Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player

Comparison between initial power-on and disc load times of HD-XA1 and HD-XA2.
Firmware versions: HD-XA1 – “2.0/1.0A/2.0S” HD-XA2 – “1.3/T19”

In terms of output options, the HD-XA2 has just about every type of output you could possibly need. High definition video can be carried over HDMI (up to 1080p) and component video (up to 1080i). As with most upconverting DVD players, standard DVD upconversion is only performed over the HDMI output. Standard def video can be output over component, composite or S-video. Digital audio can be carried over S/PDIF coax or fiberoptic, or over HDMI. And analog audio can go to your TV or receiver via stereo or multi-channel RCA audio connections. The unit even includes an RS-232 control port as well as an Ethernet connection (currently handy for firmware updates, and in the future, to enable internet-based features of select HD-DVD titles).

Performance (Real Beauty is on the Inside)

Ergonomics are fairly secondary here. What we really care about is performance, and this is where the new Toshiba player really shines. The XA2 is Toshiba’s first player to include the Reon-VX HQV (Hollywood Quality Video) processor from Silicon Optix. I’ve been impressed with this video processor since first seeing it in action at the New York Home Entertainment Expo a couple of years ago. It can take standard definition DVDs and truly make them approach high definition quality, and can even clean up Full HD 1080p signals making them look even better than the original. And the implementation of this chip on the HD-XA2 does not disappoint.

The first standard definition DVD I popped in was “Madagascar” and it was impossible to see the scan lines, even on a 50-inch Panasonic plasma (1366×768 pixel resolution) from 6 feet away. Very smooth, extremely crisp and detailed. When I ran through the HQV benchmark DVD, the player showed me what a real upconverting DVD player is supposed to look like. The jagged line tests produced the smoothest diagonal lines I’ve ever seen from a DVD player, with no evidence of stair-stepping. The player performed equally well on the detail and cadence testing as well as on complex mixed content tests that include film material overlaid with video titling.

The colors on standard DVDs were a bit muted when compared with HD-DVD titles, and of course there is a certain level of detail missing when comparing standard DVDs to HD-DVD, but overall this player’s treatment of SD material is exceptional. It really may be the last DVD player you’ll ever have to buy.

Switching over to HD-DVDs was almost anti-climactic (almost), but the video performance of the player on true HD 1080p content was significantly better than on standard DVDs (as one would expect). The HD-XA2’s new 1080p output has been stunning on any 1080p-compatible monitor to which we’ve connected it. Reference quality HD-DVD titles such as “Poseidon,” “Unforgiven” and “Serenity” generated eye-popping nearly three-dimensional detail on a well-calibrated HDTV, whether we set the output resolution to 1080i, 1080p or 720p. And speaking of 720p output resolution, this was where we saw the biggest improvement over the HD-XA1.

Whether watching standard definition or high definition content on the earlier HD-XA1 player, the 720P output resolution was fairly poor, with noticeable pixilation of text and obscuring of fine details. The only high quality high def output resolution of the XA1 was 1080i. With the on-board Silicon Optix video processing chip, this limitation has been eliminated on the HD-XA2. We tested 1080p HD-DVD discs with the player set to both 1080p and 720p output, on a Sanyo PLV-Z5 projector that features a native 720p panel (1280×720), as well as on a 1080p-capable plasma HDTV. Both resolutions looked excellent, with crisp clear menu text and fine visible details.

A Sound Worth 1,000 Pictures

Perhaps as impressive as the video chops of the XA2 is its audio performance. With its HDMI 1.3 support, it should be possible to pass Dolby’s new lossless HD audio format (Dolby TrueHD) natively over HDMI to a receiver or home theater processor which supports decoding of these formats. I say “should be” because HDMI 1.3-compatible receivers and processors are not generally available yet. Fortunately the player also supports internal conversion of the lossless audio formats to analog multi-channel outputs, as well as to uncompressed PCM Digital for pass-through to your surround processor via the HDMI digital cable.

It’s important to note, you DO NOT NEED an HDMI-1.3 receiver in order to take advantage of these new audio formats. The player’s internal audio converter will pass an extremely high quality audio feed to your receiver via the analog (RCA) multi-channel outputs. Or you can choose the uncompressed PCM digital multi-channel connection via HDMI (requires HDMI 1.1 or above). I used the Toshiba player successfully with an Onkyo TX-SR674 receiver (HDMI 1.1-compliant) and it was able to decode the multi-channel PCM digital stream without any problems.

Dolby TrueHD HD-DVD titles such as “Poseidon” and “Batman Begins” sounded phenomenal on the Toshiba player with excellent dynamics and a complete lack of the brittle, tinny artifacts that sometimes plague the compressed digital audio formats found on standard DVDs. Unfortunately the Toshiba player’s support for DTS-HD (the high definition audio format from DTS) is “core only” meaning it recognizes only the standard base-level DTS information in the DTS bitstream, not the extended high definition “lossless” component. But considering the current dearth of software titles which exploit DTS-HD, this is not a show-stopper.

Final Thoughts

The Toshiba HD-XA2 is not perfect. Still a little slow to boot, slightly noisy in its operation, and featuring a less than exciting remote control. But these slight operational quirks are easily tolerated in light of the unit’s stellar video and audio performance. The HD-XA2 represents a significant step forward from its predecessors in its treatment of standard DVDs. In fact, with its on-board Silicon Optix HQV processing and a newly reduced MSRP of $799, the HD-XA2 may be the best value in high-end upconverting DVD players today. Its performance leaves other upconverting DVD players in the dust. The fact that the player also supports the new Full High Definition 1080p HD-DVD format is a bonus. And a big bonus it is with dozens of recent and classic titles already released on 1080p HD-DVD and many more in the pipeline.

Will HD-DVD ultimately win the format battle? That remains to be seen, but until then you’ll be able to enjoy a new level of image quality from your entire collection of standard DVDs while also enjoying a sampling of movies available in the new format. If you’ve got a high definition flat panel or rear projection set, or better yet a true “Big Picture” front projection system, then you owe it to yourself to check out the HD-XA2. It takes standard DVD playback to the next level, and its HD-DVD playback capabilities will allow you to see a glimpse of what your display device can really do.

— Review By Chris Boylan