Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player Wins Sound & Vision Product of the Year Award

[Banjo]

WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Sound & Vision, the world's largest entertainment magazine, has selected Toshiba's HD-XA1 HD DVD player to receive its prestigious Product of the Year Award, recognizing it as the most outstanding consumer electronics product of 2006. The Toshiba HD-XA1, along with Toshiba's HD-A1 HD DVD player, was the first High definition DVD player to be introduced in the U.S. market.

"We're quite pleased to honor Toshiba with this award," said Mike Mettler, Vice President/Editor-In-Chief of Sound & Vision. "The flagship HD-XA1 totally fulfilled the promise of the high definition disc player by delivering both picture and sound with unmatched purity, detail, and punch. We're very impressed."

Ranking at the top of 22 products chosen by the magazine's editors and reviewers from those tested throughout the year, the Toshiba HD-XA1 was selected by Sound & Vision's staff for its innovation, performance, build, quality and value.

http://hd.broadcastnewsroom.com/arti...fterinter=true

Hmm... really?

What about the fact that Toshiba's HD-DVD players currently out on the market are unable to output the movies at 1080p? I know they have one coming out this year, but we're talking about 2006.

This is why I don't subscribe to these types of magazines. Half of the time, they don't know what they're talking about. It seems like people don't know what to write about these days.

I just can't get my mind around the fact that this particular player got such an award.

Toshiba's HD-XA1? From what I know, a lot of people already has replaced it with HD-XA2 and it still can't output 1080p. Not only to mention the slow speed when it come to loading movies.

What is this world coming to?

Misinformation. What a powerful weapon it can be if used right.

[Dave]

Let me be the first to say: AAAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAA!!!

The most ugly, freezing and glitching machine ever? Best?
Yeah compared to the other hd dvd crap it may be the best...

[KenThompson]

I have racks full of these magazines and always based my purchases on what they had to say. Well its the last time I spend money on that.

[dialog_gvf]

I'm surprised that in retrospect and AFTER using the Playstation 3, that they still love the XA1.

It's unfortunate that it give some people the wrong idea. But, their review of the PS/3 is outstanding, and the important thing is that highly recommend it.

From an A/V perspective the PS/3 is lacking a bit. There is no supplied component output, and no multi-channel analog audio output at all. So, I expect those two areas are what stopped the PS/3 from grabbing the title.

No worries, all the big mags have put or are about to put the PS/3 into the minds of the A/V consumer. No matter what the fanbois think.

Gary

[JTK]

I owned the Xa1 for six weeks.

It honestly couldn't tie the PS3 shoes in any way, shape, or form.

[HDTV1080P]

Possible they did not receive before the cutoff date a BLU-RAY player form Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer, or a Samsung with upgraded firmware. The Toshiba is a good product if BLU-RAY did not exist. The reality is the Sony Playstation 3 is much better with faster loading times and less bugs.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

The Toshiba is a good product if BLU-RAY did not exist.

No, not really.

The reality is the Sony Playstation 3 is much better with faster loading times and less bugs.

Definitely.

[BTBuck1]

My HDA1 is great!!!!

when it's not:

Loading (forever), Freezing, losing audio, fastwarding, skipping. Heaven forbid you accidently hit stop instead of pause (3 minutes later your movie starts back, not where you left off either).

About the only thing it's been consistant with is its SD-DVD playback...which I didn't buy it for.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

My HDA1 is great!!!!

when it's not:

Loading (forever), Freezing, losing audio, fastwarding, skipping. Heaven forbid you accidently hit stop instead of pause (3 minutes later your movie starts back, not where you left off either).

Heh, exactly. ^^ You actually have one of the better behaving ones.

[HDTV1080P]

You would think that Toshiba would have fixed this problem with a software update. Many of the Samsung BLU-RAY player issues were fixed with a software update.

[Nismobeach]

What a freaking joke.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

You would think that Toshiba would have fixed this problem with a software update. Many of the Samsung BLU-RAY player issues were fixed with a software update.

I don't think it's software related, it's Rushed Hardware & Inept Engineering related.

[HDTV1080P]

What every happen to the high-end $1000 Toshiba HD-DVD with 1080P output? As far as I am aware this thing was never released yet. The best way to watch HDTV Universal studios discs is for someone to buy the X-BOX 360 add on for $175-$200 and hook it up to a computer to get 1080P quality.
I am boycotting Universal and HD-DVD. I am 100% for BLU-RAY to win this war, and then poor quality combo players will not be needed. The LG combo player was a joke, the worse HD-DVD on the market.

