This week, as expected, HD DVD chief proponent Toshiba released a firmware update for its HD-A20, HD-XA2 and HD-A2 disc players that it said will enable playback of 1080p/24 fps—although actually seeing the end result is, quite literally, another matter.
The update (version 2.5) for the three models is designed to improve network connectivity for downloading Internet-enabled network content (associated with some HD DVD discs. It’s also supposed to support additional OSD (on-screen display) languages, as well as fix some HDMI/DVI technical glitches and other playback issues, according to Digital Home Canada.
However, while the update for two models (D-XA2 and HD-A20) also will permit playback at 1080p/24, most of today’s HD sets cannot display 1080p/24 (which is the standard fps rate of images for 35mm movie film). Even relatively new 1080p DTV sets cannot play back 1080p/24, according to Digital Home Canada, which advises, “Unless your HDTV manual specifically states that your television can output 1080p/24, assume that it cannot.”
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