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PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

post #1 of 25
8/25/06 at 11:04pm
Thread Starter 
If you haven't seen or bought an HD-DVD PLAYER your missing out on one of the most amazing pieces of Home theater hardware ever released...

I am as well as many, many others are continuing to be blown away by this format. Read these forums and you can see the Toshiba and Rca HD-DVD players being praised repeatedly for their superior picture and sound quality..

I have yet to hear anything negative to the extent of picture quality or sound from either of these units..

Negative attributes to these units are based on load times, remote.

The sincere fact of the matter is when the movie starts to play you are blown away..AS PROMISED...

I am not alone in my complete dedication to this format...

See for yourself....that is the understatement of both these formats..

"See for Yourself" ... read all the specs you want about both these formats.. what do you think about when you see the picture???

The answer lyes within what you see..

what i see makes me say wow every time i turn it on...


***On a personal note I want to thank Ron Epstein for his honest and un biased opinions on both these formats. I would not be enjoying this fantastic piece of HT equipment if it wasn't for the article that Ron wrote about his experience and his thoughts about both of these new formats.**

So thanks Ron for giving me the nudge to not sit back and wait but SEE for myself what i have been missing. I sat back and waited trusting simply the Specs to justify my thoughts on what i would buy. I will never do that again....you gotta see it, you gotta hear it....to be blown away by it..and that will totally change your "SPEC SHEET" opinion...


HD-DVD supporter go "SEE" what your missing....
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post #2 of 25
8/26/06 at 12:52am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

I tell it like it is!

HD-DVD is an amazing format, and if you read some of the
lastest posts on this forum I think you'll feel more confifdent
that the format isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

I'm so happy you are enjoying the format!
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post #3 of 25
8/27/06 at 12:58am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

The only complaint I have is the remote, but that's something I'll be able to get used to. The loading time doesn't really bother me much because I was prepared for it after reading about it on HTF. The player is more like a computer than a DVD player, anyway. It truly is a great piece of hardware, and I have zero complaints with the picture and audio quality. Definately worth the upgrade.
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post #4 of 25
8/27/06 at 8:27am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

You now, I've gotten over the remote. Once I figured out what to push, where, and when it pretty much just became another in a LONG series of remotes lining my bedroom nightstand.

I have to say, besides my projector, this machine is the best thing I've gotten as far as HT is concerned. The pictures are terrific, the new TrueHD feature...amazing. I only see continued fun as more titles are released. Heck, even my wife asks: What's coming out on HD DVD next week? The true sign of a Winner!
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post #5 of 25
8/27/06 at 7:19pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Hey it can be the "most amaxing DVD player EVER" on the whole planet, but it still doesn't stop the fact that the odds are you will never be able to watch a BUNCH of movies form studios who settled on Blu-Ray...for that fact alone, I could never get excited about a DVD player that won't be able to play numerous DVD movies supported only by Blu.

Not at all worth the gamble no matter how "pretty" the images are...I can live with SD-DVD for a LONG time until there is ONE format on the shelves of every electronics store.
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post #6 of 25
8/27/06 at 11:12pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Oddly, this remote (as complicated and silly as it may seem) makes a lot more sense than the previous remote for my Yamaha (which share one set of buttons for fast forward and skip track - I'm sure you can imagine how much fun that was).

But I still agree the remote could have been much, much better.
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post #7 of 25
8/28/06 at 12:42am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Alf,

Either format you choose there's a 50/50 chance of losing.

Personally, at this time, I'd rather spend $500 rather than $1000
to get my foot in the door of a high definition format.

We will all certainly understand if everyone else sits out of this
format war, but I think if you do enough research across the
Internet (and especially on this forum) you'll find that HD-DVD is
becoming a nice little success story here.

The worst thing that could happen is that you get stuck with
a HD-DVD player that does a great job upconverting and whose
build quality exceeds its pricetag. $500 is a small risk to pay in
order to enjoy image and audio quality that far exceeds what you
have now.
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post #8 of 25
8/28/06 at 4:27am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

The slow loads stop me from buying the A1. Often times I'll start watching a DVD only to decide to try something else after a few minutes. That would become pretty annoying with the reported load times of this device. Hopefully this is an issue Toshiba will address with their 2G units.
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post #9 of 25
8/28/06 at 5:08am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

I just jumped on yesterday. Took advantage of an open box buy at Best Buy. After inspecting it, they offered it to me for $400 - $50 off the marked price. I asked for $375 and got it. I had $175 in gift cards.

Went to a friends and downloaded firmware 2.0. We also watched a bit of Sleepy Hollow. Can't wait to see what it looks like on my XBR970 that's being delivered Friday.
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post #10 of 25
8/28/06 at 8:26am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Cool Michael....looks like you got a great deal!
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post #11 of 25
8/28/06 at 11:33am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob_Walton
The slow loads stop me from buying the A1. Often times I'll start watching a DVD only to decide to try something else after a few minutes. That would become pretty annoying with the reported load times of this device. Hopefully this is an issue Toshiba will address with their 2G units.

