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For a entry level HD DVD player this is fine, but I really recommend spending the difference and getting at least an HD-A2. The player works fine, does all the things you'd expect it to and overall is decent, on the downside it only does 720p/1080i which is the lower end of High Definition and not utilizing the 1080p capability of most modern tvs. The unit is large and overweight, nearly four inches tall and barely fit in my compontent rack. These are annoyances though I could live with.. as well as even the confusing (and oddly over engineered) Metal encased Remote Control.. What I was not happy with is the load time. When you first turn on the unit it takes several minutes just to come on and allow you to open the disk tray, the additional several minutes to load the disk. We are talking at least or 9 minutes just to setup the machine from power on to playtime. This is rediculous, even early 80s Cd players were faster and if there is any regret I have with purchasing this player, that would have to be it. I payed roughly $45 with shipping but based on current market pricing of the higher end later models A-2, A-3, A30 I could have resolved my few gripes with only about $20 more out of pocket. So yeah for the right price, its not to bad, unles you want to actually come home put in a movie and watch it right then.. and if you actually want to save space in your component rack for anything else.. but it does as it says.. plays movies.. It is however over engineered to such a degree I question why the Toshiba would have produced such a thing when it comes to details. The remote is not plastic, it is actually encased in what appears to be heavy gage aluminum.. the player is sturdy and well manufactured.. lastly, something else missing from this player offered by a few later and higher end models.. It cannot steam media from a network, nor can it from a usb device.. this may not be a big deal but in light of the current PS3's multitude fo ability (I currently use this for Blu-Ray) and the fact many later models did.. it is kind of a let down.. but then again, it does what it says it will.. Play HD DVD disk and Upscale DVDs.. all at glorius 720pRead full review
Incredible picture and sound and very easy to use. The only problem I have with it is that it's very slow to start up. It can take well over a minute to start up and load. Otherwise very nice DVD player and if you can pick one up for under $200 like I did then you will be very pleased with your purchase.
I just bought a Toshiba HD-A1 player, days before Toshiba announced it was going to exit the HD-DVD market altogether, since it could not compete with BluRay. Oh well. Nevertheless, the player plays normal DVDs nicely with upconversion to HD, and has 5.1 component outputs that work with my older receiver. It plays DVD-R and other recordable media, which is nice, but doesn't play divx/xvid/wmv, so you have to convert everything to original DVD format. Also, don't be fooled by the USB ports on th front panel, or the Ethernet port on the back - they are pretty much useless for doing anything interesting like playing mp3s off a memory stick or from a LAN share. But all things considered, it seems to be a good value for what I paid for it. If you look at it as only a DVD player with upconversion, you'll be satisfied. If you're looking for more, you may want to consider a Media Center PC.Read full review
a week agot I recieved the Toshiba HD-A1 player, and so far it has worked great, right when I got it and hooked it up via the internet the player prompted me for the latest firmware update. It plays everything fine, the only thing that I don't like is the load time, it can take up to a minute to load a dvd, but that is only fair since this is the first model for the HD DVD players, and that it is pretty much a computer. Overall it's a pretty good product.
This player is just a perfect match for all the a/v equipment needs I have it intergrated into. It took me a while to decide if I was going to get into another format decision. I'm glad I did this. This hd dvd player have all the outputs my tv and pre amp required to get the best possible picture and sound quaility. It do not bother me that this is a first generation player and is a little on the slow side when it comes to loading a dvd or cd. I'm glad Toshiba overbuilt this dvd player which makes it very versitile. As one can see in the next two generations players they are not as versitile as this one.It came loaded with the latest software so I have not had any compatibility issues. Once the picture and sound comes forth all is well and time to enjoy my purchase. The picture and sound quaility is far above standard dvd and cannot be mistaken for the same. The picture is cleaner and the sound is more smooth and relaxed than standard dvd. I also find myself playing more of my cds as it is really a great cd player too. It performs all the duties it is suppose to ( internet, web sites, updates ). I can not say there is something I dislike because there is so much I like about this hd dvd player. I hope I can enjoy it for a long time to come.Read full review
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