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High-Def Video Superguide

Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD are here. Who makes the best next-generation movie player?

Jon L. Jacobi, Melissa J. Perenson, and Lincoln Spector; testing by Jeff Kuta, PC World

High-Def Video Superguide

Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD are here. Who makes the best next-generation movie player?

Complete PCWorld Coverage

Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Player

Complete PCWorld Coverage

Pioneer Electronics Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1

Complete PCWorld Coverage

Player Specs and Details

The three HD DVD models--Toshiba's HD-A2 and HD-XA2, and Microsoft's Xbox 360--clearly lead the way in integrating interactive features, including picture-in-picture video, persistent bookmarks you can view after ejecting a disc, and the capability to deliver future content via ethernet. This is not surprising, given that the HD DVD format requires players to have the necessary hardware for a minimum level of interactivity.

Photograph: Marc Simon

Annoying design problems among the players abound. All of the units we tested responded slowly to commands, but the Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1 and the Sony BDP-S1 were the worst; each of those models took more than a minute just to accept a disc. Sony gave the BDP-S1 power and eject buttons that are merely thin slivers of metal, placed so high on the front panel that they're difficult to get to if you've stacked another component on top of the player. Toshiba's HD-XA2 remote uses similar sliver buttons, making it frustrating to use. And the Panasonic DMP-BD10 requires you to lower its front flap--which conceals the drive tray and buttons--just to use the machine.

Toshiba's players had issues when we switched from the players to another HDMI input, and then back again. The HD-XA2 stopped, indicated that the resolution had been changed, and insisted on restarting the film from the beginning. The HD-A2 froze up entirely, and needed to be rebooted. Toshiba says it is investigating why this HDMI handshaking issue occurred.

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