Honestly, they aren't that bad. I was prepared for the worst after what I had heard on here and other forums, but it really is not that long of a wait. Sure, it's not as quick as a DVD player, but this isn't a DVD player. It's more like a computer. Just see the load time as a chance to go get a snack or grab something to drink and it's not so bad.
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post #12 of 25
8/28/06 at 12:25pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

They are slow...but remember how good a steak is when it's slowly marinating to perfection. Can't rush these things you know. ....it is pretty slow.

But worth the wait.
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post #13 of 25
8/28/06 at 12:33pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

My experience reflects Brett Gallman comments also!!!

As far as the Remote, once you get use to where all the buttons are, then it's not too bad. At times though, pressing the buttons requires a firm determined push, then the selection acts as they should.

Toshiba 720p/1080p DLP Owners - TidBit
If you own one, that includes the Dual Wand IR Blaster, which effectively allows the Toshiba HDTV to pass along the Toshiba HD-A1 IR codes from the center of the HDTV screen.

Just place one of the IR Blaster devices just below the right side of the Toshiba HD-A1 opening door , ... pointed up, ... then you can just point the Toshiba Remote @ your HDTV Screen from anywhere in your room (works 25' away from my kitchen & I can't even see my HD-A1 unit / couch on the way) when you select any HD DVD option. Works GREAT in a darken room also!!!

Phil
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post #14 of 25
8/28/06 at 12:39pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Phil, somehow I missed your R2. Wow is that cool!!!! Dang I want one of those....ok back on topic.
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post #15 of 25
8/28/06 at 12:45pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alf S
Hey it can be the "most amaxing DVD player EVER" on the whole planet, but it still doesn't stop the fact that the odds are you will never be able to watch a BUNCH of movies form studios who settled on Blu-Ray...for that fact alone, I could never get excited about a DVD player that won't be able to play numerous DVD movies supported only by Blu.

'never' is an awfully long time. And the the thing that bothers me about this feeling (which Alf isn't alone in expressing) is that it makes the consumers (us) out to be just passive recepticles of whatever the studios want to feed us- as if we have no choice or say in the matter- and we just have to take what they give us and like it.
Screw that.

I love HD DVD. I love the price points, I love the quality and care shown in the discs I own, I love the fact that a generous amount of extra features don't seem to be negatively impacting the most important aspects.
As long as the studios supporting it continue to do so, and put out content that I want to own, I'll be buying.

Its a shame Fox and Disney and MGM don't want a crack at my wallet, but so be it- thats more money I have to throw Warner, Universal and Paramounts way.
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post #16 of 25
8/28/06 at 12:51pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
I love HD DVD. I love the price points, I love the quality and care shown in the discs I own, I love the fact that a generous amount of extra features don't seem to be negatively impacting the most important aspects.
As long as the studios supporting it continue to do so, and put out content that I want to own, I'll be buying.

Its a shame Fox and Disney and MGM don't want a crack at my wallet, but so be it- thats more money I have to throw Warner, Universal and Paramounts way.

Yep.
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post #17 of 25
8/28/06 at 12:54pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Well said, Paul.

Is it going to sting a little if Fox doesn't release "Aliens" on HD-DVD? Sure. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't allow myself to get what is being released on HD-DVD. The way I see it, it's more than having nothing, because there is a substantial amount of stuff released and in the pipeline that has already justified my purchase, in my opinion.
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post #18 of 25
8/28/06 at 4:19pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
Hey it can be the "most amaxing DVD player EVER" on the whole planet, but it still doesn't stop the fact that the odds are you will never be able to watch a BUNCH of movies form studios who settled on Blu-Ray...

Right, like how we never got to see all the movies from studios that only signed up with DIVX instead of "open DVD". Besides, aren't there studios that are releasing on HD-DVD but not Blu-Ray? Aren't Blu-Ray buyers also going to miss out on a BUNCH of movies?

Personally, I don't have a dog in this fight. I don't own either format and I'm not in any hurry to move up to hi-def DVD. I'm waiting for the market to do its job - tell the studios and the manufacturers what people are willing to buy at a given price, and what features are important to them. (As opposed to which technology and features the manufacturers think we should want and what price we'd be happy to pay.)

From my perch here on the sidelines I think Sony is headed for another of its "my way or the highway" format meltdowns. They've arrived in the marketplace months behind HD-DVD with no appreciable quality advantage and at least as many glitches and growing pains. The usual "barely out of beta" release we've come to expect from new formats. (Remember the monthly round-up of new DVD releases that flat-out would not play on certain makes and models?)

I don't think PS3 is going to save the format, either, both because I doubt the overlap between gameplayers, serious movie fans and HDTV owners is as big as Sony thinks it is, and because by all accounts it is going to be way too expensive as a gaming system while selling at a loss as a DVD player.

