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Toshiba XD-E500 Upconverting 1080p Extended Detail DVD Player | 
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| Brand: Toshiba
Category: CE
Buy New: See price in cart
New (35)
Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 861
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 16.9 x 2
nv:Device Type: DVD/CD Changer
Compatible Format: CD-DA
Compatible Format: CD-R
Compatible Format: CD-RW
Compatible Format: DVD
Display Type: LED
Remote Control: Yes
Video Input: S-Video
Video Input: HDMI
Video Output: S-Video
Audio Input: Coaxial Digital
Audio Input: Optical Digital
Dimensions: 16.93" x 1.97" x 7.8"
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: XD-E500
Model: XD-E500
UPC: 022265001912
EAN: 0022265001912
ASIN: B001D9IWIY
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| | Full 1080p Upconversion with 24 frame capability | | | No need to replace your current DVD library |
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Product Description
selectable 720p/1080i/1080p(60Hz, 24Hz) output via HDMI digital interface * 3 XDE upconversion modes: Sharp, Contrast, and Color * 1 set of audio/video outputs (composite, S-video, 480i/480p component video, and HDMI) * coaxial digital output for Dolby Digital/DTS /PCM * remote control *
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| Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...
 Wow August 30, 2008
Barry Shatswell (Houston, TX United States)
27 out of 29 found this review helpful
I tried this product to see what it would do for the video quality. What I have learned is that it not only lived up to what was advertised, but it exceeded it. I am so impressed with the video AND audio quality that I had to write a review. The sound is incredible in clarity and separation. The video has breathed new exciting life into my DVD collection, so much that I want see each of them again just to experience the incredible picture quality. Even the older DVDs are significantly improved. Those will never be Blu-Ray quality, but are at their best on this player.
High quality product. Two thumbs up!
Looks good. August 29, 2008
ericnj (USA)
20 out of 22 found this review helpful
Produces a really crisp, sharp picture without adding any artifacts when upscaling to 1080p. The XDE enhancements work really well and with the color mode on movies look better than I' ve seen them on even my Oppo 981.
Overall I'm very happy with this purchase. Sure, it's not hidef, but you can only do so much with standard def material. Though there have been plenty of moments when I've felt like I'm watching one of my blu-ray discs while watching a standard def disc thanks to the XDE sharpness and color enhancements. Recommended.
Wow!!!!!!!! August 29, 2008
N. Cheung (New York)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
Let me start by saying this is not a Blu-ray Killer. The resolution on Blu-Ray is outstanding with detail that will stun any viewer. But This DVD is a damn fine substitute until the prices drop on the latest Blu-ray players with the latest firmware. Spending 150.00 bucks is much better than spending 400.00. Once the price reaches 100-150.00 bucks with all the bells and whistles I want, then I'll invest in Blu-ray. For now this machine will most definitely do.
I must admit I was skeptical. I have the Samsung HD860 which played on a Samsung LNT4661F LCD TV. It was good but not great. My friend, she has the Sony DVP-NS700H/B which is a damn fine machine that works beautifully on her Samsung LN40A550 LCD. Watching Flushed Away on that set-up was awesome.
I was going to get the Sony DVP-NS700H/B based on my friends set-up and on extremely favorable reviews. But then I heard Toshiba was coming out with some new up-converting tech that originally was supposed to rival Blu-ray but which has now been downgraded to being better than DVD, not Blu-ray quality, but definitely better. I was intrigued nonetheless so I waited.
Well the wait was worth it!! The pic is awesome!! I put in Terminator:The Sarah Connor chronicles season one and man!! It's not HD but it damn well is close. Now images will vary in quality depending on the scene...but overall the consistency is really good! I couldn't be happier! I haven't tried older movies yet or other DVD's, but will get to them soon!
The machine is well designed and easy to set-up and use. But most importantly the image is just awesome!
I will invest in Blu-ray eventually...but the price has to come down. For now the Toshiba XDE500 will do...and it does it beautifully!!!
Update:8.31.08: I've tested some older DVD's with adequate but not great transfers. And I've got to say this machine does an amazing job! Predator, The Great Escape, BSG Razor and Alien look oh so good...it's like watching brand new DVD's! I am going to check out the rest of my DVD collection one at a time. The Toshiba XDE500 is truly a wonder!
Update:9.17.08: Just returned my player and exchanged it for a new one. Peter929, one of the reviewers here pointed out that the machine made a high pitch whine. Well mine did too and I am not sure if it developed over time or if it was there at the beginning and I didn't notice. I checked it after reading the review of Peter929 and noticed it. I returned it for a new one and this one is whine free, whether the machine is off or on. I've noticed that the last reviewer also had the same problem and returned his for a new one. I know it's a hassle but I still love the image quality. It loads fast and the image is the best I can hope for until Blu-ray is more appealing cost wise!
