Toshiba to Release HD-DVD Player

[John C. Chu]

http://news.com.com/Toshiba+to+relea...3-6044262.html

Looks like the first HD-DVD Player will be out later this month. [March 2006]

The first HD-DVD recorder for PCs will be out in May.

Woo-hoo. All the pieces are falling into place... "affordable" HDV cams.. programs to edit HD.

And I hope, for myself, something simple to author/burn the first HD-DVD's, maybe a "iDVD-HD" from Apple sometime this summer.

I wonder what the pricing for the recorder and blank media will cost at first?

[Harrison Murchison]

I'm definitely looking forward to the further proliferation of low cost HD recording and playback.

HD DVD and when Blu Ray comes will be a boon for us. Let's hope the recordable media comes down in price quickly.

[John Kang]

Samsung is coming out with a dual disc player. Able to play either HD or Blu-Ray, so they claimed. They probably will have a dual burner out as well.

Price will probably be close to $1000 for the burners. I say $4000 at first. I'm assuming this based on the cost to purchase a DVD burner when it first came out. Expect the prices to drop within two years.

The cost of discs will probably be around $5.00 each, at first. Dual layer discs are now selling under 2.00 so I assume double for new technology.

A good investment if you're producing weddings or corporate videos. Everyone is required to upgrade to HD soon, so yes it's a worthy investment.

I don't work in either fields so I'll just have to bum off a TV station's system, that I help out at, voluntarily, or something for awhile. That is if they do purchase one...

[Duane Smith]

Originally Posted by John Kang

Everyone is required to upgrade to HD soon, so yes it's a worthy investment.

Actually, that's incorrect (although it's a common mmisconception).

Everyone will be required to swtich from receiving ANALOG television broadcasts to receiving DIGITAL television broadcasts; HDTV is only one of the many types of Digital broadcasts.

No one is being 'required' to upgrade to HD.



2¢

[Emre Safak]

Originally Posted by Duane Smith

Actually, that's incorrect (although it's a common misconception).

I guess this is a rare case of a misconception that will do us good :)

[Alex Thin]

ulead has a author program to burn hd-dvd.

[John Kang]

Hi Duane,

You're correct that no one is required to go HD and digital is digital, but all broadcasting stations will have to go digital soon per the government mandate.

I guess your cable boxes and dish boxes will do the conversion for the standard set for years to come.

However, even now, I see HD spreading. They say it's broadcasted in HD not digital so...

When I was stating "it would be worth your money to upgrade to HD", I meant for producers of wedding videos, corporate or tv networks.

[John Kang]

Some info from Video Business.

Retailers were told that BluRay movies will be released in May.

“It’s polarized between the camps, and info is at a premium,” Roshinski said. “No one wants to show what cards they are holding.”

Toshiba kicked off a 50-city retail demonstration and promotional tour for HD DVD on Feb. 21.

The tour, which runs through April, features Toshiba’s first two HD DVD players, the HD-A1 ($499.99 list) and the HD-XA1 ($799.99).

The retailer are saying that information about the initial launches are scarce. They are getting differing information from vendors within hours of calls made about the launch and availability of HD products.

The plans for HD-DVD movies will be March 28. Movies will be on sale at retail outlets first.

It seems I was wrong about the price of HD movies. They seem to be on sale between 25-30 dollars, dependent on the store. Wal-Mart being the cheaper prices. Sony's Blu-Ray discs will be priced between 25-40 dollars.

Sony's Blu-Ray format discs will be launched on May 28. Industry experts believe that Sony will release a player sooner then expected due to issues with the Playstation 3 which they believe will be relased next year. Sony players are to be released shortly after the launch of Blu-Ray players from Samsung and Pioneer.

[Heath McKnight]

TV stations who have gone digital have also gone HD, at least so far with their studio cameras. I'm sure the lower cost HD cameras coming out will help get the stations to go HD for field cameras.

heath

[Heath McKnight]

And this from imdb.com (via laptop, interestingly):

"Toshiba Out First with High-Definition DVDs

On the same day that Toshiba unveiled a new laptop computer capable of playing HD DVD (high definition) movies, rival Sony announced that it has been forced to delay its own roll-out of the competing Blu-ray high definition gear. Blu-ray was to have been given a big push with Sony's PlayStation PS3 model, capable not only of playing high-definition video games but high-definition movies as well. Sony blamed a delay in the shipment of chips needed for the PS3. The Toshiba Qosmio G30 laptop introduced Tuesday, which can display HDTV either on its own monitor or on a home-theater system, is due to be introduced next month."

I hear PS3 is in trouble of coming out even this year.

hwm

[Peter Ferling]

This is big news. In marketing, as a general rule, being first out the door is a serious win. Even if the device is not fully featured, news of it's release will be plastered/posted/spoken everwhere. All free advertising. Early adopters, as impatient bunch we are, will eager snap up the new devices. Once invested, folks generally will hang on to it. Studios, not wanting to miss out on the new revenue stream will most likely pull overtime hours to get disks on the shelves.

Sony will be hopping on one foot, and kicking themselves with the other.

[John Kang]

Well, in Video Business magazine, it's mentioned by retailers that they do not know what to expect as they are getting different statements from vendors when called for opinions that are a mere couple hours difference in the calls.

Toshiba is not giving any statements and the vendors do not know what to expect.

Sony is planning on releasing Blu-Ray players before the launch of PS3, after the initial launch by Samsung and Pioneer.

I'm thinking with all this secrecy by Toshiba and new launch expectations by Sony, the launch of Toshiba's HD player will be released around the same time as the Blu-Ray launch. It's only my speculations but I believe Sony has some insider word on Toshiba and it is the reason for an earlier launch. Toshiba is probably having some difficulty with getting enough machines produced for the launch date. Either that or HD-DVD movies will not be available at the time of launch.

[Heath McKnight]

I think the laptop will be first. Which begs the question, what came first? Computers with DVD-ROM drives or DVD players, way back in 1997?

heath

[Heath McKnight]

ps-and some trivia. First DVD: TWISTER (released 1997), First BLU-RAY DVD: CHARLIE'S ANGELS (released 2006?). At least TWISTER is still mindless fun 10 years later--CHARLIE'S lost its allure upon a second viewing, for me.

heath

[John Kang]

Just heard on komo news radio.

Toshiba has given their statement about HD-DVD player for their laptops with a high definition screen, as Heath mentioned.

LG will be supplying the HD-DVD players for Hewlett Packard computers.