I'm not saying the war is over. Sony could fix enough of its problems quickly enough to regain its feet, and they could decide that it makes more sense to trade profits for market share in the market you're actually competing in (DVD movie player) than the one where you aren't (game platform) and try to go toe-to-toe with HD-DVD - or (to vary th metaphor) at least lower the price enough to be in the same ballpark. But there's no doubt in my mind that Blu-Ray is currently in second place in this race, and if Sony hasn't gotten things on track in order to put up some decent numbers by the holiday season, studios are going to start embracing HD-DVD as well and then a damned good system at a lower price will beat a slightly "better" system at a higher price, as has happened so many times in the past. (Often with Sony on the losing end.)

Regards,

Joe
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post #19 of 25
8/28/06 at 5:19pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

I went crazy last night. I think I went crazier yesterday than in 1999 when I got my first DVD.

I bought Sleepy Hollow, Goodfellas, Sky Captain, Manchurain Candidate at Wal Mart.

From Amazon I ordered Enter the Dragon, Good Night, and Good Luck, Searchers, Syriana, Unforgiven. Blazing Saddles, Full Metal Jacket, Animal House, and Ray.

4 are rebuys and 7 are movies I have held off buying in expectation of HD.

I also discovered I have 6 HD DVDs out 350 DVDs in my Netflix queue. I think I have enough to watch for awhile. I'm just waiting on more Kubricks, Superman, Batman and if the Bonds come out on Blu-ray only . . . I may become a Blu-ray owner.
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post #20 of 25
8/28/06 at 6:08pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino
Right, like how we never got to see all the movies from studios that only signed up with DIVX instead of "open DVD". Besides, aren't there studios that are releasing on HD-DVD but not Blu-Ray? Aren't Blu-Ray buyers also going to miss out on a BUNCH of movies?

Yep. Universal has not pledged any support to Blu-Ray. So, while I might miss out on "Aliens" or "X-Men" on HD-DVD, I wouldn't get to see "Jaws" had I went the Blu-Ray direction. So really, it's all a wash in some ways.

I do know it's far more expensive to spend $1500 to get EVERY movie available instead of just paying $500 and still get a good amount of movies I enjoy. Also, there's always the chance that HD-DVD wins out, and I eventually see everything I want anyway.
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post #21 of 25
8/29/06 at 7:51pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
'never' is an awfully long time. And the the thing that bothers me about this feeling (which Alf isn't alone in expressing) is that it makes the consumers (us) out to be just passive recepticles of whatever the studios want to feed us- as if we have no choice or say in the matter- and we just have to take what they give us and like it.

Sure you did/do...just pass on getting either and let the studios/manufacturers know you won't support this war and will be happy with HDTV and DVD until they get their acts together and get ONE format...simple as that..

There isn't a movie on the planet that I "NEED" to have in HD..none...so the wait for me at least is VERY easy.
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post #22 of 25
8/29/06 at 8:30pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alf S
Sure you did/do...just pass on getting either and let the studios/manufacturers know you won't support this war and will be happy with HDTV and DVD until they get their acts together and get ONE format...simple as that..

There isn't a movie on the planet that I "NEED" to have in HD..none...so the wait for me at least is VERY easy.

Or HD-DVD adopters could be sending the message that they are fully willing to support the format (rather than the war) and hope that BR-exclusive studios also get the message. And then we just hope said studios come to support HD-DVD as well. By all accounts, the "war" would be over then, as all BD has at the moment is exclusive support from MGM, Fox, and Disney.

And, if things happen to go the other way, and we HD-DVD adopters get "burned," I doubt that such a result will be known within the next couple of years. Therefore, we'll at least get to enjoy the format for that time, and jumping over the Blu-Ray will probably be more financially feasible at that point. It's almost a no-lose situation, in my opinion.
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post #23 of 25
8/29/06 at 8:39pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Well said Brett. Couldn't have said it better myself. The other issue for me is IF HD-DVD should lose out by then...I'll have alot of fantastic High Def movies to enjoy for years and a fantastic upconverting sd-player as well for the sd-dvds or TV shows I've spent years collecting.

I love my HD-DVD.
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post #24 of 25
8/29/06 at 8:51pm

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Glover
Well said Brett. Couldn't have said it better myself. The other issue for me is IF HD-DVD should lose out by then...I'll have alot of fantastic High Def movies to enjoy for years and a fantastic upconverting sd-player as well for the sd-dvds or TV shows I've spent years collecting.

I love my HD-DVD.

Yep, that's another thing I failed to mention: if HD-DVD fails, no one's going to come in and take our discs. Come to think of it, it would be an advantage if Blu-Ray wins out and begins to release titles that were once HD-DVD exclusive. No double-dip required.

I love HD-DVD too.
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post #25 of 25
8/30/06 at 8:52am

Re: PRO'S obliterating the CON'S of HD-DVD

I bought mine form the continental deal. I sold my Oppo and Zenith DVB318 and added some $$, not much to buy the Toshiba. I am glad I made the that decision. Not only the HD-A1 is an HD DVD player, it's also one a heck of upconverting player. I find it better than my Oppo and Zenith. Even if the HD DVD lost the war I have one great SD DVD player. And yes it is a very good CD player too.
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