I have now had my HD-A1 for about a week now and have watched Apollo 13, Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby. So, here are my thoughts:
1. First of all, this machine really delivers on its promise of putting forth a top quality HD picture with great sound. Like someone else in this forum said, it really brings back the "WOW" factor and creates a movie theatre like experience. The colors are vibrant, the details are sharp and the sound is rich. Whether you are watching the blast-off of Apollo 13 or the old west backgrounds in Unforgiven it is as if you are at the movie theatre.
2. The picture quality is definitely a big step up from regular DVDs and noticeably better than HD movie broadcasts. It is as if you are watching a very high quality HD movie broadcast. But it also has much better sound than the HD broadcasts that I have seen so I think the experience is much better. One of the big factors for me, given the somewhat limited availability of HD DVDs, was that the HD-A1 would need to be a noticeable step up from HD broadcasts -- otherwise, I could just watch movies on HBO or elsewhere. And it is.
3. The HD-A1 is also a solid unpconverting DVD player. I had been using a Zenith DVB318 as my upconverting DVD player into my Sony GWIII. The HD-A1 is definitely on par if not superior to the DVB318. So, especially for those that are looking for an upconverting DVD player, the HD-A1 can provide that as well at a price that is less than many upconverting DVD players.
4. I have not experienced the negatives that some others have talked about like freezes or HDMI errors. The only problems I have had relate more to the Netflix HD DVDs then to the HD-A1. HD-DVDs are very sensitive to scratches. I had some freeze ups with Apollo 13 but then carefully cleaned the disk and it worked fine. Also, the unit is certainly slow in starting up but I frankly don't understand what the hurry is. Put your DVD in, grab a drink from the kitchen, and you're ready to go.
5. One BIG QUALIFIER -- and this involves expectations. If you are thinking about getting an HD-A1, do not expect miracles! The picture can only be as good as the transfer. You will probably not see the kind of clarity that you have seen in top quality HD broadcasts like the Masters or the Oscars or NFL Football. I think the better barometer is to expect the HD picture quality to be in line with some of the best HD movie broadcasts that you have seen.
Overall, I can certainly understand that some people might want to wait for this technology to develop and improve and for the format war to play out. But, in the meantime, I would say that the HD-A1 definitely delivers on its promise and is well worth the $500!
1. First of all, this machine really delivers on its promise of putting forth a top quality HD picture with great sound. Like someone else in this forum said, it really brings back the "WOW" factor and creates a movie theatre like experience. The colors are vibrant, the details are sharp and the sound is rich. Whether you are watching the blast-off of Apollo 13 or the old west backgrounds in Unforgiven it is as if you are at the movie theatre.
2. The picture quality is definitely a big step up from regular DVDs and noticeably better than HD movie broadcasts. It is as if you are watching a very high quality HD movie broadcast. But it also has much better sound than the HD broadcasts that I have seen so I think the experience is much better. One of the big factors for me, given the somewhat limited availability of HD DVDs, was that the HD-A1 would need to be a noticeable step up from HD broadcasts -- otherwise, I could just watch movies on HBO or elsewhere. And it is.
3. The HD-A1 is also a solid unpconverting DVD player. I had been using a Zenith DVB318 as my upconverting DVD player into my Sony GWIII. The HD-A1 is definitely on par if not superior to the DVB318. So, especially for those that are looking for an upconverting DVD player, the HD-A1 can provide that as well at a price that is less than many upconverting DVD players.
4. I have not experienced the negatives that some others have talked about like freezes or HDMI errors. The only problems I have had relate more to the Netflix HD DVDs then to the HD-A1. HD-DVDs are very sensitive to scratches. I had some freeze ups with Apollo 13 but then carefully cleaned the disk and it worked fine. Also, the unit is certainly slow in starting up but I frankly don't understand what the hurry is. Put your DVD in, grab a drink from the kitchen, and you're ready to go.
5. One BIG QUALIFIER -- and this involves expectations. If you are thinking about getting an HD-A1, do not expect miracles! The picture can only be as good as the transfer. You will probably not see the kind of clarity that you have seen in top quality HD broadcasts like the Masters or the Oscars or NFL Football. I think the better barometer is to expect the HD picture quality to be in line with some of the best HD movie broadcasts that you have seen.
Overall, I can certainly understand that some people might want to wait for this technology to develop and improve and for the format war to play out. But, in the meantime, I would say that the HD-A1 definitely delivers on its promise and is well worth the $500!
