Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player goes topless

Although not the complete screw-by-screw disassembly that we're accustomed to, here's your first chance to get a glimpse inside Toshiba's new HD-A1 HD-DVD player and check out the magic circuitry delivering all that 1080p goodness. As we learned yesterday, a few retailers (we're looking at you, Best Buy) jumped the gun on Tuesday's scheduled rollout and began selling some of their stock early, much to the delight/frustration of early adopters who got the latest tech but no HD content to play on them. Luckily for us, one of those foolish trailblazing souls was kind enough to remove the lid from his unit's case (gently, we hope) and snap some photos of the guts for all Internetland to peep. Nothing really exciting here -- like the VCRs and DVD players before it, most of the content is air -- but there is a nice closeup of the rather imposing heat sink, along with the obligatory CPU and RAM shots. Click on for another pic, or hit the "Read" link for the entire set...

[Via HD Beat, thanks Dave Z.]

[Adam @ Apr 16th 2006 6:09PM]

So... it's basically a computer, with an HD-DVD reader in it. Interesting...

[Dennis Foreman @ Apr 16th 2006 6:21PM]

I HATE this piece of shit Ethanol ad that you run next to your blog. I am pro-conservation, and have promoted green technolgy since before you little shits could write a sentence. (Remember the gas crisis of 1972? I thought not.)

Please do not impair my ability to read your deathless prose with a bandwidth-destroying,cynical, hypocritical ad from the world's largest polluter.

Thank you!

( ... adolescent assholes....)

Dennis Foreman
( Older than you, and tired of seeing this same shit for the THIRD TIME. )

[tainted @ Apr 16th 2006 6:23PM]

Modchip to circumvent HDCP in 3...2...1...

[Real Social Dynamics Reviews @ Apr 16th 2006 6:27PM]

Thats funny, I was always intrigued to look inside one of these machines...
Look forward to the dutch release!

[Ben @ Apr 16th 2006 6:27PM]

Inline non-invasive HDCP stripping HDMI connector in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

[James Scott @ Apr 16th 2006 6:52PM]

Looks like a Pentium M in there. I just hope its not running Linux so we don't have to hear the gpl cry babies screaming for code.

[Shogmaster @ Apr 16th 2006 7:21PM]

It's apparently a Pentium 4-M 2.5GHz with a 1GB stick of PC2700 and Broadcom's BCM7411D.

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20060407/hddvd2.htm

It's basically a power laptop from 2~3 years ago without a HDD and a videocard.

[Karthik @ Apr 16th 2006 8:06PM]

In response to #2

Why do these idiots always post comments on blogs that have no freakin reference what so ever to the blog post in question? When are they going to grow up and move on?

[Red_Munk!! @ Apr 16th 2006 8:10PM]

#7, those things gonna cost ya what? $700 max. & this things going for $1000? Hmmm....

Oh & #2. So you're an old geezer eh?

Thats too bad. The sad part though is,
what a horrible life you must have had.

No one ever taught you any restraint. I dont like the stupid advert either, but engadget is not run by some rich kids who wanna do community service during spring break. They have to earn a living....via ad revenue.

Dont like what they serve? Pay em to replace it with something more pleasent.

Better yet, take it somewhere else.

^ , ^

[Andy @ Apr 16th 2006 8:12PM]

In response to #8

Thank you.

#2: really, you need to get with it.

Sweet DVD player.

[Cliff @ Apr 16th 2006 8:13PM]

looool. how sober was #2 (Dennis) when he posted that...

[Gaurav Khanna @ Apr 16th 2006 8:14PM]

1. So... it's basically a computer, with an HD-DVD reader in it. Interesting...

yea so seriously its just a computer....this is sad soon everypeice of our house will have a fan to cool its cpu...and this is true with dvd players right now..are they basically low end computers too like with cpus or gpus or vpus...i dont no what this has but it seems to need its own individual fan and heatsink...which is a big step up from any dvd player out now....

[Eric @ Apr 16th 2006 8:31PM]

Is that a LAN port i c there!? =)

[steve8 @ Apr 16th 2006 8:34PM]

so basically a $500 computer with an HD dvd player, with the ability to actually output working hdcp content. not a bad price considering...


but it cannot output 1080p.

in a few months video cards will have working hdcp outputs, and you can buy your choice of hd-dvd, and/or blue-ray drives.. and you can watch video in the native 1080p resolution of most hi-def movies.

id say regardless of your desire to build a computer or buy a device to watch hi-def movies on... wait a few months.... 1080p has twice the definition of 1080i...and more than twice the definition of 720p.


and for those of you who claim 1080p is impossible on displays...
well

samsung 244t,dell 3070, dell 2407, and tons of sharp hdtv's do 1080p, just to name a few.

[Camperton @ Apr 16th 2006 8:36PM]

The case design is incredibly ugly. Looks like a cheap VCR from 1989.

[Derrick @ Apr 16th 2006 8:38PM]

#2, you have a choice. Use firefox and adblock. You won't see any ads.

