Im done with HD DVD...

JeffdDurborow · 03-23-2007, 02:13 AM

After downloading the 2.0 firmware for my less than a year old HD A1. I have had the embarrassing audio problems and video glitching many others have reported. I have been reading the numerous threads here and over at avs to determine wether or not i will continue to support this format.
I currently refuse to buy anymore HD DVD's until i have faith in the machines capability of playing them without these problems.
I am responsible for upgrading the firmware obviously it was my own choice. however i guess i shouldn't have bought KING KONG either which helped initiate my decision.? oh well..

I know im not alone..

I am disappointed in Toshiba for letting this problem drag on like this. It was their firmware and it was something that was poorly executed. Many many owners of the HD DVD format continue to have their positive experiences with their players but many of us lost that with this dreaded update..

sorry to be so negative. I really enjoy (ed) this format. right now though it's just leaving me with continued resentment for upgrading that damn firmware...

oh well im officially bummed out... thanks for listening though....

.......i know many of you have been lucky and haven't had problems..that's great..but this doesn't mean leave us who have out in the dark TOSHIBA..

SherardP · 03-23-2007, 05:55 AM

take care bro, my A1 runs well with 2.0, not a single glitch

Cees Alons · 03-23-2007, 06:32 AM

That's sad indeed, Jeff.
Like Sherard's, my HD-A1 runs without a glitch after the upgrade to 2.0 (and I don't know how it performed before that update: it came with V1.4 and I decided to update right away).

In fact, it still gives me enough confidence, to order 6 newly announced HD DVDs yesterday (as well as - not connected to this matter - three BDs, BTW).

I wonder what's wrong with your machine. And I hesitate very much to mention the upcoming V2.1... Did you contact Toshiba already (or your dealer). Perhaps you just need a replacement.

Cees

Joseph Bolus · 03-23-2007, 07:12 AM

Jeff:

Just out of curiousity, are you utilizing HDMI or component output?

I know that component limits the units' SD-DVD upscaling capabilities, but there are far fewer problems with component connectivity than HDMI with this machine.

Dave>h · 03-23-2007, 08:01 AM

Jeff:

How did you perform the upgrade? Did you dowload direct from the Toshiba site, get the disk from Toshiba or download the update and burn it to disk?

Personally, I received the udgrade disk directly from Toshiba and the 2.0 has worked virtually flawlessly for me.

I am really sorry to hear you are having problems. I am wondering if it could be your chosen upgrade route that is causing the problem?

Maybe you should order the disk from Toshiba (assuming you didn't) and maybe that would work.

Just trying to help.

Dave

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JeffdDurborow · 03-24-2007, 01:01 AM

Thanks for all the kind words fellow forum members. I appreciate it.

I did download the firmware using an ethernet connection. I have the A1 hooked up via HDMI. I enjoy the upconversion of this player tremendously and since the PS3 i had invested in does not do that I would like to maintain the HDMI connection for the A1. I also am using the 5.1 channel outputs of the A1 to enjoy the TRU HD audio minus the glitches of course..

Im not alone with these problems but sitting here i am curious as to why some are having issues and some aren't more so what was their method of accessing the firmware.. maybe in some cases the data was not distributed flawlessly unlike the disc which would or should not have any hiccups during the update.

maybe i will look into a 2.0 disc. if anyone out their has one that they have had success with maybe i could borrow and return. I may try downloading the firmware again. If it will allow of course.

Until then i won't be buying anymore HD DVD discs until i can fix this problem. I really don't want or have the funds to purchase a new player..

thanks again for all the support...

This may be off topic but if we consider the A1 like a computer shouldn't we be able to access the information that has been uploaded to the player. therefore checking to see if all the information has been uploaded..

ah, im not sure what im talking about...just thinking out loud...

nuff said..

Cees Alons · 03-24-2007, 06:23 AM

For the record: I used the internet connection to upgrade my machine. Having sent a CD to Europe didn't seem to make sense.

I assume that the loading process involves some kind of sum check (and CRC) or the like, preferably in more than one block. That would ensure that the "mini-loader" knows that all seems to be downloaded intact. It's a rather common practice.

(BTW, did you also try to clean the offending discs? You know, "humming" on discs to wet them, clean with radial - not circular - movements from centre to edge. Some guys do it even more drastically. Point seems to be that blue laser discs are still more susceptible, the extra error detection and correction techniques notwithstanding, than red laser discs.)

Cees

Paul Arnette · 03-24-2007, 07:42 AM

Jeff,

I can sympathize, and I'm sure the rest of the folks here can to. I have not had near the problems you reported with my HD-A1, which I have since sold to upgrade to the HD-XA2. But it is that kind of wildly differing experience from user to user that scares me about HD DVD, as well as BD too. Of course, I never got around to playing any TrueHD tracks with my HD-A1.

In fact, I have had some pausing issues playing SD DVD while listening to SPDIF with my HD-XA2, and last night I experienced excessive stuttering with Eragon on my BDP-HD1 outputting 24fps to my PRO-FHD1.

Being on the 'bleeding edge' can be a huge PIA, and a lot of times I long for the simplier times when I wasn't an 'early adopter'.

Tim Glover · 03-24-2007, 11:18 AM

Like Cees, I also used the internet to download the 2.0 firmware last fall. Worked like a charm....

Just sold my A1 though...bout to pull the trigger on the XA-2.

Give it a try before you leave the world of HD DVD. Good luck Man!

Tim Glover · 03-24-2007, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Arnette

Being on the 'bleeding edge' can be a huge PIA, and a lot of times I long for the simplier times when I wasn't an 'early adopter'.

Well said Paul. We "early birds" are the format testers who are supposed to have alot of money AND patience. I seem to have more of the latter recently with my buying habits.