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Toshiba Refutes Sony's Claims of Blu-ray Stand-Alone Player Dominance
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 06:09 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Toshiba, Hardware (all tags)
Well, that didn't take long. Toshiba this afternoon issued a tersely-worded response to claims made by Sony at a CEDIA press conference last night.
As we first reported earlier today, Sony VP Chris Fawcett was quoted as saying that stand-alone Blu-ray players had begun out-selling their HD DVD counterparts over the last 12 weeks.
Given the extent to which HD DVD backers had previously emphasized their own lead in this category, Sony's claims set off a minor firestorm across the web -- so much so, apparently, that Toshiba felt compelled to issue its own statement in response this afternoon.
The statement reads as follows:
"In light of recent comments made regarding high definition stand-alone video players sales, Toshiba would like to reiterate its continued industry leading sales figures. Based on July data from NPD, Toshiba had a 55% market share year to date in high definition stand alone player sales followed by all Blu-ray companies at a combined 42%; the final 3 percent is held by dual format players.
While the competition may claim leadership based on one month of data, Toshiba has had continued sales leadership in every month since the original HD DVD players launched 17 months ago.
Toshiba is and continues to be a top seller at retailers such as Amazon, most recently reaching #1 on the site last week. As third generation players begin to come to market at the end of this month, Toshiba has full confidence that it will continue its momentum and lead in player sales. Additional information HD DVD and Toshiba’s players can be found at http://www.toshibahddvd.com"
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Report: Sony Says Blu-ray Standalone Players Out-Selling HD DVD
CEDIA: Sharp Introduces BD-HP20U Blu-ray player
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 01:55 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Sharp, Hardware (all tags)
After months of rumors, Sharp has finally unveiled their first next-gen disc player for the US, the AQUOS BD-HP20U Blu-ray player.
Due in stores later this month at an MSRP of $549.99, the new player will be the first non-LCD product in Sharp's US line to carry the AQUOS moniker.
Key features include 1080p/24 fps video, onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD, and a built-in HDMI 1.3 AV interface.
The company says that all of the key components of the player were built by Sharp itself, including the Blu-ray laser, the pick-up beam, and the driver unit.
Athough the player doesn't appear to offer bit-stream audio output, Sharp's press release boasts of a "Quick Start" feature, which promises load-times of less than 10-seconds.
Cosmetically, the player features a black piano finish, and a "slim-profile" design. Gizmodo posted a series of photos of the unit earlier today, and indeed this puppy looks to be thin.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sharp Announces AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Player for the U.S. Market [Press Release]
- Photo Gallery: Sharp BD-HP20U Blu-ray Player [Gizmodo]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Sharp Readies First Blu-ray Player for Fall Release (Jul 06, 2007)
CEDIA: Toshiba, CBS to Offer Limited Edition Star Trek "Phaser" HD DVD Remote Control
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 12:37 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Toshiba, Paramount (all tags)
In hopes of sweetening the pot for Trekkies considering making the leap to high-def, Toshiba and CBS will jointly offer a one-of-a-kind HD DVD keepsake for Star Trek fans this fall.
Announced yesterday at CEDIA, the two companies say fans who buy both a Toshiba HD DVD player and the upcoming 'Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1' HD DVD/DVD combo release will be offered an exclusive, limited edition Star Trek Phaser remote control that will operate Toshiba's HD DVD players.
Though details on exactly how the Phaser remote will be distributed and at what cost (if any) are unknown, the unusual promotion is the latest in a series of developments that would seem to put the Nov 10 'Star Trek' HD DVD release at the center of the HD DVD camp's Q4 plans.
With no accompanying stand-alone DVD being offered, the HD DVD/DVD combo release will the only way Trekkies can own the newly remastered version of the series. And while they'll still be able to watch the combo discs on a standard DVD player, it would seem that format-backers are hoping that the hours upon hours of supplements and interactive features exclusive to the high-def side of the disc will be enough to entice fans to make the leap to HD DVD.
Will it work? Stay tuned...
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Toshiba and CBS Announce 'Star Trek: The Original Series' HD DVD Promotion [Press Release]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (HD DVD)
CEDIA: Pioneer Unveils New Elite Blu-ray Player for October
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 11:00 AM ETTags: CEDIA, Pioneer, Hardware (all tags)
The parade of next-gen hardware announcements from CEDIA continues with news of a new Blu-ray player from Pioneer.
