Toshiba has announced that it will launch its second-generation HD DVD players, the HD-XF2 and HD-XA2, from late December to the Japanese market, according to this DigiTimes report. Unlike Toshiba's existing HD DVD player beast, the HD-XF2 features a height of just 65.mm, making it the slimmest next generation High Definition player according to Toshiba.
Both players feature HD upscaling to 720p or 1080i for DVDs and CD-R/RW and DVD-R/RW playback. The higher end HD-XA2 also features Deep Color Technology with its HDMI 1.3 support for improved colour tones and colour gradation and HD upscaling support to 1080p for DVD playback.
According to Engadget, Toshiba's European version, the HD-E1 is also due for launch in December, while the higher end HD-XE1 is expected to launch in January. Toshiba delayed its HD-A2 to the EU & US market to the second week of December as a result of chip issues from a third party supplier.
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By
SiC,
Friday 17 November 2006 00:23
They didn't mention the retail price for this player. It's 49,800 yen which is about $450 USD, which is also the same price as the 20G PS3 in Japan.........
I think most people would buy the PS3 instead of this HD DVD player. I think Japan may be seeing the winner for the HD DVD/BluRay battle soon.
You should not compare a stand alone player with a game console... If you want such a better comparison you should get PS3 with XBOX360 + HD DVD add on that I bet will cost less at the launch of the PS3. So you will still end with a game console capable of playing HD movies but at a better price.
Instead try to compare the VERY expensive Pioneer, Panasonic or Samsung BD Player with these old or new Toshiba HD DVD players...
By
SiC,
Saturday 18 November 2006 02:28
First of all I said "in Japan" and the XBox360 didn't sell very well in Japan so I wouldn't compare the 2.
I live in Japan and don't know if you know much about this place but the elder generations here read comic books(manga), watch cartoons (anime), and play video games alot more than the US. Set top DVD players here didn't sell very well at all, then came the PS2 and it started the DVD boom in Japan.
PS3's here are currently impossible to buy and the demand for this console is so high, they cost about $2000 in Japanese auction sites. Once the supply catches up, there will be more than 1 million PS3 consoles in the Japanese homes (Kyodo News). Which will by far exceed the number of XBox360's, set top HD DVD & BluRay players, and the first gen XBox console in Japan.
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