good it is breathtaking. Some of them you could watch over and over again just for the picture. The soundtracks depending on how they were done can be amazing as well. Picture quality will not be consistent. This is not just an issue of the mastering of the disks however it can become obvious that flaws in the original film exist. Some unlikely older films can look as good or better than newer ones (Robin Hood being over 70 years old is said to look amazing).

My take on this, buy the HD DVD now, it can be had as cheap as a good upconverting DVD player which in more cases than not it will outperform. You'll get 5 free movies, save a couple of bucks to buy a few more if you want and have a heck of a DVD player. Wait for Blu Ray prices to drop and should you want one then buy it then (Funai will probably be making one next year which should bring it more into the HD DVD bracket of pricing).

As far as first gen/second gen, weigh the features you'd prefer and decide from there. Personally I'd just buy whatever is cheaper.

[BKville]

Thanks for all your help guys... As with your help I believe I have a handle on it now..

Yes, I do need analog audio outputs.. I'm very glad that was mentioned..


Thanks again, Brent

[JimJ[VT]]

Part of me wants to mention the Xbox 360...but AK doesn't seem like a place where it'd be terribly popular :D

[Matt Lafayette]

I'm using the X-Box 360 HD DVD player and I love it! It also seems to do an incredilble job of upconverting standard def discs, If you already have a 360 it's a good way to get into HD on the cheap at $199 Canadian.

[uofmtiger]

The price of the PS3 dropped by $100 yesterday. Amazon has a deal with a PS3, 6 free movies (one of them is Memento), and a remote control for $499.

[bsoko2]

The HD AX2 is the best player to date from Toshiba. Check em out at Amazon.com

[promp3]

where are people getting these $199 hd players? I am going to probably just get the hd dvd player for my xbox360 they are like $170 and I could maybe get one used for cheaper. but with microsoft quality I would be lucky to get a year out of it before it caught fire. I kind of wish I had just spent another hundred and change on a the toshiba, insted on my up-convert lg player, witch isnt all that impressive to me. Maybe I'll just wait a year for more titles and lower prices... but I hate waiting! I want it NOW!
I would like to see blue-ray take off because of the fact that you could get a box-set on one CD. but untill the blue ray equipment gets cheaper I cant see how it can compete with hd.

[yrly]

I picked up a first gen RCA branded HDV5000 off ebay NIB for $71. I'd actually keep a close eye out for a deal on that model as it is somewhat forgotten, it is roughly the same as the HD-A1/XA1. Only reason I'd look elsewhere is if you have a 1080p TV and need the 1080p support. Toshiba announced the 3rd generation models yesterday so I'd watch for price cuts on the current and previous generation products in the next couple of weeks.

[BKville]

I picked up a first gen RCA branded HDV5000 off ebay NIB for $71. I'd actually keep a close eye out for a deal on that model as it is somewhat forgotten, it is roughly the same as the HD-A1/XA1. Only reason I'd look elsewhere is if you have a 1080p TV and need the 1080p support. Toshiba announced the 3rd generation models yesterday so I'd watch for price cuts on the current and previous generation products in the next couple of weeks.

I'm guessing the prices are going to be "Real Sweet" right before Christmas..

[Cleve]

I added a Toshiba HD-A2 to my system last week. I'm thrilled with it - aside from the superlative image quality of an HD-DVD, there's the additional benefit of superior upconverting for my collection of SD-DVDs. The image quality is better with the Toshiba than even with my Oppo upconverting DVD player.

[BKville]

I added a Toshiba HD-A2 to my system last week. I'm thrilled with it - aside from the superlative image quality of an HD-DVD, there's the additional benefit of superior upconverting for my collection of SD-DVDs. The image quality is better with the Toshiba than even with my Oppo upconverting DVD player.

I've heard how good the Oppo are but, still can't beat the Toshiba's upconverting..

[Estring]

I just purchased a used Toshiba HD-D2 for 75 dollars. I run it with the component outs and optical audio out. The picture and sound are wonderful, but I discovered that running any regular dvds on it with the component outs only play at 480P. A ploy to get you to replace your collection with hd discs I guess. I use Netflix so from now on I will rent only hd discs.
My crt tv doesn't have an hdmi input, but I love the picture it produces. I think I am hooked on hd dvd now.

