Home > Consumer Reviews > Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD Player

I was one of the lucky people to get in on the Walmart Secret Sale on November 2, 2007. This player cost me $98 + tax. What a deal!! This player is just as good as the newer A3 model with the only difference being the internal design. They both play HD DVDs at 1080i or 720p. That's what matters most.

I brought this player home a week ago, and it has been a joy ever since. I waited 3 years to get in on the HD world because of the "format war". The HD DVDs are gorgeous, and their players are cheaper.

Go get an HD DVD player because you can afford one now. Prices are fair. Try to get an A2 for the cheapest price. If you can't find an A2 anymore, get the A3. It has two free HD DVDs inside to get you started. You will get to enjoy quality HD movies without feeling bad about your bank account.

Also, no matter what happens with the format war, you have a great upconverter for standard DVDs to HD.

I recently purchased the Toshiba HD-A2 dvd player and found it to be exactly what wanted in an HD DVD player.I was especially curious to view a coventional dvd to see if there was any significant difference in the quality of the picture.There was.The picture quality was much improved.
Fortunate for me I have a 1080i hd tv,and the Toshiba A2 plays perfectly to this format.I'm very happy with this product.

First off this player as every review states has exceptional HD quality. If you are concerned about the load times as I was after reading all the reviews, don't be. It is hardly noticeable. By the time you turn it on, go get your dvd to put in, its easily ready. Not even a concern to me. There is an issue that I have found with this unit that I have not seen in a review before.

If you are using component cables as I am because your HD TV doesn't have HDMI then you should know this as I was not informed. Component cables are not digital as you know and therefor won't allow for upconversion of SD movies for the most part (Toshiba claims titles exist but none I have tested so far work - shooter, bad boys, to name a couple). It is my understanding that this is from a macrovision flag in the DVD that causes the player to revert to a 4:3 image (which is terrible when you have a 16:9 screen) as well as remain in 480P. I have been talking to Toshiba to see whats going on and so far I have gotten no answers. The player indicates 16:9 but the image is 4:3 with nice black bars on each side of the screen. Could be a firmware error. I am still trying to figure it out. Also the movies are widescreen and I'm not an idiot either.

If you have HDMI you should have no problems what so ever. I highly recommend this player with either connection because with HD dvd's the image is a perfect 16:9 and just looks amazing. My view on this is I will be keeping my old dvd player right next to my new one until this gets figured out or as Toshiba recommended last, I buy a new HD projector as he laughed.

And if you wondering about the HD DVD protection flag, apparently none of the studios are enabling the flag on HD DVD's as to get people to upgrade. The future of that could be bad but for now component HD-DVD connections work just fine if you want to watch HD-DVD's, just don't throw out your old player like I had planned.

One other thing, I have read that if you copy your dvd's and play them they will upscale perfectly. I am going to try this for fun, but don't feel like burning all my movies and wasting money doing it.

I'm watching on a Magnavox 37" 720p/1080i 37MF321D/37 through HDMI, with two two-way bookshelf speakers plugged into my HDTV...Toshiba HD A2 delivers!

The HD A2 is well built and aesthetically pleasing for its fairly large footprint. The few connectors on the back make it seem a bit "naked" but it does everything it's supposed to do.

As for performance quality: WOW! The HD DVD movie presentation is truly amazing. There is so much audio and visual information to process that it completely brings the theater experience into the home!

Video quality is spectacular! Keep in mind my set is physically only 1366x768, so my HD DVD collection stands well to blow me away again sometime in the future.

Audio quality is superb! Were I to have room for a 5.1 setup, I would imagine the high-definition audio modes [Dolby TrueHD / DTS HD (core)] would be multitudes more impressive than the mere two channels of Dolby Digital audio that I hear now - I'm still blown away.

The HD A2 delivers all of the video and audio information in a remarkable way!

Startup speed for me has yet to be an issue - I just now timed it at roughly 30 seconds for the intro logo to appear. By the time I have my movie ready to go in, the HD A2 is usually ready to go as well.

The HD A2 runs quietly while it is operating. It is easy to set up, and simple to operate.

The remote control is full of features, functions well and is nicely organized. The inset not fully framing the outer edge of some of the buttons has a bit of a "prototype" look to it in my opinion, but this in no way diminishes it's function and operability.

At roughly $360, I'm really pleased with my purchase. Adding 5 free HD DVDs by mail [so long as I don't forget] through Toshiba's current promotion makes it just right! Excellent value!

This time last week, I had no plans on dipping my toes into the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray market. I am an avid DVD collector, owning over 1200 standard DVD's and have been very happy with those for now over 10 years.

I was cruising around Amazon Friday night, and had seen that the price for the A2 had been dropped to $299.99 and suddenly my interest perked. Not only had it been cut by $100, but had even been lowered an additional $62.12, where it now comes in at a cool $238.88. My eyes grew, and decided to look around the area (Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, etc.) to see if I could find a similar price (I'm a "want it right now" kinda guy).

I found that Circuit City had the same listed price, and then headed to Best Buy to see if they would match my price (I'm a Rewards Member....can you blame me?) They said they'd match, so I snagged one at the ridiculously low rate listed above.

But you wanna know the best part? I had saved all of my Christmas gift cards, equaling $230. So I paid $8.88 for a brand new, fresh outta the box HD-DVD player!

As far as the player goes, the hook up was a cinch. Plug in the HDMI cord and BAM!, you're connected. Now I'm not a very savvy tech man, but this was easier than tying my shoes people, just a breeze.

I popped in "Miami Vice" (which was shot in HD) and "Batman Begins" yesterday, and I promise you my jaw was on the floor. Yes, I've got HD cable, but this is something really special, this is one of those things you show off to all your friends and family. The picture is crisp, especially "Miami Vice", and the surround sound is what really sells it.

If you have any plans on submerging yourself into the HD world, this is a perfect jumping off point. The price is just ridiculously rock bottom (but I'm not sure for how long, so keep that in mind) and the quality is top notch. I firmly give this a five star reccomendation.

I know it's only been 36 hours since I've gotten the A2, and if something glitches or goes wrong, I'll be sure to update. But knock on wood, this bad boy will live a long and prosperous life.

To all of you questioning....don't. Now is the time.

Enjoy!