Toshiba knows no shame, plans to release super-resolution DVD player

[hawkish]

source Darren Murph, engadget May 30th
http://www.engadgethd.com/media/2008/05/5-30-08-toshiba-grave.jpg
Nothing too notable here -- just that Toshiba is apparently fixing to unveil a brand new DVD player in the age of Blu-ray that will be "capable of producing high-resolution images from regular DVDs." As you're laughing heartily, ponder this: are we looking at a simple upconverting DVD player? Or will that Cell-based SpursEngine chip (http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/09/toshiba-aims-to-deliver-laptops-with-cell-based-graphics-this-ye/) bring "super-resolution" to a standalone deck? According to unnamed sources cited by Daily Yomiuri Online, the planned release "signifies an effort to recover from a humiliating setback suffered in March after announcing its decision to withdraw from its HD DVD business." We really cannot fathom why Tosh would even dream of fighting BD with souped-up DVD, but reportedly, it plans on marketing the unit "as a device with which consumers can enjoy a broader array of content than is available in the Blu-ray format." Congratulations Toshiba -- we thought it couldn't get any lamer than HD VMD, (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/08/hd-vmd-predicts-500-000-units-sold-worldwide-in-08/) and you handily proved us wrong.

[redwatty]

I actually think this could be a good move, the reasoning is because sales of DVDs are much higher and much more popular than Blu ray and that will not change anytime soon. This would be a neat option for many people providing the up scaling technology is top notch. Another reason is because Blu Ray will never be a open standard because its Sonys who charge for the use of it. For me as a video editor who has a dv camera and cant afford a hi def camcorder and the appropriate writer it is excellent news. But as we all know the battle must be won on pc so we will have to wait and see how this technologys goes.

[C64]

I look forward to it to be honest, but to me it appears to be nothing more than a upscaling DVD, who knows maybe they'll produce something suprising.

Poor Toshiba, lol

[Femalelizzard]

Im gonna buy one ASAP I bet there great lol to be honest I cant even tell the difference between HD and normal movies now unless I squint and go 1 foot away from the tv then I notice the HD movie cost twice as much :fight:

[delv]

All they got to do is bring out a dvd player that plays x264 and you got HD on a normal dvd disc

[lalajones]

The upconversion of DVD is good enough for me

[sambo]

I love using my (cheap) existing pc hardware to play my cheap existing dvd collection, it can do a pretty decent job!



These are my one time only completely random and commonsensicle (I'm english) demands for anyone that reads this, assuming you're the owner of a film studio or amazon:

-Sticking with blueray for the moment then? I don't really care how it comes, but let's stick to this* for a while - Obviously the less you piss about fiddling with formats and content protection spam/guilt trips the less I hate you.
*this - is of course the product of someone that knows more about avcs/vc1s/electron microscopes and all sorts of other things that people on google know about.

-I have nice display/s and want all the new films I buy to be a top quality release limited only by the the optical media and to as little extent as possible, the original source out of the editing room.

-I don't really care about the box it comes in. Sometimes I decide to put them out on a shelf, sometimes I don't. What do you do with yours?

-I think the best user experience you can provide me, ignoring the film itself, is simply by considering that I'll probably end up watching your films through x86 hardware. I like what teams of people on google can do with an open platform. You could share with them and help them help you, but I doubt you can be arsed and anyway, it's not as important as the fact that....

-I want hard copies of films I like and I don't want to spend more than around ?8.

-If you guys want to me to buy as many new films as you can it has to be on my terms. These are my demands. Here are some more.

-I'm a nice guy and I love good films. I'll even let you squeeze me out of more money buying films I already have, but...

- Please stop playing tricks, my friends on google will tell me when you are, releasing constant d-vhs, crap masters/encodes is very annoying. Do it properly first time round.

-I am nice, but if I ever got caught out buying discs off you that don't meet my specifications, I'd throught it back in your face and dob you in to Mr.Credit Card instantly. He's a a proper arsehole too, [unlogical-unexplainable-rootkit-association-prejudice-considering-how-things-turned-out-tar-with-brush] but at least he's always on my side when I talk to him.

-I'm not buying into you too much currently, please give me your best copy, first time at a price that seems fair to me - specified above, as of...now...

-Sambo

<--sambo added 23 Minutes and 47 Seconds later...-->

Delv - I can think of a fair few countries (where people arn't just watching more western productions maybe?) that have had all sorts of other solutions. h264 on dvd and 'hi-def' has been out for years and years. Futuristic countries such chinese backstreets, independant video rental shops with 'world' video sections have it far better than us, far cheaper than us, far earlier than us. Japan might be an exception, I'm not sure if they're a technology guinea pig or are just like those others, full of people that know how to read/shop/spot the bullshit.