Second one was a charm August 27, 2008
arkiedan (Arkansas)
27 out of 31 found this review helpful
My first XD-E played two discs and went belly up - dead! I returned it and got the replacement yesterday and played with it for several hours. I should say out front that I love HD-DVD and Blu Ray and have an extensive library of both. I didn't believe for a minute that any sd disc could come close. I was wrong.
My present system is a Sony 60A3000 HD rear projector, Onkyo 805 AVR, Panasonic BD30 Blu Ray player, Toshiba A35 HD DVD player and now this Toshiba XD-E. I set the XD-E resolution at 1080P24 since my TV can handle it.
My A35 is a fine upcoverter and so I made all comparisons with that player. Frankly, I love the BD30 for blus but it falls well behind when playing SD discs.
Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is a great sd dvd and image quality is excellent. I played this disc on both players, switching back and forth numerous times, and was continuously surprised and impressed by the image quality of the XD-E over the A35.
I was taken aback by the sharper images, the complete lack of edge artifacts and the great contrast and color.
I played with the settings with the following results:
Sharp: this setting is on all the time (unless you turn off all image adjustments) and has a subtle effect on the image quality. In almost every scene it improved the picture noticeably and gave a pleasant 3D look to the film.
Color: Many folks will like this setting but I didn't. It adds a touch of color to greens and blues and as far as color goes I'm a minimalist. The added color was too intense and distracting for me. I'll leave the "color" setting off.
Contrast: I liked this setting. It was subtile but very real and it often causedthe image to "pop" as they say these days. I never thought it was too strong so I'll use this setting for most viewing.
Off: The XD-E does a great job with the settings off. If they were not there to play with I would have still considered this a fine dvd player.
It should be said that the settings are readily available on the remote and it's easy and painless to change them while viewing. I've heard complaints that people don't want to change settings during a movie but it's really a non-issue.
Overall, I was shocked by the heft of this player. Even when I picked up the box I thought, "There can't be anything in here?" It's that light! And, when unpacked, it weights almost nothing. Still, for me anyway, it produced as promised.
Frankly, I was planning to buy the Oppo 983 (at $400!) until now. Now I think I'll stay with the XD-E. It won't play my SACDs but I have another player I can use for them. I understand it can be setup to handle PAL, region 2 discs and so that eliminates another concern for me.
I've read many negative comments on various forums regarding this player. Many, if not all, are by people who don't own it or who's display won't benefit from it's feature set. All I can say is: you folks are missing out on a fine player. At $150 it's not the cheapest upconverter out there but it's far from the most expensive. And, IMO it can compete with those that cost far more than $150. Can it compete with HD? Again, IMO it can. Considering the price of HD discs these days and the bargains that can be had on SD discs (many will never see HD!) it can more than compete.
The bottom-line: If you're one of those guys who says things like, "I'd rather watch a lousy movie in Hd than a great movie in SD," this player is not for you. Buy those overpriced discs and enjoy while I play my SDs through this player and watch great movies with IQ very near your's.
Addition: I have two copies of Casablanca, one HD DVD and one straight out of Walmart's bargain bin at $5.00.
I simultaneously ran both, the HD DVD in the A35 and the SD in the XD-E, switching back and forth. The $5.00 SD version in the XD-E was excellent and, believe it or not, very close to the HD version. I found it best with the filters switched off. I then ran the SD in the A35 player and found IQ inferior with more noise than the XD-E, which gave the disc a smoother, less noisy appearance, closer to the HD version.
I have a copy of the Superbit SD, "Desperado," which looks very good on the A35. In the XD-E it was terrific and my wife and son thought it was a new HD disc.
A quick update: I see others with a problem where a 4:3 image is stretched to fill a 16:9 screen. My Sony, and I imagine many other sets, can quickly switch to 4:3 with the "Wide" button set to "Normal" on the remote. I can then view anything originally in 4:3.
An edit on 9-29-08:
Well, everything I said above stands, EXCEPT I returned the XDE and bought an Oppo 983 after all. Clearly the XDE produces a fine picture but, after trying the Oppo, I couldn't go back to the Toshiba. The Oppo 983 produces better IQ and does many other things well. Still, for the money I believe the XDE is a fine player, just not up there with the 983.
arkiedan
Found and actual product review. August 20, 2008
Joaquin Arosemena (Miami, FL and Panama City, Panama)
50 out of 61 found this review helpful
I found the following review at a Yahoo Group named theBombShelter. I think it will be very helpful to anyone interested in this new Toshiba SuperUpConverter model XD-E500. Credit for this review should be given to Bill Cortner.
