Product Description

Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Widthcm43Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Depthcm34.5Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Heightcm6.6Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Weightkg4.1Technical DataHeader / Product LineToshibaTechnical DataHeader / ModelHD-EP10-K-TETMTechnical DataHeader / ManufacturerToshibaTechnical DataHeader / Packaged Quantity1Technical DataAudio System / Sound Output ModeStereoTechnical DataDVD / TypeHD DVD playerTechnical DataDVD / Form FactorTabletopTechnical DataDVD / Media TypeHD DVDTechnical DataDVD / Media Load TypeTray

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102896 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Toshiba
• Model: HD-EP10
• Released on: 2007-09-17
• Dimensions: 25.98" h x 169.29" w x 135.83" l, 9.04 pounds

Manufacturer's Description
Toshiba, instrumental in the DVD revolution, now brings you state of the art HD DVD players, for the next generation of high definition multimedia.

HD DVD offers the convenience of DVD combined with incredible image quality and realism of HDTV where sound draws you from your seat and pictures come to life.

High Definition

High resolution is essential to ensure a detailed and accurate image on a large screen. HD DVD offers six times the resolution of standard DVD. In addition to standard DVD resolutions: 480i, 480p, 576i and 576p, HD-DVD has the potential to produce 1080p,1080i and 720p lines of interlaced (i) or progressively scanned (p) information.

Standard digital TV broadcasts offer 576 active lines of picture information, or around 589,000 pixels of data.

An HD Ready TV is able to display 1280 x 720 lines, or around 920,000 pixels of data.

The highest definition signal available today carries 1080 lines, with a possible 2 million individual pixels.Toshiba's LCD TV models offer stunning high definition images thanks to 1080 HD resolution screens.

How it Works

The blue laser that reads from and writes to HD DVD has a shorter wavelength than DVD’s red laser. This means that HD DVD discs offer significantly higher capacity than conventional DVDs, so providing the opportunity for far greater levels of image detail, multi-channel audio and functionality.

HD DVD Disc Capacity

Single sided single layer 15GB HD resolution 4hrs.

Single sided dual layer 30GB HD resolution 8hrs.

Single sided triple layer 45GB HD resolution 12hrs (under development).

Double sided single layer 30GB HD resolution 8hrs.

Double sided dual layer 60GB HD resolution 16hrs.

Double sided triple layer 90GB HD resolution 24hrs (under development).

Colour Reproduction

High definition images offer a considerably richer colour palette with greater subtlety of colour transition and enhanced contrast. The result is greater precision, incredible detail and breathtaking realism.

Next Generation Sound

HD DVD supports the next generation digital audio formats to bring you multi-dimensional sound to match the superior picture quality.

Conventional DVD audio formats, including Dolby® Digital and DTS® are supported, as well as the newly developed Dolby® Digital Plus.

HDMI.

For high-definition viewing, an HD DVD player must be connected to an HDTV using the latest advance in AV equipment connection, the High Definition Multimedia Interface, or HDMI™. HDMI™ is the first industry-supported, all digital A/V connection for transmission of uncompressed video and multi-channel audio on a single cable.

Box Contents

Customer Reviews

A credit to the HD DVD format
For the last two years, I have made do with my Denon 1920 upscaling DVD player, on a Pioneer 436 43" Plasma TV. The upscaling provided on normal DVDs from this player is very good, indeed. However, I was now ready to take the step to an HD player proper.

I have watched the Blu-ray vs HD DVD struggle from the sidelines. At the moment, Blu-ray seems to be out in front. However, I would summarise my doubts about that format into as follows:
- There were very poor reports about the quality and playback of many of the early Blu-ray machines (with particular emphasis on poor playback caused by the frames per second issue). What I have seen in reviews is pretty poor to put it mildly.... HD DVD on the other hand seems to be getting the thumbs up from both professional reviewers and consumers.
- Blu-ray has more storage data space on its disks than HD and has been labeled the superior format as a result (shortly to be bettered by the arrival of 51GB HD DVD disks). However, this also makes it the more expensive format, and despite recent price cutting, is still more expensive than HD price wise for both machines and disks. Despite having a slightly smaller storage capacity than Blu-ray, the HD disk can still store much more data than a normal DVD and being a cheaper format than Blu-ay, will give it one hell of an advantage as prices are slashed. Indeed, this is now starting to happen. In a price cutting war, these cheaper overheads could well be the difference between success and failure.
- Lastly while the major studios are either evenly split or like Warner Bros, backing both formats, a certain company called Microsoft has backed HD against Blu-ray. Indeed, the latest Xbox machines all have HD DVD player capability.

I have waited for the next generation HD players before making a move for one and have elected to go for the Toshiba EP10. This is a mid range player in between the Toshiba E1 and the Toshiba XE1, and has been available here in the UK since May 2007. The EP10 has an all important advantage over the Toshiba E1, it has a 1080p facility whereas its smaller brother only goes up to 720p. Therefore, having an EP10 will give you the ability to play 1080p if you have a TV that supports that format, or are planning to get one in future.
My current TV supports up to 720p and 1080i. I therefore set the EP10 to playback at 1080i... and the result is a simply superb picture. Just look at the Universal logo in true HD instead of an upscaled picture and you will see what I mean. The 1080i picture in true HD is simply superb and is better full stop than upscaled 1080i, even from a machine as good as the Denon 1920. The picture that I get from the Toshiba EP10 when playing an HD DVD is the best picture that I have ever achieved on my 43" Plasma TV. There is no blurring or distortion, focus is pin sharp and light and black are both superbly realised. King Kong, The Chronicles Of Riddick, and Pitch Black are simply superb, and I am seeing detail on them that simply was not there before.
The EP10 upscales normal DVDs well but is only slightly ahead of the Denon 1920 when it comes to upscaling though.

The machine is easy to operate and set up. A tip if you are plugging it into a home cinema, remember to set the Input Jack to Bitmap on the player's Sound Menu during set up. Otherwise you will not get multichannel sound. If your AV amp supports HDMI then you can simply plug an HDMI cable between that and your machine. If your AV Amp does not have an HDMI connection, then it will be via a Digital Optical cable. Strangely the Toshiba EP10 does not have a Coaxial Digital Input plug and you can only use an Optical cable to link up to a non HDMI AV amp.

My only moans about the EP10 is firstly the approximately 30 seconds that it takes to load up a DVD. Secondly, while HD DVDs are Region free, the EP10 will only play Region 2 normal DVDs. So a multi Region code will be needed if you have normal DVDs from other regions.

To sum up though this is a superb machine which gives pictures of incredible clarity and this is on 1080i. I can only wonder how much better 1080p will look on this machine, albeit you will need a screen size of 40" plus to be able to notice the difference, I would think.
It is great to be able to keep the old DVD collection and just add new HD DVDs where necessary.
On the strength of this mid range HD player, I think that HD seems to be proving itself the better format and once prices really fall, should start to pull the rug from underneath Blu-ray.

For a 1080P hd tv a must buy
I have had this player for one day and the build quality, connections, picture and sound are perfect. If you have a tv with a 1080P display you cannot go wrong with this machine, just buy it you will not be disappointed. Just one point buy a decent hdmi cable the freebee is weak.
Mine is hooked up to a 37x3030d toshiba, I cannot fault either of the machines. Blu-ray is in trouble and this is one of the reasons. I have a lot of dvds and I do not want to throw them away, just buy and enjoy!!

1080i and 1080p
Just a small note, you wont see any more clarity with 1080p, just fast action scenes will look better because of the progressive scan but the details are exactly the same.