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Toshiba HD-XA2 High-Definition DVD Player

The HD-XA2 is one of Toshiba's second-generation high-definition DVD players, and was announced to the market in September 2006. It is the successor to the HD-XA1, which was launched in April 2006.

The manufacturer's announcement said:

This revised version of Toshiba's higher end HD DVD player sports all the same features as the HD-XA1. The biggest change with this new version is the introduction of true 1080p video output, among other improvements such as faster loading times. HDMI 1.3 is another new addition to this HD DVD player, which allows for increased colour depth, and 7.1 audio.

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

You can read about the player at the Toshiba website and in a January 2007 press release to the Consumer Electronics Show.

Digital Trends wrote:

On purpose, I chose various types of film material, from action/adventure movies with a lot of special effects to romantic comedies to musicals — some were recent releases and others were classics from various studios. The images pumped out from the HD-XA2 and displayed on the Mitsubishi 1080p DLP set were so vivid and life-like that they looked like top-quality, true 35/70mm feature films shown at your local multiplex. All selections had a true film-like quality with superlative HD imagery. That’s how good the image quality was from the HD-XA2, as displayed on a next-generation HDTV.

It is something that needs to be seen to be believed, and heard to be fully appreciated as well. I believe that one thing that separates the XA2 from other players is the wise choice to include Silicon Optix Reon video processing. High quality video processing cannot be understated and can easily turn really good products into really great ones. Certainly, Toshiba wanted to put out the best possible next-generation, high-definition optical disc player, and they have with their HD-XA2.

So, why talk about HD DVD products anyways? I know that a good portion of the world thinks that the next-generation optical disc format war is over, with Blu-ray Disc being the de facto winner. Reportedly, BD movie titles are outselling HD DVD titles 2-to-1. Well, besides the PS3 that I have used, I'm still waiting for a review sample of a Blu-ray player from Sony, Pioneer, or Philips. Forget about Samsung for the time being. And, in terms of image quality, HD DVD can't be beat. HD DVD is also more affordable than Blu-ray; a $600 1080p with HDMI 1.3 will be available later this spring, but it won't include the Reon HQV chipset, which is worth the price of admission for the XA2. Toshiba's HD-XA2 is truly a player for all seasons and all formats, from SD to HD DVD.

High-Def Digest concluded:

The second generation of HD DVD hardware is here, offering some notable improvements in features and reliability over earlier players. The HD-XA2's much reduced glitchiness in HD DVD playback is a hugely welcome relief. Its upconversion of Standard-Def DVD content matches that of dedicated DVD players priced much higher, which in and of itself should be appealing to many consumers. General HD DVD picture quality is of course stellar, and many users will find its 1080p output option useful.

Unfortunately, I'm disappointed to report that Toshiba still hasn't quite worked out all the kinks in even their top-end model. I remain hopeful that the company can fix the HD-XA2's video stutter, low LFE, and audio sync issues in future firmware updates, but I doubt many potential buyers will be pleased to spend $999 and still experience problems that should have been resolved in quality testing before the product came to market. As such, I think the best course of action is to wait for the promised firmware upgrades before making a purchase decision. Assuming they rectify these lingering concerns, the HD-XA2 has the potential to be a tremendous piece of equipment.

Business Week wrote:

The XA2 would be worth it—if I could be assured HD DVD will prevail. But it's not clear any high-definition player can convincingly make such a claim right now. Sure, high-definition discs will be available. But, if Blu-ray wins out, HD DVD could become obsolete.

That said, for those who don't mind spending a little coin for cutting edge, this player is a good value compared to pricier Blu-ray players on the market. Provided that HD doesn't lose to Blu-ray, this player has everything it needs to be relevant in the future.

According to Gizmodo:

Toshiba's second generation HD DVD player, the HD-XA2, doesn't suck, something you couldn't say about its first generation player. HD Guru just scored the player's first review and walks us through why Toshiba actually did a good job with the HD-XA2. Faster load times, top notch upconversion and 1080p output are the biggest draws here. The XA2 lost some five pounds compared to the A1 and is nearly half as tall. That means no more having to reinforce your home entertainment center just to get the player to safely sit atop. Disc loading is also faster, taking around 22 seconds to load once the unit is turned on.

* Get the Latest Price on the Toshiba HD-XA2 High-Definition DVD Player.

January 12th, 2007
Updated: March 12th, 2007