--------------------------------
Well my Toshiba SuperUpConverter, re-named "XDE" came in
yesterday [Fedex Next-Day], and needless to say, I wasted
no time getting into some very extensive evaluations.
HARDWARE USED:
Sony KDL-46XBR5, 1080P, 120hz, 24fps, HD Display
Monster Cable 1000HD, 1-meter 10.2 Gbps HDMI cables
Onkyo DV-HD805 HD DVD + UpConverting DVD player [Silicon Optix]
Oppo DV-981HD UpConverting DVD player {Faroudja DCDi]
Toshiba HD-A35 HD DVD + UpConverting DVD player [Anchor Bay]
Toshiba XD-E500 Upconverting DVD player [Cel processor]
WIRING:
All devices were wired with identical HDMi cables,
and the signal path was direct-to-monitor [no switchers]
SOFTWARE:
Identical/twin-copies of the following HD DVD/SD DVD Combi discs...
American Gangster
Bourne Ultimatum
Hot Fuzz
Smokin' Aces
TESTING:
Identical discs were placed in competing players, cued up to
the exact same frame, and then started simultaneously.
Switching between opponents could be conducted at will,
and I frequently chapter-backed to watch a key element,
color, edge, texture, color, or pan/tilt/motion sequence
over and over again [ad nauseum].
I did not conduct these tests by myself.
I dragged my poor brother into this mind-bending,
eye-marathon, and he graciously sat there making his own
observations, with the intention being, that a 2nd opinion
would be rendered/posted for the group's consideration.
Special thanks also to Bruce [my brother] for providing
the 2nd identical/twin combi-discs that were needed to
conduct fair SD DVD to SD DVD as well as HD DVD to SD DVD
hardware performance evaluations.
FRAMING THE RESULTS:
I gave some thought to how I would go about putting into words
precisely what was revealed during this marathon session.
In the end, I decided that a 1-10 scale would be used.
Additionally, I'm going to frame the scale by defining what
a "1" and what a "10" represents, in a way that you can relate to.
1= VHS Tape
3= DVD at 480P, not Upconverted
10= HD DVD or Blu-ray at full 1080P on a full 1080P display
RESULTS:
Oppo DV-981HD UpConverting DVD to 1080P = 5
Toshiba HD-A30 UpConvert DVD to 1080P = 5
Onkyo DV-HD805 UpConvert DVD to 1080P [Reon Edge OFF] = 5.5
Onkyo DV-HD805 UpConvert DVD to 1080P [Reon Edge ON] = 6
Toshiba HD-E500 UpConvert DVD to 1080P = 8 [XDE ON]
Toshiba HD-E500 UpConvert DVD to 1080P = 7.8 [XDE + CONTRAST ON]
Toshiba HD-E500 UpConvert DVD to 1080P = 8.2 [XDE + COLOR MAPPING ON]
Onkyo DV-HD805 HD DVD at 1080P = 9.7 [Reon Edge OFF]
Onkyo DV-HD805 HD DVD at 1080P = 10 [Reon Edge ON]
VERBS, ADVERBS, ADJECTIVES AND WHATNOT:
This industry is so ripe with exaggerated claims, creative
interpretation of the numbers, and outright lies, that I'm
almost afraid to put into words what the preceding numerical
test results [clearly] reveal/indicate. Almost afraid, not... afraid.
[subtle but important difference, as with the numerical ratings].
Let's do this arse-backwards [reviewers always make you read
a lot of verbs, adverbs and whatnot before they generally say
anything even remotely useful, or God-forbid, controversial...
Stated simply, this Toshiba SuperUpConverter, which was renamed
"XDE" absolutely eats/annihilates the Silicon Optix HQV Reon,
and words can not even describe what it does to [formerly]
world-class/award-winning UpConverters like the Oppo DV-981HD
and the ABT-equipped 3rd generation Toshiba HD DVD players.
Look, unlike the big review sites... I have absolutely no axe
to grind here. This isn't my business, it's my hobby, and
I own...
(2) Oppo DV-981HD
(2) Toshiba HD-A35
(4) Onkyo DV-HD805
So it's not like I'm doing what human beings do...
Trying to justify their prior decisions/investments and
convince themselves/others that whatever they own is the
right thing to own... I honestly don't give a crap...
As I said the other day, let the chips fall where they may.
As to why that c/Net guy wrote an op-ed piece [not based on a test]
that went all-out to trash the SuperUpConverter, even going so
far as to suggest that the only thing XDE had to offer was
"edge enhancement"? Frankly, after spending 6 hours [two three
hour sessions with a good night's sleep to rest the eyes in between]
I am truly stunned and perplexed by this c/Net "opinion" [not test]
that is without a doubt, completely at odds with truth/reality.
