HDTV Forum

The HD-XA2 also supports Deep Color technology, an optional standard under HDMI that improves representation of color tones and achieves finer color gradation.

Last but not least, the new player will provide 1080p 60 Hz output on launch, with Toshiba promising an additional selection for 1080p 24 Hz via firmware upgrade within two months.

Toshiba's Next High-End HD DVD Player Set to Hit Shelves

I will have mine 1 week from today!...

I have one question that someone may be able to answer.

The new Toshiba HDXA2 "...will support 1080p video output via HDMI 1.3".

Does this mean that HDMI 1.3 is required for 1080p or will it do 1080pvia earlier HDMI connections?

Thank's for any clarification.
John

Both...It will do 1080P Via early HDMI connections (With an HDMI receiver)...."AND" it is future ready for delivering the undecoded signal to a 1.3 receiver when they come out).

That's great information.
Thanks.

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

I would be cautious with this new Toshiba player if anyone really needs
1080p 24fps.

On a meeting tonight Toshiba did not assure me that the unit would be
firmware upgradeable after I pointed the flaw to them on their press
presentation.

They were reluctant to disclose or advance any information regarding 24fps,
they did not want to commit an official word that such feature would
actually be firmware upgrade, or if they were expecting consumers to wait
for the 3rd gen player.

That reaction is sufficient to make me look somewhere else if I would still
be looking for a player with 24fps, and not run the risk of assuming the
best.

It would have not taken more than a couple of words on the press release
stating that the misleading 1080p spec meant only 60fps, and informing of
the possibility of a near future 24fps firmware upgrade, but nothing was
said in written not verbally, and the response to my inquire was evasive,
which gave me the answer itself.

I had a long discussion with the Toshiba person in charge of the technical
presentation, and he agreed with me on the subject but he admitted that
Toshiba did not seem to listen or care for the subject, he confessed that he
ran 24fps obtained from telecined flagged HD DVDs by the VP50, which got rid
of the extra fields, he did that to show how better is 24fps than anything
else, side by side on the CES truck.

He said that it was easy by the scaler because all HD DVD film based movies
so far have consistently used the telecine flag and the VP50 scaler did not
have to do much work to remove the fields added by the player, looking for
the flag, rather than detecting the film cadence (when flag presence is
erratic). He agreed with me that such extra video processing was better to
be avoided for the signal to be cleaner if the player would output 24fps
like Blu-ray.

Such overlook, intentional or not, when they had the opportunity to
incorporate 1080p outputs correctly on a second generation, and with the
time to do it, and under the competitive pressure of Blu-ray having such
feature, is enough for me to ignore Toshiba all together until further
notice.

Now, for people not interested on 24fps, Toshiba is still a good alternative
specially at the price.

Rodolfo

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Regarding the 24fps subject of the two Toshiba players, I confirm my
statements below after further discussions with Toshiba at CES.

The 2nd generation unit that is already out would do 1080p but not 24fps.
There is no plan to upgrade the unit. There was no statement if such
upgrade, if it ever happens, would be HS or SW only, not even unofficially,
and believe me, I wasted 1 hr at their booth (with Andy from this list,
great to see you Andy), went to 3 levels of technical support to make
absolutely sure we have no surprises or misunderstandings.

The unit that is planned for spring will have 1080p outputs, but as of now
there is no 24fps functionality on it, Toshiba declared that the complete
spec was not finalized yet, and it "might" happen that such feature be added
before the unit is out (but that was said as a shot from the hip after my
insistence of outputting the exact format recorded on the HD-DVD for film
content).

I assume that if enough pressure from consumers is made to include such
feature, in addition to the pressure of Blu-ray already having it, could
make Toshiba change their mind; it happened before with other manufacturers.

Sorry for the bad news to those looking for 24fps for the purity of
reproduction of film content, but is better to know well, than to guess,
buy, wait and be disappointed later.

We are wrapping CES in a couple of hours so I have to move on.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo

From Robert at Value Electronics...on AVS forum

Originally Posted by DTV TiVo Dealer in regards to HD-XA2...

"Toshiba's 1080p 24 Hz commitment to me is 100% solid. You can count on it."
In fact, I arranged a meeting today with several highly respected avs forum members and Toshiba's highest ranking senior executive in charge of HD DVD product marketing and planning and one of the items we discussed was the 1080p 24fps upgrade.

I do not expect 1080p 24 Hz on the A20.

-Robert Zohn

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Richard,

Mark Knox, the person in charge of the HD VD promotion group, also told me
that he did not hear about any plans for 24fps from Toshiba, the person in
charge of the press presentation and HD DVD demo at CES also told me the
same after we killed the subject for a long meeting, Toshiba's Group manager
at CES also confirmed the same after my insistence, I can not say that this
is a problem of management down, do I have to go to the EVP?

Because of this exchange, I asked Toshiba to provide me with a written
confirmation of the subject.

However, the readers of this thread should read carefully how both positions
were presented here.

These people are assuring that there is a plan; I am just saying "be
cautious" (the exact words I used when I started my response). I never said
they are wrong or uninformed but anything is possible.

I have a responsibility to inform what I know as accurately as possible,
with my analysis, no misleading, no agenda, no misrepresentation to make
people buy a product that could not be backed up later by contradicted
plans.

The way I see it is very simple:

If the buyer does not have a way to use the 24fps output (most of the
people) then this thread is not for that person, so why argue.

If the buyer has the system to put the 24fps feature to work in their
benefit then that person has at least 3 options within the next two months:

A) Buy Blu-ray (Sony, Pioneer), from $1000 up MSRP, now.
B) Buy the LG combo HD-DVD / Blu-ray player for $1,200 MSRP, Feb 07.
C) Buy the Toshiba HD-DVD for $1000 MSRP, and trust that their contradictory
statements (management and technical statements) would end up in a later
24fps upgrade.

The first two are assured, the investment is safe for that 24fps feature,
the third option is not assured until Toshiba actually releases a viable
upgrade, if they ever do, that is why I am saying "be cautious", I am not
saying "do not buy", and more importantly, who is going to take
responsibility if those buyers never get the upgrade?

That is the major difference on this exchange. I do not trust ANY plans of
ANY manufacturer until they are actually done, and that is the way we should
maintain the exchange, rather than assuring readers something that is not
there and is not under the control of the person to make the upgrade or
compensate buyers if the upgrade never happens.

Regardless of what Toshiba confirms after my request, my statements are
still valid because one should always be "cautious" with promises,
especially after investing $1000 with that hope, especially when
contradictory statements are fed to consumers and the press.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo

As a new participant, I'd sure like to have someone answer the following two questions:
1. Apparently, both Bluray and the next gen Toshiba HD unit will support 60 fps. I gather that for most users 60fps is sufficient but that some users may need 24fps capability. Could you please identify which users might require 24fps capability and why? What's the significance of fps? I'm confused by 3:2 pulldown, but I think this may be part of the answer.
2. The opening quotes in this thread state that the new Toshiba unit with HDMI 1.3 will support Deep Color. Do the PS3 and\or other HD or Blu-Ray units also support Deep Color? Also, are there any 1080p displays, on market or announced, that also support Deep Color.

(I recognize the dearth of Deep Color source material is an issue. Nevertheless, I gather HDMI 1.3 is not a straight forward standard, but instead permits producers to advertise HDMI 1.3 but have a lot of wiggle room regarding what 1.3 features they actually support. I'm a neophyte, but it sounds to me like the HDMI Institute needs to step up to the plate and identify standards that will inform and protect consumers. Frankly, to me they now seem more intent on selling HDMI certification.)

Thanks

Les