When can I see a Chinese brand selling HD-DVD. Their entry into the market will drive the price to something more afforable.

[PorscheCruiserin @ Apr 16th 2006 8:45PM]

Since this is basically a PC, wouldnt it be possible to hack it up, install Linux and then circumvent any copyprotection?

Porsche Cruiserin

[Lautreamont @ Apr 16th 2006 8:50PM]

"Since this is basically a PC, wouldnt it be possible to hack it up, install Linux and then circumvent any copyprotection?"

Sure you can do it. Yet the question is: is it worth?

[gimmeadollr @ Apr 16th 2006 9:02PM]

heatsink is a cool word...
...heatsink...

[Jason @ Apr 16th 2006 9:25PM]

#2, sure you could be the older person, but surely we know from your post youre the least mature. Don't blame the younger generations for problems when your generation was suppose to raise the them. If you must blame yourself and your generation of individuals for doing a poor job of raising these adolescent a holes you refer to.

so back on topic: thats a pretty big motherboard for a single function machine. im guess its only that big to keep the cost low, while the box is that big to keep the cost to consumer higher. haha

[Justin @ Apr 16th 2006 10:08PM]

#6: GPL crybabies? It's their code, its their right to say how it can be used. Companies should respect their wishes since they're not putting the money into that code.

[Yem @ Apr 16th 2006 10:11PM]

Regarding the ethernet port. Don't get your hopes up - it's probably there to download AACS & HDCP updates to prevent haxoring and (theoretically) add new codecs. I don't think it serves up HTTP :-)

[flo21 @ Apr 16th 2006 10:11PM]

When can we expect hd-dvd rom drives for our pcs?

[Shogmaster @ Apr 16th 2006 10:11PM]

To #9:

I heard estimates around $300 in parts for the HD-1A (MSRP is $500). 2.5GHz P4-M is a very old part and isn't costing Toshiba much at all. 1GB stick of PC2700 is below $50 even for us through retail.

Funny thing is, Toshiba is part of the CELL consortium (along with Sony and IBM), but will not be using CELL for their players initially even though CELL is a streaming architecture tailor made for stuff like decoding extremely high res video. The fact is, CELL right now is way more expensive part than a P4 (235mm2 die size for CELL vs around 150 mm2 for P4), and most of the yields will be going into the PS3.

[Jesus R. @ Apr 16th 2006 10:13PM]

Hi, I�ve a question, is there a BIG diference between 1080i and 1080p on a 42 inches HDTV??? Thanks!!! :)

[Reality Check @ Apr 16th 2006 10:15PM]

When will content be available in HD-DVD? I haven't heard of any HD-DVD movies being released.

Hopefully the HD picture won't be over-compressed and look like crap.

[sc00tert00ter @ Apr 16th 2006 10:42PM]

Two things:
1. (#2) get a life and stop repremending people(much younger than you) bcuz its mean. :)
2.I'd say rather than buy a HD-DVD player wait for the optical drives to be readily avialable for the computer (not to long ago there was a post on engadget about blu-ray drives selling for 100$...) or wait for gfx cards to incorporate HDCP and download movies illegally :) after all HD-DVD's will be about 25-30$ on the other hand 9.4gigs is a big download that is if the movie takes up the whole disc

[Joe Smith @ Apr 16th 2006 10:52PM]

Yo, 24: 1080p is two times better than 1080i IF YOUR TV SUPPORTS IT (and very few 42"rs do).

[ReverendGadgetBoy @ Apr 16th 2006 10:54PM]

#2:
Sounds like someone just hit menopause.
Seriously. You don't need to spam an article over an ad.
(and yes I know that you are a male)

I am so getting one of those. Hope the content is good.

[Boo Radley @ Apr 16th 2006 11:21PM]

No. 1080p is not twice as good, the resolution on 1080i and 1080p is the same. The difference is that 1080i is interlaced which basically means that the TV draws all the even lines one frame and all the odd lines the next frame. 1080p is progressive scan, which means it draws all the lines at once from the top of the screen down. This is the same way your PC monitor works. Progressive scan results in a crisper steadier picture, especially during fast action such as sports, but the resolution is no higher on 1080p than 1080i. Theoretically a progressive scan television should be capable of 60 frames per second, but no content is delivered that way except for PC graphics. Possibly ps3, but I doubt it.

[Special_K @ Apr 17th 2006 12:18AM]

I have a very simple solution to the CPU/Motherboard/Gigantic Heatsink in everything issue: use a PC! I'm gonna wait for an HD-DVD drive to come out for the PC, then a BlueRay drive, and make an HTPC with both next-gen optical standards (plus DVD) and plunk in a 2TB RAID, an HDMI-enabled video card, a kick-ass CPU, lots of RAM and two double HD tuner cards. Plug it into my 50-inch HD-OLED-TV and BAM! On that point... does anyone have $15000 to spare?

[cf18 @ Apr 17th 2006 12:57AM]

OK Why does it need 1G RAM? That is twice of what PS3 will have. And two USB like ports on the front? What are they planning to do with this box other than play video?

