Customer Reviews:
 first HDM player that finally has everything December 1, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
bitstreams all advanced audio codes, handles 1080p/24, Reon chip for incredible SD DVD playback. effortless firmware updates via the internet. finally a very mature player that just does what you want-play anything you put into it with no hiccups and the picture quality has to be experienced to be believed. Get this player and the Planet Earth HD DVD and you are in for a treat. and the pricing of this player right now is an incredible deal. Highly recommended.
You just can't get any better than HD XA2 November 24, 2007
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
THIS IS THE BEST HD performer bar none!! HD content on this machine is ultimately stunning and brilliant. The XA2 is also packing with the best upconverting processors on the planet to upconvert your existing standard dvd library to near HD decodance with the acclaimed silicon optics reon-VX HQV processor. The Reon is only bested marginally by its ultra pricy big brother the Realta . Audio comes from...oh yes... Burr Brown! The ulta sleak robust chassis delivers astonishing multi-component and optical audio, delivering the most current audio streams. The XA2 has a history of getting better, and better, and better. Through its dedicated ethernet port or from the Toshiba website, firmware for the XA2 is a breeze to download allowing you to stay current with the latest advancements in visual and audo performance. I do need to mention the chassis again. Bold, beautiful, and brushed all over. Nothing but the best materials went into this low profile heavyweight. After all, it made its inital debuted at a cool $1000. If you are considering this player, it really is at an incredible price. I have zero regrets and zero problems with the XA2 and have 110% satisfaction.
 One try, bad experience. November 22, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I ordered this because I had received 1 defective HD-A35 and its replacement arrived damaged in shipment. This costs about $150 more than the A35 (depending upon Amazon's pricing at the time you order), and it is reviewed by owners as being worth it. Well, the unit I received is a substantial, good-looking piece of equipment. Built lie a tank compared to the 3rd generation HD-A35. Unfortunately, it had several problems (back-lit remote wasn't, video jumped around even on set-up menu), but the worst was cooling-fan noise. It was actually audible over normal HD-DVD listening volume. It was loud! So, I returned it and went for a 3rd try at the HD-A35... so far so good.
I think my problems were probably due to the specific unit I received, so my star-rating is a bit flaky...
Extremely happy with the XA2 November 17, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I have the XA2 connected to a 1080p projector on a 110" screen and the picture quality is phenomenal. I've had it running for over 6 months without ANY problems whatsoever. So far, every SD and HD DVD disc I've put into it has played perfectly. Actually, I did have one stutter with Superman Returns HD DVD but it was due to dirt/dust on the disc itself. Once I cleaned it off the stutter never returned.
I bought the XA2 mainly because of my extensive SD DVD collection. The upconverting capabilities are outstanding, the best I've ever seen, but HD DVD's are even better and look simply stunning. Movies are incredibly sharp and detailed, and colour depth and contrast seems to be better on HD DVD's too.
I've done 3 firmware updates via ISO download and every one of them went smoothly. Tip: burn ISO to CD at slow speed (4x or 8x).
My receiver does not have HDMI so I initially used the coax connection and was very happy with the sound. I have recently switched to the multi-channel 5.1 analog connectors (the only way I can get TrueHD or DD+) and I cannot believe the difference. I'm kicking myself for not switching over sooner. Once you experience the hi res audio of Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital+ you won't want to go back to standard DD/DTS.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the XA2. It is a solidly built piece of equipment which has played everything I've thrown at it (so far), and the picture quality it produces is absolutely jaw dropping. I would gladly recommend this player to anyone.
The best HD or Blu-Ray has to offer yet! - Read for solutions to some of the issues people have had. November 16, 2007
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
First let me say that I have or have had an A1, A2, XA2, 360 HD Drive, and PS3. This is by far the best HD-DVD player out, as well as the best SD player. The Reon's NR is awesome on SD discs, and the edge enhancement agorithm is so refined I have yet to find a reason not to leave it on level ALL the time, even on HD material. I have had experience repairing one of these and can shed some light on a couple of issues.
1 - Does your XA2 power down randomly when playing HD discs? If so it is caused by a bug that only affects some players. If the unit is turned on while its' input is selected (on the receiver or TV) a bug occurs during handshake that causes the shutdown at random. I speculate it is to do with setting the overheat threshold uncommonly low. The unit will only have this problem with HD media, when set to 1080p. Set it to 1080i and it's fine. Play SD discs at 1080p and it's fine.
-The workaround is to select any input other than the XA2's when turning the player on (or leave the TV/receiver off). Turn on the player and wait for it to boot up completely. Once it is finished you may select the player's input and it will play HD discs at 1080p for days on end...no shutdown.
2 - Does your player seem to have a high pitched whine? This is in fact not caused by the fan in the XA2 which is awfully quiet compared to most active CE cooling devices (about 1/5th that of the PS3 during HD playback). It is caused by the transformer on the power supply unit ringing. The only way to fix it is to exchange the unit, or send it to Toshiba for a PSU replacement. For the tech savvy, this unit uses the same PSU as the A2 (which can be gotten on the cheap right now). The service manuals can be found on AVS, and it is a simple job of loosening a few screws and a couple of connectors. If you can change a CPU in a PC you can do this. Otherwise, it should be covered under Toshiba's warranty.
3 - Does your player play SD discs fine, but read "no disc" when you insert HD media? This is caused by a blue laser diode failure in the drive itself. Face it Blue Lasers are still new, and unfortunately the yields are still pretty poor. Some faulty parts slip through after seemingly making the grade at the factory. Again, this requires a repair by Toshiba to replace the drive, but if you're brave and have access to an A2 the drive is the same. The swap is even easier than the PSU. 5 screws and a ribbon cable. If you have a screwdriver handy this should take about 10 minutes. Of course, it is covered by Toshiba under warranty, but why not fix your XA2 yourself and part with the A2 for a while instead (which is much lighter, and thus cheaper to ship as well).
4 - Does your unit hang on the welcome screen? Welp, it could be one of two things. A bad/overheating motherboard or an undervolting PSU. The PSU fix can be done easily if you have access to an A2...then you'll know. If it turns out to be a bad mainboard Toshiba is your only hope. Their procedure is to just send a new player if the mainboard is bad. They only repair the unit if it's a bad PSU or Drive. Either way turn around is about a week.
5 - Did you get stuck with a remote whose backlight doesn't work? It's no joke. the XA2 remote is VERY difficult to read in the dark, but once the backlight lights up it is a sight to behold. It goes from barely usable to "best of the bunch". the lights are extremely bright and very legible. What you may not know though is that you have to press and hold the backlight button for 5 seconds to turn on the feature. There are thousands of people who think they got stuck with a broken remote. trust me, once it lights up you'll love it.
The latest firmware as of this post is 2.7, and that fixes 24p output as well as adding HBR bitstream output. With this update this player is once again the king of all HD players. It sports the best PQ for both HD and SD discs, and offers all of the new features (even those of the A35 which is the inferior player). The bad news is, as of this update these are becoming scarce, and since Toshiba is building these for Onkyo now (list for $899) they have discontinued the XA2. the Onkyo is the exact same player in a new box for more $$$. get an XA2 while you can. Enjoy! I hope I've helped some people get by the initial bad impressions they may have had. No electronics model is without a few lemons. The XA2 has a few, but the above should help some of you avoid a return or exchange. If you did get a lemon, and there is no more stock, consider fixing it yourself by getting an A2 to sacrifice, then send the A2 for repair...or just let Toshiba fix it. once you have a working unit you'll agree...it was worth it. This is any HD TV's best friend!
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