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Toshiba HD-A35  (Source: AV Watch)
The third time's a charm with Toshiba's HD DVD player lineup

Toshiba isn't standing still when it comes to the development of HD DVD players. The company announced today that it has revamped its entry-level, mid-range and high-end players and that all three will retail for under $500.

"With a majority market share in unit sales of next generation DVD players, consumers are speaking loud and clear, and they are adopting HD DVD as their HD movie format of choice," said Jodi Sally, VP of Marketing for Toshiba's Digital A/V Group. "Because of the proven manufacturing efficiencies of the HD DVD format, Toshiba can bring this level of innovation in technology to a new generation of players with cutting-edge functionality at affordable prices."

The first new model is the entry-level HD-A3. Toshiba didn't divulge many details on the HD-A3 other than the fact that it features 1080i output. The mid-range HD-A30 adds support for 1080p output along with what Toshiba calls "CE-Link" or HDMI-CEC. CE-Link allows for a two-way connection between the HD DVD player and TV over HMDI.

The high-end HD-A35 also features 1080p support and CE-Link, but also adds support for Deep Color over HDMI, 5.1 channel analog audio output and High Bit Rate 7.1 Audio over HDMI.

All three players feature a slimmer exterior design with rounded edges and a high-gloss black finish. According to Toshiba, the third generation players are half as tall as the first generation units.

Toshiba's HD-A30 will be available in September at a price of $399.99. The HD-A3 and HD-A35 will be available in October with price tags of $299.99 and $499.99 respectively.

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And Yet...
By michal1980 on 8/6/2007 3:41:11 PM , Rating: 1
Blu-Ray disks have been outselling hd-dvd since the beginning of the year.

Even with the recent toshiba fire sale.

the ratio is still about 65:35 blu-ray disks to hd-dvd disks.




RE: And Yet...
By soydios on 8/6/2007 3:44:23 PM , Rating: 2
I'm gonna have to ask you to back that up with a source. Both camps keep saying that they are outselling (and better than) the other one.


RE: And Yet...
By Gul Westfale on 8/6/2007 3:54:46 PM , Rating: 2
it's michal dude. he says it because the ps3 uses bluray and he is one their most fanatical fanboys. now watch him log onto his second account and rate me down :)


RE: And Yet...
By michal1980 on 8/6/2007 4:01:37 PM , Rating: 2
go to avsforums

vist the hi-def media section

look for the nelsion numbers. they provide the sales ratios for disks.


RE: And Yet...
By masher2 (blog) on 8/6/2007 4:04:00 PM , Rating: 3
I'm one of the more ardent HD-DVD supporters on this site, and what he says is true. BD is outselling HD-DVD...though the latest figures I've seen put it at around 62:38.

Three signal points to remember, though. First is that gap is nowhere near large enough to say one format is "winning". Even a 20-25% market share is enough for a format to survive...no one is going to abandon such a large slice of the market.

The second point is that HD-DVD is actually gaining ground, not losing it. The post-PS3 period (Jan-March) was absymal for HD-DVD, but since then, its figures have bounced back.

Third and most important-- BD and HD-DVD combined are selling a microscopically tiny fragment of DVD's figures. They're still being outsold by VHS, in fact. The format war isn't won...it hasn't even really begun yet.


RE: And Yet...
By michal1980 on 8/6/07, Rating: 0
RE: And Yet...
By masher2 (blog) on 8/6/2007 4:37:48 PM , Rating: 2
At one point, BD was outselling HD-DVD nearly 4 to 1. The post-PS3 launch bounce is long gone, however, and HD-DVD has climbed back. Its been running between a 32-39% market share for the last 3 months. That is "gaining ground" from the quarter immediately prior.


RE: And Yet...
By leexgx on 8/6/2007 7:36:13 PM , Rating: 2
i want BD to be prefered as it holds alot more data
HD tv movies stuff i care less for both formats will do but as long as Blu-ray is prefered on PCs and it should be as it holds 10gb-20gb more then an Hd-dvd disk

unlike dvd-r and dvd+r both disks was the same size it was witch side got more money for selling more of the format HD-dvd and BD you got 15gb/30gb - 25gb/50gb on an comsumer level for size of space BD wins there even if it comes with an Combo HD-dvd reader + Blu-ray Burner i be happy best of both world for reading both formats and the abitly to burn Lots of data/video/xvid per disk


RE: And Yet...
By soydios on 8/6/2007 9:08:25 PM , Rating: 2
complete sentences, please...


RE: And Yet...
By Guyver on 8/6/2007 4:54:26 PM , Rating: 2
Blu-Ray declares victory based on disc sales.

HD-DVD declares victory based on stand alone player sales.

Read my response to michal1980 below concerning how I believe the two "facts" can peacefully co-exist as true IMHO.


