Toshiba launch new DVD player with upconverting features

How is this supposed to save your dvd collection?. I mean it's not like blu-ray players eat and destroy dvds that are placed in them, infact when you put a dvd into a blu-ray player it upscales them to 1080p. But i suppose these will cater for people who cant afford a blu-ray player yet. Me personaly would not purchase one of these, when you can buy 1080p upscaling dvd players for considerably less than the asking price of this equipment.

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[Post edited by William_f_Balle on Aug 18, 2008]

we know it's you using two accounts.

or three, or four...

I'll try and pick one up later this week. OR as soon as I can find one. If it's retailing in the US at $149, it'll be $199 here. Minus my retail mark-up, it should be a about $125 to $150. It's worth a try...

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[Post edited by ReaggieP on Aug 18, 2008]

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After losing out in the battle to define the high-definition successor of the DVD, Toshiba Corp. has turned its attention to the next best thing: the DVD.

On Monday, the Japanese electronics company is releasing a new DVD player that it says does more than previous models to improve the look of DVDs on high-definition TVs.

The XD-E500 will sell for a suggested price of $149.99, twice as much as regular "upconverting" players, which also improve the look of a DVD, but it is less than half the price of a Blu-ray player.

The Blu-ray disc, championed by Sony Corp., early this year beat out Toshiba's HD DVD to become the dominant format for high-definition discs. Toshiba has stopped making HD DVD players.

In a demonstration to reporters last week, Toshiba played the same disc in an XDE player and a standard, $70 upscaling model on side-by-side LCD HDTVs. The new player produced a subtle but noticeable sharpening of the image.

Toshiba didn't demonstrate the XDE against a Blu-ray or HD DVD player, and Louis Masses, director of product planning for the audio and video group at Toshiba America Consumer Products, was careful to stress that it's not meant to compete with or replace Blu-ray.

"If you want Blu-ray, go get Blu-ray. This product is meant to improve playback of DVDs," Masses said.

Masses said the XDE technology, for eXtended Detail Enhancement, will be used in other players, and the brand will be promoted extensively in advertising, including on NBC's Olympics site.

Blu-ray players have six times the image detail of a DVD, and upscaling players, even those using XDE technology, can't overcome that. But they can sharpen edges to overcome the blurriness of a DVD when displayed on a large screen

http://news.theage.com.au/technology/forget-hd-dvd-toshiba-focuses-on-plain-old-dvd-20080818-3xg5.html

Obviously even with this tech, the level of detail must be nowhere near hd levels, now im not saying the picture wont be sharpish, but the detail will surely lack or else they would have showed it next to blu or hd-dvd, which makes one wonder about this products advertising and product branding extended detail enhancement?. Where does it get this extended detail?.

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[Post edited by William_f_Balle on Aug 18, 2008]

Maaan...sharpness, color AND contrast controls? Wow! Toshiba's really going high-tech in the wake of the format war, aren't they? Watch your a**, Blu-ray! Any word on whether the next generation of this player will have a TINT option?! LMAO

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[Post edited by CroweDawg1121 on Aug 18, 2008]

I see nothing wrong with trying to improve current upconversion techinques. If this product can do what my $2000 ATI scaler can do, then I look like the dumbass in the end. To this point no Blu-Ray player can do a decent job of upconversion. Maybe the Panasonic 30 or 50 could do better, but nothing that I have seen to this point has come close. The only Toshiba peice that could do a decent job was the HD XA2. There is also the OPPO player, so looking back that makes 2 players worth buying for DVD upconversion. When the Panasonic S97 came out it was touted at that time as the best scaling machine. Looking at that player now, it looks like ass to even the Toshiba HD A3. So, for those to tout this player as a pile of garbage, I'm intersted to see how well it does against your PS3's. By the way, I'm almost done with my review of the PS3, I have it for a few more days yet. Games are great, Blu-Ray playback is good(I think its the long load times that drive me nuts), but upconversion needs some help.

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If this product can do what my $2000 ATI scaler can do, then I look like the dumbass in the end.

