The player started off well back in Feb 2007 using version 1.0 of the firmware and the first generation of HD disks, but over the past three months I have been getting the infamous and cryptic error code 408bc504 popping up with newer HD disks....why, I have no idea, but it's a problem that has been discussed on many AV forums, and one that renders the machine effectively useless. Nothing to do but apply the latest firmware upgrade (the Toshiba website now has v2.7), so I went to the time and expense of downloading the latest version, burning it onto a CD-R, and updating the player. I'm not sure when consumers suddenly became testers and fixers for what are supposed to be working goods at the point of sale, but in any case, the problem still remains.

It may happen an hour or two into a disk, it may not happen for a whole day, but it does, eventually, rear its ugly head. The player then remains unusable for all HD disks until, again apparently randomly, it decides once more to recognise and play them again. Do not touch this hardware with a bargepole, unless becoming an unpaid hardware/firmware tester for Toshiba is your calling in life.

The disappointing part is this player freezes on play of HD DVDs. It seams to do this every time I start an HD DVD and varies where and when it happens. This requires a complete shutdown of the player to get out of the freeze.

BTW, that last poster should try a standard DVD lens cleaner if they keep getting disc unreadable error codes (I would hope they tried that, but the post didn't make mention). A simple Google search will reveal that the quality control on these units is very good. In fact, the only real issue that some people talk about is fan noise, which I've never heard on my two XA2's...that may be because my units are not enclosed within cabinets and thus don't get very hot.

Bought it through Amazon Warehouse deal refurbished. It's like brand new even though it said some cosmetic blemishes exit, which I could not find. You'll not regret buying this player.

Even at 8 feet wide, SD DVDs look great (unless they've been mastered badly.) I also have a Samsung BD-P1200 Blu Ray player. HD images look good on it, but just not quite as good as on HD DVD. SD DVDs don't look nearly as good on the Samsung even though it also uses the Reon processor.

The plan was to buy this machine and wait until blu ray makes a good quality spec 2 player cheap enough, but that might be a long wait, the current blu ray players are a joke compared to this machine!

Do not buy any Toshiba HD DVD players. Press releases state that they are no longer in the HD DVD business. They have quit making them.

On restart the HD DVD will play all the way through without any problem. I have updated the player to the latest firmware version with no discernable difference, it still freezes.

It said there was a cosmetic blemish and damage on the outer box. There was a slight rip on the repackaged box but the player was fine.

Called Toshiba and they sent me a disc (in just 3 days and for free!) that would get me up to Firmware 2.7. Have not experienced a problem since.

Disney, Buena Vista, Sony, Warner Brothers, New Line, MGM, and Lionsgate all release movies exclusively on Blu-ray. Do yourself a favor and avoid HD DVD players. The reason the prices are so cheap is that Toshiba knows it is dead and is probably clearing out remaining inventory.

I was so frustrated with my XA2 when I tried to watch Bourne Ultimatum and it froze an hour into the movie... That was when I learned about the firmware updates that I wasn't getting (I was still at firmware 1.5) Apparently I was so far behind in firmware updates that I couldn't do it via the internet anymore.

I purchased this after HD DVD died, brand new (in Australia) with 11 HD DVD movies for $300.

On browsing the internet I find this is a fairly common complaint. So far I am willing to put up with this aggravation but many of you might not.

I continue to get updates on the HD-XA2 as well as my HD-XA1 which I still use with a smaller screen. Compare and contrast Toshiba's excellent customer service with Samsung's repeated delays in issuing updates to fix JAVA problems with its units Anyway, I just had to add a comment on the day in which consumers chose the wrong technology.

In summary, the XA2 is such a terrific quality player of DVDs and HD DVDs, that I will stick with DVD and not bother with the overpriced niche format that is blu ray.

The player started off well back in Feb 2007 using version 1.0 of the firmware and the first generation of hd disks, but over the past three months I have been getting the infamous and cryptic error code 408bc504 popping up with newer hd disks....why, I have no idea, but it's a problem that has been discussed on many AV forums, and one that renders the machine effectively useless. Nothing to do but apply the latest firmware upgrade (the Toshiba website now has v2.7), so I went to the time and expense of downloading the latest version, burning it onto a CD-R, and updating the player. I'm not sure when consumers suddenly became testers and fixers for what are supposed to be working goods at the point of sale, but in any case, the problem still remains.

It may happen an hour or two into a disk, it may not happen for a whole day, but it does, eventually, rear its ugly head. The player then remains unusable for all hd disks until, again apparently randomly, it decides once more to recognise and play them again. Do not touch this hardware with a bargepole, unless becoming an unpaid hardware/firmware tester for Toshiba is your calling in life.

The disappointing part is this player freezes on play of hd DVDs. It seams to do this every time I start an hd DVD and varies where and when it happens. This requires a complete shutdown of the player to get out of the freeze.

Even at 8 feet wide, SD DVDs look great (unless they've been mastered badly.) I also have a Samsung BD-P1200 Blu Ray player. hd images look good on it, but just not quite as good as on hd DVD. SD DVDs don't look nearly as good on the Samsung even though it also uses the Reon processor.

Do not buy any Toshiba hd DVD players. Press releases state that they are no longer in the hd DVD business. They have quit making them.

On restart the hd DVD will play all the way through without any problem. I have updated the player to the latest firmware version with no discernable difference, it still freezes.

