I installed a special Ethernet drop from my router to support the online firmware updates for the HD-A30 and the special internet based extensions of HD-DVD. Toshiba never delivered a firmware update beyond the 1.3 version I installed months ago. The extended internet features weren't very interesting or impressive.
The audio from the BluRay device has always been superior to what the HD-A30 produced. My receiver is capable of decoding anything the two players can produce.
I tried to select HD-DVD releases that were "dual format" i.e. standard DVD and HD-DVD on the same disk. A few of my disks are HD-DVD only. Together with the HD-A30, these disks join my other obsolete formats. My Panasonic 8-track recorder still works fine, but I can't buy media for it anymore. The same fate awaits the HD-A30...except that it will play standard DVD. The Sony BDP-S300 will play the standard DVD format of the dual format HD-DVD disks.
My local Fred Meyer store recently reorganized the BluRay and HD-DVD sections. The day after the Toshiba announcement, the HD-DVD section was removed and the BluRay display area was doubled. That's fine by me. BluRay has been the better performer for me.
Tomorrow?
I also have the Sony BDP-S300. It replaced an Oppo standard DVD player, one of the expensive models with 1080i upconverting capability. I was very happy with the picture from the Oppo, but the standard DVD upconvert on the Sony BluRay puts it to shame. I don’t know if it’s because the Sony upconverts to 1080p, or if it is something else, but a standard DVD played on the Sony looks terrific on my 52” LCD flatscreen. Not quite as good as a real BluRay, but pretty darn close. Close enough that I would never consider replacing a standard DVD that I already own with a newly purchased BluRay version.
OK, I give up. Was post 15 in HD or BluRay? Or was it post 16? You’re right. You can’t tell the difference :-)