[Russell @ Apr 17th 2006 1:41AM]

these players DO display 1080p content on a a 1080p tv.

they take the 1080p 24fps and turn it into 1080i 60hz (60 fields per sec)

that way when the 1080p TV deinterlaces and combines the frames together instead of there being motion between the fields there is no motion so a true 1080p detail is provided. :)

So sync your 1080p panel at 1080i and you'll be seeing 1080 real lines of resolution without the combing issues of 1080i > 1080p usually has.

[Tony Rayo @ Apr 17th 2006 1:53AM]

Hmm, I'm really surprised to see how almost "off-the-shelf" this player is. I was expecting some kind of clean embedded unit that had focus on just what the player needed, but then when I thought about the decoding and additional playback features of HD-DVD it makes more sense that we'd be seeing a PC arch in a standalone player. It's still a little puzzling to me though, and I'm looking forward to more compact designs down the road (it seems like this unit could have been designed to have a smaller footprint when it came to case size, but perhaps they wanted the extra circulation?).

Also since the comment is such flamebait, I think #2 should be happy that the "world's largest polluter" is making commitments to improve the environment by providing hybrid cars and is obviously spending a good deal of money to promote the use of them. Also I'm confused to why such a harsh view of people younger than you is being taken, when a great deal of new technologies and innovations for alternative fuel are being created by college students as well as corporate researches (there are many groups out there that have members of both communities working in cooperation). If you hate the ads so much you could read Engadget via an RSS reader that would just show you the main story content, but more like likely it was created by one of us "adolescent assholes" or "little shits" you so fondly refer to.

[steve8 @ Apr 17th 2006 2:44AM]

this product does NOT output 1080p.
if you dont believe me check the spec sheet.
yes, hd dvd supports 1080p but this player does not.

1080p IS twice as much definition as 1080i

defined as pixel refreshes per second...

1080i has slightly more definition than 720p, but only slightly. 1080p is really far superior than either standard.

[BSTalker @ Apr 17th 2006 6:08AM]

Wow only 2 years ish behind...

http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/18/i-o-data-linkplayer-avlp2-dvdla-and-dvd-player-shipping-soon/

http://www.iodata.com/usa/products/products.php?cat=HNP&sc=AVELK&ts=2&tsc=&sc=AVELK&pId=SRDVD-100U

Seriously I'm thinking future not too bright for HD DVD and Blu-Ray, online movies on demand systems are around now, besides the way they should of gone is VMD... this lot is a sad waste of R&D money.

[tekdroid @ Apr 17th 2006 8:22AM]

from post number 2:
"Please do not impair my ability to read your deathless prose with a bandwidth-destroying,cynical, hypocritical ad from the world's largest polluter."
---
Firefox + Adblock + FilterSet.G ad-filters for Adblock

Live it. Love it.

Or Opera:
http://www.opera.com
with on-the-fly toggling of images (and disabling flash content by pressing F12 and unchecking "enable Plugins" and/or unchecking "enable Javascript") as needed.

on-topic:
All aboard for the "let's erode your rights, and phase out analogue in a few years, too!" HDMI and AACS screw-a-thon!
http://hddvdsucks.com/

[Jeffler @ Apr 17th 2006 8:56AM]

A movie player running on the basis of a computer? Oh joy?

It Plays Doom in 3...2...1....

[UWStudent @ Apr 17th 2006 11:12AM]

nothing wrong with the case design

[Tommy Mang @ Apr 17th 2006 11:40AM]

Does anyone here know if these first generation HD-DVD and Blu-ray DVD players will be able to play all the new features, for instance PIP?

[Ben Hobbs @ Apr 17th 2006 3:06PM]

#33

If the 1080i display is refreshing twice as quickly as teh 1080p display then there is absolutely no difference in bandwidth/resolution. I'm not sure you understand how 1080i works in regards to 720p, to suggest that it has only slightly more resolution would be to assume that we could sit and watch a display showing only every other line. 1080i resolution is 1920x1080, simply interlaced (but often at twice the frequency).

[Jozer @ Apr 17th 2006 3:40PM]

In case anyone else is wondering, the processor under there is a 2.5GHz P4, with 1GB of RAM. I wonder if it is worth trying to hack. Still, even with those specs, the processor and RAM probably make up less than $100 of the cost of the player, the drive is probably the bulk of it.

[taxman @ Apr 17th 2006 4:16PM]

Don't get your hopes up - it's probably there to download AACS & HDCP updates to prevent haxoring and (theoretically) add new codecs.
I'm thinking future not too bright for HD DVD and Blu-Ray, online movies on demand systems are around now, besides the way they should of gone is VMD.

[Lorin Thwaits @ Apr 21st 2006 9:57AM]

A friend and I dismantled an HD-A1 in order to find out what made it tick, and were intrigued to learn that inside is a USB flash drive on a daughter card:

http://geekswithblogs.net/lorint/archive/2006/04/21/75795.aspx