I've re-joined the ranks of XA2 owners

[Cochise]

Thought this would go well with the A35 thread.

I got rid of my XA2 well over a year ago. I'd pared my HD DVD collection down to a couple dozen titles, and got a Samsung BD-P2500 with Reon, which I thought was just about as good as the XA2 for upconversion, and while I got my LG BH200 primarily for Region B blu-ray and region free DVD I figured I'd just use the BH200 for my remaining HD DVDs.

Well, with domestic HD DVDs going mostly for $2-$3 these days, I couldn't pass on the chance to buy the movies I enjoy in HD for less than half the price of a DVD, and have well over doubled the size of my HD DVD collection in the past month or so. And even re-purchased some of my favorite imports for much less than I sold them for.

And, with my incapacity to pass on a good deal, I picked up an XA2 for $150 last week - it has a slight dent in the rear panel, but plays fine. Then I did the process of rolling back the firmware, loading the Australian XE1 firmware, which makes it DVD region free, and then updated it to the XE1 4.0 firmware. It upconverts PAL Region 2 DVD to 1080p/50Hz a little better than my BH200, upconverts NTSC Region 1 DVD a bit better than either the BH200 or Samsung 2500 as it outputs them in 1080p/24, while the other players will only output NTSC DVD at 1080p/60. And of course HD DVDs look terrific in 1080p24.

[Rich86]

It's always nice to have another dedicated member in the "die-hard HD-DVD" clan . .
I'm expecting to pick up another A35 next week . . . .

[LordoftheRingsEE]

Sounds like a smart move to me Cochise. Bravo!

[charolin]

I bought a couple of titles last week and I am happy and I am still using my XA2 for enjoy some good DVD's but with my new OPPO now I use it to upscale my DVD's to 1080p 24.

[bettzysdaddy]

Bravo Cochise!

I'm thinking of picking up another XA2 (for a total of 2 XA2s, 3 incl. the HD 805) because I'm gonna want to have an HD DVD player for a very long time.

Anywho, congrats on joining the XA2 club...again

[digitalbabe]

Haha, after 5 years I just bought one within last 2 weeks. I own several HD DVD players (other models), and 550 or so discs. Love this new player-nice and solid, and I look forward to watching more discs on it!

[The_Doctor]

The XA2 is a workhorse, love it. Painfully slow booting, well it's not bad but compared to newer players I'm like Come on already! Always hoped they'd make the XA4 before it all fell apart. They didn't so I hunted up a few XA2 and HD 806 after the fall of HD DVD

If I pop in a Dr Who DVD or any DVD its on the XA2. Hope to watch the MI trilogy on it this weekend. Cheers

[The_Doctor]

Cochise the XE1 Firmware, um I did this to one of my players it boots in PAL, until recognised the TV or a NTSC disc is inserted, this is I had a few times were a region 1 dvd would make it stop and put up a rejection, a code would have to be input on the controller for it to play. Does yours do this or does it play them all come what may?