Disney, Buena Vista, Sony, Warner Brothers, New Line, MGM, and Lionsgate all release movies exclusively on Blu-ray. Do yourself a favor and avoid hd DVD players. The reason the prices are so cheap is that Toshiba knows it is dead and is probably clearing out remaining inventory.

I purchased this after hd DVD died, brand new (in Australia) with 11 hd DVD movies for $300.

I continue to get updates on the hd-XA2 as well as my hd-XA1 which I still use with a smaller screen. Compare and contrast Toshiba's excellent customer service with Samsung's repeated delays in issuing updates to fix JAVA problems with its units Anyway, I just had to add a comment on the day in which consumers chose the wrong technology.

In summary, the XA2 is such a terrific quality player of DVDs and hd DVDs, that I will stick with DVD and not bother with the overpriced niche format that is blu ray.

The player started off well back in Feb 2007 using version 1.0 of the firmware and the first generation of HD disks, but over the past three months I have been getting the infamous and cryptic error code 408bc504 popping up with newer HD disks....why, I have no idea, but it's a problem that has been discussed on many AV forums, and one that renders the machine effectively useless. Nothing to do but apply the latest firmware upgrade (the Toshiba website now has v2.7), so I went to the time and expense of downloading the latest version, burning it onto a CD-R, and updating the player. I'm not sure when consumers suddenly became testers and fixers for what are supposed to be working goods at the point of sale, but in any case, the problem still remains.

It may happen an hour or two into a disk, it may not happen for a whole day, but it does, eventually, rear its ugly head. The player then remains unusable for all HD disks until, again apparently randomly, it decides once more to recognise and play them again. Do not touch this hardware with a bargepole, unless becoming an unpaid hardware/firmware tester for Toshiba is your calling in life.

On restart the HD DVD will play all the way through without any problem. I have updated the player to the latest firmware version with no discernable difference, it still freezes.

Called Toshiba and they sent me a disc (in just 3 days and for free!) that would get me up to firmware 2.7. Have not experienced a problem since.

I was so frustrated with my XA2 when I tried to watch Bourne Ultimatum and it froze an hour into the movie... That was when I learned about the firmware updates that I wasn't getting (I was still at firmware 1.5) Apparently I was so far behind in firmware updates that I couldn't do it via the internet anymore.

It may happen an hour or two into a disk, it may not happen for a whole day, but it does, eventually, rear its ugly head. The player then remains unusable for all HD disks until, again apparently randomly, it decides once more to recognise and play them again. Do not touch this hardware with a bargepole, unless becoming an unpaid hardware/firmware tester for Toshiba is your calling in life.

The disappointing part is this player freezes on play of HD DVDs. It seams to do this every time I start an HD DVD and varies where and when it happens. This requires a complete shutdown of the player to get out of the freeze.

On restart the HD DVD will play all the way through without any problem. I have updated the player to the latest firmware version with no discernable difference, it still freezes.

BTW, that last poster should try a standard DVD lens cleaner if they keep getting disc unreadable error codes (I would hope they tried that, but the post didn't make mention). A simple Google search will reveal that the quality control on these units is very good. In fact, the only real issue that some people talk about is fan noise, which I've never heard on my two XA2's...that may be because my units are not enclosed within cabinets and thus don't get very hot.

Called Toshiba and they sent me a disc (in just 3 days and for free!) that would get me up to Firmware 2.7. Have not experienced a problem since.

BTW, that last poster should try a standard DVD lens cleaner if they keep getting disc unreadable error codes (I would hope they tried that, but the post didn't make mention). A simple Google search will reveal that the quality control on these units is very good. In fact, the only real issue that some people talk about is fan noise, which I've never heard on my two XA2's...that may be because my units are not enclosed within cabinets and thus don't get very hot.

The plan was to buy this machine and wait until blu ray makes a good quality spec 2 player cheap enough, but that might be a long wait, the current blu ray players are a joke compared to this machine!

In summary, the XA2 is such a terrific quality player of DVDs and HD DVDs, that I will stick with DVD and not bother with the overpriced niche format that is blu ray.

The disappointing part is this player freezes on play of hd dvds. It seams to do this every time I start an HD DVD and varies where and when it happens. This requires a complete shutdown of the player to get out of the freeze.

In summary, the XA2 is such a terrific quality player of DVDs and hd dvds, that I will stick with DVD and not bother with the overpriced niche format that is blu ray.

BTW, that last poster should try a standard DVD lens cleaner if they keep getting disc unreadable error codes (I would hope they tried that, but the post didn't make mention). A simple Google search will reveal that the quality control on these units is very good. In fact, the only real issue that some people talk about is fan noise, which I've never heard on my two xa2's...that may be because my units are not enclosed within cabinets and thus don't get very hot.

I was so frustrated with my xa2 when I tried to watch Bourne Ultimatum and it froze an hour into the movie... That was when I learned about the firmware updates that I wasn't getting (I was still at firmware 1.5) Apparently I was so far behind in firmware updates that I couldn't do it via the internet anymore.

I continue to get updates on the HD-xa2 as well as my HD-XA1 which I still use with a smaller screen. Compare and contrast Toshiba's excellent customer service with Samsung's repeated delays in issuing updates to fix JAVA problems with its units Anyway, I just had to add a comment on the day in which consumers chose the wrong technology.

In summary, the xa2 is such a terrific quality player of DVDs and HD DVDs, that I will stick with DVD and not bother with the overpriced niche format that is blu ray.