Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD Player

[JoeyJoJo]

My In-laws got me a HD DVD add-on for our 360, and since that makes one less connection needed into the TV, I'm getting rid of the HD-A2 that I got from Wal-Mart on their early Black Friday Deal.

I still have the original box (missing the UPC code though -- sent in for the DVD's already) and although it didn't include one, I'll throw a 10ft monoprice HDMI cable in the box too. I've also updated it to the latest firmware version already.

$95 shipped.

[doom1701]

Where were you a week ago when I bought my HD-D3? :)

(Actually, I'm quite happy with that purchase, and I'm sure someone here will happily snap up a good HD-DVD player).

[JoeyJoJo]

Where were you a week ago when I bought my HD-D3? :)

(Actually, I'm quite happy with that purchase, and I'm sure someone here will happily snap up a good HD-DVD player).


I was happily enjoying the A2 :) I could probably still use it on the TV in my room but I don't watch enough TV up there to warrant more than the DVD that is built into the TV.

[markz]

Your deal sounds fair, and I'd seriously consider it if it weren't for all the free HD-DVDs available with the A3 at Amazon. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on that one.

I don't want to buy lots of HD-DVDs. I plan to get the A3 and the (10) free HD-DVDs and then just rent instead of sinking money into the format in case it loses.

[eddyj]

I just received my A3 yesterday! You should have been quicker! :p

[JoeyJoJo]

I just received my A3 yesterday! You should have been quicker! :p


What? You should definitely keep a spare around! For you, I'll only raise the price $10! :laugh:

[geko29]

I don't want to buy lots of HD-DVDs. I plan to get the A3 and the (10) free HD-DVDs and then just rent instead of sinking money into the format in case it loses.

You don't need to worry about wasting money on content, and this goes for either format. In the near future, inexpensive combo players (that play both HD DVD and Blu-Ray) will be commonplace. They're available now, but for $500+ (down already from $1200 just 4 months ago). If your chosen format fails, you can still play your existing discs in your existing player until IT fails, at which point you'll be able to get a dual-format player for $100.

This is not like the Beta/VHS war where a dual-format player was all but impossible, and would have been both huge and expensive. Both formats use the same size disc, the same wavelength of laser, the same audio and video codecs. A better comparison, hardware-wise, is the DVD-A/SACD fiasco. Both formats failed horrifically, and yet today nearly every DVD player over $50 can playback both kinds of discs. HD DVD and Blu-Ray are each already SIGNIFICANTLY more successful than both of the Hi-rez audio formats combined, so means of playback isn't going anywhere.

Further, with each passing day, it's becoming less and less likely that there will actually be a winner. We could very well be stuck with both formats for the long haul, unless there's a change in studio allegiance in the next few months.

The short version: buy away. Your HD DVDs (or Blu-Rays) won't become useless, regardless of the outcome of the format war. The only money you gamble is what you pay for the player that may not play the victorious format (assuming there is only one) in the future. Your disc investment is perfectly safe.

Edit: As I was writing this post, someone leaked a press release from Warner Brothers stating they're going Blu-Ray exclusive in May. The story has been picked up by Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC and USA Today, so it's probably credible. If it is (and we should know 100% in the next few hours), format war over.

[markz]

As long as the war continues, I can see the combo players dropping in price. But say I choose a format and buy a player. And then a few months from now the format war ends and I am on the wrong side. I can still use my player for my existing high def disks until the player dies. Why would companies make an affordable combo player once the format war is over?

[JoeyJoJo]

OK the price is now $2500 as a collectable!!! :)


Seriously, $90 shipped.

[geko29]

As long as the war continues, I can see the combo players dropping in price. But say I choose a format and buy a player. And then a few months from now the format war ends and I am on the wrong side. I can still use my player for my existing high def disks until the player dies. Why would companies make an affordable combo player once the format war is over?
Simple: Because people with collections of the losing format will be willing to pay extra (let's say $10-50) to be able to continue to watch their existing discs. Since it's a trivial matter to include compatibility, companies will be lining up to take your money. Granted, not EVERY player will be a combo unit. Certainly the cheapest ones wont. The future equivalent to today's $29 Coby will be Blu-Ray only. But there will be plenty of companies willing to give a few hundred thousand people what they want, and make a couple of extra bucks doing it. Heck, they're already giving hundreds of millions of people playback of audio formats that they DON'T want.

[AJRitz]

OK the price is now $2500 as a collectable!!! :)


Seriously, $90 shipped.
And you couldn't have decided to sell this in any month other than the one in which I buy two TivoHDs and a 1TB HD to upgrade one of them??!!?? :tickedoff:

[JoeyJoJo]

OK the price is now $2500 as a collectable!!! :)


Seriously, $90 shipped.
And you couldn't have decided to sell this in any month other than the one in which I buy two TivoHDs and a 1TB HD to upgrade one of them??!!?? :tickedoff:

After all that what's another $90?

[mercurial]

I bid shipping + $5!

[JoeyJoJo]

Okay folks, it's telethon time!! I'm $75 away on my ebay sales from having the cash for a PS3!

Help push me over the top!

$80 shipped. ( I shipped one of these via ground late last year and it was about $16 for ground shipping, so no I'm not trying to go over the goal :))

[mercurial]

I'll up my bid to $10 + shipping... :p

[markz]

Last week I was seriously considering it. Now, not so much! Funny what a week can do!

Good luck though! I hope you find a buyer!

[prefect42]

I will say that walmart will let you return the hda2's you "got" for christmas without receipt for in store credit of $198. Just saying?

[JoeyJoJo]

I will say that walmart will let you return the hda2's you "got" for christmas without receipt for in store credit of $198. Just saying?

Interesting suggestion, however I did cut out the UPC code so I doubt I'd be able to return it -- for that matter I still have the original receipt but figured I wouldn't be able to use it for the same reason.

Anyway, I just listed it on ebay for $100 or best offer with $18 shipping. We'll see what happens.

[prefect42]

Interesting suggestion, however I did cut out the UPC code so I doubt I'd be able to return it -- for that matter I still have the original receipt but figured I wouldn't be able to use it for the same reason.

Anyway, I just listed it on ebay for $100 or best offer with $18 shipping. We'll see what happens.

I had cut my upc code off but hadn't mailed it off yet so i just taped it back on and they took it no problem.

[Kiyo]

Goddammit, Joe.... you're seriously pushing my UMF button here...

[JoeyJoJo]

Goddammit, Joe.... you're seriously pushing my UMF button here...

Happy to push your buttons, ed ;)

Actually it sold this morning -- I put it up with $100 or best offer plus shipping and got an offer of $90. Guy has decent feedback so hopefully I'll get paid soon and be able to ship it off.

[JoeyJoJo]

Dude finallly paid me! Now to decide if I really want a PS3 or if I want to wait for some unnamed gadget in the near future.

[mercurial]

Yes. You want a PS3.

[JoeyJoJo]

Wow you sound a lot like what some guy on TCF said but you were much more verbose :)


Also, Macworld is next week -- what if Steve Jobs offers something I can't live without and I just spent all my gadget money on a PS3?

[mercurial]

Trust me. You can live without anything Steve Jobs announces at MacWorld (or a PS3 for that matter) but since, I'm pretty sure you like video games, would probably enjoy the media center functions, and are obviously interested in High-Def content (re: your HD-A2 purchase), the PS3 seems like a pretty good bet- especially if you can find a 60GB model somewhere to get the PS2/1 HW in the box.