360 HD-DVD

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:12 pm

Zeppo wrote:If I can find an A3 for oly $20 or $30 more than the add-on, I don't really see a reason to get the add-on. However, if I can get the add-on for $130, it makes it a lot more attractive unless there is something I am not realizing in terms of the benefits of the stand-alones.

Upscaling regular DVDs and not using the 360 make getting one of the two standalone Toshibas worth it in my opinion. I'm not a big audio guy, so I couldn't tell you the difference. If I get 5 channel surround, I'm happy. I get that on both the standalone and the add-on. I sold my add-on, because it was just silly to have when a standalone is a much better option.

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:53 pm

My 360 with the add-on upscales dvd's, so thats a mute point if you have HDMI or VGA. And yes, upscaled does look better. Maybe not a HUGE difference, but one can tell.

I have been thinking of selling my add-on for a standalone but just do not see the benefit of it. Sure I am using my 360 to watch movies but who cares, if the thing is going to break then it will break, regardless if I am watching a movie or playing a game for 3 or 4 hours. I was an early adopter of HD DVD so I would be losing a good bit of money by going stand alone now. Besides that, I would then have one more input to TRY to teach the wife and kids to use. They know how to turn the 360 and tv on, but throw in that 3rd thing (with the AVR) and it could spell trouble.

Zep, you make a lot of good points/questions, unfortunately I can't help you much. Every HD DVD I have played has sounded good. I am no audiophile but I know what sounds like crap etc...... As far as all the new formats....no idea (check AVS they are all up on this in the HD DVD area) and as far as the 360 noise, well its there but I am not sure how much it bothers me if at all. I just deal with it. For the price (if you can get it under 150) the add-on is nice IMO.

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:59 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
Zeppo wrote:If I can find an A3 for oly $20 or $30 more than the add-on, I don't really see a reason to get the add-on. However, if I can get the add-on for $130, it makes it a lot more attractive unless there is something I am not realizing in terms of the benefits of the stand-alones.
Upscaling regular DVDs and not using the 360 make getting one of the two standalone Toshibas worth it in my opinion. I'm not a big audio guy, so I couldn't tell you the difference. If I get 5 channel surround, I'm happy. I get that on both the standalone and the add-on. I sold my add-on, because it was just silly to have when a standalone is a much better option.

I do agree with DB though, if you are worried about the audio get a standalone or if they are VERY close in price. I am not sure if standalone will upscale over component so that may not be an issue at all for you, they both may require HDMI.

I just wanted to state that the add-on is a good little player that functions well for its price. It was cheaper than stand alones when I bought it and I was very happy with the money I saved

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:47 pm

Zeppo wrote: I am getting close to buying the add-on myself, but I'm also considering a Toshiba A2 or A3 player, and I'd love to get some opinions from those here who've had experience with Toshiba's units. From reading over at AVS, it seems to me that the HD-A2 is a superior machine to the HD-A3.

I had both the A2 and A3 and ultimately kept the A3 (paid $175 and got 10 free HD DVD's, see my earlier post) and returned the A2.

The main difference is how each unit downconverts DD+/TrueHD audio from HD DVD;s. A3 passes everything as DD (640Kbps), while A2 passes it at DTS (1.5Mbps)

For standard DVD's, it makes no difference. They'll upconvert both like a champ and pass either audio signal just fine. For HD DVD's, the video will be the same for both, but the audio will be output either as DD or DTS.

For me, I wanted the 3rd gen model and my ears couldn't tell a difference between the 1.5Mbps and 640Kbps audio (which I've been listening to for ~10yrs now with standard DVD's). Also, the deal was better for the A3 in that I got 10 total DVD's (2 in box, 3 off the shelf, 5 mail-in) for $175 instead of only the 5 mail-in rebate DVD's with the A2 (and a $99 price).

I've watched probably 15 movies since owning it (all on a 110" front projection 720p system). The HD DVD stuff we've watched has been stunning (compared to alot of the HD content we watch OTA or on DirecTV). The SD DVD's have upconverted very well, as good or slightly better than my top rated Oppo Digital upconverting player that I've now relocated to another HDTV in the house. Overall, I'm very pleased with the purchase and would highly recommend a Toshiba HD DVD player (get their 1080p unit if you have a 1080p HDTV though).

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:23 pm

Thanks for the replies!

My display only has one HDMI input, so I would need to get a switcher to take advantage of any upconverting of SD DVDs, and even so, in my ignorance, I'm not entirely convinced that the DVD player will do a much better job than the display itself, so that's not a huge concern of mine.

The DD vs. DTS thing is minimal to me as well, since the receiver I have can deal with either. It does seem from what I've gleaned reading around that there is minimal difference between the two, despite the differing bitrates. I think I've read somewhere that DD does a much better job of compression than DTS, so the difference in bitrate is misleading.