Point taken. But then, I'm speaking about the vast majority of us out there. The ones who would sooner spend a few hundred dollars on a Blu-ray player and just watch true 1080p content as opposed to spending a couple thousand on a scaler simply to upconvert what is, any way you try and improve upon it, a native 480p signal. My issue here is with Toshiba's preposterous claim that this brings standard DVD video up to "near-HD quality". Well, I'm sorry, but DVD, as with any format, has a native resolution. That resolution is 480 lines, no more and no less. You can throw all the sharpness, color, and contrast controls you want at that 480p signal and in the end you have...a 480p signal. Even if you upcale the video to 1080p, you're still seeing 1080 lines *derived from* the original 480 lines. The source video is merely tinkered with, it is not (and, to be fair, cannot be) improved. You can tweak an image all you like, but you can't create video information that isn't there. Well...not unless you're working at CTU on "24" anyway.

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[Post edited by CroweDawg1121 on Aug 18, 2008]

A cnet editor has a little (pre)review up:

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/toshiba-xd-e500/4505-6463_7-33224998.html?tag=dvdtown-20

Keep in mind, this isn't the "e-resolution/super-resolution" SUC device with the Spurs Engine. This is just another upconverting player that uses EE in real time after scaling in an attempt to provide additional "preceived" sharpness. The big change here compared to your average $70 upconverting player is that it's supposed to do selective sharpening, leaving areas subject to digital noise (shadows) untouched - which is a good thing.

We should see some comparisons with this player and other upconverters like the Oppo DV-983H on AVSForum soon. If it's as nearly good as the Oppo for that cheaper price, it might outsell the Oppo among AVS enthusiasts who have a use for marginally better upscaling performance than what they already have.

I'm sure someone will take it apart within the next few weeks and we'll learn what scaling/deinterlacing chip Toshiba settled on as well.

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not unless you're working at CTU on "24" anyway.

Or any other crime show for that matter, where suddenly license plates appear in crystal clear quality...now, why can't we get them to do our upconverters??

mvckalel, I want the technology that allowed Harrison Ford to zoom into that photograph on Blade Runner.

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A cnet editor has a little (pre)review up:

Well not really because as they say

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We're hoping to get a review sample sometime this week, so we'll be able to run it through its paces.

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Mvckalel, I want the technology that allowed Harrison Ford to zoom into that photograph on Blade Runner.

You'll have to wait for the 2nd gen Skyhawk

Seriously - this technology might be complete pants - however from initial reports Toshiba are going to put a fair bit of marketing behind it (HD-DVD marketing was gash - so thats not really saying anything).
However as we have all read Joe public can't see enough difference to spend on BD. The Japanese who traditionally jump on new technology are not doing that with BD. Even the PS3 (Sony's so called Trojan Horse) is being outsold by 3-1 in Japan by the Wii.

People who have home cinemas and high end equipment are quite rightly not going to settle for anything other than HD source - but these people (like it or not) are in the minority. Average Joe - average household don't care enough and if Toshiba's xDE technology improves image quality even subtlety as some reports say that just makes it even more likely these people will care even less.

$149 for a first gen piece of hardware - what did Blu-ray and HD-DVD hardware cost on its initial release compared to where prices are now. This technology will be sub $100 very shortly and if Toshiba is trying to extend the life of DVD then they surely will license this to cheap Chinese manufacturers in the near future.

Hey Skyhawk... hey, I've got a better one than yours!

How about that technology seen in Deja Vu, where the investigators could "back up" time by 4 days, as well as being able to have recorded (from several camera angles) the 'event' that the storyline comprises (from satellites in the sky using a special software testing program). While the movie was absolutely gorgeous to watch on Blu-ray (one of the best images I've seen), the screenplay is preposterous.

Just think if Toshiba had this technology and could have intercepted (and overheard) the meeting where Warner execs made the decision to go Blu-ray exclusive, perhaps they could have headed off that decision with a huge payoff to Warner... so that HD-DVD might have... ah forget it.

-JOE- (Love Hendrix!)

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[Post edited by Love Hendrix! on Aug 18, 2008]

After all Sony's failed formats I wonder if Sony's Exec's have Deja Vu in their mind also

Makes me wonder why they didn't go with the cell chip on-board. Then I guess the price would be the same as a Blu_Ray deck. Or will the produce a Blu-Ray deck with cell. Now MS is also looking at a new console in the next year or so. So will it be in their best interest to revive HD DVD, with the cell chip and HDI? Probably not, all the investment dollars have been made.

