Making use of HD DVD players

[admin_exported]

Now that the HD DVD format has ended up on a slab in the coroner's office, and HD DVD players are being sold at ridiculously low prices (and quite a few people have bought one before the format deceased), has anyone wondered about ways in which they could still be made use of?

For a start, many of the players perform very well as upscaling DVD players; Toshiba's HD-XE1, HD-EP30 and HD-EP35 are all good at this, I believe. And Onkyo's HD DVD player even has an HQV chip which is considered the best video processing system available.

Also, many of the players including the Toshiba HD-EP35, like many pieces of equipment today are extremely adaptable and versatile due to their software orientated operation. Toshiba's HD-EP35 could be updated to work as a media streamer, to stream HD video from a computer, downloading content via to a broadband internet connection.

Does anyone else have any ideas that could make some use of these well made, high quality pieces of equipment?

 

[JoelSim]

A bookend?

A seat for a small child?

A storage compartment for a folded piece of paper?

A stool to help you reach into high cupboards?

A writing table for when you demand the Toshiba CEO's head on a platter?

 

[Anonymous]

An "anti-static storage compartment for a chocolate hob-***"?

 

[Anonymous]

No new ideas, the Panny BD30 Blu-Ray player I intend to buy isn't a good upscaler apparently (nothing new for Blu-Ray!), so I'll compare it with the EP35 and choose which one to use.

Having two players makes it easy for the ladies of the house, they know that anything marked "DVD" will play in the EP35 and that those funny blue whatever they are discs will only play in that other box.

It'll also be interesting to compare them musically too.

I got mine after the price drop with the intention of purchasing cheap HD-DVDs, so all of this nonsense has worked out to my advantage.

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="Mr_Orange"]An "anti-static storage compartment for a chocolate hob-***"?[/quote]

Nice idea. I know that Sky do their boxes in weird colours, d'you think I could get a Tosh in a Cath Kidston print? Of course, that drawer will only hold one at a time, so not terribly practical. Drawer-liners would be required to keep crumbs out of the gubbins inside, obviously.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll probably leave Blu Ray for the time being but was thinking about getting a PS3 as a freebie with a new mobile phone contract - in that case I'd use my EP35 for SD discs and the PS3 for BD.

I've only got about 10 HD-DVDs so at some point (when I get a BD player which is better at upscaling) the EP35 will be demoted off the living room AV unit into another room!

 

[Anonymous]

For chocolate hob-nobs to work, your player would need a firmware update.

 

[John Duncan]

Will it upsacle non-chocolate ones?

 

[laserman16]

Depends if you put them in the right way up.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"]Will it upsacle non-chocolate ones?[/quote]

Only if you use self-raising flour. The quality of the flour determines how well it up-scales.

 

[FoxJA]

[quote user="Eddiewood"][quote user="JohnDuncan"]Will it upsacle non-chocolate ones?[/quote]

Only if you use self-raising flour. The quality of the flour determines how well it up-scales.[/quote]

I don't want to start another HDMI style argument, but Why pay for expensive quality flour when Tesco Value will do the same job!

 

[John Duncan]

Flour is flour.

 

[Cofnchtr]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"]Flour is flour.[/quote]
Hi,

I think you'll find that flour isn't flower - so flour isn't always flour...

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

 

[jetjohnson]

Will it upsacle non-chocolate ones?

I guess that would be a small crumb of comfort..........(I'll get me coat!)

 

[Cofnchtr]

Hi

I'll hold the door open...

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm going to experiment with watching well upscaled films and a few HDDVDs if time allows. The Mummy was THE MUMMY.

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone just thought of using it to play hddvd`s?I know the format`s dead but the machines still play your films,and they make `em look bloody great.Also I don`t know why some people think you should now sell the players and the films,they still work don`t they?If blu-ray replaced dvd,would you immediately go and sell all your discs?I know some people,like myself have about 500 or so dvd`s,come on,you`d keep them,not sell them.I`ll still be using my ep30 just the same as when I first bought it and hopefully buying some great films at great prices.I don`t know but maybe this is just too common sense for some people.Just buy a biscuit tin for your hob nobs eh?

 

[VoodooDoctor]

^^ I'm going with the radical approach of using it to play HD-DVD discs.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Cofnchtr"]
Hi

I'll hold the door open...

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.
[/quote]

...and I'll call you a taxi...

You sir, are a taxi...

ey thank you, I'm here all week...