Toshiba to launch first Blu-ray player by year's end (EngadgetHD)

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Toshiba to launch first Blu-ray player by year's end (EngadgetHD) »

Published Jul 18, 2009 Japan's own Yomiuri is now reporting that Toshiba is expected to finally admit defeat. Learn more.

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Falcon01

Jul 19, 2009 - CDT 8:31 AM

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Interesting. I wonder what price point their polayers are going to be. You can already get great bluray players from Panasonic for $198 with an HDMI cable included. Plus there are the Funai clones (Magnavox, Insignia, Sylvania, Phillips, etc) that go for cheaper.

I'd love to see a player from Toshiba regardless.

Love Hendrix!

Jul 19, 2009 - CDT 12:19 PM

says... Thanks for visiting DVDTOWN, and enjoy the news!

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Hey Falcon... John J Puccio just sent me a link to another small report about this news, and I have now added more to the story (some comments from XbitLabs.com), in the link above.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Toshiba perhaps releases a combo HD-DVD/BD player? Of course, I highly doubt this, but you never know, it could be a final "shot" against Sony. They could release several BD players, and one could have optional HD-DVD playback, and they could advertise it as a "one and only" model, with no more ever to be produced. I'm just speculating here (for fun).

-JOE- (Love Hendrix!)

Falcon01

Jul 19, 2009 - CDT 12:51 PM

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Actually that would be pretty awesome but I think it would be too cost-prohibitive. They would have to charge upwards of $400 for it. Still if they could make a combo version of say...the HD XA2...wow that would be pretty sweet.

I'd be very surprised if it happened though.

Love Hendrix!

Jul 19, 2009 - CDT 1:07 PM

says... Thanks for visiting DVDTOWN, and enjoy the news!

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Yeah, but by charging a little more for it (like your $400+ estimate above), they could maybe re-coup some of their losses suffered previously when they were subsidizing the HD DVD player market, with less-than-profitable prices (those $99 to $199 deals we saw a few years back).

And as John J Puccio wrote me -

Quote:
"Well, there are still a lot of people who have HD DVDs in their collections and are afraid of what will happen when their machines finally break down, and they'll have nothing to play the discs on."

Yes, I think a combo player is doubtful... but you never know, they just might do it on their first generation of BD players... if it's feasible/doable from a manufacturing viewpoint, and if they have permission from the BDA (if this is even a factor).

It's fun to speculate.

-JOE-

Falcon01

Jul 19, 2009 - CDT 2:27 PM

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At this point it's more wishful thinking than speculation. :p

wolvinator

Jul 20, 2009 - CDT 6:49 AM

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I think the combo idea would be great. They could do it affordably. With 80 movies in my HD DVD collection I bought 3 HD-A30 models to make sure those babies would be playable for a long time to come. A 200 dollar combo player would sell well.

InvisibleBiker

Jul 20, 2009 - CDT 10:13 AM

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Thanks Toshiba, at least give me the common courtesy of a REACH AROUND!

posters5

Jul 20, 2009 - CDT 1:27 PM

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actually, toshiba's blu-ray players will read the contents of the blu-ray disc that you load into the drive and re-burn everything according to hd-dvd specs. when you eject the disc, it will be playable only on toshiba's blu-ray players or hd-dvd players.

Falcon01

Jul 20, 2009 - CDT 3:18 PM

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Eddie, not only that but all Toshiba discs will be profile 2.0 from the beginning. )

GadgetPig

Jul 20, 2009 - CDT 11:54 PM

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If true, this is good indeed. The industry can keep going and hopefully drive down costs further. Wishful thinking, but it'd be nice if they released the new player with some sort of trade-in program , free movies, or discount for existing HD-DVD owners.

[Post edited by GadgetPig on Jul 20, 2009 - CDT 11:55 PM]

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