Toshiba to sell high-definition players in US
TOKYO: Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will sell the high-definition player supporting its HD DVD format in the United States in March _ the first commercial launch of the product in the world.
The new HD DVD players - HD-XA1 and HD-A1, priced at US$799 (euro673) and US$499 (euro420) each, will hit the U.S. market in March - the first high-definition player commercialised in the world, the company said in a release.
Toshiba's move will heat up the battle in the high-stakes market for the next generation of video discs.
The HD DVD format, jointly developed by another Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp., is incompatible with its main competitor, the Blu-ray disc, which is backed by Sony Corp.
Both formats deliver dazzling images in high-definition video and can store much more data that today's DVDs, allowing for more interactive features, like enjoying a movie while simoultaneously watching the director discuss the scene.
Through extensive discussions and cooperation with major Hollywood studios, major retailers and other interested parties, Toshiba has "closely investigated the optimum launch date'' for the HD DVDs in the United States, the company said.
Toshiba said it has decided on the U.S. launch date of March, when major Hollywood studios are expected to unveil HD DVD movie titles.
"Going forward, HD DVD is destined to be a key driver for progress and the development of the consumer electronics, IT and entertainment industries,'' Yoshihide Fujii, Toshiba's corporate senior vice president and president of digital medial network company, said.
More details of the HD-XA1 and HD-X1 were to be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, which opened in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday, Toshiba said.
The HD DVD is supported by Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Intel Corp., as well as Microsoft Corp., which hopes its new Xbox 360 video game console will challenge the longtime dominance of Sony's PlayStation.
Blu-ray is backed by Apple Computer Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., along with a variety of other tech companies and studios.
Toshiba spokeswoman Hiroko Mochida said the company has not yet set a date on when to sell the new HD DVD players in Japan, pending a copy protection issue.
Sony's Blu-ray video recorders are already on sale in Japan, and the Sony PlayStation 3 video-game console, which backs Blu-ray, is set to go on sale this spring. But it isn't clear when Blu-ray players and other models will be available. - AP
TOKYO: Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will sell the high-definition player supporting its HD DVD format in the United States in March _ the first commercial launch of the product in the world.
The new HD DVD players - HD-XA1 and HD-A1, priced at US$799 (euro673) and US$499 (euro420) each, will hit the U.S. market in March - the first high-definition player commercialised in the world, the company said in a release.
Toshiba's move will heat up the battle in the high-stakes market for the next generation of video discs.
The HD DVD format, jointly developed by another Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp., is incompatible with its main competitor, the Blu-ray disc, which is backed by Sony Corp.
Both formats deliver dazzling images in high-definition video and can store much more data that today's DVDs, allowing for more interactive features, like enjoying a movie while simoultaneously watching the director discuss the scene.
Through extensive discussions and cooperation with major Hollywood studios, major retailers and other interested parties, Toshiba has "closely investigated the optimum launch date'' for the HD DVDs in the United States, the company said.
Toshiba said it has decided on the U.S. launch date of March, when major Hollywood studios are expected to unveil HD DVD movie titles.
"Going forward, HD DVD is destined to be a key driver for progress and the development of the consumer electronics, IT and entertainment industries,'' Yoshihide Fujii, Toshiba's corporate senior vice president and president of digital medial network company, said.
More details of the HD-XA1 and HD-X1 were to be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, which opened in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday, Toshiba said.
The HD DVD is supported by Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Intel Corp., as well as Microsoft Corp., which hopes its new Xbox 360 video game console will challenge the longtime dominance of Sony's PlayStation.
Blu-ray is backed by Apple Computer Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., along with a variety of other tech companies and studios.
Toshiba spokeswoman Hiroko Mochida said the company has not yet set a date on when to sell the new HD DVD players in Japan, pending a copy protection issue.
Sony's Blu-ray video recorders are already on sale in Japan, and the Sony PlayStation 3 video-game console, which backs Blu-ray, is set to go on sale this spring. But it isn't clear when Blu-ray players and other models will be available. - AP
