LaserDisc Database :: View topic - Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.

The HD--DVD is "Santana, Hymns for Peace, Live at Montreux, 2004". It is the only HD-DVD that I have so I cannot try another disc. I cannot make out if the disc was made by Warner in looking at the disc or the disc holder. The player works very well with normal DVD's.

dumbchemist wrote:

mhhh....

let that specific title be one I don't own.
I'm not a music collector when it comes to hddvd's. Besides a few "must have laserdisc titles" I'm comfortable with cd's and records.
Maybe you could get another title to give it a try.
Something like... U-571 perhaps. that one would be a great reference to own on hdvd and you'll be surprised PQ wise.
Cheap on ebay for sure and since you live in the US no worries about shipping discs regardless the format

That error code does it display CANNOT PLAY DISC when it freezes up?
I have that exact same thing happening with my Full Metal Jacket hddvd :problem:

. I learned to live with it. :shifty:

An update:

I received a copy of U-571 today. I put it in my HD-A3 player and the menu came up and it seems to work fine.

Is there a list of HD-DVD's that work or do not work? Being able to check the list before buying an HD-DVD certainly would save time and money.

dumbchemist wrote:

hi,
happy to hear it works. :clap:

there are some hddvd discs that appear to have errors. In my experience it's pressing related...
I had a copy of 2001 ASO that would freeze up in the first 4 minutes.
Got another copy, no more problems. hddvd can be a challenging format.
I would suggest fire up that U-571 disc and enjoy the format. It's an impressive hddvd title to own.
i don't own any music hddvd's so I wouldn't be able to point out "problem" pressings.
Warner pressings are suspects when it comes to errors.
I learned to live with it. after owning several copies of one title I eventually got "good" pressings.
Be patient and don't spend much for one title....

one more important issue to look at... What firmwire is your player running? 4.0 is the best and last firmwire available! I think toshiba US has continued support for this!
I got my firmwire on cd purchased trough ebay
It made a huge improvement on refusing discs!

U-571 has English 5.1 dts audio and english Dolby Digital plus 5.1 audio
Be sure to check the audiosettings menu!
Hdmi audio = auto
PCM downmix = PCM
Digital output = bitstream
I'm not familiar with the US build HD-A3 does it have analog 5.1 outputs? if it does be sure to set audio settings to 5.1 channels! My HD-XA1 has to be set to 5.1 audio even while it's outputting pcm audio trough hdmi. I do not use the coaxial 5.1 outputs! audio is ent via hdmi output to my receiver. The player hd-xa1 decodes the audio and the receiver shows pcm audio. great sounding btw...

ADV...mhh never noticed that one... I'm sure someone around knows what this means..

kris wrote:

That is interesting (tres interessant). Next to the "HD-DVD ADV' was a lit up "2 ch" indicator during movie playback. The player has line level and optical output jacks as well as the HDMI audio. Right now I am using the player's line level jacks for the audio. My U-571 disc has no option for Dolby 5.1 on its audio setup menu. I will have to try the optical output when I get a toslink cable that is long enough to reach my SDP-E800 switcher.

I checked the player's audio setup and the settings seem okay (I have no manual for the player so i am winging it.) Also, I am not using the HDMI for the video to my SDTV. As a result, the picture is 480p and the digital audio maybe turned off.

Well, I revisited U-571. Under audio setup, you have a choice of languages and all in 5.1 sound. No mention of Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1. An examination of the plastic carrying case says that the sound is in either Dolby 2.0 or DTS 5.1. I will hold off making a judgement on the sound until I get a toslink cable to feed the player's optical out into my A/V receiver. My receiver can decode either Dolby or DTS 5.1 sound.