As to the 1080p thing, my display doesn't do it anyway, but from reading the reviews over at CNET, they are extremely underwhelmed with the A30's 1080p signal (and the A20 for that matter), but claim the 1080p/24fps models do a wonderful job. In any case, all that matters naught to me at this stage.

I guess what matters most to me at this stage is whether or not the Toshibas do a markedly better job of decoding the new lossless audio formats to DD or DTS than the 360's add-on, assuming the add-on does so at all. Since I can't seem to find the add-on for less than $170, and Best Buy has the A3 for $200, it does seem to make sense to get the Toshiba, but then again space in the rack is a bit of a concern. . . .

What I really want is an HD-DVD player with mutli-channel analog outs and DVD-Audio and SACD capabilities for under $200. I may be waiting forever for that one.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:55 pm

Haven't really been following the Toshiba models but I think they do have more expensive models which will for instance output 1080p as well as handle the lossless audio formats for those HD-DVD releases which have lossless sound tracks available.

If you have a good 1080p TV with a good scaler, it's not critical to have 1080p output.

I don't think any of the standalones are yet using dedicated decoder chips from Sigma Designs or Broadcom yet. The first Toshibas actually used a Pentium M.

Standalones for both formats are slow to load discs (which is one reason the PS3 has been favored for Blu-Ray) but that should change eventually.

CES in the first or second week of January should give an indication of what's coming.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:25 pm

Amazon has the HD-A3 for $178.52 with free shipping if anyone is looking to get into HD-DVD.

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-HD-A3-720 ... 040&sr=1-2

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:19 pm

MS leaves door open for BR.

http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Stil ... e10506.htm

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:07 pm

10spro wrote:MS leaves door open for BR.

http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Stil ... e10506.htm

Bring it on, I'm ready!

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:07 pm

Here's the fire sale. It can upconvert DVD's through HDMI and VGA only, or use it as a PC companion. For $50 bucks.

http://www.dailytech.com/Best+Buy+Offer ... e10850.htm

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:45 pm

10spro wrote:Here's the fire sale. It can upconvert DVD's through HDMI and VGA only, or use it as a PC companion. For $50 bucks.

http://www.dailytech.com/Best+Buy+Offer ... e10850.htm

The 360's HD-DVD drive has nothing to do with the 360's ability to upconvert SD DVDs over HDMI or VGA. The software to decode SD DVDs and HD-DVDs is entirely in the 360, and the HD-DVD add-on is merely a drive that can read HD-DVD discs.

As far as I am aware, the 360 is a relatively poor decoder of SD DVDs vs. average stand-alone DVD players (whether it's outputting them at 480p or upconverting through HDMI or VGA), whereas its HD-DVD abilities are much more up to snuff.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:48 pm

Report: Sony, Microsoft discussing 360 Blu-ray drive

The Financial Times reports rivals are talking about adding high-def technology to formerly HD DVD-aligned console; Microsoft denies anything official, Sony says it's open to the possibility.
By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Mar 6, 2008 9:52 pm GMT

Following its brief campaign to support the doomed HD DVD format, Microsoft has now apparently entered into talks with Sony to bring Blu-ray disc technology to the Xbox 360. That once-unthinkable scenario was outlined today in a report in the British economic daily the Financial Times, two months after Xbox group marketing manager Albert Penello reopened the door to the possibility.

"It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's something we'll have to consider," Penello told the Reuters news service during the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in January. Since then, though, decisions by retail giants Wal-Mart and Best Buy as well as online rental house Netflix made up the public's mind for it, causing Toshiba to finally abandon HD DVD production last month.

Citing an unnamed "senior executive," the Financial Times said that Sony and Microsoft are not simply discussing a successor to the Xbox 360's now discontinued, dirt-cheap external HD DVD drive. The newspaper said that there is also the possibility of an internal Blu-ray drive being incorporated into a new, more expensive "premium" 360 model, as it is already in the PlayStation 3. Thusly, Sony would earn royalties from sales of a rival console--a first for the game industry.

For its part, Microsoft quickly denied any move toward Blu-ray had been officially made. "We have made no such announcement," a rep told GameSpot. "Games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."

For its part, Sony welcomes the possibility of a Blu-ray-equipped Xbox 360. "If Microsoft wants to release Gears of War 3 on a Blu-ray Disc, I think we can make that happen," Sony Computer Entertainment America's vice president of product marketing Scott A. Steinberg told GameSpot prior to today's report.

While Steinberg's comments were merely hypothetical, they were echoed by another SCEA rep today--who declined to confirm nor deny the Times report. "While of course we are excited that the Blu-ray won the format war and knew that our decision to include Blu-ray in PS3 would pay off, the Blu-ray format is an initiative developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association," said the rep, referring to the body governing the BD format. While led by Sony, the BDA is made up of nine companies: Sony, Pioneer, Philips, Thomson, LG, Hitachi, Sharp, Samsung, and Panasonic parent company Matsushita.