Honestly, we were taken aback when Toshiba released version 3.0 firmware for its launch HD DVD players two years after release, but that has been replaced by absolute shock, at a 4.0 software update for the long-dead format. The whole family can join in on this one, either via the player or downloading and burning a copy from the website, with updates available for the whole line: HD-A1, HD-XA1, HD-D1, HD-A35, HD-A2, HD-A2W, HD-A2C, HD-D2, HD-A20, HD-XA2, HD-A3, HD-D3, HD-A30. The only official word is this patch "addresses certain playback issues" -- forum posters report 1080p/24 playback jaggies on MPEG-4 AVC-encoded titles like Transformers is no longer a problem. If everything is working fine (and, of course, you're still using your HD DVD player) it may be best to wait until more reports to avoid any potential compatibility problems.

[Via Slashgear]

Read - AVS Forum
Read - Resource for : Firmware Update Information for Owners of Toshiba HD DVD Players:

The crew at AreaDVD.de took the screwdriver to the Onkyo DV-HD805 and were none too surprised to find a Toshiba HD-XA2 laying inside the Onkyo-badged packaging. There has been quite a bit of speculation around the "heritage" of this player, so the results of the teardown aren't too surprising. Still, we would like to know what specific tweaks were made to the HD-XA2 to justify the $899 MSRP. At least Onkyo didn't do anything harmful to the player design; our rusty German leads us to believe the AreaDVD gang liked what they saw and heard from the unit despite the finish of the cabinet being "not quite as opulent as" as the HD-XA2. All this makes the HD-XA2 look like a relative bargain among the high-spec HD DVD players.

[Via FormatWarCentral]

There's really never been a better time to jump into HD disc land. The format war isn't going anywhere anytime soon, the players are the cheapest yet, and there are free discs by the bucket-fulls just for signing up. The latest promo on Amazon gets you three free HD DVDs if you buy an HD-A2, HD-A20 or HD-XA2 Toshiba player. Add that to the five free HD DVDs Toshiba will give you through mail-in rebate and you're practically getting the player for free. Amazon's currently having trouble keeping the HD-A2 in stock, and HD-A2s sold by third-party merchants don't qualify for the three free promo, but stick around and you just might be able to nab one. The promo runs from now to September 23.

[Via AVS Forum]

Looks like we won't have to wait 'til CEDIA to learn more about Toshiba's next generation HD DVD players. Amazon had the model numbers and prices right, which are in-line with the last generation of players, with the exception of the top of the line HD-A35 it has an MSRP of $499 compared to the HD-XA2's $799. The entry level HD-A3 has pretty much the same features set as the last time around, but its bigger brothers include a few extras including 24p support, (HD-A20 and HD-XA2 are expected to get an firmware update in September to enable 24p) and CE-Link. Both of these features are a must-have if your TV supports them and should help Toshiba move a few more units this time around -- though those new looks won't hurt either.

Expected Pricing and Expected Availability:
HD-A3 ($299.99, October 2007)
HD-A30 ($399.99, September 2007)
HD-A35 ($499.99, October 2007)

There is no doubt that both Hi-Def disc formats are a work in progress, and the latest update (for second-generation HD DVD players only) from Toshiba keeps HD DVD's interactive content at least one step ahead of Blu-ray. This latest update will help HD DVD fans enjoy web-enabled content included on a few titles like Warner's Blood Diamond, which hits the streets tomorrow; the update also resolves a few other issues such as the dreaded chroma bug. Like previous updates, you can download it directly to the player (if it's connected to the Internet), or request a free update disc from Toshiba.