The problem Toshiba faces here is the fact that the studios,
electronics manufacturers, B&M stores, online retailers, and
MAGAZINES/PRESS that get their income/revenue from advertising
funded by all of the above... are on a do or die mission to
try and convince everyone to buy Blu-ray Disc. Why? Because
DVD mas been around so long that it has matured [begun to stagnate].
For the 1st 9 years, DVD was up up up over every previous year.
But now it's leveled off, and begun heading down.
So to combat this, the studios, retailers and CE manufacturers
have gotten into a blow-em-out-cheap to make it up in volume
mentality that has totally eliminated/eroded the profit from
DVD software and hardware.
This is the REAL reason that the industry wants Blu-ray to succeed.
It's not because they want to give everyone better picture and
sound quality out of the goodness of their hearts...
It's because the are scared sh#tless about the downward trend
in DVD sales, as well as the continuing to erode profit margin
of yesterday's golden-goose... The consumer's beloved DVD.
Blu-ray Disc aims not to put high-definition in your living--room,
nut to put the profit back in sell-through movies [and players].
Blu-ray literally is the studios, retailers and CE manufacturers
wet-dream... An potentially very exciting product that, if adopted
by consumers, could turn into a PROFIT GRAVY TRAIN for all of them...
Thus solving their ever-looming DVD nightmare.
Is it therefore surprising that the preliminary "buzz" on
a new INEXPENSIVE DVD player, than IN FACT actually puts
your standard DVDs in the same [general] league as that
profit gravy train, errrrr Blu-ray Disc... is getting the bum's rush?
My opinion? Expect more similar hatchet jobs.
Back to the SuperUpConverter...
How good is it? OMG! This DVD player is a revelation!
It greatly increases detail, but does not increase noise/artifacts.
It was astonishing, and a little sad to watch this $149 player
produce a picture that mas MUCH more detailed AND much cleaner
than the Silicon Optix equipped Onkyo DV-HD805
Normally when you increase "sharpness", you increase "noise"
But there isn't the slightest hint of that happening with XDE.
Yet it's not only the detail/sharpness that leaps ahead of
any other UpConverter, it's everything! The color for example
looks like you washed tobacco/nicotine off your screen when
going from the Oppo DV-981HD, Toshiba HD-A35 or Onkyo DV-HD805
to the SuperUpConverter. That's the thing... True high-definition
video isn't just sharper, it's also got much better/more crisp color.
But the Toshiba XD-E500 gives you BOTH the sharpness you expect
from high-definition AND that crisp/vivid color!
What about side-effects, artifacts or problems?
Frankly, I got eye-strain trying to find something, anything
that the SuperUpConverter was getting "wrong" that the Silicon
Optix HQV Reon was getting "right" The verdict? Nada.
Whatever artifacts were visible on the XDE device were also
present and visible on the other conventional UpConverters.
I know- I know- The [...] question...
Is the SuperUpConverter a "Blu-ray killer"?
Well, since I don't own a Blu-ray player, I can't really say.
However, my opinion, based on evaluations of Blu-ray vs HD DVD
[using a PS3 and a Toshiba HD-A35 on a 46" Sony XBR5 a few months ago]
have left me with the very strong opinion that, assuming the same
transfer/encode/film... There is no visual difference between
Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. Therefore, extrapolating on that previous
test... I am going to say that, NO, THE TOSHIBA XDE/SuperUpConverter
IS NOT a BLU-RAY [or HD DVD] KILLER.
That being said... The Toshiba XD-E500 at all times looked
like TRUE HIGH DEFINITION in terms of sharpness and color.
It literally blew me away, and it is without a doubt the
very best UpConverter I have ever seen.
This player's radical new approach of analyzing 9 frames
of video in real time is a quantum leap forward in upscaling
mechanics that deserves some kind of major tech/achievement award.
I want to repeat something to make sure you caught it...
The Toshiba XD-E500 at all times looked
like TRUE HIGH DEFINITION in terms of sharpness and color.
The bottom-line?
If you own even [...] DVDs? You would have to be crazy not
to invest a paltry [...] in a device that will in fact,
raise them to a level of performance that would convince
anyone that they were watching true HD video.
What else can I say other than don't wait for DVD 2.0
which any marketing major will tell you is exactly
one year away, and won't produce a picture any better than this!
It will just have HDi menu's IF the Blu-ray gravy-train
riding studios decide to support it... A very big if guys!
Where was I? Oh yeah...
BUY THIS PLAYER as soon as you can find it for [...] or less...
Do not buy it from Amazon... They are price/gouging and
charging [...] over the manufacturer's list price!
Circuit City offers it with free shipping for [...]
If anyone finds a better deal, please post it here
at TBS because anyone with a decent-sized DVD collection
definitely needs to own one of these DVD dream machines!
-Bill
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