Either I haven't been around long enough, or it's an inside joke - but I'm curious as to what "Barbarian territories" you're in. Based on your tone, I assume a "red state"...

The Rubicon is the Hudson. Any time I cross the Hudson I enter Barbarian territories.

I honestly have no idea what the color of this state might be. I only know that they don't have a proper newspaper.

Alan

Thanks Alan - I didn't intend a hostile tone, though in re-reading, I think it came across that way.

When you said there wasn't a proper newspaper, I assumed you were here in Kentucky, reading the Lexington Herald-(Mis)Leader. :)

I tend to visit my Sister at Thanksgiving and when UK is on a losing streak. I would hardly choose to visit her when the external temperature exceeds 104F. I enjoy riding houses not burying them. And if you think the Lexington paper is laughable--and it is-- try reading the one from Harrodsburg.

Alan

I am becoming more and more convinced on a daily basis that HD-DVD could become the dominant player this holiday season. I have had 2 customers choose to upgrade/sidegrade from the Denon DVD1730/1740, to the entry level toshiba HDA2 in the last 3 days. They are fully aware that there are no gaureentee's that it will become the winning format but don't care as they are about equal on net price at this point (when you factor in 5 free movies with the Toshiba), and they can watch recorded HD content.

If this is any indication, as well as the fact that costco is selling them like hotcakes, I feel like we are looking at an HD-DVD christmas for the masses.

Finally broke down and bought myself an HD-DVD player tonight - one hell of a deal even for dealers (Amazon clearance/special) HDA2 (yes I know it does not do 1080p) for $210 with free shipping and an additional 3 free HD DVD's in addition to the Toshiba 5 free promo by mail in rebate.

If more of these promotions start popping up, A) making money on them will be extrememly challenging; B) there will be no reason to buy/sell an inexpensive $50-$150 regular DVD player.

Let the war continue.

IF you want me to delete this post because of the price's flame me a bit, and I will take care of it in the morning...and sorry in advance if this is the case.

The A2 upconverts better than the Denon, even the mid-level ones, and has the ability to play HD-DVD's. Now if you could just control it better.

Yeah- I wish the XA2 would come down in price since it has RS-232 and has a much better upconverter than even the A2.

CJ

I'm assuming that was supposed to be horses and not houses? :)

CJ

I agree on the XA-2. Using the Silicon Optics Reon chip it does an awesome job upconverting.
The XA-2 can be purchased for $540 with eight free movies.
Here is how it's done:
Go here: [Link: preview.tinyurl.com]

Buy a Toshiba HD-A2, HD-A20, or HD-XA2 HD DVD player between August 27 and September 23 and receive up to eight HD DVDs. Here's how this works: You'll get three HD DVD movies from Amazon.com when you order a qualifying HD DVD player. There's also a rebate offer on these players that lets you get five more HD DVDs from Toshiba.

Step 1: Add either the HD-A2, HD-A20, or HD-XA2 HD DVD player and three HD DVDs from the list below to your Shopping Cart and proceed to checkout. The price of the three HD DVDs you choose will be deducted from your order at checkout. (Applies only to products sold by Amazon.com. Does not apply to products sold on our site by third-party merchants or through third-party areas such as Amazon.com Marketplace, Auctions, or zShops.)

Step 2: You can also get an additional five free HD DVDs from Toshiba after mail-in rebate. Download and print out the rebate form available on the detail page for the HD-A2, HD-A20, or HD-XA2. Choose your five free HD DVDs from the 15 shown on the rebate form and follow the instructions on that form for mailing it to Toshiba after your purchase. Toshiba will send you the five free HD DVDs by mail. Rebate forms must be postmarked by October 31, 2007. See rebate form for complete rebate details.
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And it always fits to a tee. Lets just look at this post



a smart person would realize, that he is ignorant on the subject (you missed that Fox has released more movies in DTS HD MA then Paramount has released all together and they are not the only ones that have released in DTS HD MA) taken the time done a search and found at least one answer (maybe the one I know of since I don’t know if there are more then one)

a semi smart person would have looked but might not have found the answer and waited for me to reply. He also would have been smart enough to realize I said I will give the answer and smart enough to realize that if I said at least one that probably knew of one solution and that I did not mean the DTS core because every player can do that

an average person would not have bothered to look and waited until I was back to ask for the proof while wondering if he or I was right

a semi idiot would have gloated in his ignorance but be smart enough not to post it outright because if someone said there is at least one then there is some chance they might know of one and he would not want to prove that he is an idiot

a complete idiot would make the post you made


1) I know your player can decode DTHD all the Toshibas and some BD players can do that. That is why both the article and I where talking about passing DTHD to the receiver to decode. If it is decoded in the player and passed as PCM then there does not need to be decoding in the player (same for DTS-HD)

2) the article (apart for the review) had two comments one that no player can decode and send DTS-HD and that if you decode DTHD or DTS-HD in the player then having the decoder in the player is a useless function. My point was that except for last years models and early this year that newer models (Like the new Toshibas that were announced a few weeks ago and some new BD players announced at IFA) seem to be outputting the encoded streams (even in HD DVD where it goes outside the specs). I just think it is bad advice to make a purchasing decision based (to use your word) on obsolete players.



So do robbers go and say I robbed the bank? do murderers go and say I killed them? the criminal always pleads not guilty. It is illegal to offer and accept money or incentives to be single format. They did something illegal the last thing they will do is admit it in public. So tell me what honest BUISNESS decision would make them cut down the format that brings them 2x as much revenue and profit.


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as for the answer to DTS-HD the reason I know there is currently such a player is simple. My friend has one.

1) unlike you I tend to know what I am talking about

2) unlike you when I am ignorant I look things up

3) unlike you I am belligerent only when replying to complete morons that don't know what they are talking about when they post and that should shut up because with each post they show how dumb, ignorant and how much of a fanboy they really are

For the solution, do a search on cyberlink and DTS-HD MA. The answer is an HTPC with the right configuration as your player.

But I forgot because you are a moron that wasted his money on an HD DVD player you obviously must know everything and so you don’t need to research the facts\

PS and yes it is DTS HD-MA, we did a comparison between the MA and the DTS codre and we could hear the difference.

And you did not say what player that is. Please tell me.

well maybe if you actually knew how to read you would see it. Anyone else care to answer this moron?

Are you two ever going to give it up? Or are you going to torture us all until eternity with your bickering and bashing? Are you sure you two aren't married to each other?

so your saying the product is an aftermarket "Cyberlink" Blu-ray drive installed on an HTPC.

Your kidding right?

We need solutions that are usuable for even the most "Basic (infer what you will)" customer, and have it be reliable, easily servicable, and most importantly controllable.