Just got the HD-E1 HD-DVD player, as a primary HD-DVD player at my KL home, while the HD-XA2 is already in my future abode in CA. Short impression after setting it up today, excellent value fo money. Got it for cheaps while was at work in Zurich, the stores there are on winter clearance sale, with prices slashed down up to 70%. Perhaps Toshiba Europe is gearing up for the European equivalent of HD-A20 in the US......

This little workhorse goes up to 1080i only, and no analog ports to channel higher audio bitrate codecs like TrueHD, but with the currrent setup i left here (most of the heavy-duty stuff already moving to LA), it will do. Did the firmware update, and it's chugging along nicely.

Speaking of chugging, yes, the HD-E1 still chugs compared to the 360 addon, but i can confirm a image quality disparity between the addon and this standalone. Worth the wait, IMO.

Got Serenity disc for free , together with this player, for CHF300 (that's 300 Swiss Francs). Had to carry this past customs, and a little wink,wink.....and got past them unscathed.

Looking at my collection of BD/HDDVD titles, they are pretty much equal now. Already ordered "300", both in Bluray and HDDVD format from Amazon for comparative purposes. Also booked Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, both on HD-DVD, as well as Blood Diamond on HD-DVD, im skipping the Bluray version, due to the gimped features as well as the reported online component of the movie (really excited about this). Also queued Mel Gibson's Apocalypto Bluray version," Smokin' Aces" HD-DVD version, and last but not least, my "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" HDDVD has already shipped from Amazon UK, should be arriving here just shy of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book release here. (not sure if im up to camping outside Kinokuniya KLCC like i did last time for the Half-Blood Prince)

How's everybody doing?

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jul 8 2007, 03:03 AM

It is available everywhere there, some reported getting better deals in Germany and UK. I havent any flights to Germany, so i couldnt confirm this.

Once im in US this Sept., the Sony BDP-S300 is possibly gonna join the XA2 under the entertainment cabinet, pretty cheap at USD499.

Already have a PS3, two in fact. I'm intrigued to see how standalones fare against the PS3, afterr seeing how the E1 compares to the 360 addon.

Judging from how the stalwarts and hardcores are reacting at the AVSForum, standalones do have their advantages. If you're not particular about image quality/audio fidelity, then the present console solutions are perfectly fine to go by with.

Oh god, you guys are still at it again?

*Turns on E1 with his copy of 300 and HP4 HDDVDs in queue.*

Bulky? Have you seen the BDP-S300 or the HD-A2/E1? The A2/E1 is as slim(fashionistas love to throw the word slim around ) as my old Samsung DVD player.

I thought hardcore HT kakis are attracted to beastly equipments. The voltage stabilisers, as well as the AVRs, the bigger they look, the better it is to the eyes of these folks. Just look at them Onkyos and Yamahas!

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Added on July 25, 2007, 11:03 amAs for hating BD because of Sony, to each his own. Im not willing to pass up POTCs, and other Disney classics, just to prove a point. I have others doing that for me while i eat both sides of the pie.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jul 25 2007, 11:03 AM

Toshiba HD-A20


Toshiba HD-EP10


Sony BDP-S300

So, to the previous poster that claims bulkiness being an affecting factor of him holding out, i'd say he has one less excuse to tick off before plunging in. Looks pretty slim to me. I do understand however, that price is still the main deciding factor.

HD-A20 is USD399(some even lower), HD-EP10 is EU399(unlucky coz Euro is strengthening), and BDP-S300 is already below the price of a PS3, tagged at USD499. Still cant beat the Toshibas for that price still though.

The next chapter would be in waiting t see if the Chinese decides to join in with their even cheaper HD-DVD players, and if the BDA Consortium feels any pressure to follow through with price reduction in response to the plummeting prices of the HD-DVD players. Combo players like the LG BH100 is missing the interactive part of the HD-DVD fomat, while the more promising model from Samsung is rumored to be priced a EU400, news from Digitimes. The Samsung BD-UP5000 is reported to have all the advanced features of Bluray and HD-DVDs intact.

The options are there, but i'd wholly understand the wait-and-see stance because these players dont come in cheap. Wanting them to drop to as low as current DVD player prices of around RM300-700 is a little bit preposterous, until the adoption rate increases, but i'd say a HD-DVD player at RM1500 is where DVD player previously was years back when DVDs are taking over from VCDs and tapes. It will only go down south pricewise from here.

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Added on July 26, 2007, 4:25 amArent the A20s considered Gen3 already? Or are we waiting for the big boys from Denon nd the likes to join and consider the 3rd Age beginning, so to speak?

BTW, HD-DVD Blood Diamond's online features are an eye-openers , i must say. The online votings, as well as the interactive historical segment following the Blood Diamond conflict in Africa really shows what we can expect from network interactivity from these players. I just hope Toshiba continues supporting the older players, even as they introduce the new ones. The E1 has already been updated to the latest firmware, im just waiting to go back to CA to do the same with my XA2 there.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jul 26 2007, 04:27 AM

Is that BD-UP5000 specs/features already finalised or still rumored? If it does then, Realta Reon or not, im not hot for it.I'll just stick with the XA2, it does 24p, reportedly, very nicely. Cant wait to get back to LA to see for myself...

Im not surprised with other things you mention here though. Hard to change ingrained mindsets. That's 50 years of stubbornness you got there.