Read -- Blood Diamond's web-content
Read -- HD DVD chroma bug
Read -- Firmware download

Although money talks, nothin' speaks volume to major manufacturers like, well, volume. In a presumed attempt to keep the recently increased flow of HD DVD player orders steady, Toshiba has reportedly announced a final decision to stick with the prices seen in recent promotional deals. More specifically, the company stated that the MSRP on the high-end HD-XA2 would sink to $799 (versus close to $1,000 before), while the mid-range HD-A20 would instantly become $100 more affordable after dropping to $399, and both of these units are set to receive 24p output through an update scheduled for September. The most attractive option (that would be the HD-A2), however, will soon be listed for a mere $299, and while none of these prices are apt to incite fits of uncontrollable jubilation, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Attention owners of the HD-XA2, HD-A20, HD-A2, HD-A2W, or HD-D2 - really all of the second-generation HD DVD players. Toshiba just released a new firmware for your player that should addresses certain disc playback and HDMI/DVI related problems. O.K. there is two ways to get the update: 1st - simply download it via your broadband connection through the Ethernet port on the back, or - 2nd you can contact Toshiba Customer Solutions at (800) 319-6684 and ask for a firmware update disc. We are still wondering if all this updating is better for the consumer or the CE company. On one hand it does allow the consumer to always have a current edition product with all the right updates without worrying about what serial number they must buy. Then on the other hand, it allows CE manufacturers to produce a product not fully tested and then simply release an update when more testing is completed. Oh well, only time will tell.

HighDefDigest has another review of Toshiba's second-generation HD DVD player, the HD-XA2, which they recommend as a capable competitor to the rival Blu-ray players, and an improvement to the first generation of Toshiba's devices. One of the main improvements their reviewer found was the stability of the player compared to the older model, with fewer lockups on playback, in addition to 1080p support and good support for upscaling standard-def content. They did find some issues with the revision, with some audio sync and bass volume problems, as well as frame drops on certain titles. When compared to another review of the same player, it appears this reviewer came to the same conclusion, that this is a good unit for playing back high definition content, with a few things to look forward to in generation three. The question is, will dual-format players put these standalone units away before that even happens?

HD Guru has a review up of Toshiba's second-generation HD DVD player, the HD-XA2, which they gave top ratings. This is the higher-end of the two new HD DVD Toshiba models, and gets high marks for its improvements on the previous model, with faster loading times, 1080p support, a smaller form factor, and a much-improved chipset for upscaling standard-definition DVDs (the HD-A2 lacks 1080p and the improved upscaling chip). It includes the Silicon Optix Reon chip for converting your old library of DVDs into 1080p -- or any other resolution supported with the HDMI 1.3a connector -- and also supports the Deep Color space offered by the new HDMI specification, for improved color reproduction with compatible source material. According to HD Guru's tests, the Toshiba did better than Pioneer's competing first-generation BDP-HD1 Blu-ray player on upconverting SD DVDs, while matching it on quality for high-definition content. Unfortunately, while the prices and feature sets on both next-gen formats are getting better and better, even this second-gen player takes between 45 and 57 seconds to boot and play a movie. Maybe the third generation will treat us right.

While Toshiba's latest HD DVD player, the HD-XA2, should finally be shipping today, Silicon Optix has dropped more details on its Reon-VX chip that enables 1080p output. As mentioned previously, instead of outputting 1080i, the HQV chip deinterlaces the 1080i signal within the player itself using per-pixel motion-adaptive deinterlacing to ensure that what gets to the screen is free of jaggies and artifacting. A digital 1080i signal to a 1080p display should be able to be deinterlaced within the TV with no loss of picture quality, but since not all TVs are capable of the task without losing some visual information in the process, this solution should provide the highest, most consistent picture quality available. This same deinterlacing technology -- combined with the enhanced 297MHz video DAC and additional picture quality settings -- is used to enhance SD material, such as SD extras and regular DVDs. All this sounds great in theory, but we have to get the actual hardware in our hands to see if it stands up to the 1080p24 capable Sony BDP-S1 and Pioneer BDP-HD1.

Toshiba has launched its first second generation HD DVD player, the HD-A2, but the more fully featured HD-XA2 will not see daylight until 2007. We had expected to see the player this year, but a dealer's post on AVS Forum indicates the first shipment isn't expected to hit until January 3rd due to production delays. AV Watch confirms the player has been pushed back to January in Japan as well, while the rest of the world should still see this hardware later on in the year. DTV Tivo Dealer on AVS Forum also noted that while 1080p/24 playback -- currently only an option in a couple of Blu-ray players -- won't make launch, he is "100% sure" a future firmware upgrade within a few months will add it as an option. That puts the $999 HD-XA2 on the long list of next gen players with future firmware updates on the way, but we'd settle for it actually being available in the first place.

