Tested: Toshiba Firmware Version 2.7

[jed]

Is Toshiba’s latest firmware update for its second-gen HD DVD players ready for prime time? We asked Joshua Zyber to take it for a test drive on his HD-XA2 player.

Full story:
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/1185

[aaronwt]

The firmware is a defnite improvement. Although I don't have any problems with my 300 disc on my XA2.

[MidnightWatcher]

Unfortunately, playback of glitchy DVD/HD DVD Combo format discs such as '300' (as reported in Josh's Combo Discs – What Went Wrong? column) remains problematic.

Has it ever occurred to the bright minds at High Def Digest that the issue is the disc and not the player??!! For crying out loud, if you have such a problem with a disc, get it replaced! I have numerous combo titles (including "300") and have yet to experience an issue with any of them on either the HD-A20 or the HD DVD add-on.

[vertigo]

any chance that A2 can bitstream DTS-HD now?

[MidnightWatcher]

No. You need HDMI 1.3 for that. The A2 has HDMI 1.2.

[Bee]

I have no problems with my copy of 300 as well.

Also, you mention that "The HD-XA2 may not yet be the perfect HD DVD player".... I was wondering if such a player exists at this point? Either BD or HD DVD.

[Micker]

What movies on HD DVD have DTS-HD MA tracks??

[vertigo]

I know sky captain and the world of tomorrow does. Theres another movie I have in my collection but it must be one of the ones I loaned out to a friend. I'm thinking We Were Soldiers

[RAMBOJVR]

when will the 360 add on get that update??

I hope its in the upcoming december update!!!! please!!

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by Micker

What movies on HD DVD have DTS-HD MA tracks??

All titles released by Studio Canal in Europe have DTS-HD MA.

Originally Posted by vertigo

I know sky captain and the world of tomorrow does. Theres another movie I have in my collection but it must be one of the ones I loaned out to a friend. I'm thinking We Were Soldiers

Both of those are DTS-HD High Resolution tracks, not Master Audio.

With the 2.7 firmware, the XA2's Display command will distinguish which version of DTS is actually on the disc.

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by MidnightWatcher

Has it ever occurred to the bright minds at High Def Digest that the issue is the disc and not the player??!! For crying out loud, if you have such a problem with a disc, get it replaced! I have numerous combo titles (including "300") and have yet to experience an issue with any of them on either the HD-A20 or the HD DVD add-on.

When I had playback problems with Children of Men and The Good Shepherd, I was told, "They're bad discs. Replace them." So I shipped them back to the studio to exchange for "corrected" copies, which lo and behold had the exact same problems. Later, a firmware update for the player came out which resolved the problems.

When I had playback problems with The Matrix Reloaded (from the Ultimate Matrix set), I was told, "It's a bad disc. Replace it." Later, a firmware update for the player came out which resolved the problem.

I've already been through 2 separate copies of '300', both of which freeze up at the exact same spot. I managed to obtain the non-Combo version included with the A35 player, and no surprise it plays fine.

I don't buy the "bad disc" excuse. Whatever is at the root of this Combo disc compatibility issue is in the player, not the disc.

[1080p]

Originally Posted by Josh Z

When I had playback problems with Children of Men and The Good Shepherd, I was told, "They're bad discs. Replace them." So I shipped them back to the studio to exchange for "corrected" copies, which lo and behold had the exact same problems. Later, a firmware update for the player came out which resolved the problems.

When I had playback problems with The Matrix Reloaded (from the Ultimate Matrix set), I was told, "It's a bad disc. Replace it." Later, a firmware update for the player came out which resolved the problem.

I've already been through 2 separate copies of '300', both of which freeze up at the exact same spot. I managed to obtain the non-Combo version included with the A35 player, and no surprise it plays fine.

I don't buy the "bad disc" excuse. Whatever is at the root of this Combo disc compatibility issue is in the player, not the disc.

I never had any problems either with any combo discs, including all the titles mentioned.

[MidnightWatcher]

Josh, thanks for the reply. Sorry if I sounded a little irked. Have you tried the disc in other HD DVD players?

[scottegos2]

Well, v2.7 makes it so heroes hd-dvd disk 4 no longer plays on my hd-a20. v2.5 made it so they all worked (even disk 2, which used to hang or put up error codes). Now, v2.7 has screwed me up again. I called Toshiba support, which has it logged as a known problem, already.

[aaronwt]

Originally Posted by RAMBOJVR

when will the 360 add on get that update??

I hope its in the upcoming december update!!!! please!!

What update? The main unit does all the decoding and the 360 has to transcode it to DD or DTS for output.