DailyTech - Toshiba to Hold Off On HD-DVD Player Launch

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Hardware Toshiba to Hold Off On HD-DVD Player Launch
Sven Olsen (Blog) - March 24, 2006 1:23 PM

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11 comment(s) - last by logan77.. on Mar 26 at 11:05 AM

Toshiba's HD-XA1

Toshiba's HD-A1

Toshiba will wait for more content to be available before launching HD-DVD player

In a recent story by ExtremeTech.com, it is reported that Toshiba Corp. America may be holding off on their HD-DVD player launch again, this time to work with movie studios to release both hardware and content side-by-side. By holding off as opposed to releasing the HD-DVD player before the first wave of HD-DVD content begins shipping in April, Toshiba predicts higher sales on its players.

Toshiba says that releasing its HD-DVD players too early does not make sense as no content is available at this time. Toshiba will be launching two models, the HD-XA1 and the HD-A1 along with movie titles from studios such as Warner Home Video which is quoted to say that its first titles on HD-DVD will include Million Dollar Baby and The Phantom of the Opera. Both titles have a scheduled release date of April 18th.

Sony's BDP-S1 Blu-ray format player is also slated for a Q2 2006 release along with titles from Sony Pictures but not until May. Sony is also using the Blu-ray media with PlayStation 3 games later this year.

Toshiba's HD-XA1 will have a retail price of about $800 at launch while the HD-A1 model will hold a $500 price tag. Sony's BDP-S1 Blu-ray player will retail for about $1000 and is on preorder at various etailers.

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Computer HD-DVD drives

By blckgrffn on 3/24/2006 5:10:55 PM , Rating: 2

When will we see them? Anyone?

RE: Computer HD-DVD drives

By ncage on 3/24/2006 7:30:15 PM , Rating: 2

We will supposedly see them in april.

On a side note. I think im going to go with HD-DVD and do i see a lot of other people going the same direction. I can't see a lot of people shelling out 1k for a blue ray player when HD-DVD will have everything they want and for half the price. The only reason i think blue ray has a chance is when the PS3 is released. With this you will get both a high end game console and a blue ray drive for probably under $1k.

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RE: Computer HD-DVD drives

By bob661 on 3/24/2006 11:18:33 PM , Rating: 3

I'm not going to pay $1000 for blu-ray when I can get a PS3 with a blu-ray player for $400-$500.

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RE: Computer HD-DVD drives

By ncage on 3/25/2006 1:24:02 AM , Rating: 2

Right now i dought a ps3 will be 400-500

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RE: Computer HD-DVD drives

By Desslok on 3/25/2006 4:11:59 AM , Rating: 1

The spelling skills are strong with this one.

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RE: Computer HD-DVD drives

By logan77 on 3/26/2006 11:05:14 AM , Rating: 2

->If<- it's gonna cost 400-500$ ... ->when<- it is released (hint:november 2006 - 8 months from now, 8 months!)

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Nothing to do about the HD-DVD format launch but...

By MykC on 3/24/2006 2:29:51 PM , Rating: 3

What is the point of releasing "Million Dollar Baby and The Phantom of the Opera" as the launch DVDs. They may be good or even great movies but this is a new piece of technology. Where is Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Saving Private Ryan or Terminator 2. These are movies that dazzled our senses with amazing and vivid imagery. Isn't HD-DVD/Blu-Ray simply a way to deliver a higher quality image. Why not release titles that would take the most advantage of it?

RE: Nothing to do about the HD-DVD format launch but...

By masher2

(blog) on 3/24/2006 2:49:14 PM , Rating: 3

WB is releasing The Last Samurai also, along with Batman Begins, The Matrix, Twister, Terminator 3, Contact, and several others 2-3 weeks later.

That should be about the time Universal releases its first discs-- Apollo 13, Dune, Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, Pitch Black, and a few others.

Paramount also has a release coming up of about 15-20 titles.

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