Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Toshiba HD A2 for $98.87

I haven't opened either of the A2 boxes yet, though I plan on installing one later today. I haven't been able to use my Xbox360's add-on HDDVD player since my Xbox went into "Hardware Failure" two days before its 1 year birthday and the day I'd be SOL without warranty service.

Stupidly enough, I was originally wondering about the XA2 since it had the 5.1 analog outs for my non-hdmi receiver. What occurred to me only recently though, is that since the A2 doesn't handle SACD or DVD-A discs, I still need to use those 5.1 inputs on my receiver for the Oppo to play the hi-rez audio.

I guess it's becoming apparent that I'm going to need to upgrade to an HDMI-compatible receiver to take full advantage of all this stuff, and quite frankly, it pi**es me off.

[old man rant on] Used to be, that if you wanted a new format to work with your amp or receiver, it was just a matter of buying the component and hooking up your RCA jacks. Now, because of the digital handshakes of different components, standards and versions, it seems that a person doesn't just need to buy the new component, but also all of the connected components to keep everything compatible.

When I bought my $1200 Denon 3805 two years ago, I figured I'd get 5-7 years out of it. It's not software, which I expect to upgrade somewhat frequently. It's a damn amp, right?
Yeah, I know it decodes Dolby Digital and does bass management and stuff…but really? Two years ? [/old man rant off]

I'm not dumb. I work in fields that involve changing technology. I'm comfortable on computers and often have five running at the same time…rolling my chair between desk positions. All of my friends and family consider me the guy with the latest/greatest and the knowledge of what's hot with this stuff.

But really: should equipment like receivers and TVs need to be updated so often to stay current with the latest digital-copyright infringement protection standard or the latest, newest, bestest version of HDMI?

Is anyone getting annoyed by this stuff? Besides BrotherBob, I mean!

I am totally annoyed by it. That's why I'm usually 3 years behind the technology curve.

No, I feel your pain as well, Mark. Nowadays, it almost requires a rehaul of the entire system if you want to add something new. It's definitely frustrating. These new technological innovations are quickly outdistancing some of our pocketbooks.

If you were sitting 20 feet from it, I doubt you would see a difference. I have a 32" LCD 720p/1080i and I sit 7 feet away. I think I'm right on the hairy edge of seeing a difference. I guess I won't know until I try it.

I am, but Mike said I'm not allowed to say anything about it any more. Thing is, it's not the electronics companies driving this--it's the content companies. And that ain't right.

I'm figuring that if I want to go HD, I need a new TV, a new TiVo, a new receiver, a new disc player, and quite possibly more expensive cable.

Ain't. Happening.

I need a new house, first. Sigh.

I haven't been paying much attention to all the new format crap. I listen to music in stereo, plus a sub, and watch my movies in 480p. I have no immediate plans on changing either.


Long live 2 channel

Way to keep it old school, Rick.





Ya old fart.

Ok, sorry I've been missing in action. Nick, it was nice to finally meet you in person.

Looks like I should have done some research. When I watch movies I lose the signal after a few minutes. If I click to the next chapter or back up to the previous chapter it comes back again, however, goes away after a minute or so again.

So what do I do about this Nick and Skyhawk? Will the firmware update on the A2 help? Or, am I needing to update my Z2 in some way? The Z2 is past the warranty, so not sure what that tells me.

Dang, now I'm wondering if I should take the toshiba back?

Skywawk, so your saying the component will still work for Hd DVD movies at 1080i, but regular dvd's will not get upconverted? This really sucks.

How do I upgrade my Sanyo, do I have to call them?

While one does need to jump through some hoops to take full advantage of the new audio formats of hi-def DVD, I can confirm that a good old optical connection from the HD-A2 to my H/K AVR 635 receiver produces fabulous sound with the 1.5 mbps DTS.

I've invested enough in DVD-A and SACD to not give up the analog inputs on my H/K receiver for hi-def, and since I really have no desire to drop another few hundred on a new receiver when my H/K 635 is still going strong and produces outstanding sound with various formats, I will likely stick with my current arrangement for some time.

Seriously, I think people are looking at all this stuff going on too negatively. If you already have a nice flat panel HDTV, and were not already in the hi-def DVD game, these are very cool things going on. Good HD-DVD players for $100 is awesome. All I needed to do was buy the HD-A2, buy a cheap HDMI cable at monoprice, and I was otherwise all set to go with my plasma, receiver, and cables. And the jump to HD-DVD has really been a revelation.

The audio does not bother me, it is getting the HDMI to synch up to my projector...