[bruce]

Not to start a fight, but I have two A1s ( one since launch, the other since October ) and I have not had a single problem with either, I also have a PS3 that has been perfect also, both formats are not perfect and each have at least their share of problems, I just don't feel a need to put one or the other down, I find it kind of beneath me.

Also, Blu-Ray fans, I think, should be somewhat thankful to HD DVD because it pushed Blu-Ray to be better then what it was during it's first few months and now equal to HD DVD in quality, if HD DVD was not around we might still be getting film transfers equal to The Fifth Element ( which I did buy because I could not believe it was that bad....it is that bad).

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by bruce

Not to start a fight, but I have two A1s ( one since launch, the other since October ) and I have not had a single problem with either, I also have a PS3 that has been perfect also, both formats are not perfect and each have at least their share of problems, I just don't feel a need to put one or the other down, I find it kind of beneath me.

Also, Blu-Ray fans, I think, should be somewhat thankful to HD DVD because it pushed Blu-Ray to be better then what it was during it's first few months and now equal to HD DVD in quality, if HD DVD was not around we might still be getting film transfers equal to The Fifth Element ( which I did buy because I could not believe it was that bad....it is that bad).

Point taken. That's true, i was surprised to see what a poor job they did on 'The Fifth Element' as that's Sony's most used "Reference" title. It was re-done a few times on the DVD format. I guess they are re-doing it for Blu-Ray too as well.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by bruce

Not to start a fight, but I have two A1s ( one since launch, the other since October ) and I have not had a single problem with either, I also have a PS3 that has been perfect also, both formats are not perfect and each have at least their share of problems, I just don't feel a need to put one or the other down, I find it kind of beneath me.

You're very fortunate in that regard. Downright lucky, in fact.

But that certainly doesn't negate the scores of people who were or are in my shoes or Brian's. Even on a supremely pro HD-DVD forum like AVS, the complaints are unavoidable.

I don't see anyone here trying to deliberately put down anything, either, but the facts are: Toshiba puts out junk and that's what these players of theirs are.

It's not a slam against the HD-DVD format itself. There's nothing wrong with the software (except maybe it's too shortsighted ) but the hardware is junk from a second rate CE company and that's the "best" that this format has going for it. It only goes downhill from there to cheap, unknown Chinese companies who have yet to even deliver anything.

All the big boys are with Blu-Ray.

All facts.

Also, Blu-Ray fans, I think, should be somewhat thankful to HD DVD because it pushed Blu-Ray to be better then what it was during it's first few months and now equal to HD DVD in quality, if HD DVD was not around we might still be getting film transfers equal to The Fifth Element ( which I did buy because I could not believe it was that bad....it is that bad).

Very possible.

[Zvi]

I agree with JTK on "U lucky" part . My A1 was one of tha major reasons that turned me away from HD DVD. Constant lockups (I did patch the damn thing right away), problems with prety much 50% of the movies I've watched, or tried to watch in it. Much criticized Sammy turned out to be a lot better unit after all.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

I don't think it's software related, it's Rushed Hardware & Inept Engineering related.

This sums it all up nice and neat.

[Alex Pallas]

somebody was paid, obviously

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by bruce

Also, Blu-Ray fans, I think, should be somewhat thankful to HD DVD because it pushed Blu-Ray to be better then what it was during it's first few months and now equal to HD DVD in quality, if HD DVD was not around we might still be getting film transfers equal to The Fifth Element ( which I did buy because I could not believe it was that bad....it is that bad).

There is two ways to look at this, One could say that if it weren't for HDDVD that Blu-Ray would have been allowed a more comfortable time frame to launch and wouldn't have had to rush to market releases to coinside with the release of the bdp-1000. It was evident early on that studio's releasing to HDDVD were ahead of the BD camp in their authoring abilities, However that lead did not last long, as mpeg2 has since shown to produce results as good if not better than avcmp4 and vc-1 (just not as efficient).

You could also say that because of the foot race to market HDDVD was forced to put out second rate players so that they could be "first". But then, why are their second gen players having a whole slew of new and previous problems.