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Top pick: The big picture
Okay, it's official: Current DVDs are obsolete. Toshiba's HD-XA1 HD-DVD player ($800) is the first high-definition, next-generation DVD player to hit the stores (along with its slightly less fancy little brother, the HD-A1, $500), although players based on the rival Blu-ray high-definition DVD format are not far behind. The selection of prerecorded HD movies based on Toshiba's HD-DVD format is limited for now, but initial titles like The Last Samurai and Unforgiven are dazzling enough in terms of picture and sound quality to guarantee that the shift to high-definition DVD is inevitable. Don't worry: Both the HD-XA1 and HD-A1 are backward-compatible with standard DVD discs.On second thought, worry: The jury is still out on which rival format will prevail - Dad will remember VHS vs. Betamax - and while Toshiba's HD-DVD has a headstart, the format that delivers the most quality titles the soonest will ultimately win. If Dad already has an HDTV set, the Toshiba HD-XA1 will be its new best friend. (www.toshiba.com) DVDs: • Blazing Saddles HD-DVD (Warner, $29) • Three Burials of M. Estrada (Sony, $27) • Elevator to the Gallows (Criterion, $40) • Brokeback Mountain (Universal, $30) |
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