Toshiba A1 yes or no

[cottie1966]

Hi All

I am after an HD DVD player such as the Toshiba A1 yes or no, is there a new model coming out if so when or should i just buy it now, if so where from

Is the Toshiba A1 available from the USA only, if so how do you get round the electrical current issue when playing in the UK, or are there any UK models

Cheers

Cottie

[hunts1uk]

http://www.movietyme.com/catalog/default.php?osCsid=c6dca8e1af2723bba1392e7aa22fb57 0&cPath=218
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270002310895&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RSCC_Pr12_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT

Buy one well worth it.:thumbsup:

[cottie1966]

How do i get over the region issue, i dont want a device that will only play USA region,, as it will mean i can only buy HD dvd's from the USA and my current dvd collection will be useless

any ideas.

cheers

Cottie

[Matt Horne]

Wait for a UK player... HD discs are currently region free but the us player will not play any pal discs SD or HD at the current time.

[cottie1966]

Thanks, so id best wait for the UK model, will that play USA HD dvd discs as well as UK ones then if the discs are region free.

[shaithis]

There is supposedly not going to be any regional encoding on HD-DVD.

Of course, when playing normal DVDs, the player does enforce region and currently there is no way to circumvent this (to my knowledge).

[cottie1966]

also forgot to ask will an HD DVD player play ordinary dvd's

[bishman]

Yes but only ones from the same region as the player.

[Matt Horne]

It is rumoured that region encoding will be added to HD discs.. but at the moment who knows

[Rasczak]

It is rumoured that region encoding will be added to HD disc
I thought this was going to be BluRay only? I've been abroad for a few months so may be out of touch but, when I left, the BluRay camp had announced region coding (split into three regions: R1 - US/Canada/Japan, R2 - Europe, R3 - Rest of world) whereas HD DVD had effectively said no region coding. Has this changed? And furthermore now the kit is 'out there' could it be changed? I suppose with a firmware modification then yes - but, if this is, then it must surely be easily crackable.

[hunts1uk]

I couldn't see a problem buying a imported player as most SD R1 dvd's come out months before R2 anyway.So most people have mainly R1 disks anyway.Would be nice if the player where multiregion though.

[cottie1966]

any onegot any idea when they will release a uk version of the Toshiba A1, id like to keep every thing UK region

[hunts1uk]

any onegot any idea when they will release a uk version of the Toshiba A1, id like to keep every thing UK region

November time i heard.:thumbsdow

[Matt Horne]

I believe the HD commitee were looking at region codes.. it was on a variety of websites.

Any change I would expect to be a firmware update for existing players and probably hardware for new machines (like pcs in that respect)

Matt

[cottie1966]

i suppose i will have to wait for the UK model, i hate living in europe meaning we always have to wait for everything.

cheers

Cottie

[cottie1966]

just for arugments sake i cant wait until then get the UK model where would i buy the HD DVD movies to play in my USA model

[fatrich]

just for arugments sake i cant wait until then get the UK model where would i buy the HD DVD movies to play in my USA model

you can get them from here:

http://www.movietyme.com/catalog/default.php?currency=GBP&osCsid=53b74a94c5215738d79f318febb610d2

or ebay or on these very forums in the dvd trade/for sale section

richard

[recruit]

Had my player a few months now and definitly worth the outlay with the quality it gives....:thumbsup:

[cottie1966]

how much did you pay for your Toshiba A1, did you get it from the states if so did you have to pay import tax duty as well

[Croker]

I must say a hearty "nay!" to buying an A1 from the US, but I'm more than happy to provide my reasons (the same reasons, in fact, which have prevented me from buying one thus far).

1) The players are NTSC only. Even if they can be hacked to accomodate other regions (be it DVD or HD-DVD regions - if they ever introduce HD-DVD regions) UK DVDs will simply not play in them. I have approximately 500 DVDs, and I reckon I have no more than 20 which are R1 NTSC. It's just not worth it for me on that level, and your collection may be similar.

2) You'll have to use a transformer all the time with it. Admittedly, not a big issue, but not as tidy as getting a UK player without one.

3) You're locked into the US release schedule. This will doubtless be good news for brand new releases that you want, but (if HD-DVD does introduce region coding later - which it still may) you'll never be able to get the inevitable impulse purchase of 3 for £10 at Tesco. You'll always have to import, which takes longer and usually costs more. Not a horrendous amount more, true, but a lot more than grabbing a few on the cheap as an instant fix whilst you're getting that week's groceries.

4) Depending upon from whom you buy it, you may only get a 90 day warranty, and returning it will be a nightmare. Again, this is avoidable with certain retailers, but still something to bear in mind.

Overall, I'd advise you to hang on. If you can't, though, then fine...but remember that you may have to pay out another £400 in a few months' time if you aren't happy with the limitations importing one from the US may bring.

[cottie1966]

will wait

cheers

Cottie

[Uruloke]

Cottie, as a (very new) HD-A1 owner I'm gonna play devils advocate here and counter some of Crokers points (which in all fairness are very valid and very good points, especially the Tesco one!).

