Toshiba HD A2 questions. (1 Viewer)

[Camper]

I just got a Toshiba HD A2 last night. $379 and 18 months no interest from Sears. I am thrilled. Can't believe it took me nearly a year to upgrade.
I got 4 HD DVDs--Hulk, Batman Begins, Superman: the Movie & Supermann 2 Donner Cut.
As soon as they release some more comic book movies on HD DVD I'll get them too! Just kidding it was a conincidence.

I have 2 questions though.
Firstly, I tried to hook it up to my older Sony CRT TV with DVI. I used a convertor and got a picture, but it downconverted to 480P. So, IS there a way to get 1080i via the DVI from this model. If so how?

Sencond, the venerable Panasonic DVD player I replaced had the very handy option of a 'Memory Position' button, that allowed me to hit the button and turn it off and then turn it back on and have it pick up right back at the exact same spot.
Does the HD A2 have a feature like that? (I haven't gotten through the entire manual yet)
If it does, what is the process.
Thanks to anyone who might kniow!

OH, I failed to mention I got a 1080i signal from the Component inputs, but have heard that some content will downconvert when using Component.
Is that also true?

 

[Steve Schaffer]

There's been a firmware update to address the HDMI-DVI downrez issue:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/print...319&p=10280783

See answer to Q-2. You can do the update using the ethernet connection on the back of the player or mail in the update disc request card that came with your player and Toshiba will send you the update disc in the mail. If you decide to do it over ethernet you must make sure there is no disc in the player before doing the update, and you will have to do the ethernet setup in the setup menu.

HD DVD discs will not resume from where you left off if you stop play. This is due to the authoring of the discs and is not a player limitation.

All current HD DVD discs will play at 1080i over component, SD will only play at 480p, but will upconvert very nicely to 1080i if you use HDMI and if your tv has HDCP on it's DVI input.

HD DVD spec allows for downrez of HD DVD to 480p over component if the disc is flagged to do so, but so far no discs have this dubious feature.

 

[Camper]

Thanks Steve.

You guys never fail to answer the questions!

Yes, I did turn off the player with a standard DVD in it and it resumed next day when I hit play--but not with the HDs.
I will send for the update disc. My TV does have the HDCP DVI protection.

Thanks again.

 

[Camper]

Man, how long does the firmware disc take in the mail?
I'm close to 3 weeks waiting?

I sure hope it cures the HDMI to DVI picture downgrade.
Has it worked for other folks? I mean firsthand knowledge--not "it's supposed to."

Thanks!

 

[Steve Schaffer]

You can download the firmware and burn your own update disc:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=799337

Alternatively you can connect an ethernet cable to the back of your player, do the ethernet setup per the owner's manual, and upgrade directly off the 'net. Be aware that some early production players would not update with the ethernet connection as delivered. Instead they would display a message with the old firmware number stating no update available. If yours is one of these players either burn your own disc or wait for the one from Toshiba. I had to burn my own disc as I was tired of waiting to get one from Toshiba.

Before trying to update over ethernet make sure there is no disc in the player!!!!


After using a disc for the first update, future updates over ethernet connection will work even if they don't now.

I had to use a disc to update to 1.2, after that the ethernet method worked to get 1.5. You can update directly from 1.0 to 1.5. You cannot go back to an earlier firmware after updating to a newer one.

 

[Camper]

Thanks again Steve.

 

[Rhoq]

Also with the disc installation - you will notice the ring around your power button flashing, alternating between blue and red (Step 5/5). This is normal.

On my 2nd day owning my A2, I found out via the AVS Forum that I needed to install v1.2 via CD before I could download the v1.3 update. Since I had no experience with this, I thought the update failed once the light start to flash and cut the power. To make a long story short - Toshiba was unable to repair it and sent me a brand-new unit, direct from the factory to replace it. It all worked-out, but I was without an HD-A2 for a month.