Dubbed the Elite BDP-95FD, this third Blu-ray player from Pioneer picks up where the BDP-94HD (released last spring) left off, featuring 1080p video at a rate of 24 frames per second.
In a first for Pioneer, the new deck will feature HDMI version 1.3 output, enabling support of all high-resolution audio formats.
Also new to the BDP-95FD is HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), which is designed to simplify integration of operation with other HDMI-CEC-enabled high-definition theater components.
Pioneer says the Elite BDP-95FD will carry a $1,000 suggested retail price, and is due on store shelves this October.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- New Elite Blu-ray Player To Bow [TWICE]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Pioneer Announces Second-Gen Blu-ray Player (May 10, 2007)
Report: Sony Says Blu-ray Standalone Players Out-Selling HD DVD
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 09:30 AM ETTags: CEDIA, Sony, Hardware (all tags)
UPDATE (9/6/08, 6:00PM): Toshiba has issued a statement refuting Sony's claims as reported in the story below. To read Toshiba's full statement, click here.
Although it's the type of news we'd expect to see accompanied by a huge press release, Sony apparently revealed Wednesday that stand-alone Blu-ray players have begun out-selling their HD DVD counterparts.
As reported by Video Business, the revelation came during Sony's CEDIA press conference, when Sony VP Chris Fawcett said that within the last 12 weeks, Blu-ray players had pulled out ahead of HD DVD.
According to the Video Business report, Fawcett cited NPD Group research for the data, but declined to declined to provide exact market share percentages of the two sides. Fawcett is said to have attributed the surge as mostly due to the introduction of Sony's $499 player in early June.
Although Blu-ray has enjoyed a 2-to-1 lead in disc sales over HD DVD since the start of 2007, the HD DVD camp has long attributed Blu-ray's lead to the short term market dominance of the Blu-ray enabled PlayStation 3, while pointing to its decisive lead in standalone player sales as a long term sign of strength in the high-def format war.
If independent numbers end up confirming this news from Sony, it would certainly seem to be a punch in the gut for HD DVD, especially given the extent to which its backers have emphasized their own lead in this category.
Needless to say, we'll let you know of any updates in this developing story.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sony: Blu-ray set-top players out-selling HD DVD [Video Business]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Sony Launches BDP-S300 Blu-ray Player, Drops Price to $499
CEDIA: New Disc Bundles to Accompany Toshiba's Third-Gen HD DVD Launch
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 07:55 AM ETTags: CEDIA, Toshiba, Bundles (all tags)
With their soon-to-be released third-gen HD DVD players already announced and on display, a series of new bundle deals took center stage at Toshiba's Wednesday Night CEDIA press conference.
Would-be early adopters worried that the manufacturer's current "Perfect Offer" five disc mail order bundle might not be renewed after its current expiration date of 9/30/07 can rest easy.
A new version of the offer will run from 10/1/07 through 2/28/08, with a new selection of fifteen films to choose from.
Meanwhile, fans opting to buy one of Toshiba's third-gen HD DVD players will receive an additional two HD DVDs in the box -- Warner's '300' and Universal's 'Bourne Identity.'
In other marketing news from Toshiba, the company also announced a season-long promotional campaign with the NBC Television Station Group and its broadcasts of "Sunday Night Football."
Designed to communicate the benefits of HD DVD to millions of HDTV owners, Toshiba says the the cross-media campaign will include 30 second HD DVD ads, web sponsorships promoting the format, and special on-air promotional vignettes.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Toshiba Delivers Its Third Generation HD DVD Players Taking the High Def Movie Experience to a Broader Consumer Base [Press Release]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- 300 (HD DVD)
- The Bourne Identity (HD DVD)
CEDIA: Sony Introduces Two New Blu-ray Players
Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 08:35 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Sony, Hardware (all tags)
Sony has unveiled two new Blu-ray players for the US market -- the BDP-S500 ($700), and the brand new BDP-S2000ES ($1,300).
Although the BDP-S500 was first introduced last week for the European market at Berlin's IFA trade fair, today's announcement confirms a US release for the mid-range player, and introduces a new high-end player for the very first time.
Both new players share the same key features: 1080/60p and 24p video, support of all high-resolution audio formats via HDMI version 1.3a, plus support for AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color.
While the operating feature set on the higher-end BDP-S2000ES is identical to the BDP-S500, the higher end player includes several fortifications to the player's build, including "dual shield construction" and separate boards for audio and video, which Sony says will provide for even better quality performance. The BDP-S2000ES is the first Blu-ray player to carry Sony's ES ("Elevated Standards") designation.
