Now this is more like it. Sure, we've seen the prices of
HD DVD players slowly but surely sinking over time, and while there's been more than a few inconvenient
rebate offers of
late, it looks like a new precedent has been set. Crutchfield is now offering up
Toshiba's HD-A2 HD DVD player for a mere $199 after a $100 instant rebate, but we wouldn't count on this thing showing up anytime soon. According to the site, not only is inventory sitting at zero, but it also admits that the ship date is unfortunately "uncertain." Still, $199 for a second-generation HD DVD player ain't too shabby (have you seen one for less?), so be sure to check out the previous
impressions before grabbing your place in the ever-growing line of customers trying to take advantage.
[Thanks, Andrew]
UPDATE: Too bad -- looks like Crutchfield was forced to jack the price up by a Benjamin or face an order backlog beyond belief.
posted June 11th 2007 9:59AM
That's a pretty good deal and all, but how about not confusing consumers and offering the full HD 1080P that an HD-DVD is capable of for 199???
Only 1080i...I'll pass
I guess you get what you pay for
You may pass, though I didn't. I doubt I'm unlike many others out there that have either 720p(me) or 1080i, as well as a crapload of dvds. For those of you out there with giant 1080p screens, you may want to wait for the next model out in a month or so.
I got in on this when it was 250 at Costco. It works for me since I was looking for a decent upconverter as well for my regular DVDs. It's worth the gamble, since it will still work in that capacity regarless of who wins the 'war'. Now I just have to wait for more studios to release their overrated movies to hd dvd as well. After seeing the Matrix on my set last weekend, it can only be a matter of time, as I now see why people don't go to the movies much anymore...better picture at home.
Wow, score one for Sony's propaganda machine, huh? Find me a flat panel, FP or RPTV that is capable of displaying 1080i as 1080i, and I will find you somebody who hasn't a clue how digital displays work. In other words, the concern over 1080p is ONLY valid in the very specific case of 1080p/24 - a capacity you won't find in the Blu-ray world for under $600.
Oh, and to shut up the other individual... No, the 360 with the HD-DVD drive is not "limited" to 1080i.
I think you are the one that needs to STFU, we are all just commenting, no need to get personal. And yes I do own both a PS3 and xBox 360 (minus the stupid attachment). I believe to include everything in the box and NOT have pathetic add-ons.
Sour grapes are pretty sour, aren't they. I suppose when the HD-DVD camp is arguing over whether a very good HD-DVD player is $200 or $300 in June, the best the Blu-ray camp can chime in with is "I'll pass on 1080i". In fact, friend, you're not passing on 1080i, in spite of what you may think. Your player is generating 1080i/60 from 1080p/24, and subsequently deinterlacing it. And the odds are it's doing a worse job of it than your TV would. So, again, Sony's spin machine wins another gold star.
The only way consumers will be "confused" is when people try to claim that 720p or 1080i arent HD or toss around marketing terms like "true HD".
Broadcast & Cable HD channels are already only in 720p or 1080i... I don't think _that_'s causing any confusion amongst consumers.
You guys/gals make me laugh...your reviews that you read, I have experienced! Why don't you all buy something and see for yourselves.
Well, either they just changed their site or you guys read it wrong - it's $399 with a $100 instant rebate, making it $299...
It says 299 WITH 100 instant rebate...soo.....huh??? Where is the 199er?
I believe they bumped the price a hundred bucks.
I believe the price is $299 after the instant rebate. I added it to my cart and the total was $299. Did anyone actually look at the Crutchfield site from Engadget before posting this?
It was $199 all day yesterday and this morning. I guess that when they got into the office this morning they noticed their screwup and fixed it.
Check. Mate.
good point kiwi, but for most of the LCD TV owners out there (unless you bought yours within the lastfew months) 1080i is all you can do. and this is a great option.
Good Point also, but I look at things as getting the most out of your media. Not to mention again, this will confuse the heck out of any normal consumer (i.e. just like the whole Full HD thing)
But none-the-less good for the time being. I guess these types will eventually be our 50-100 range HD players and the higher model will include 1080P
kiwi- you forget to realize that the same customers you think will be confused about 1080i vs 1080p currently think a HDTV gives them HDTV OTB with their regualr cable. They do not even understand HDTV signals are needed for HDTV and yet you think the A2 lacking 1080p output is a 'confusing to the consumer' issue? Hardly. Especially when you consider the user base numbers of 1080i sets vs 1080p sets on the market today. 1080p is just too small a niche, no HDTV in 1080p signals for quite some time and for a few movies made in 1080p it's pointless to complain about the A2's lack of 1080p really.
I am not complaining about its lack of 1080P, I saying that if someone wants an HD player, I would think they would want something that can play ALL available resolutions (in case they upgrade their older TV). Sure, you can purchase this now, and when you buy your next TV at 1080P (cause thats where everything is headed), buy another DVD. Waste of money for people that think about their future purchases.