1. Bang on. Unless your collection is mostly R1; or you don't mind running both a DVD and HD-DVD player side by side (like I am); or you just don't care about your current R2 dvd collection, then you're probably best to wait, especially if you have a large R2 collection like Croker (500?? Bloody hell mate!)

2. Honestly, using a transformer is not an issue at all, the one I have for my HD-A1 is the first one I've ever used; was expecting a bit of a fuss (no idea why!) but it's nothing at all.

3. Region coding for HD-DVD is up in the air right now, if UK HD-DVD's aren't region coded then you may not be 'locked' after all. There are also major advantages to having the R1 versions of movies: Unrated and Uncut versions; more extras as US discs don't need the disc space for all the langauges that European releases do; and lets not forget that the majority of the movies are available to by on R1 while they're still in the cinema over here.

4. Yep, returning items can be a nightmare, though I do believe you can return items bought from Movietyme to their UK address. Playusa.com also have a UK address for you to return items to, though they don't stock HD-DVD's yet (or indeed Blu-Ray discs).

Honestly, the difference in picture quality is unbelievable. I'm currently watching Pirates of the Caribbean on my upscaling Philips (as I'm going to see Dead mans chest in the cinema tomorrow); after seeing Serenity in all it's HD glory, watching Pirates is like I'm watching it on VHS! Yes the jump in quality is THAT much greater.

Also, one more note on region coding. The Toshiba HD-DVD players are upgradable via firmware. If region coding is implemented, you can bet that someone will hack the firmware for you to make it multi-region so that UK and US HD-DVD's will work on your machine (but you void any warranty you may have).

I say get one, if you have the money. :clap:

[mak99]

As I'm live in the US, the A1s and XA1s have been out for a few months. I ended up with an RCA HVD5000, same as the A1 plus the RS232 connection. I just hooked it up to my new Hitachi 42HDT52A plasma, and YES, there is quite the difference in quality from an SD player!

I agree w/ Uruloke - "Honestly, the difference in picture quality is unbelievable". So far I've watched Serenity and Phantom of the Opera, and POTO's PQ was absolutely amazing. I then watched a movie (Superbit vers. of The Fifth Element) on my current mid/hi-end SD player (Yamaha DVD-CX1, a $1K machine w/ DCDi, progressive scanning and built like a tank), which I thought threw out a dang nice picture. It still does, but definitely the HD DVD player wins hands down.

I had a group of friends over last night for a bbq & fireworks (July 4th here), and they could not take their eyes off the HD DVD's picture. They were amazed that any DVD player could reproduce a picture that made them feel they were living within the movie itself...

So if you can't wait for the UK release of the Tosh players, get one from wherever you can - you will NOT be disappointed!

[Ol!ver]

I've struggled to see any photos of HD discs running. Anyone got something I can use to compare?

Cheers

[Matt Horne]

C
Also, one more note on region coding. The Toshiba HD-DVD players are upgradable via firmware. If region coding is implemented, you can bet that someone will hack the firmware for you to make it multi-region so that UK and US HD-DVD's will work on your machine (but you void any warranty you may have).


Thats still not true even with the region code cracked it will not play any PAL discs..

[Ol!ver]

Thats still not true even with the region code cracked it will not play any PAL discs..


This is why I'd actually prefer a US player. I don't want to be stuck with waiting for UK movie releases. The VAST majority of my SD DVDs are R1, so would my HD DVDs be.

[Rasczak]

Thats still not true even with the region code cracked it will not play any PAL discs..
With High Def there is no NTSC or PAL - only a 50Hz or 60Hz issue. I have no idea whether the US Toshiba A1/XA1 can handle both but I would guess not. When the UK version arrives in October it will hopefully handle both as traditionally our standard def players normally do (if it doesn't then importing a US player is going to be the only real way forward if you want to watch US discs). Until a UK/European machine surfaces though these issues are going to remain unanswered for the time being. :(

[Croker]

This is why I'd actually prefer a US player. I don't want to be stuck with waiting for UK movie releases. The VAST majority of my SD DVDs are R1, so would my HD DVDs be.

That's fair enough, but Cottie has to be aware of both sides of the coin. He may well only have R1 DVDs currently, and he may only want to buy US HD-DVDs in future, but conversely, he may have lots of R2 DVDs and not want to restrict himself. If the latter is the case, then he's just not going to be able to use the player in the way that he wants to, as no amount of region-code hacking is going to allow him to play PAL discs if he buys a US NTSC-only player. It simply can't be done.

I must admit that on a daily basis I do feel a pang of yearning for buying a HD-XA1, but I want a 1 box solution for playing Hi-Def discs and all my current DVDs. Also, if someone's going to hack the region coding in future (I'm sure that it will happen), I want a box that is physically capable of playing both NTSC and PAL discs, which - for all their good points - the US versions of the HD-A1 and -XA1 will never be able to do.

Everyone's different, though, and it's nice to see both sides of the argument being fully and clearly represented here. I'm not prepared to make the compromises outlined above, but others may be happy to.

