As the top of the line unit in Toshiba's second generation of HD DVD players, the Toshiba HD-XA2 offers all the latest HD technology. The HD-A2 delivers stunning picture and sound quality, marred only by some occasional operational glitches--and the hefty price tag for a machine that could become obsolete if HD DVD loses the high definition format war to Blu-ray.

Like the entry level HD-A2 HD DVD player, the HD-XA2 has been redesigned from the first generation of high definition Toshiba DVD players. It is sleeker and slimmer and the LED display can be dimmed or extinguished to avoid unwanted light sources during DVD playback. Unlike the entry level HD-A2, though, the HD-XA2 offers a number of extra features. If you own a 1080p HDTV, the HD-XA2 offers compatible 1080p output as well as 1080i and 720p. The HDMI 1.3 output features Deep Color support for improved contrast and even greater detail. This unit not only delivers stunning picture quality but also offers great audio reproduction as well. In addition to standard Dolby Digital and DTS, the HD-XA2 offers onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby True HD as well as core soundtrack from DTS HD.

While the HD-XA2 retails for about twice the price of the HD-A2 HD DVD player, it offers additional features such as multichannel analog outputs, a coaxial digital audio output, and RS-232C port. While the HD-A2 does a great job at upconverting standard definition discs, we noticed improved picture quality when using the HD-XA2 to do the same. As well as your old standard definition DVDs, this HD DVD player is also backwards compatible with standard audio CDs, although not those loaded with MP3 digital audio files or JPEG picture files.

Disc loading time is still slow at about 28 seconds, although that is a marked improvement over the first generation HD-A1 that took in excess of 60 seconds to load a DVD. We did experience some occasional operational glitches with the unit freezing or overheating but not enough to revise our opinion about the HD-XA2. If you have the budget and are confident in the long term future of the HD DVD format, then the Toshiba HD-XA2 offers stunning image and audio quality, unsurpassed by any other high definition player we have seen.


Pros: Stunning picture quality, excellent HDMI upscaling, slimmer design than the first generation units, offers 1080p output, multichannel analog outputs and RS-232 port
Cons: Expensive, prone to occasional operational glitches

Warranty
90 days, labor; 1 year, parts