BTW, The XBOX 360 has officially outsold the PS3 in Japan 2.5 : 1.

OK Hendrix, you got me. Deja Vu was definitely the best upconversion I've seen yet. You're right. If Toshiba can pull something like that off, I'm throwing my PS3 out the window, and going for that!

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$149 for a first gen piece of hardware

Hey Scotsman, does that mean that Toshiba's next REAL upconverter (SUC one) will be profile 1.2 as opposed to their 1.0 player? What about all those poor consumers who buy this one? And what when DVD 2.0 comes out even later?

Oh no matter. By the time that they release that, everyone will be high definition anyway.

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Even the PS3 (Sony's so called Trojan Horse) is being outsold by 3-1 in Japan by the Wii.

Damn, just a year ago it was 8 to 1.

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Damn, just a year ago it was 8 to 1.

I know it is fuel on a fire. However, XBOX 360 actually beat the PS3 in Japan this past week. Something NO ONE thought possible. I guess no on can know for sure in the console war.

That said. Why not embrace new upscaling technology? Perhaps Toshiba could license it and that way it could find way to Blu-ray players, TVs, download boxes and much more. I'm an HD addict but I'm still watching a lot of SD because it is not possible to get it all in HD. I want that to look as good as possible and if a $149 DVD player can help to that I'm in. The fact that Blu-ray land has to attack everything that moves and isn't Blu is really not the way to go in my book. Prove your worth with good play and not by trashing your opponent before he gets on the field. And come on Blu-ray, if you are afraid of a $149 DVD player from Toshiba you are in much more trouble than you realize. Believe in your own strengths and stop living in fear

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[Post edited by Henning on Aug 19, 2008]

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Hey Scotsman, does that mean that Toshiba's next REAL upconverter (SUC one) will be profile 1.2 as opposed to their 1.0 player? What about all those poor consumers who buy this one? And what when DVD 2.0 comes out even later?

Skyhawk what you're describing I call 'pulling a Blu-ray' and no I don't mean that.

What I mean is when they optimize their production process to reduce manufacturing costs. Toshiba never did what you describe with HD-DVD - I can't see them starting now.

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[Post edited by Scotsman on Aug 19, 2008]

We have just received a shipment of these players (makro. leicester distribution and QA centre).And decided to run a little comparison against our top selling LG upscaling player, which costs £49.99, these new toshees are gonna retail for arond £110 (though the rrp is £129). And all i can say is WOW what a ripp off, the pic quality is just a little better than the lg, it would not be so bad if it were twice as sharp or clear (taking into account the 2x price over a normal upscaler) of the LG, but it isnt. We all sat round the panny tv expecting some wonderfull images, what a let down, all i can say is that if people cant see much of a difference between upscaled sd-dvd and high def (they obviously have not seen the right high def material) then this seems a little pointless, does'nt it?. Now i'm not a pro reveiwer just a forklift driver, but from what snippets i've picked up on the net, most people are of the same opinion. It would take me around 3 weeks in todays economic climate to save up and purchase one of these, but in all honesty i would rather wait another 3 to 4 weeks and buy a blu-ray player
Just one last note, if you own an oppo you can sit back and smile.

These are the 3 movies we ran through the players.

Appocalypse now

Star wars eps 3

Cars

PS

They do look kinda cool though, the toshy players i mean.

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[Post edited by Les_Claypool on Aug 19, 2008]

Well good for Toshiba. I am always for improviing technology that is already available. Trouble for me is I watch very few dvd's these days and mainly rent and buy blu ray discs. Going back to a dvd is always a disappointment. While the improvement in picture, even with the new Spurs engine, might be nicer than we already have, you cannot make prime rib out of hamberger, so I will always crave the prime rib. For those movies unreleased on blu-ray, of course it will be nice to upconvert them as best we can. The other problem is that darn 384kbps very compressed Dolby Digital that is on dvd. After hearing these tracks in lossless, it seems like the difference between record albums and cd's.

I will pass on this player but am interested to see the upcoming model with the Spurs engine, and see how it rates next to my Denon with the HQV Realta chip.