AfterDawn: News

Toshiba to push HD DVD at CES, announce price drop?

Toshiba is reportedly preparing to focus its efforts mainly on the HD DVD format offerings at CES. The company will stand behind and push the format despite predictions that disc sales are likely to drop over the next couple of years. A group of companies backing the HD DVD format are to hold a news conference on the first Sunday of 2007, January 7th.

President and CEO of Toshiba's Digital Media Network Company, Yoshihide Fujii, is expected to announce the firms path forward for the year. Some speculate that the company will announce lower prices for HD DVD hardware. When quizzed on the subject, Fujii didn't give any details but did say he expected the next price threshold to be $399, with $299 following next.



The price of hardware to play high definition video content is still quite high and leading many consumers to ignore the area for now. There has also been worrying developments for the companies that developed the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) copy protection with the release of the BackupHDDVD tool, which can be used to rip certain HD DVD titles (providing you have the keys needed).

Source:
Engadget HD

Written by: James Delahunty @ 1 Jan 2007 8:28

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• 13 comments

• aabbccdd

  Quote:The price of hardware to play high definition video content is still quite high and leading many consumers to ignore the area for now. There has also been worrying developments for the companies that developed the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) copy protection with the release of the BackupHDDVD tool, which can be used to rip certain HD DVD titles (providing you have the keys needed). why not just lower the price to 299.00 and get it over with . iam tired of overpriced new tech. when it hits the market and have to wait 3 or 4 years before the price drops to a reasonable rate. and who know which format will win out even HD/DVD or Blu-Ray
  
  and the BackupHDDVD tool shouldn't be a surprise to the market lol

  1.1.2007 08:57 #1

• borhan9

  Quote:when it hits the market and have to wait 3 or 4 years before the price drops to a reasonable rate.This is why i would wait cause when the new stuff comes out it will be over priced. I will keep getting normal DVD's for now until the new generation DVD has come out and we know which format has won. I am not going to invest in something when i am not sure if its going to be around. :)

  1.1.2007 11:19 #2

• aabbccdd

  thats why i got an Upconverting DVD Player

  1.1.2007 11:30 #3

• borhan9

  Quote:Upconverting DVD PlayerWhat exactly is that??

  1.1.2007 11:42 #4

• AE27

  Its a DVD player that can upscale dvd movies to 720p or 1080i through HMDI

  1.1.2007 12:16 #5

• AE27

  I meant through HDMI

  1.1.2007 12:18 #6

• DamonDash

  Its called greed these guys are trying to get every penny out of buyers(HDDVD&Blu-ray) but i will not fall prey to this.
  Quote:thats why i got an Upconverting DVD PlayerAmen to that because i have a PS3 and i have yet to buy a buy-ray movie.If you got a good Upconverting dvd player thats all you need right now til the prices start to get reasonable.

  1.1.2007 12:40 #7

• aabbccdd

  AE27 , a few Upconverting DVD Player will upconvert though component cables also but most its though an HDMI connection

  1.1.2007 13:06 #8

• aabbccdd

  and they will upconvert to 1080p now
  
  the Oppo Upconvert are the way to go i own the 971 and the picture quality is great it compares to the 850.00 Denon. heres the link to check thim out
  
  http://www.oppodigital.com/products.asp

  1.1.2007 13:08 #9

• hughjars

  Anyone who thinks upscalled SD DVD looks like high def DVD is either
  1) talking from ignorance and hasn't actually seen high def DVD
  2) partially sighted or blind in which case don't bother with high def DVD of any kind or
  3) lying.
  
  There's simply no way upscalling SD DVD looks anything like as good as retail HD DVD discs or even Blu-ray retail releases (although it is true that some Blu-ray releases - The 5th Element, for instance - are very poor and disappointing).
  
  But these expected price cuts put the ball firmly in the Blu-ray consortiums' court.
  
  Any sign of a $399 or $299 Blu-ray players?
  
  Yeah right, as if. :lol:

  2.1.2007 08:32 #10

• plutonash

  Gotta agree hughjars. DVD arent in the same league HD-DVDs maybe some crappy Blu-ray titles but not HD-DVD With a new price cut you can expect to find deals on player for 250 dollars now and with HDDVD backup you backup or even download movies. So stop being cheap bastards and buy burners and blanks, This war is over.

  2.1.2007 12:08 #11

• eatsushi

  I'm another one that has to agree with hughjars. I've been a big fan of HD-DVD and now with my PS3 I'm seeing some BluRay releases that are catching up. It's not just the improved picture quality that gets you. The new lossless audio in these HD discs also makes for an overall better HT experience. If I can get the next gen HD-XA2 for $500 or less then I'd seriously think about it.
  

  "The flimsier the product, the higher the price."
  -The 82nd Ferengi Rule of Acquisition-
  

  2.1.2007 12:55 #12

• matt5112

  I cant wait for the acually good next gen DVD drives to come out. what a joy when we'll have brands such as denon (which i know isnt commiting itself to either format untill the winner is clear) begin production of higher quality drives. Untill then I couldn't care less what happens.

  6.1.2007 17:11 #13