HD-A2 $198 @ Wal-Mart

[gparris]

Steve Mann:
"DTS" is what the HD-A1 and A2 "convert" the "DD+" audio to since your optical and coaxial digital cable can only handle Dolby Digital ot 640Kbps.
- So it sends it out from the player to your AVR at 1509Kbps in DTS, something the cabling can handle-with DTS-only.
DTS and DD are different audio codecs, but it translates to correct audio nonetheless.
Many folks, when Toshiba's first HD DVD player came out, the HD-A1, either used the 5.1 analogue audio outputs to their 5.1 inputs on their AVRs for uncompressed DD+ (and Dolby TRUEHD) or used the standard legacy method with the cabling your are using.
The HD-A2's do not offer analogue audio outputs and since your AVR does not support HDMI, you are still doing okay.
What was worse in the beginning, is some those first HD-A1 uses did not even have DTS decoding in the AVRs (they had to be really old AVRs, IMO).
Hope I answered your question-yes-your DTS @1.5Mbps is working fine-as Toshiba intended-for DD+, but not Dolby TrueHD.
-Note the majority of HD DVDs are still produced in DD+, an excellent audio codec, but it is still compressed, better than legacy DD, but many folks may not notice the difference between DD+ and Dolby TRUEHD (I do).
-so don't worry for now-its still much better audio than you had before with SD DVDs.
You should get the DD+ (DTS) audio from the Dolby TRUEHD, but nothing more if you play a HD DVD with Dolby TRUEHD-try it and see.

[HDefinicktion]

Is there a resource around that lists movies with the TrueHD audio track, or is it a search and find type thing?  I remember that when DTS first hit, there was a resource on their website listing all DVDs with that audio track.  I checked Dolbys sit, but was unsuccessful at finding anything.

[Steve Mann]

...Hope I answered your question-yes-your DTS @1.5Mbps is working fine-as Toshiba intended-for DD+, but not Dolby TrueHD.

Yes! Thanks for the detailed explanation. Makes perfect sense now.

So, in summary, I don't have the best I could have, but I'm better off than I was with my SD DVDs when it comes to the audio signal. Give me another year or so and I'll likely upgrade my receiver and HD DVD player.

[gparris]

Is there a resource around that lists movies with the TrueHD audio track, or is it a search and find type thing?  I remember that when DTS first hit, there was a resource on their website listing all DVDs with that audio track.  I checked Dolbys sit, but was unsuccessful at finding anything.

Yes, I provided a link before, probably in another thread:
http://www.hddvdstats.com/index.php?OrderBy=Audio
Here, the audio codecs for HD DVD are listed vs. others by disc.
Hope this assists you.

[gparris]

Yes! Thanks for the detailed explanation. Makes perfect sense now.

So, in summary, I don't have the best I could have, but I'm better off than I was with my SD DVDs when it comes to the audio signal. Give me another year or so and I'll likely upgrade my receiver and HD DVD player.

Your player is fine, unless you want to get that combo player once the reviews come out (if it works as well as it says it will) and the price goes down a bit.
Then you will have both formats, unless you plan to find a discounted Blu-ray player (there are some if you look hard).
Another AVR would be nice, too, with HDMI inputs for all of it.

[RLJSlick]

http://formatwarcentral.com/index.php/2007/10/30/black-friday-toshiba-hd-a3-hd-dvd-player-16999-sears/

[OlsonNet]

http://formatwarcentral.com/index.php/2007/10/30/black-friday-toshiba-hd-a3-hd-dvd-player-16999-sears/

Yep, Sears will have the HD-A3 for $169 on Black Friday - should be available online the day before if you don't want to fight the crowds.

I'm in the Milwaukee area and run one of the biggest BF sites, so be sure to check it out as more ads come out. Should be plenty of really nice HD-related deals in the coming weeks:

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com

Also, at least as of yesterday both CircuitCity.com and Amazon.com had the HD-A2 for $197 with free shipping to match the WalMart price.

[flash]

Yep, Sears will have the HD-A3 for $169 on Black Friday - should be available online the day before if you don't want to fight the crowds.

I'm in the Milwaukee area and run one of the biggest BF sites, so be sure to check it out as more ads come out. Should be plenty of really nice HD-related deals in the coming weeks:

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com

Also, at least as of yesterday both CircuitCity.com and Amazon.com had the HD-A2 for $197 with free shipping to match the WalMart price.

Which is better.... the A2 or the A3?