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Toshiba HD-DVD Player Review: HD-A1 HD DVD Player
Model: Toshiba HD-A1
Description: High-Definition DVD Player
Resolution: 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480iIncludes: Remote Control with TV Controls, Digital audio out (Coaxial and Optical), 2-channel Analog stereo audio output, HDMI output, Component video output, S-Video output, Composite Video output
Color: Silver Casing with Glossy black faceplate
Reviewer: Paul Doran
Date: June 2006Copyright © 2006 by DVD Buying Guide. Reproduced with permission.
INTRODUCTION
As supporters of the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray technologies are entrenching themselves for the inevitable format war, Toshiba strikes the first blow with the introduction of the HD-A1. The Toshiba HD-A1 and its Cinema-Series sibling, the HD-XA1, are not only Toshiba's first HD-DVD players on the market, but they are the first of the next-generation DVD players (HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) to become readily available.
Because the HD-A1 is the first model to hit the market, it has encountered a moderate amount of the usual bugs that come with first-generation releases of new products. These may try one's patience at times, but they will surely not be an issue for those early-adopters who demand the most pristine picture quality possible.
PICTURE: 97/100
Using the prescribed HDMI input into both of our test televisions—the Panasonic TH-50PX60U and the Sharp LC-37D40U—we set out to evaluate the overall picture quality of Toshiba HD-A1. While HD-DVD technology is rated up to 1080p and some studios are beginning to develop 1080p HD-DVD's, this first-generation HD-DVD player can only process a 1080i signal. While this may be a red flag for some, we found that the detail of the picture of the HD-A1 reproduced in 1080i to be more than sufficient. Like its Cinema-Series sibling, the HD-XA1, the HD-A1 has an Ethernet port and can receive the upcoming firmware upgrades to allow it to process a 1080p signal.
When setting up the HD-A1, you have the option of using 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i. While the quality of the 1080i output is astonishing for the HD-A1, its 720p scaler leaves something to be desired. With 720p, the picture is degraded to the point that it is virtually indistinguishable from the 480p Progressive-Scan output. Therefore, it is our strong recommendation that you output the signal of the HD-A1 in 1080i regardless of the native signal of your high-definition television. If your television does not have an HDMI input, you might be in trouble with these next-generation DVD players. The HDCP copy-protection on each disc is designed to force the players to auto-downconvert the picture to 480p when it can't verify the television digitally through its HDMI input. While not all HD-DVD's have this protection measure, it is an important security aspect to note as downconversion will negatively affect overall picture quality.
When we popped in the Unforgiven HD-DVD into the HD-A1 connected via HDMI to our Panasonic TH-50PX60U High-Definition plasma television, we became witnesses to the superb picture quality of the next-generation DVD's. Western landscapes jump onto the screen in vivid detail because there are no compression artifacts or "noise" clouding the picture. The HD-A1 eliminates the "fuzzy picture problem" experienced when HDTV's are paired with most conventional DVD players.
The HD-DVD player's excellent range of contrast is showcased in the darker scenes of Unforgiven. At the end of the movie when William Munny (Clint Eastwood) confronts Little Bill (Gene Hackman) in the saloon, the room is lit only by candles, and dark details are quite distinguishable.
To measure the color temperature output of the Toshiba HD-A1, we measured the luminosity of the white signal of our ISF-calibrated Panasonic TH-50PX60U with both the Sencore High-Definition signal generator and the HD-A1. First, we observed the "pure white" of the signal generator and the Panasonic plasma television configured to D6500K—the optimum prescribed color temperature used by the film and broadcast industry. Next, we used a colorimeter to judge the color temperature of the Toshiba HD-DVD player. After the quick assessment, we saw that the HD-A1 gives the white balance a slight blue push. It is important to note that the HD-A1 affects the color temperature displayed on the screen, but also that a slight push to the blue side of the white balance is the most harmless effect a device—HD-DVD player, DVD player, VCR, etc.—can have on the color temperature and thus picture quality. If the asymmetry had been towards the green or red sides of the white balance, overall picture quality would have been adversely affected.
