Hi since HD DVD is a dieing format I was just wondering why the
Toshiba HD-XA2 1080p HD-DVD Player is still so expensive. There
are other HD 1080p players for far less?

Thanks...

Because it incorporates the Reon chip which is not only the best for up-conversion but also for high-def capabilities. It is also no longer in production so it is considered a very hot item among HD-DVD enthusiasts. The other thing that I noticed is that it is the only HD-DVD player that I have seen released to the mass market that supports 1080p/60. In other words if you have a 1080p/50/60 set (such as myself) you can enjoy 1080p with this player without worrying about a bunch of jaggies (which you will get from the A30 or A35 if you try to run them on max res on a set like mine). Even though the XA2 is a Toshiba it is in fact more akin to the high-end lines (ie Onkyo, Denon, Marantz) in terms of it's capabilities as a player. Keep in mind that when it was in production that it was a $900-$1000 unit and so even in it's death the unit will still fetch $300-$400 on ebay due to the aforementioned reasons.

Is the reon chip a better upconverter than the
Faroudja DCDi (TM) technology in some OPPO Players..

The Reon chip blows the Faroudja chip out of the water. The Faroudja chip is not in the same league as the Reon. Go to AVS and search for "XA2 Reon" and read the killer reviews.

The XA2 is the best HD/SD DVD player ever made.

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD included.