Read - AVS Forum
Read - AV Watch

Unless you've got a PlayStation 3, we can probably peg the number of HDMI 1.3-equipped devices in your home right now at exactly zero. However, if you've been waiting for Deep Color displays and receivers that support all next generation audio codecs like DTS-HD Master, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus there are plenty of devices on their way in 2007. According to EETimes online, Sony and Mitsubishi will be debuting new TVs (like Mitsu's Laser rear projecting HDTV) that take advantage of the wider color gamut afforded by HDMI 1.3. Besides xvYCC, 32-bit Deep Color support will increase color accuracy on upcoming TVs. Denon might not be ready to jump into the HD DVD / Blu-ray battle, but it's got several 1080p and HDMI 1.3-compatible receivers on the way including advanced audio and video processing capabilities. We should see one more HDMI 1.3 device this year when Toshiba releases the HD-XA2 HD DVD player, but the real treats will be waiting at CES 2007.

[Thanks, Brian]

Read - HDMI 1.3: Better DTV images, sound in 2007
Read - Denon's HDMI 1.3 Receivers "scheduled for mid-year introduction"
Read - Why today's best HDTVs aren't worth buying

After a relatively brief delay, the cheaper of Toshiba's two second-generation HD DVD players for the U.S. is now available. Shipping in limited quantities to some dealers already, a few AVSForum members were able to pick them up at Best Buy yesterday and today. Priced at $499, in exchange for a new slim design and faster loading times (around 30 seconds from power on to movie play according to initial reports), this revision loses the 5.1 analog audio outputs of the HD-A1. Still, if you've been waiting for that bug free (don't bet on it) second revision hardware with HDMI (1080p coming on the HD-XA2) output not available on the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on, this is it.

[Thanks, Ken F.]

While the next HD DVD players bearing the Toshiba nameplate may be delayed in the US & Europe, they hadn't been officially announced in Japan yet. AV Watch has the details revealed there, where the lower-end model will be called the HD-XF2, to go along with the HD-XA2 as both will launch in December. The specs appear to be the same as the players due in other parts of the world, the HD-XA2 gets an HDMI 1.3 connection and 1080p output -- deinterlaced 1080i via a Silicon Optix chip in the player itself, no native 1080p/24 here folks -- while the HD-XF2 has an old-school HDMI 1.2a connector and loses the analog 5.1 audio outputs of its predecessor in exchange for an improved slim design. The HD-XA2 is set for 110,000 yen ($934 US) while the HD-XF2 will retail for a paltry 49,800 yen ($423 US). The company also acknowledged the US delays due to an unspecified problematic third party chip, but at this point we can still expect to see the new hardware on store shelves this year. Continue on for a picture of the HD-XA2 with its casing in place and unmentionables hidden away, or to AV Watch for even more pictures.

Toshiba just couldn't let Sony hog all the high-def DVD spotlight with its delays, so it has pushed back its second generation HD DVD players in the US and abroad. Despite the lack of an official statement from Toshiba US, a dealer on AVS Forum revealed that due to problems with a chip from a third party supplier, the lower-end HD-A2 HD DVD player originally due out right about... now has slipped into the second week of December. The HDMI 1.3-equipped, 1080p displaying $999 HD-XA2 is now scheduled to just barely make a 2006 release in the last week of the year. In Europe Toshiba has officially announced the delay, now anticipating a "quantity of units" of the rebadged HD-E1 due in December and the HD-XE1 slated for 2007. Second gen hardware is generally expected to atone for the bug-ridden sins of its predecessors, so hopefully a short delay now means avoiding a quick patch later. In the meantime there's always the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on, or deciding which free HD DVDs to get.

[Thanks, Max]

Read - AVS Forum
Read - Pocket-lint.co.uk