Here is an interesting twist on the player. When you turn it off, the display lights up with "GOODBYE" before shutdown. My Sony BD play says "SEE YOU" before shutdown. I guess the software designers do have a limited sense of humor.

dumbchemist wrote:

Good point :lol:

Goodbye

I've just won myself a used HD-A1 as a spare unit for my meanwhile beloved HD-XA1
I know they're big and heavy and have 1080i output only but PQ wise these first gen players are mind blowing. They are great quality built players
True HD and DD+ sound amazing with pcm output on hdmi.
I like the solid look. Installed firmwire 4.0 on my XA1 and it' doing a great job with dvd and hd-dvd's

Author:	dumbchemist [ 05 Dec 2012, 21:27 ]
Post subject:	Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
I just got a Toshiba HD-A3 player that I won on e-bay. It came without a remote and I needed to test the player. I turned it on and inserted a normal DVD and pressed play. I get sound but no video (what video there is is unreadable). The front panel indicates that it is set to 480p and my poor Wega TV can only do 480i. Is there a way to change over to 480i output from the front panel so that I can see if the player is working? I do not want to buy a remote yet until I am certain that the player is working properly. Any advice would be appreciated.

Author:	tomtastic [ 05 Dec 2012, 22:48 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
My XA2 has a slider switch A/B mode which enables S video and composite. Did you try using the composite output?

Author:	dumbchemist [ 06 Dec 2012, 00:00 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
Yes, I did use the composite output and I do not have an A/B switch on the player. Would the component output work for what I want? My Wega TV has component inputs; but, I don't know if they will take 480p. The instructions for the Wega do not cover the component inputs at all.

Author:	dumbchemist [ 06 Dec 2012, 14:10 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
An update: In researching this on the ole Internet, I found out that the video needs to be attached to the A/V equipment before a power up. I did that and got the time setup menu in readable format at 480p. I was wrong about my Wega as it displays 480p without any trouble. However, you definitely need a remote control. Without it, you cannot use the menu on DVD's for control. Otherwise, the player seems to work very well and is faster at boot-up than my BD player. Now, I need to get some HD-DVD's for viewing.

Author:	dumbchemist [ 15 Dec 2012, 11:04 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
Update to the update: I got the remote control a few days ago and tested the player with it. It works fine. Now, I have another problem. When I insert an HD-DVD, after a few minutes I get a 408bc504 error. I have updated the firmware to ver. 4.0. I only have 1 HD-DVD so I am not certain if the the disc is bad or the player is having a fit. Does anyone have any ideas as to how solve this problem?

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Author:	kris [ 15 Dec 2012, 13:37 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
What movie is refusing to play? Warner disc perhaps? Maybe you should try re-initializing the player after the 4.0FW update. I had the same thing happening on one of my EP-10's some time ago. Purchased a HD-XA1 last week and after 4.0Fw to my surprise it works like a charm. It's not the fasted player around but it's sure solid built quality. Hd-dvd can be a chalenging format sometimes. I once was thinking about giving up on the format but after much trials and patience I managed to get all players working . Only disc I seem to have a problem with is Full Metal Jacket. Freezes up on every player I own. A Space odyssey also gave me some trouble but once I replaced the disc no more problems. I guess pressing quality has something to do with it. I read so many different things about Warner Discs I'm not sure what to believe anymore. Some people claim to have Issues with The Matrix hdvd releases but mine play great. Combo discs where a big problem for me before Firmwire 4.0. No more problems now ! Don't give up on the format just yet... Could be a faulty player AFAIK. One HD-E1 I own refused to play after upgrading 4.0FW . I kept it around for spare parts. Not sure what is wrong with it. I don't even plan to find out what the problem is. Hd dvd players are so cheap to get so why invest money on repairs when you can get one for a few "dollars" Let me know what movie is giving you this problem

Author:	dumbchemist [ 16 Dec 2012, 21:27 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
The HD--DVD is "Santana, Hymns for Peace, Live at Montreux, 2004". It is the only HD-DVD that I have so I cannot try another disc. I cannot make out if the disc was made by Warner in looking at the disc or the disc holder. The player works very well with normal DVD's.

Author:	kris [ 16 Dec 2012, 22:50 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
dumbchemist wrote: The HD--DVD is "Santana, Hymns for Peace, Live at Montreux, 2004". It is the only HD-DVD that I have so I cannot try another disc. I cannot make out if the disc was made by Warner in looking at the disc or the disc holder. The player works very well with normal DVD's. mhhh.... let that specific title be one I don't own. I'm not a music collector when it comes to hddvd's. Besides a few "must have laserdisc titles" I'm comfortable with cd's and records. Maybe you could get another title to give it a try. Something like... U-571 perhaps. that one would be a great reference to own on hdvd and you'll be surprised PQ wise. Cheap on ebay for sure and since you live in the US no worries about shipping discs regardless the format That error code does it display CANNOT PLAY DISC when it freezes up? I have that exact same thing happening with my Full Metal Jacket hddvd . I learned to live with it.

