Toshiba HD-A30 Player HD-DVD Player

I bought the HD-A30 after Toshiba had announced discontinuing support of the HD-DVD format. I have it hooked up via HDMI cable (you only get 1080i through component) to a Panasonic PT-AE1000E 1080P projector on a 88" diagonal screen. I've had it for 3 weeks and have watched 4 HD-DVD movies, 4 standard DVDs and half of the HD-DVD Planet Earch series. The HD-DVD material has worked flawlessly, and with standard DVD I've encountered an issue where the menu navigation doesn't always work properly, but I haven't done the firmware upgrade yet which should fix this issue. The HD-DVD material is amazing, the upconverting of standard DVDs is exceptional and the HD-DVD functionality is a significant advance from standard DVD. I compared the Bourne Identity, last chapter where the camera pans over the blue ocean and what looks like an old white church with a red rook, in standard DVD (Yamaha DVDC750, progressive scan 5 disc DVD player), upconverted standard DVD (Toshiba HD-A30) and HD-DVD (Toshiba HD-A30). The standard DVD showed considerable jaggies on the angled edge of the red roof and general picture softness. The upconverted standard DVD had a remarkably sharper picture, and near elimination of the jaggies. The HD-DVD was a notch up from the upconverted DVD, although not nearly the difference from the standard DVD to the upconverted DVD, with deeper accurate colors and indiscernable jaggies.

Why buy into a discontinued format? I bought the HD-A30 for $125, added a 30ft HDMI cable, 7 HD-DVD movies (2 came free with the HD-A30), and the HD-DVD Planet Earth series for a total investment to date of $255. I've started building a library of HD-DVD material and am enjoying the format and upconversion for less that what you can buy just a Blue Ray player for. Yes, eventually HD-DVD material will dry up, but there are hundreds of titles already out on HD-DVD with new releases still scheduled through at least May, 2008. Also the upconversion on the HD-A30 is outstanding, so the HD-A30 has great value as just an upconverting DVD player.

The bad news is that the HD-A30 is already becoming scarce. Prices are going up now instead of down, with new units hard to find for under $150. Still not a bad value but decreasing every day.