Toshiba Blu-Ray Disc Player Launching Soon, Says Good-Bye To HD Forever

We're sure that you remember HD DVDs. They were that other format for watching high definition movies, a couple years back. They put up a good fight, surely, but you have to go where the money is. The result? Blu-Ray pretty much took over the at-home movie watching experience, and forever conquered the high definition war. There had been this sort of bastion of hope though, longed for in one company: Toshiba. But it looks like that's all gone and done away with now.

Whichever you preferred when the whole thing was going down might be irrelevant now, who knows. Either way, Toshiba bowed out of the fight last year, saying that they were no longer going to back the defeated high-definition discs, or make HD DVD-players. The result was a huge sale on discs all over the place, and some brand new movies were going for as cheap as $1. But now that Blu-Ray is here to stay, it looks like you need to find a pretty good Blu-Ray player to take the place of that ancient HD DVD player. On a light-hearted note, the press release even adds that the Toshiba Blu-Ray player will not play HD DVDs.

Thankfully, Toshiba has managed to make their presence finally known in the Blu-Ray world, by announcing the BDX2000. Stand-out features include BD Live (Profile 2.0), which allows for users to utilize the interactive features via an Ethernet connection. Using the REGZA-LINK(R) function, the new BDX2000 can connect with a REGZA LCD TV via a HDMI(TM) cable and display full high definition content with a single remote control. So if you haven't already picked up a Blu-Ray player, you should check out the BDX2000 when it becomes available in November, for an estimated $249.99

WAYNE, N.J., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Toshiba America Consumer Products L.L.C. ("Toshiba"), a market leader in home entertainment products, underscores its commitment to high-definition entertainment with the introduction of its first Blu-ray Disc player. The BDX2000 provides Full HD 1080p digital output that when coupled with a REGZA(R) LCD TV, enables consumers to enjoy the superior quality of high-definition audio & video content.

Supporting BD-Live(TM) (Profile 2.0), the BDX2000 allows users to take advantage of interactive features through an Ethernet connection. With interactive content enabled on select Blu-ray discs and Bonus View(TM) support for picture-in-picture capability, Toshiba's Blu-ray player offers state-of-the-art home entertainment.

Complementing the player's stunning picture quality, design is an integral component of Toshiba's home entertainment products. This new Blu-ray Disc player boasts a faceted design featuring a smoked mirrored front panel. The stylish front panel dropdown door conceals the player's primary functions, allowing for a smooth, clean facade.

"Toshiba is a technology leader in high definition products," said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Digital A/V Group. "From listening to our consumers we know they demand access to full high definition content. With the introduction of our BDX2000 we are offering consumers what they want with a breath-taking HD viewing experience to meet the needs of today's home theater."

Using the REGZA-LINK(R) function, the new BDX2000 can connect with a REGZA LCD TV via a HDMI(TM) cable and display full high definition content with a single remote control. For added convenience, the BDX2000 features a SD card slot, making it an entertainment hub in the home by allowing consumers to showcase photos and videos with ease.

Additional Product Features:

BD-Live(TM) (Profile 2.0)

1080p/ 24 fps Full HD Video Output

AVCHD Playback

Toshiba REGZA-LINK(R) (HDMI-CEC)

Support for enhanced audio formats from Dolby(R) True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio | Essential(TM) Playback

Bonus View

SD Card Slot

ENERGY STAR(R) Certified

Pricing and Availability:

Toshiba Blu-ray Disc Player

BDX2000 (available November, MSRP $249.99)

About Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.

Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, a world leader in high technology products with subsidiaries worldwide. Toshiba is a leading manufacturer of a full line of home entertainment products, including flat panel TVs, Hi-Definition Blu-ray Disc players, TV/DVD Combination products and portable devices. Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey. For additional information, please visit www.tacp.toshiba.com or www.toshibatv.com.

Important Notes:

This product does not play HD DVD discs. Blu-ray discs with high-definition content required for HD viewing.

Viewing high-definition content may require a HDCP capable DVI or HDMI input on your display device.

Performance of interactive and/or network features may vary depending upon disc design or content, and may also require an always-on broadband internet connection. Additionally, firmware update may be required for some interactive and/or network features. Some features may require additional bandwidth.

When using BD-Live(TM), certain content and services may require that you have an SD card or SDHC card with available storage capacity of at least 1GB inserted in the SD card slot of this player. Content and services through BD-Live are provided by third-parties and are subject to change or discontinuation without notice. Toshiba makes no warranties, representations, or assurances about the content, availability or functionality of third-party content or services.

For 1080p / 24 frames output, content that was encoded in 1080p/24 fps is required.

Viewing 1080p/24 fps output requires an HD display capable of accepting a 1080p/24Hz signal.

1080p capable display required for viewing content in 1080p.

Use of REGZA-LINK(R), a feature based on HDMI-CEC, requires an HDMI-CEC compatible display device. Depending on the specifications of your display device, some or all REGZA-LINK(R) functions may not work even if your display device is HDMI-CEC compatible.

Supported card types: SD cards: 8MB?2GB, SDHC cards: 8GB. Supported file types: JPEG, MP3, WMA and AVCHD. Some cards and files may not be supported.

Because Blu-ray is a format that makes use of new technologies, certain disc, digital connection and other compatibility and/or performance issues are possible. If you experience such issues, please refer to www.tacp.toshiba.com for information on the availability of firmware updates that may resolve your problem, or contact Toshiba Customer Solutions.

Some features subject to delayed availability.

While every effort has been made at the time of publication to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product specifications, configurations, system/component/options availability are all subject to change without notice.

BD-Live and Bonus View are registered trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association.

Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories.

DTS is a registered trademark & the DTS logos and Symbol are trademarks of DTS, Inc.

ENERGY STAR is a registered mark owned by the U.S. Government

HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing, L.L.C.

All others are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.