Isn't the X-BOX attachment the same way as this (no 1080P)?
Flame on.
kiwi, most of the reviews i have read has the Toshiba HD-DVD (720p/1080i) with a better picture than the Blu-Ray @ 1080p. I have one question if you had 10 TV's next to each other 9 of them with a 1080i signal and one with the 1080p. Do you think you could select the 1080p TV out of the group. Most likely you would never know the differnce. 1080p is overated unless you have 70"+ TV and you sit 10' from TV.
This facet of discussion is moot anyway. By the time one's TV displays a 1080i signal, it is no longer 1080i. And if the signal is film-source (as 100% of all Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies are), the result is identical to a 1080p source. Identical. As in you can't tell the difference because there IS NO DIFFERENCE. Not even on a 70" screen. Do some research.
You guys/gals make me laugh...your reviews that you read, I have experienced! Why don't you all buy something and see for yourselves.
Well, just goes to show how well it will sell with decent pricing.
cheapest i could find anywhere on the net was for $270.
price is ok, anyway i'll wait for minor producers to hit the market with their hddvd and bluray players. as for now anly few big companies offers such devices, and you pay for the logo 'toshiba' etc
The technological dust heap of history is full of companies that intro'd new technolgoy at outrageous prices (Iridium, Betamax). Toshiba apparently gets it. Sell these things cheap enough for the average Joe to buy and you win the format war.
The studios will produce in whatever format is selling, even Sony.
Microsoft could deal a death knell to Blu-Ray by offering its HD-DVD player bundled with Halo 3 or by offering a new version of the XBOX 360 with built-in HD-DVD budnled with Halo3. This move by Toshiba to offer a low price drive, could help push Microsoft to flex its muscles and end this format war. Blu-Ray is probably better, but it's way overpriced.
What we need is a HD-DVD writer at $150, and the war will be over.
Digital Rights Restrictions must be a hard-sell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Access_Content_System
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection
HDCP is licensed by Digital Content Protection, a subsidiary of Intel. In addition to paying fees, licensees agree to limit the capabilities of their products. For example, high-definition digital video content must be restricted to DVD quality on non-HDCP compliant video outputs when requested by the source. DVD-Audio content is restricted to DAT quality on non-HDCP digital audio outputs (analog audio outputs have no quality limits). Licensees cannot allow their devices to make copies of content, and must design their products to "effectively frustrate attempts to defeat the content protection requirements."
007baf: sounds like you been drinking a lot of Microsoft Kool Aid, for one I wouldn't doubt that Microsoft is subsidizing Toshibas sales so they can drop the price that fast. I have to give a thumbs up on Halo, it is one of the only reason I own an Xbox 360, too bad the failure rate has been horrible on them. Blu-Ray is overpriced right now, ah yes but HD-DVD was first to market, so they should have movies and machines that are less expensive.. The two competing technologies are a toss up either way you sum it up, but what pisses me off even more are the fanboys on either side who have to put up negative BS just to get a point across....
I saw it at costco for $250. It's the same one but has been rebadged hd-d2.
I just looked at the specs of this machine. Too bad it can't play MP3s, can't do DVD+R, can't view JPGs or have some of the features of a $50 DVD player.
Huh? according to videohelp.com, it can do all 3.
I got mine at $199
I looked at the "detailed specs" on the Toshiba page
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvd/product.asp?model=HD-A2
Nothing there said MP3 or DVD+R playback.
I wanted to get one, but I guess I'll have to wait for the feature:price ratio to be more favorable.
You guys/gals make me laugh...your reviews that you read, I have experienced! Why don't you all buy something and see for yourselves.
What a stupid story.
"Looks like A2's are $199!!! OMG.. oh wait, none available for SALE... OMG wait.. price is back up to normal because it's bullshit and likely Crutchfield a web edit mistake, yet we'll just leave the story title as is so we can make it seem like they are cheap"
Basically this story should be completely removed since not one word of it is true. New precedent my ass.
for those of you that can't tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p, you're either too old or blind! there's a world of difference between the two, yes line up 10 TV's, no make that 100 next to each other and I'll be able to point out the single TV in 1080p. I have movies recorded from my HD cable box in 1080i and I also have HD DVD's that I play in my 61" in 1080p, and believe me there's a world of difference. So if you can't tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p, stick to SDTV because you probably can't tell the difference between that and HDTV! AND FOR THE LAST TIME XBOX 360 HD DVD DRIVE IS CAPABLE OF 1080P VIA VGA CABLE!!!!!
Apparently, you don't know what you are talking about. Of course an HD DVD is going to look better than some extremely compressed crap that you record off of compressed cable. It has nothing to do with it being 1080i or 1080p. You can tell because one is extremely compressed and the other is not so much.
Record your cable HD to 1080p and it will look just as crappy compared to HD DVD (even 1080i HD DVD).
Nice comparison of apples to oranges there....