Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,488 Likes: 9
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,488 Likes: 9 |
Could be firmware (very easy to upgrade) or there might be some HDMI incompatibility (i.e. settings is for max resolution, the actual resolution is negociated by the every equipment in the chain).
Last edited by EFalardeau; 11/02/07 07:58 PM. Reason: added incompatibility precision
See Mojo's signature
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 171
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 171 |
A couple of things at play here Rick. First, The Last Samurai is widely regarded as only an average HD-DVD transfer. It was in the first batch of HD-DVD's released, and is nowhere near reference quality. Take a look at Happy Feet, or Hot Fuzz, or Planet Earth, or many others, and you'll see what HD-DVD has to offer.
Second, it is a known fact that one really needs to update the firmware on these HD-DVD players as soon as they receive them. You can call it a POS, but this need to update the firmware just comes with the territory of getting into HD-DVD. It takes just a few minutes to download the latest firmware, burn it, and update it in the player. These Toshibas are essentially computers, and can be glitchy. The firmware updates are important.
In the end, if you just don't buy into this, no big deal. But right now you're not seeing HD-DVD at anywhere near its best.
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422 |
I know what you are saying BrotherBob... It should work out of the box. Everything should be that way, but they aren't. Cars, even expensive cars, have recalls, electronic components DO have manurfacturing failures, heck, some people have even had to send their Axioms back because something got crossed in shipping or manufacturing. It DOES happen. I still think that something else is in play here. If you weren't impressed with the video, than something was wrong. If it was the HD-DVD player with a failure, you would think that it wouldn't output at all instead of what seems like a "downgraded" picture to start, and then somehow a total drop out of signal. Either you got a lemon, or something outside of the HD-A2 isn't playing nice. Call it a POS if you want, you are entitled, and after a frustrating day of messing around, I think that anyone would be upset, but overall people are very happy with the HD-A2.
The firmware is easy enough to do. If you plug the box into your internet at home (assuming you have high speed with a Cat5 network cable) or download and burn the firmware to a CD. Hell, I'd be willing to burn a CD with the firmware on it and mail it to you myself, just because we are one big (mostly) happy family here. If you want me to, shoot me a PM with your address sometime today so that I can get it ready and out in the mail tomorrow. Life should not be so tough when trying to improve a hobby like this one.
Last edited by nickbuol; 11/02/07 08:42 PM. Reason: fixed typo
Farewell - June 4, 2020
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420 |
I know what you are saying BrotherBob... IT should work out of the box. Everything should be that way, but they aren't. A good example is the Wii and the PS3(if I remember right) both had to have upgrades out of the box just to get them to work properly with some of their features.
Jason M80 v2 VP160 v3 QS8 v2 PB13 Ultra Denon 3808 Samsung 85" Q70
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,444 Likes: 16
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,444 Likes: 16 |
Damn Richard, you got me laughing my ass off!!
I know what you’re going through as I’ve gone through it too, but I’ve adapted…… I’m so (place your choice of cuss word here) tired of being a beta tester for these new HMDI POS electronic devices, that if I didn’t absolutely love the sight and sound, I’d get rid of all of it and go back to my old 25” Magnavox TV and play more chess.
I have yet to buy one thing that has HDMI that wasn’t F-ed up from the get go. I’m not exaggerating either….everything I’ve bought has or had some stinking glitch.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Industry is starting to catch up to this pathetically incompetent HDMI roll out and things are starting to work somewhat better as time goes on.
So, in regards to your POS A2, I’m guessing your settings are incorrect. Either the TV or the Player. You should be able to tell a difference with the disks you have, and a big difference at that. And I do agree with you, the A2 is a POS when you compare it to your Denon, but I love the picture. The build quality of these players is pathetic. Toshiba is trying to get the upper hand over Sony, so they need to get these players in homes and as this ‘sale’ demonstrates, cheap players is what folks want…..not build quality.
Don’t give up yet bubba…. Something’s screwy.
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,211
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,211 |
Gem and Nick, thanks a ton ... After a cool down period on my part, I'm sure it's probably just a matter of tweaking. Earlier, I gave up after 'The Last Samurai' and didn't try the other disc to see if maybe it was in fact a disc issue or not so I'll try to show a little more patience with the A2 this next go around with the other disc while keeping in mind that these disc are as first and second generation as the player itself.
Nick, if you don't mind I do believe I'll take you up on your offer and publicly I want to say thanks for such a kind gesture...not all of us out here are as computer savvy as we'd like to be and it can get to be a little overwhelming at times. I'll shoot you a PM in a few with my home address, again thanks!
I'm not giving up hope just yet.
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,420 |
...not all of us out here are as computer savvy as we'd like to be and it can get to be a little overwhelming at times. I think alot of us forget that, as well manufacturers.
Jason M80 v2 VP160 v3 QS8 v2 PB13 Ultra Denon 3808 Samsung 85" Q70
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,211
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,211 |
Damn Richard, you got me laughing my ass off!! Uh huh Mike, and the sad part is that if you get a non-techie, impatient and 'want-it-done-right ... and right-now' type of person like myself mixed in to this bag of tricks it can get to be very aggravating, to say the least. I think these manufacturer's do this on purpose, it's the geeks back in college getting back at me ... and I *never* messed with 'em! WTF???
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,211
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,211 |
...not all of us out here are as computer savvy as we'd like to be and it can get to be a little overwhelming at times. I think alot of us forget that, as well manufacturers. I wholeheartedly agree Jason ... about the manufacturer's
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Re: Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,422 |
Nick, if you don't mind I do believe I'll take you up on your offer and publicly I want to say thanks for such a kind gesture...not all of us out here are as computer savvy as we'd like to be and it can get to be a little overwhelming at times. I'll shoot you a PM in a few with my home address, again thanks!
I'm not giving up hope just yet. Just shoot me a PM with your address and I will send you the exact disc that I use to update mine with tonight, that way I'll know for sure that I am sending you a working disc. Hang in there... This place is a good "support" group in a few different ways. "Support" as in technical support ideas, and "support" as in "Hello, my name is Rick, and I've been an A2 user for 8 hours....."
Farewell - June 4, 2020
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