[steve0]

Buy a HD A1 now after all how cheap are region 2 dvd players, after seeing HD DVD in action I dont even want to view SD DVD anymore. Picture quality is night and day

[Uruloke]

Buy a HD A1 now after all how cheap are region 2 dvd players, after seeing HD DVD in action I dont even want to view SD DVD anymore. Picture quality is night and day
Agreed. Shortly before getting my HD-A1 was thinking of doing the Lord of the Rings Marathon. No chance now, I want it in HD-DVD!! Yeah it means waiting until around xmas time, but I can wait! :thumbsup:

[Uruloke]

With High Def there is no NTSC or PAL - only a 50Hz or 60Hz issue. I have no idea whether the US Toshiba A1/XA1 can handle both but I would guess not. When the UK version arrives in October it will hopefully handle both as traditionally our standard def players normally do (if it doesn't then importing a US player is going to be the only real way forward if you want to watch US discs). Until a UK/European machine surfaces though these issues are going to remain unanswered for the time being. :(
Yep. Pal and NTSC are dinosaurs. But like you say, we'll have to wait and see if there is an issue with 50hz and 60z playback.

[Avi]

Hi All

I am after an HD DVD player such as the Toshiba A1 yes or no, is there a new model coming out if so when or should i just buy it now, if so where from

Is the Toshiba A1 available from the USA only, if so how do you get round the electrical current issue when playing in the UK, or are there any UK models

Cheers

Cottie


First off I'm already an owner so you could say I'm biased.

I don't believe there is any official info re a new product apart from the very high end HD-DVD burner/player. However, rumour is a new player could arrive in the US about March/April 07 following announcement at CES.

At the moment there is no UK player announced. There is little solid information regarding the launch of HD-DVD/BD in Europe full stop. Tosh may offer all of the models sold in the US today or they may just offer the more expensive XA1 product as they do in Japan. There is also no guarantee that the PAL unit will play R1 or NTSC discs or that it will be priced as aggressively as in the US market. Also bear in mind that even maufacturers pay import duty on product they bing in to the EU and this gets passed on in the price to you and me.

To use the US model you need at least a 100w stepdown power transformer and that cost's about £10-£15.

The PQ and sound is the best I've ever seen/heard on my system and I'm prepared to put up with the slow load time etc because of this. I'm keeping my current DVD player for R2 discs as I have a large collection of both R1 and R2.

At the end of the day I bought the HD-DVD player to play HD-DVD's.

AVI

[Packetfront]

What's so great about the Toshiba that even SD-DVDs look incredible compared to my Denon 3910 or Denon 1920 i have now.

I watched Ultraviolet and the colors were incredible.

I can't see how much better this player can be when it comes to quality of picture and sound.

[Rasczak]

At the moment there is no UK player announced.
Home Cinema Choice have stated that the XA1 will be released in October/November at a price of £800. No info on whether it will play R1 SD DVDs (unlikely unless someone chips it I would have thought) but hopefully it will be able to play US HD DVDs as well as future UK ones.

[hunts1uk]

Home Cinema Choice have stated that the XA1 will be released in October/November at a price of £800. .

:eek: Movietyme £649 del was a bargain then?:grin:

[Avi]

Home Cinema Choice have stated that the XA1 will be released in October/November at a price of £800. No info on whether it will play R1 SD DVDs (unlikely unless someone chips it I would have thought) but hopefully it will be able to play US HD DVDs as well as future UK ones.


It wouldn't suprise me. Makes the £346 I paid for a A1 a true bargin !

AVI

[Uruloke]

It wouldn't suprise me. Makes the £346 I paid for a A1 a true bargin !

AVI
Absolutely, even the £419 I paid for mine is a bargain, as you can imagine that if they did release the A1 over here, it would probably be £499...

[Rasczak]

Again comments made in Home Cinema Choice indicate that only the XA1 will be released here - the A1 will remain exclusive to the US for now.

Movietyme £649 del was a bargain then?
Yes it is. What those (few?) of us who haven't purchased yet need to decide is whether the £150 surplus for a UK model is worth it. The answer for me will depend upon whether the UK model will play both US and UK HD DVDs and whether it can be chipped to play multi-region SD DVD.

[Matt Horne]

What's so great about the Toshiba that even SD-DVDs look incredible compared to my Denon 3910 or Denon 1920 i have now.

I watched Ultraviolet and the colors were incredible.

I can't see how much better this player can be when it comes to quality of picture and sound.

I'm sure we all said the same thing when DVD first launched.. the picture jump from vhs was staggering but given time and the vast variety of manufacturers DVD has constantly developed in quality.

I think it would be naive to suggest that the same will not happen with BR and HD-DVD. At the end of the day its a first gen player (based on a pc architecture) and so I am sure theres much more to come.

[Matt Horne]

My own take on this is to wait at the moment. a uk launch is only a few months away and by then the catalogue should have some hopefully big movies I'll want to buy. (Also we should hopefully have seen BR/HD-DVD compete on films released for both formats). Also we will know for sure whether the UK model will play universally 50/60hz discs and of course I'll get a proper warranty (just in case).

Oh and I woul dexpect it will be while before we see LOTR on HD-DVD. Theres been no announcments from Newline at all on there immediate plans (which is a shame) and tbh the releases seemed to have all but dried up at the moment from universal/warner. Roll on Batman begins :)