Not that it's a good movie, but hey, at least i got that option while shopping around in Saturn stores in Frankfurt. I find myself lookng for more HD-DVDs, than Blu-ray titles when im out in Europe, thanks to the region coding of European Blu-Rays. Sure, some of the older titles are thankfully marked "A/B/C", but the good ones are usually earmarked exclusively for European playback only.

Got myself both the HD-DVD and Blu-ray version of 300, and i can safely say i prefer the HD-DVD version. I also had totally scrapped the Blu-ray version of Blood Diamond in favour of the HD-DVD version, thanks to its interactive online experience. For those who hadnt been keeping tabs, the HD-DVD version of 300 allows you to edit scenes from the movie and post your edited composition on Warner's website along with your username ala Friends list you see on the 360. That, along with the polls, the web-interactive content on the trails of the Blood Diamond conflict in Africa, as well as the web-specific download of free ringtones and wallpaper for your cellphone (i've tried this on my AT&T connected cellphone line), ushers a new age of interactivity for the next-gen HD movies you watch.

True, im worried about excessive extra contents pushing down video/audio bitrates lower due to storage constraints, but this does not seem to be the case with Hot Fuzz HD-DVD i bought, along with Shaun of the Dead, Smokin' Aces and Blood Diamond. Hot Fuzz was even celebrated as the first 5 star rated title from Highdefdigest, with outstanding PQ/AQ and a whopping total of 18 hours of special features, all crammed into a single HD-DVD disc!

However, Blu-ray upcoming releases are looking extremely tasty as well.

Here are my picks *and already preordered as well* for my own must have titles to get by the end of this year:-


Blade Runner : 5 Discs Complete/Ultimate Edition.

Comes with either a slipcase box, or, in the case of the Ultimate edition....THIS!

The Deckard Briefcase, you see in the movie, encases all the precious HD discs of your choice, this Ultimate Edition is available for both HD-DVD or Blu-ray format. Im on the fence on this, waiting for further announcement on the specs, whether both versions have all the features.

Nature's Journey Blu-ray



What's so interesting about this? Another "Planet Earth", you ask? Nay! Read the specs, and weep, in sheer joy, this is THE REFERENCe title, showrooms showcasing HDTVs/HT setups would be drooling to get their hands on.Im getting the Blu-ray version, over the HD-DVD, due to the higher video encode bitrates (unprecedented 37Mbps VC-1 on Blu-ray vs 26Mbps VC-1 on HD-DVD) and superior audio ( Ultra High Fidelity 96/24 Surround
96/24 DTS-HD Master Audio Lossless on Blu-ray over Ultra High Fidelity 96/24 Surround 96/24 DTS-HD High Resolution ).

If the immediate impact of the higher video botrate doesnt wow you, the audio will definitely finish the job!

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End Blu-ray



Another 2-BD release from Disney, with new BD-Java contents "Jolly Roger Host " and "Enter the Maelstrom".

Underworld (Unrated) Blu-ray



To be paired with its younger sibling, Underworld Evolution , which i had bought earlier. I am aware of both Underworld titles being release as HD-DVDs in Germany.

Top Gun Blu-ray



Old school nostalgic goodness! Paramount's DVD release which i still have never fai to shake the room whenever those birds took off the deck of the aircraft carrier. "Tower, request a flyby for two!. Picking the Blu-ray over HD-DVD, as i dont want anything but perfection when it comes to PQ/AQ bitrates.

......but this next one gets me excited the most!

Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy Blu-ray



Need i say more? All three Spidey in HD! 1080p video as well as uncompressed PCM AND TrueHD tracks! No compromises here, folks!

There are other titles as well, scheduled to be among the must-haves titles during the winter/Christmas season, that i have tagged to be purchased once their respective studios have set their release dates. They are:-

HD-DVDs - Braveheart, Final Destination, Grind House ,Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Giftset (choosing the HD-DVDs over the Blu-ray version of this because i already have HP & the Goblet of Fire on HD-DVD UK Import) ,Knocked Up, The Mask, School of Rock, Se7en ,Pan's Labyrinth (please release the US version by the end of this year, the French HD-DVD bundle is seducing the hell outta me!).

Blu-rays - Fight Club ,Sin City ,Pulp Fiction ,Cars ,Close Encounter of the Third Kind ,The Da Vinci Code ,Ice Age 1 (to complete the pairing with Ice Age 2: Meltdown) ,Mr. & Mrs.Smith( i am aware of this title available NOW on HD-DVD, only in Poland, under Monolith, a Polish movie distribution company), RoboCop , Starship Troopers (FINALLY!, although im waiting for the US release rather than the UK released scheduled this August the 8th), Zodiac (excellent David Fincher movie!) ,Armageddon , Aladdin , Bad Boys I & II , Chronicles of Narnia , Finding Nemo , Forrest Gump , I Robot , Independence Day (WOOHOO, HELL YEAHHHH!!) , Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2( Another HELL YEAH!) ,The Lion King , NAtional Treasure , Ocean's 11 & 12 , Once Upon a Time in Mexico , Requiem for a Dream.

There are also rumors stating that 20th Century Fox will unleash the floodgates, once BD 1.1 profile players are available (profile has been finalised, awaiting players to be launched), that they are going to launched their motherlode of titles, including the Indiana Jones Trilogy and all 4 (YES, FOUR!) Die HArd movies on Blu-rays, as well as Universal resuming their launch for the Back to the Future titles as well as all THREE Jurassic Park titles in HD-DVDs. I sincerely hope they delay those releases.......coz im running bankrupt trying to pay for my preorders already!

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Aug 5 2007, 07:47 AM