The Toshiba HD-A1 does a fine job upconverting conventional DVD's to 1080i using its internal scaler. While it doesn't quite reach the quality of HD-DVD's played at 1080i, the backwards-compatible HD-A1 allows the user the ability to play his/her HD-DVD and conventional DVD collections to their full picture-quality potential on the same player. In the ultimate high-definition test, the color reproduction, clarity, and range of contrast of the picture when watching an HD-DVD on the Toshiba HD-A1 meet and surpass even the best broadcast HDTV signals we receive "Over-the-Air."
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: 80/100
Even before set-up, one of the first things that you will notice with the Toshiba HD-A1 is that it is a very big unit. The HD-DVD player weighs about 15 pounds, and it will require a prominent space on the home theater rack. It is as wide as some of the biggest receivers on the market today.
Because of its Linux operating system, the HD-A1 has a very long start-up time compared to most conventional DVD players—it takes over a minute from "Power-on" to begin playing an HD-DVD. The problem does not end at start-up—disc load times can take 30-45 seconds and commands from the remote control are often delayed. These issues exist because the HD-A1 has a computer processor and must "boot up" when it is powered on. Like personal computers, trying to execute too many commands at a time—adjusting settings using the remote control while a disc is starting up—will bog down the memory and cause the HD-DVD player to run more slowly. Expect that Toshiba will work to improve these issues with their later HD DVD player releases.
The remote control included with the Toshiba HD-A1 is large, but it is sleek and stylish. It does not have the motion-activated backlight included with the HD-XA1, but it does share that remote's problems. Our main gripe about the remote control is the inconsistent multi-directional click-wheel – sometimes buttons need to be mashed to elicit a response; other times, a finesse touch is required. This problem is especially poignant because one must rely on the click-wheel to navigate the menus of the HD-A1 and each HD-DVD.
Once you find the Setup button hidden behind the sliding panel of the remote control, you can access the menu settings of the HD-A1. The main menu categories are Picture, Audio, Language, Ethernet, and General. The Picture settings are somewhat sparse—one cannot configure specific aspects of the picture through the user menus of the HD-A1. As with Picture, the Audio settings contain only the most basic adjustments. The Ethernet menu allows the user to configure the HD-DVD player to his/her home network. In an effort to "future-proof" the HD-A1, Toshiba enabled the player to connect to the internet to check for firmware upgrades and other updates as they become available. Recently, a Toshiba spokesperson stated that the first firmware upgrades for the HD-A1 will be aimed at limiting the start-up delays of the player.
The HD-A1 includes all of the basic DVD player connections, but it is highly recommended that one use the HDMI output. It will provide the best quality high-definition video and digital audio signal, and, because it is HDCP encoded, you won't have to worry about the player's auto-downconversion.
VALUE: 92/100
The Toshiba HD-A1 delivers the same great HD-DVD picture quality as its Cinema-Series sibling, the HD-XA1, and it is nearly $300 cheaper! It doesn't have all of the features of the HD-XA1—such as the 5.1 channel audio output, the motorized disc tray, the motion-activated backlight remote, and the RS-232C interface—but this has done little to dissuade consumers from purchasing the lower-priced HD-A1. In fact, Toshiba's marketing department has purposefully undertaken a substantial per-unit loss on the HD-A1 to boost sales and give the company's HD-DVD platform a leg-up in the format war over the Blu-Ray disc technology. Consumers seem to be taking advantage of Toshiba's strategic move—early sales reports are very impressive for the Toshiba HD-A1!
Bottom Line: Those who crave to be the first one on the street with a next-generation DVD player will be pleased with the awesome picture quality. However, as more options hit the market, such as Blu-Ray disc players, the technical problems of the HD-A1 will become more of a factor in the buying process. Others will want to wait for both a clear winner in the HD-DVD / Blu-Ray Disc format war and for prices for the new technology to become more reasonable.
OVERALL RATING (WITH PICTURE DOUBLE-WEIGHTED): 91.5/100
Copyright © 2006 by DVD Buying Guide. Reproduced with permission.
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