Author:	dumbchemist [ 18 Dec 2012, 16:05 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
kris wrote: dumbchemist wrote: The HD--DVD is "Santana, Hymns for Peace, Live at Montreux, 2004". It is the only HD-DVD that I have so I cannot try another disc. I cannot make out if the disc was made by Warner in looking at the disc or the disc holder. The player works very well with normal DVD's. mhhh.... let that specific title be one I don't own. I'm not a music collector when it comes to hddvd's. Besides a few "must have laserdisc titles" I'm comfortable with cd's and records. Maybe you could get another title to give it a try. Something like... U-571 perhaps. that one would be a great reference to own on hdvd and you'll be surprised PQ wise. Cheap on ebay for sure and since you live in the US no worries about shipping discs regardless the format That error code does it display CANNOT PLAY DISC when it freezes up? I have that exact same thing happening with my Full Metal Jacket hddvd . I learned to live with it. The error code is displayed on the player. The monitor shows "Cannot Play Disc" with "Error code: 408bc504" below it. I will look for a copy of U571 and try if next. By the way, after loading the disc, it takes about 3 to 4 minutes before the error code is displayed. I guess you could say it gives the old "College try" before giving up.

Author:	dumbchemist [ 05 Jan 2013, 19:44 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
An update: I received a copy of U-571 today. I put it in my HD-A3 player and the menu came up and it seems to work fine. Is there a list of HD-DVD's that work or do not work? Being able to check the list before buying an HD-DVD certainly would save time and money.

Author:	kris [ 05 Jan 2013, 20:22 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
dumbchemist wrote: An update: I received a copy of U-571 today. I put it in my HD-A3 player and the menu came up and it seems to work fine. Is there a list of HD-DVD's that work or do not work? Being able to check the list before buying an HD-DVD certainly would save time and money. hi, happy to hear it works. there are some hddvd discs that appear to have errors. In my experience it's pressing related... I had a copy of 2001 ASO that would freeze up in the first 4 minutes. Got another copy, no more problems. hddvd can be a challenging format. I would suggest fire up that U-571 disc and enjoy the format. It's an impressive hddvd title to own. i don't own any music hddvd's so I wouldn't be able to point out "problem" pressings. Warner pressings are suspects when it comes to errors. I learned to live with it. after owning several copies of one title I eventually got "good" pressings. Be patient and don't spend much for one title.... one more important issue to look at... What firmwire is your player running? 4.0 is the best and last firmwire available! I think toshiba US has continued support for this! I got my firmwire on cd purchased trough ebay It made a huge improvement on refusing discs!

Author:	disclord [ 06 Jan 2013, 00:01 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
I haven't had any of my Universal HD-DVD's go bad, but luck with Warner titles hasn't been so hot. The releases of King Kong '76 and The Fog from the UK are also fine.

Author:	dumbchemist [ 07 Jan 2013, 13:43 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
kris wrote: dumbchemist wrote: An update: I received a copy of U-571 today. I put it in my HD-A3 player and the menu came up and it seems to work fine. Is there a list of HD-DVD's that work or do not work? Being able to check the list before buying an HD-DVD certainly would save time and money. hi, happy to hear it works. there are some hddvd discs that appear to have errors. In my experience it's pressing related... I had a copy of 2001 ASO that would freeze up in the first 4 minutes. Got another copy, no more problems. hddvd can be a challenging format. I would suggest fire up that U-571 disc and enjoy the format. It's an impressive hddvd title to own. i don't own any music hddvd's so I wouldn't be able to point out "problem" pressings. Warner pressings are suspects when it comes to errors. I learned to live with it. after owning several copies of one title I eventually got "good" pressings. Be patient and don't spend much for one title.... one more important issue to look at... What firmwire is your player running? 4.0 is the best and last firmwire available! I think toshiba US has continued support for this! I got my firmwire on cd purchased trough ebay It made a huge improvement on refusing discs! I played the U-571 movie last night and it played flawlessly. (Yay!) I guess the Santana music HD-DVD is toast for now. Too bad as the music listed on it sounded pretty good. I upgraded the firmware some weeks ago to 4.0. I downloaded the ISO image (I think) from the Toshiba web site and burned my own CD. A question on the HD-A3 (I don't have an instruction manual for it yet): When I played U-571. I noticed to the left of the time display "HD-DVD ADV". Exactly what does the ADV stand for? A question on the U-571 disc: Is the sound only in 2 channel and no surround sound?

Author:	kris [ 07 Jan 2013, 14:08 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
U-571 has English 5.1 dts audio and english Dolby Digital plus 5.1 audio Be sure to check the audiosettings menu! Hdmi audio = auto PCM downmix = PCM Digital output = bitstream I'm not familiar with the US build HD-A3 does it have analog 5.1 outputs? if it does be sure to set audio settings to 5.1 channels! My HD-XA1 has to be set to 5.1 audio even while it's outputting pcm audio trough hdmi. I do not use the coaxial 5.1 outputs! audio is ent via hdmi output to my receiver. The player hd-xa1 decodes the audio and the receiver shows pcm audio. great sounding btw... ADV...mhh never noticed that one... I'm sure someone around knows what this means..

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Author:	dumbchemist [ 07 Jan 2013, 14:45 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
kris wrote: U-571 has English 5.1 dts audio and english Dolby Digital plus 5.1 audio Be sure to check the audiosettings menu! Hdmi audio = auto PCM downmix = PCM Digital output = bitstream I'm not familiar with the US build HD-A3 does it have analog 5.1 outputs? if it does be sure to set audio settings to 5.1 channels! My HD-XA1 has to be set to 5.1 audio even while it's outputting pcm audio trough hdmi. I do not use the coaxial 5.1 outputs! audio is ent via hdmi output to my receiver. The player hd-xa1 decodes the audio and the receiver shows pcm audio. great sounding btw... ADV...mhh never noticed that one... I'm sure someone around knows what this means.. That is interesting (tres interessant). Next to the "HD-DVD ADV' was a lit up "2 ch" indicator during movie playback. The player has line level and optical output jacks as well as the HDMI audio. Right now I am using the player's line level jacks for the audio. My U-571 disc has no option for Dolby 5.1 on its audio setup menu. I will have to try the optical output when I get a toslink cable that is long enough to reach my SDP-E800 switcher. I checked the player's audio setup and the settings seem okay (I have no manual for the player so i am winging it.) Also, I am not using the HDMI for the video to my SDTV. As a result, the picture is 480p and the digital audio maybe turned off.

Author:	kris [ 07 Jan 2013, 14:55 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
dumbchemist wrote: kris wrote: U-571 has English 5.1 dts audio and english Dolby Digital plus 5.1 audio Be sure to check the audiosettings menu! Hdmi audio = auto PCM downmix = PCM Digital output = bitstream I'm not familiar with the US build HD-A3 does it have analog 5.1 outputs? if it does be sure to set audio settings to 5.1 channels! My HD-XA1 has to be set to 5.1 audio even while it's outputting pcm audio trough hdmi. I do not use the coaxial 5.1 outputs! audio is ent via hdmi output to my receiver. The player hd-xa1 decodes the audio and the receiver shows pcm audio. great sounding btw... ADV...mhh never noticed that one... I'm sure someone around knows what this means.. That is interesting (tres interessant). Next to the "HD-DVD ADV' was a lit up "2 ch" indicator during movie playback. The player has line level and optical output jacks as well as the HDMI audio. Right now I am using the player's line level jacks for the audio. My U-571 disc has no option for Dolby 5.1 on its audio setup menu. I will have to try the optical output when I get a toslink cable that is long enough to reach my SDP-E800 switcher. I checked the player's audio setup and the settings seem okay (I have no manual for the player so i am winging it.) Also, I am not using the HDMI for the video to my SDTV. As a result, the picture is 480p and the digital audio maybe turned off. U-571 is now playing here. Imported US release. I double checked... Dolby 5.1 or dts 5.1 selectable audio! "2ch" indication is normal during playback. if you are going to use the optical output be sure to set this to bitstream!

Author:	dumbchemist [ 07 Jan 2013, 15:22 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
Well, I revisited U-571. Under audio setup, you have a choice of languages and all in 5.1 sound. No mention of Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1. An examination of the plastic carrying case says that the sound is in either Dolby 2.0 or DTS 5.1. I will hold off making a judgement on the sound until I get a toslink cable to feed the player's optical out into my A/V receiver. My receiver can decode either Dolby or DTS 5.1 sound. Here is an interesting twist on the player. When you turn it off, the display lights up with "GOODBYE" before shutdown. My Sony BD play says "SEE YOU" before shutdown. I guess the software designers do have a limited sense of humor.

Author:	kris [ 13 Jan 2013, 15:41 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
dumbchemist wrote: Well, I revisited U-571. Under audio setup, you have a choice of languages and all in 5.1 sound. No mention of Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1. An examination of the plastic carrying case says that the sound is in either Dolby 2.0 or DTS 5.1. I will hold off making a judgement on the sound until I get a toslink cable to feed the player's optical out into my A/V receiver. My receiver can decode either Dolby or DTS 5.1 sound. Here is an interesting twist on the player. When you turn it off, the display lights up with "GOODBYE" before shutdown. My Sony BD play says "SEE YOU" before shutdown. I guess the software designers do have a limited sense of humor. Good point Goodbye I've just won myself a used HD-A1 as a spare unit for my meanwhile beloved HD-XA1 I know they're big and heavy and have 1080i output only but PQ wise these first gen players are mind blowing. They are great quality built players True HD and DD+ sound amazing with pcm output on hdmi. I like the solid look. Installed firmwire 4.0 on my XA1 and it' doing a great job with dvd and hd-dvd's

Author:	disclord [ 13 Jan 2013, 17:07 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
kris wrote: dumbchemist wrote: Well, I revisited U-571. Under audio setup, you have a choice of languages and all in 5.1 sound. No mention of Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1. An examination of the plastic carrying case says that the sound is in either Dolby 2.0 or DTS 5.1. I will hold off making a judgement on the sound until I get a toslink cable to feed the player's optical out into my A/V receiver. My receiver can decode either Dolby or DTS 5.1 sound. Here is an interesting twist on the player. When you turn it off, the display lights up with "GOODBYE" before shutdown. My Sony BD play says "SEE YOU" before shutdown. I guess the software designers do have a limited sense of humor. Good point Goodbye I've just won myself a used HD-A1 as a spare unit for my meanwhile beloved HD-XA1 I know they're big and heavy and have 1080i output only but PQ wise these first gen players are mind blowing. They are great quality built players True HD and DD+ sound amazing with pcm output on hdmi. I like the solid look. Installed firmwire 4.0 on my XA1 and it' doing a great job with dvd and hd-dvd's The A1 is basically a Pentium 4 PC with 2gigs of RAM running Linux OS for HD-DVD playback. I have the A2 and want to get the RCA version of the A1 so I can have an RCA "SelectaVision" HD-DVD player! I like the built like a tank look of the A1 - it's like my Runco LJR-i LaserDisc player in that it looks like it was designed for pure performance and nothing more. Although the A2 only outputs 1080I, my TV converts it to 1080P with film mode detection. For 24P I have to rely on my BD player.

Author:	dumbchemist [ 13 Jan 2013, 18:53 ]
Post subject:	Re: Questions about a Toshiba HD-DVD player, model HD-A3.
When I got my HD-A3, I noted that there was a sound coming from the player when you tilted it which did not sound good. I opened up the player and the CPU heatsink had come loose and was moving around. I repositioned the heatsink on the CPU and made sure that it stayed fastened. Until I got U-571 playing, I was worried that the heatsink may have damaged one or more solder traces on either or both of the pc boards. Well, fortunately, all is well and the HD-A3 plays DVD and select HD-DVD discs very well. I say "select" as there are HD-DVD's that will play flawlessly, those that will not play at all or those that will play when the "mood" strikes them. Finding those HD-DVD's that are not "moody" will be a challenge in the future.