Wow... talk about a misleading quote. Here's what that article actually says:
"Overall, we couldn't help but feel that the HD-A30 was extremely similar to its predecessor--the HD-A20--which isn't a good thing, as 1080p output on both players is disappointing. Don't get us wrong, there's a lot to like about HD DVD hardware compared to Blu-ray hardware, such as its lower cost and stronger mandatory requirements. And if your HDTV can accept and properly display 1080p/24, the HD-A30 delivers excellent picture quality as well. The problem is that the vast majority of HDTVs can't handle 1080p/24 properly, which means that for most people, the HD-A30 just doesn't justify the price premium over the HD-A3. "
They actually say that the image quality is excellent if your TV handles 1080p/24 correctly. Though they worded it strangely, they are saying that the disappointing image quality is due to problems with various displays... not the A30.
“An engineer explained to us that hundreds of ear impressions were gathered in the name of research, and while each one obviously boasted its own unique shape and size, one single characteristic remained uniform across the board: the entrance into the ear canal is not a perfect circle, it's an oval.”
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http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/toshiba-hd-a30-hd/4505-6463_7-32563583.html
CNET gave the HD-A30 a 7/10 and said:
"Image quality in 1080p mode disappointing"
Wow... talk about a misleading quote. Here's what that article actually says:
"Overall, we couldn't help but feel that the HD-A30 was extremely similar to its predecessor--the HD-A20--which isn't a good thing, as 1080p output on both players is disappointing. Don't get us wrong, there's a lot to like about HD DVD hardware compared to Blu-ray hardware, such as its lower cost and stronger mandatory requirements. And if your HDTV can accept and properly display 1080p/24, the HD-A30 delivers excellent picture quality as well. The problem is that the vast majority of HDTVs can't handle 1080p/24 properly, which means that for most people, the HD-A30 just doesn't justify the price premium over the HD-A3. "
They actually say that the image quality is excellent if your TV handles 1080p/24 correctly. Though they worded it strangely, they are saying that the disappointing image quality is due to problems with various displays... not the A30.