Caveat Emptor

I bought my father a Toshiba HD DVD player for his birthday in December.

Sorry Dad!!
But in reality, the pussies over at Toshiba are to blame. Not me. I just wanted to give my father the gift of super high resolution video - it's all a man could ask for from his son.

Why couldn't they continue to fight a little while longer, even if the battle was utterly hopeless? (insert any Mike Huckabee reference here).

He got a few weeks of use out of the thing before Toshiba threw in the towel, paving the way for Sony's Blu-ray technology to dominate the future of DVD's:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/technology/20newdisc.html?ref=technology

And whether it's pure coincidence or a brilliant example of engineering foresight, Toshiba designed their HD DVD player to fit perfectly in the way, way back of a dark closet, or underneath a standard-height bed frame. Also, when placed on most fast food restaurant seating surfaces, it will securely support the weight of a toddler - allowing for a rambunctious tyke to easily toss french fries directly in your face.

Worst-case scenario, I'm sure it'd be worth a few bucks on eBay.