Dr_JB

You will need the 5.1 or 7.1 to take advantage of the multi channel audio formats (DVD-A, SACD, Dolby True HD, DTS-HD). Since there is no digital standard for those, multi channel audio (analog) is your only choice.

Hope that simple explanation helps.

I agree that the Toshibas have been well-regarded in their ability to upscale. They've had their problems (load times being the one that the G1 players simply were stuck with, others that Toshiba has done a good job of trying to work through with firmware updates), but the misfortune of Samsung's first BD player highlight the fact that Toshiba did a pretty good job with a first-generation player for a new format.

Of all the choices, then, the Oppo at least does all the audio formats, up to 5.1? I see that none of the Toshiba HD formats are 7.1 capable?

Thanks for your responses!

I've been away from all this stuff since the mid 80's and while there have been definite improvements, they've all come with a price: complexity!

John

Yes, the OPPO does all of the audio formats offered by CD and DVD (plus a few others, like MP3 and Divx), and those are all 5.1 or less.

The only Toshiba HD-DVD player that supports 7.1 is the HD-XA2 ($1000), even though the new HD formats allow for 7.1. (EDIT: the A20 will also do this, but I'm not sure when it'll be out.)

I think that the complexity of HDTV and surround sound have been a significant problem for the average consumer. There are countless stories of people with HDTV's who will go months or years thinking that simply having an HDTV means that you are getting HD broadcasts. There are also plenty of surround sound setups in homes that have never been calibrated and/or that have incorrect bass management settings. Fortunately, sites like this one can help provide a balance to the complexities and waves of technical jargon surrounding home theater.

Yes, and why I agreed that Gonk's advice on waiting until things shake out a bit, and more brands get out there is probably the smart way to go if you are looking to purchase your last HD player. If I were going to purchase a HD player now, it would as an interim player, be the least expensive one I could find, and it would be because I "just need to see hddvd/BR" on my high def display....oh yeah and if I had an outlaw 990 it would have analog outs, cuz no way I am givin up my 990 for some rcvr with hdmi 1.x

john

but still only 5.1 analog outs right? Won't help with the 990 will it?





amen to that...this forum, and you in particular Gonk, have helped me get a grasp of bass management, and blending my sub in smoothly....the 990's bass matrix is rather complicated, and it took a while for me to get things to where they are now.

My bad - even with the XA2, Toshiba still only offers 5.1 analog output. I guess the only HD player to provide 7.1 analog output is still Panasonic with their Blu-ray player...

Gonk,

I get the sense that you're a bit of a sage, here, on this site, the home theater guru. That Panny Blu-Ray's a beauty, but it's $1,500cnd and lacks SACD support.

At this time, would you still recommend the Oppo 981? I thought I'd put the question straight to you, before I actually go out and make the purchase! John's idea about the first generation Toshiba HD player isn't a bad one, either. Which is the more practical of the two choices and why?

Thanks in advance,

John

The current crop of Blu-ray players are a tough sell (unless you want to get a PS3). In my mind, there are two options. If you want to start exploring HD-DVD, don't care about DVD-A and SACD, are in a position to spend around $400, and don't mind the slow load times, the Toshiba has a lot to offer. If, on the other hand, you want to wait a bit to get into the HD format war, then the 981 is a mighty nice value: good upscaling, DVD-A and SACD support, support for an assortment of other audio and video formats, and customer service that is hard to beat. Which choice you make is not for me to decide (it's too dependent on your needs and interests), but personally I'm sticking with the 981 for the time being. In my case, it's two-fold: I already have a smal library of DVD-A and SACD, and I am unwilling to invest in either of the new formats until they mature a bit more. My plan is to wait, hopefully for a combo HD-DVD/Blu-ray player with support for DVD-A and SACD.

Gonk,

all my cd's are ten years or older and so I'm assuming I don't have SACD's.

The other problem is that as I'm in Canada, the HD-A1 doesn't seem readily available and the border issues make purchases more complex and costly.

I'm all for a good, practical deal and the 981 seems like a good stop gap.

Thanks for your reply and for the information.

John