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Toshiba HD-A2 High-Definition DVD Player

The HD-A2 is one of Toshiba's second-generation high-definition DVD players, and was announced to the market in September 2006, with initial shipments in December 2006. It is the successor to the HD-A1, which was launched in April 2006.

Note that all Toshiba's players are HD DVD format, which competes with (and is incompatible with) the Blu-ray format.

Toshiba's own website says of the player:

High-definition playback delivers 720p/1080i resolution at a transfer rate higher than DVD or even HDTV, resulting in a more detailed, realistic picture. Advanced audio, including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD (core only), along with legacy formats including Dolby Digital and DTS bring an increased sonic realism to movie soundtracks.

Backwards compatibility means you can enjoy your existing library of DVDs and CDs, and through the process of up-conversion using HDMI, your movies are scaled to match the resolution of your HD display. An interface suite includes an abundance of audio/video connections as well as an ethernet connection for firmware updates and future internet delivered features.

CNET commented:

The...HD-A2...improves on the current HD-A1 by using a smaller chassis that's mostly black, as opposed to the old two-tone black-and-silver. Toshiba's rep also claimed that load times on the HD-A2 were faster than the older model, although he stopped me when I reached for the power button to cycle it on and off to see for myself....

The new player also has an improved remote control with keys arranged in a much more logical fashion than those of the HD-A1's bulky clicker. Otherwise, the two players are identical.

...At first glance, the HD-A2 looks like a better player than the HD-A1, and hopefully the company has indeed addressed some of the first-generation player's usability quirks. For HDTV owners with $500 to spend on a disc player that delivers phenomenal video quality, it looks like a solid value.

Home Theater Blog concluded:

The image quality was at least as good as with my XA1 but I do reserve final judgment on both HD and SD image quality until I can get the player attached to a display I’m more familiar with, i.e. in my own system.

...The A2’s remote was also an improvement; this remote resembles a, well, for lack of a better term a DVD remote, go figure. Overall we were quite satisfied with the A2’s performance and found that it operated much more like a standard DVD player, with of course the added benefit of pumping out gorgeous HD images.

[Update: a later and more thorough review from Home Theater Blog is here.]

In a lengthy review, the HDTVexpert website said:

Toshiba’s HD-A2 is much easier to use than the HD-A1 — it starts up and loads discs faster, and looks a lot smaller. In other words, it actually feels and operates like a regular DVD player should, not a hybrid computer/video device. Perhaps the 3rd-generation players will trim another 50% from the overall dimensions?

The $500 price tag remains steep for the average consumer, who still doesn’t see any need to upgrade from red laser DVDs. That’s not good news for Pioneer, Panasonic, and Sony, whose Blu-ray players will retail between $1000 and $1300 when they start showing up in quantity, and it hasn’t been good news for Samsung, whose “first out of the gate” BD-P1000 Blu-ray player has been a slow seller....

Another problem: The selection of HD DVD movies needs to be a lot larger. I counted about 2/3 as many HD DVD titles for sale as Blu-ray versions, on my way to the Best Buy checkout lane.

* Get the Latest Price on the Toshiba HD-A2 High-Definition DVD Player.

January 12th, 2007