[NeedForSpeed]

Been reading all the major studios have signed on with Sony to use Blu-Ray as there HD-DVD format, With Pioneer included. Prices on HD-DVD player have dropped a bunch in the last month. This war is about over, With Blu-Ray the winner it seems.

[Jack G]

I just purchased a used Toshiba HD-D2 for 75 dollars. I run it with the component outs and optical audio out. The picture and sound are wonderful, but I discovered that running any regular dvds on it with the component outs only play at 480P. A ploy to get you to replace your collection with hd discs I guess. I
No, generally speaking, DVDs aren't allowed to be upscaled over component, you have to use HDMI.
Jack

[Jack G]

Been reading all the major studios have signed on with Sony to use Blu-Ray as there HD-DVD format, With Pioneer included. Prices on HD-DVD player have dropped a bunch in the last month. This war is about over, With Blu-Ray the winner it seems.
No. Universal and Paramount are still HD DVD exclusive, and Pioneer isn't even a studio. Warner and National Geographic (1 title) went BD eclusive.
Jack

[NeedForSpeed]

No. Universal and Paramount are still HD DVD exclusive, and Pioneer isn't even a studio. Warner and National Geographic (1 title) went BD eclusive.
Jack

Pioneer as a choice of the player, Among others, Technology being leased from Sony.

[yrly]

They'll only upscale over HDMI on either format.

That aside while there are claims of the war being over, Toshiba just has reached the mark Laserdisc had for installed players, and standalone Blu Ray players are below that a lot of the numbers given for Blu Ray include PS3s, which of supposedly 30% or so are actually being used as Blu Ray players. Regardless of where the studios currently are, things could change especially with Toshiba's cost cutting of players. I'd expect about 1-2% of HDTV owners actually own either format. When Paramount went HD DVD exclusive without warning in August or so no one saw it coming. If Toshiba sells a million more players in a short period of time, there is no saying that Warner, or another studio might not reverse their decision.

Universal was the only HD DVD exclusive a year ago. Regardless of the current breakdown pie charts you see in terms of studio support Paramount and Universal have the distribution rights for about 43% of available movies even without Warner.

Sony wants to make it seem like the war is over, I don't blame them after the Beta/VHS war. I just don't think it is regardless of what they claim.

The safest bet is get a dual format player, or get one of each format and cheap. Enjoy it all. They really both are great formats in their own right, but the format war is overshadowing their greatness.

[bocoogto]

Cost of individual HD DVD and Blueray players is less than a universal player. Why not buy one of each for less cost? If one becomes obsolete, chuck it or use it in another room to play regular DVD's and CD's.

[prisoners]

Netflix has announced they are now Blu-Ray exclusive. Existing inventory of HD-DVD will be gone before the end of the year, probably sooner rather than later. I called about purchasing titles but there is no plan for that. I guess my Toshiba will end up with the Betamax. Oh well, just another bad A/V decision on my part!

[ProAc_Fan]

Not only NetFlix but Rogers Video and Jumbo Video ( two of the largest CDN video renters) have dumped HD-DVD as a viable format. The war if there ever was one has been won by Sony this time around. When the adult movie industry chooses to go Blu-Ray ( and they have) then all is decided. No one peddles more movies than them.

Mike

[Cpt.Beaky]

Not only NetFlix but Rogers Video and Jumbo Video ( two of the largest CDN video renters) have dumped HD-DVD as a viable format. The war if there ever was one has been won by Sony this time around. When the adult movie industry chooses to go Blu-Ray ( and they have) then all is decided. No one peddles more movies than them.

Mike

People keep bringing up this adult movie thing. In fact, it is only very recently that adult movies have backed BR, initially most companies were backing HD DVD. Nobody expected it to matter much this time around because there are so many viable methods of distribution (DVD, VHS, Internet - the internet in particular). It seems they were right, it didn't matter much, because HD-DVD has been selling less media than BR for a long time.

[Estring]

Just read that Wal Mart is getting rid of HD and going strictly Blu Ray.

[soundhd]

You do know that since Warner announced a few weeks ago that all thier films are going to be released on Blue-Ray HD that DVD-HD is on the way out......Blue Ray has won the video format war...........If you do insist on getting a player that can play DVD-HD discs you should get one of the "universal" type players that plays both Blue-Ray and DVD-HD.....will cost more but DVD-HD is one the way out..........that is the main reason that the prices of the DVD-HD players have dropped so much........:no: