How Does the Picture Look?
- 5. Turning the HD-A1 On, Continued
- 6. How Does the Picture Look?
6. How Does the Picture Look?
Since the official debut of HD-DVD is Tuesday, May 18, I was unable to score one of the four actual HD-DVD launch titles to test out (see below for links to details on those titles). That test will happen within the next 48 hours. (Ed note: It's already happened.
Both units offer a much sharper up-converted 1080i image compared to a 480p resolution coming from Xbox 360 (see below for a digital snapshot of the HD-A1 playing "Revenge of the Sith"). Differences between the Momitsu and Toshiba to my naked eye on a 118" screen were minimal at best. The Toshiba on some scenes is a hair sharper and brighter over the Momitsu but only when scrutinized for imperfections. Anyone who does pick up this player and has never owned a 1080i up-converting DVD player before will be pleasantly surprised at the improvements. The bigger the display device, the more apparent the improvements will be. So should you rush out and buy an HD-A1? With a looming format war on the horizon the best bet is always to wait on the sidelines until a clear-cut winner emerges. I encourage people with deep pockets and urges to own the latest and greatest to at least wait until we spin a real HD-DVD before taking the $500+ plunge into an unproven format. With no real in-store promotion underway and full-blown marketing yet to commence, finding a player shouldn't be too difficult for the foreseeable future. What will be harder is finding a store employee who knows what you're asking for. Dan Bradley is Editor in Chief of TheManRoom.com
Republished with permission from TheManRoom. Copyright © 2006 TMR Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved
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