[samplesj]

Check out this quote from ctviggen's linked thread:

"1080/30p and 1080/24p sources can be carried losslessly within a 1080/60i carrier and reconstituted (assuming now pre-filtering has been done to reduce interline twitter) but not 1080/60p sources."

Please note that HD media is 1080p24hz almost entirely (most stuff is film [24hz] vs video [60hz]).  Using this piece of information and the above quote please show how a 1080i HD DVD player is really hurt that much?

Personally I'd rather have the 1080p too, but $100 for a 1080i player with 5 (or 7) movies is a smoking deal.

[Woodsea]

I thought this had 1080p, my mistake.  Never mind.

[zybar]

Check out this quote from ctviggen's linked thread:

"1080/30p and 1080/24p sources can be carried losslessly within a 1080/60i carrier and reconstituted (assuming now pre-filtering has been done to reduce interline twitter) but not 1080/60p sources."

Please note that HD media is 1080p24hz almost entirely (most stuff is film [24hz] vs video [60hz]).  Using this piece of information and the above quote please show how a 1080i HD DVD player is really hurt that much?

Personally I'd rather have the 1080p too, but $100 for a 1080i player with 5 (or 7) movies is a smoking deal.

You are right when you say it is a smoking deal.

I guess I have it in my head to not upgrade the Oppo players until I move to true 1080p players.

George

[randytsuch]

I bought my JVC 61" D-ILA just as the Sony SXRD and JVC's had gone to 1080i, but 1080p wasn't ready for prime time, so the A2 will be nice for my "old" setup.  Not sure whether BestBuyBusiness is really going to ship mine yet as they haven't responded to my order status requests.  Now it says they're "out of stock".  Maybe I'll get the deal Randy did on the A3 

Hi Tom,
You can check your order at BBB's website
http://www.bestbuybusiness.com/bbfb/en/US/direct/bestbuy?cmd=OrderDisplay&ShoppingCartKey=1819756

This is if you set up an account when you placed the order.

Then, when you look at the order details online, look under product description.  Sometime yesterday, it changes from Toshiba HD-A2 to HD-A3.

Yesterday, I almost went to BB to buy an A3 from their store.  I could have ordered it online, I had a 10% off coupon that expired yesterday, so it would have been $180 plus tax, with ten free movies.  But, none of the BB's around me had any stock left, and then later I saw they changed my BBB order to an A3, so I will just wait now.

Randy

[TomS]

Thanks, that's exactly what happened for mine.

Here is the message I just got back from customer service:

We are currently reviewing orders for this product. We cannot offer a guarantee that we can fulfill this order, but we are expecting that we will be able to fulfill all orders for this product, possibly with an upgraded model. We will be communicating with you about your order shortly.

Now I'm reading that the A2 is actually "better" in terms of audio than A3, all else being equal.  Maybe I should have taken Marbles' cue and held out for a universal player.  But for only a hundred bucks, this seemed like a no-brainer.

[randytsuch]

Thanks, that's exactly what happened for mine.

Here is the message I just got back from customer service:

We are currently reviewing orders for this product. We cannot offer a guarantee that we can fulfill this order, but we are expecting that we will be able to fulfill all orders for this product, possibly with an upgraded model. We will be communicating with you about your order shortly.

Now I'm reading that the A2 is actually "better" in terms of audio than A3, all else being equal.  Maybe I should have taken Marbles' cue and held out for a universal player.  But for only a hundred bucks, this seemed like a no-brainer.

Hi Tom
To me, for $100 for A2/A3, plus the 7 movies (if its the A3), they are really giving the A3 away, so it is a no-brainer.  I have enough room to add a blu ray player later, when they are cheap enough.  So, I won't have a universal player, but I will be able to play anything I want.

I don't buy that many movies anyway.  I may pick up the Matrix trilogy on HD.  I will probably end up joining netflix or bb online, and just rent HD movies from them.

What receiver do you have?  I picked up the Onkyo 705 recently, so I will just run a HDMI cable from the A3 to the 705, for video and audio.  There won't be any difference between the A2 and A3 in this mode.

Randy

[TomS]

I have an Arcam AVP700 pre/pro and P1000 7.1 amp.  It has HDMI 1.1 inputs, not 1.3 like the spiffy new Onkyo's.

[Airborn]

Went today to Fry's and several local BB, but none had any A-2 or A-3 left.   However, the manager at one BB said he could offer me the Toshiba HD A-30 1080p player for the same $199 deal as the A-3, including the 10 free HD DVD's (3 in store, 2 in box, 5 mail in).  This sounds like an even better deal than the A-3 because of the 1080p, but is it really?  I have read that the A-30 doesn't pass all the new audio formats (True HD, DD+, etc.) via the HDMI, only the analog outs.  Does this matter?  Does anyone know the differences between the A-2/A-3 and the A-30/A-35?

[samplesj]

Went today to Fry's and several local BB, but none had any A-2 or A-3 left.   However, the manager at one BB said he could offer me the Toshiba HD A-30 1080p player for the same $199 deal as the A-3, including the 10 free HD DVD's (3 in store, 2 in box, 5 mail in).  This sounds like an even better deal than the A-3 because of the 1080p, but is it really?  I have read that the A-30 doesn't pass all the new audio formats (True HD, DD+, etc.) via the HDMI, only the analog outs.  Does this matter?  Does anyone know the differences between the A-2/A-3 and the A-30/A-35?

That is a very good deal because like you said it will pass 1080p.  After some firmware work from Toshiba you'd have a great player.

It isn't that it won't pass the new audio formats except via analog out, but rather that it won't pass bitstream via HDMI.  Just for clarity it won't do DTS MA, but pretty much everything else will be there.

IE: You can't decode in your receiver (HDMI 1.3), but the player is able to decode and send it to your receiver as PCM via HDMI (HDMI 1.1).  There is a lot of talk from people saying that it sounds better to decode in the receiver, BUT if that is true it is because either the receiver or the player is doing something incorrect to the data.  If either side does the math and neither does anything extra then you end up with the same result.

[randytsuch]

This email came from bbb this morning

You are receiving this email because you recently ordered a Toshiba HD DVD Player (model: HD-A2) and your order was placed in a backorder status while we awaited additional inventory. Unfortunately, the manufacturer has discontinued this item and we are not anticipating receiving any more inventory.

Because we value your business, we will be fulfilling your order with the next generation Toshiba HD DVD Player (model: HD-A3) that is replacing the HD-A2 in Toshiba's lineup of HD DVD Players. There is no need for you to do anything to receive this upgraded model. We will simply fulfill your order substituting the HD-A3 model. Your packing slip will be updated to show you received the HD-A3 model and this will serve as your order receipt.

If you are not interested in receiving the Toshiba HD-A3 as a replacement for the discontinued HD-A2, you may return the unopened item by simply contacting our Customer Support Team at 800-373-3050 for more information about how to return the product for a complete refund.

Randy

[TomS]

Yep - me too

[randytsuch]

My status was just updated to shipped. 

Since I am on the west coast, and most places ship from the east or midwest, it normally takes a week to get it, so I will have my new player by the end of this week, or early next.

I am looking forward to watching 300 (never seen), with HDMI audio and hi def video.

Randy

[TomS]

I got my UPS tracker Friday.  It's only coming from Ohio to Indiana so should be here in the next couple of days.  Not bad to get the A3 with 7 HD-DVD's for about $90 plus shipping

[randytsuch]

And, if you want to spend some more money, deepdiscount (DVD) is having their bi annual 20% off sale.  There are a bunch of codes that you can use to get the discount. 

There is a thread about it at slickdeals.net from last thurs.

Randy