Each of the two players are due to hit stores in the United States sometime this fall, joining the already-released lower-end BDP-300 ($499).
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sony Bolsters Blu-Ray Disc Player Line With Two New Models [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- IFA Underway in Berlin; Blu-ray Takes Center Stage
CEDIA: Integra Unveils DHS-8.8 HD DVD Player
Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 07:44 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Integra, Onkyo (all tags)
Premium home theater brand Integra has officially announced its first high-def disc player, the DHS-8.8 HD DVD player.
As widely expected, the new Integra player looks to be much the same as the previously-announced Onkyo DV-HD805 (Integra is Onkyo's premium line of audio video components), with a few tweaks designed to meet the needs of higher-end custom home theaters.
Shared specs include native 1080p/24 frames-per-second video playback, support of all high-resolution audio formats via HDMI version 1.3a, a built-in HQV Reon VX video processor, and a rear-panel Ethernet port allowing for web-enabled network connectivity.
The DHS-8.8 will also include a bi-directional RS-232 port for integration with home automation and control systems, plus a series of high-end DACs allowing for custom analog audio/video connections with other home theater devices.
Integra says its new unit will be available in the fourth quarter of 2007 at a suggested retail price of $1099.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Integra Introduces its First HD DVD Player at 2007 CEDIA Expo [Press Release]
CEDIA: Integra Unveils DHS-8.8 HD DVD Player
Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 07:44 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Integra, Onkyo (all tags)
Premium home theater brand Integra has officially announced its first high-def disc player, the DHS-8.8 HD DVD player.
As widely expected, the new Integra player looks to be much the same as the previously-announced Onkyo DV-HD805 (Integra is Onkyo's premium line of audio video components), with a few tweaks designed to meet the needs of higher-end custom home theaters.
Shared specs include native 1080p/24 frames-per-second video playback, support of all high-resolution audio formats via HDMI version 1.3a, a built-in HQV Reon VX video processor, and a rear-panel Ethernet port allowing for web-enabled network connectivity.
The DHS-8.8 will also include a bi-directional RS-232 port for integration with home automation and control systems, plus a series of high-end DACs allowing for custom analog audio/video connections with other home theater devices.
Integra says its new unit will be available in the fourth quarter of 2007 at a suggested retail price of $1099.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Integra Introduces its First HD DVD Player at 2007 CEDIA Expo [Press Release]
CEDIA: HD VMD to Make US Debut This Fall
Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 01:34 PM ETTags: CEDIA, VMD (all tags)
The long-anticipated third high-def disc format (yes, you read right) is set to hit US shores this October.
Short for "Versatile Multilayer Disc," the VMD format was originally announced back in 2006, but had evaded US release until now.
Developed by UK technology company New Medium Enterprises (NME), the format's red laser multilayer disc is currently capable of storing 15 to 20 GB on a single layer, with plans to grow that number to 30GB.
But according to its manufacturer, the real sell of VMD is its ability to deliver the same high-quality video and audio as Blu-ray and HD DVD at a fraction of the cost -- both to the consumer, and the content creator.
While disc production costs for Blu-ray and HD DVD are said to run somewhere between $2 to $3 a unit, VMD discs reportedly cost just over a $1/unit to produce, only slightly more than standard-def DVD.
In terms of hardware cost to the consumer, NME says its first player will hit the US market in October at a $199 price point, roughly 30% less than any standalone high-def disc player currently available (although Venturer recently announced plans to release its own $199 1080i HD DVD player in time for the holidays).
Price aside, VMD is likely to face an uphill battle both for recognizable high-def content, and for shelf space at retailers.
The company's press release includes no mention of any US-based content partners, and it seems highly unlikely that any of the major studios will make their films available on VMD disc -- at least in the short term. (Overseas, the company has partnered with a number indie film distributors, most notably including Eastern Europe's Monolith Films which owns regional rights to films like 'Apocalypto,' 'Lord of War,' and '16 Blocks.')
On the retail side, so far NME has only identified one US retailer who will carry its players -- pcRUSH.com
NME is demonstrating its new player this week at the CEDIA Expo.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- HD VMD Debuts in U.S. - Affordable HD Disc Solution Available to Consumers in Q3'07 [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Are You Ready for Another High-Def Disc Format?
- VMD Headed to US
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