RE: And Yet...
By Guyver on 8/6/2007 4:42:06 PM , Rating: 5
Well if Blu-Ray is doing THAT well, there’s no reason why Samsung or LG who used to be Blu-Ray only supporters would even bother with making a combo player. Arstechnica a while back pointed out that “The PS3 has no games in the top twenty list for June, nor the top ten for the first half of the year.” http://tinyurl.com/yty5g6 It’s also no surprise that the PS3 has been in last place for console sales. The Nintedo software sales are showing just how well the hardware sales drives the software.

Blu-Ray supporters heavily cite the huge number of Blu-Ray discs sold. But I haven’t seen anybody put this into perspective. For the most part, I believe Sony is enjoying Blu-Ray sales much like Nintendo is for software sales but for different reasons.

Every time Toshiba declares a victory citing standalone players sold, Sony’s rebuttal has been to include their PS3 consoles as well. At last count (and at Sony’s insistence) there were 1.5 million Blu-Ray players sold. At around that time, they reached selling 1 million discs. That’s less than one disc per player.

Toshiba at that same time pointed out that they were only 2,000 discs behind Blu-Ray and their installed base was around 300,000 players. That’s over 3 discs per player.

So how is it that Blu-Ray disc sales are doing so well? It seems when you have 1.4 million BORED gamers because there are not that many games worth playing that those $15 coupons Sony bundled with their PS3s seem to be spurring those sales. Blu-Ray sales seem to be doing “okay” so long as there are no great PS3 games out.

I think Sony has seen what price cuts did for Toshiba and they realize when the good games start coming out (and they will) that those same gamers who are propping their disc sales will more than likely drop their interest in Blu-Ray movies due to cost and replay value. For those two reasons, Sony probably dropped their entry-level Blu-Ray player before launch in order to get more stand alone players in people’s hands. They know ultimately the hardware is going to drive this format war.

That being said, this format war is ridiculously small. I think I recall reading that the DVD version of Borat alone has sold more copies than all HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs sold combined and that only 1% of all HDTV owners actually have a HD player for their TVs.


Where are the cheap HD-DVD drives?
By borowki on 8/6/2007 3:10:04 PM , Rating: 2
I don't understand why there are still no inexpensive (~$100) internal HD-DVD or Blu-Ray ROM drives available. I don't want HD in the living room, since DVD is quite acceptable when view at a distance. The computer is where I would really appreciate the higher definition.




RE: Where are the cheap HD-DVD drives?
By Cobra Commander on 8/6/2007 3:17:04 PM , Rating: 2
Supply and Demand. Super-low supply + Super-low demand = high prices.


By Cobra Commander on 8/6/2007 3:17:30 PM , Rating: 2
Sorry, this previous post did not reply properly. :(


RE: Where are the cheap HD-DVD drives?
By shamgar03 on 8/6/2007 3:28:41 PM , Rating: 3
Umm low demand leads to low prices. Low quantities lead to higher overhead = higher prices. So revised:
Super low supply + small-scale production = high prices.


By Cobra Commander on 8/6/2007 4:50:07 PM , Rating: 2
Well, the low demand does not drive the production up so that's why I said that. They're not going to produce large quantity of something nobody wants, so yes, low demand does directly affect its high price.


RE: Where are the cheap HD-DVD drives?
By clemedia on 8/6/2007 3:18:57 PM , Rating: 2
I too wish there would be a cheaper internal drive. I don't really need the ability to burn blue ray discs, a reader would be more than enough for me. Right now about the only option is the external XBOX360 HD-dvd reader that I've been eying.


By v1001 on 8/6/2007 3:46:36 PM , Rating: 2
There is an internal drive out right now. I dont think it costs all that much. I'd liked to pick up an internal one also some day. But right now the x-box 360 drive works quite well too. And it's been seen at bestbuy for $150 plus 6 free movies. I think that's a pretty dang good deal. I had the x-box drive for a while and it was great. But my PC wasn't quite strong enough so I had to sell it. But yeah some day when I build a new PC I'd like a nice internal one.


By Gastrian on 8/6/2007 6:13:47 PM , Rating: 2
Well the sooner HD-DVD and Blu-Ray ROM units and writers make it into the mainstream the sooner HD piracy becomes mainstream.

Its a double-edged sword really, piracy bites into profits but its the £5 knock-off copies that push the medium forward.


close but no cigar
By Gul Westfale on 8/6/2007 2:53:44 PM , Rating: 2
for $300 they look quite appealing... but not as appealing as the $150 HD DVD/BluRay combo player we will have next year...




RE: close but no cigar
By Gul Westfale on 8/6/2007 9:23:05 PM , Rating: 2
i've been reading up a bit now...

bluray does have higher capacity of course, but HD DVD has an advantage too: there is apparently no regional coding. for some of you that might not matter, but to me it does.

there is one thing i wanted to know though, and i hope someone here can give me answer: it appears that sony \did not use the DSD audio coding in the bluray spec (DSD is what's used on SACDs), i wonder why that is, isn't DSD technically better than other sound systems (or at least equal)?

also, i heard that the PS3 cannot play back bluray audio at full quality but rather samples the sound down to DVD-like levels. is it true, and why is this done? are sound chips that expensive? and if they are, what do lower-end bluray players use?