Buyer Beware: Toshiba's New HDTV DVD Player
Does new technology always have to be so complicated? Toshiba this week will begin selling its new $500 high-def DVD player at Amazon.com and electronics stores nationwide. The set-top can play Toshiba's new HD-DVD which can display a true HDTV picture on high-def sets.
Yes, it can display a true HDTV picture -- but will it?
As reported here previously, the new HD-DVD (and Sony's rival Blu-ray HDTV DVD, which will be released in early summer)includes an anti-copying feature that could dramatically reduce the picture quality on early-model HDTVs with analog components. (The number of HDTVs with analog components could be as high as 12 million.)If the studios add the anti-copying software to their DVDs, the picture quality would not only not be true HD, but it would be little better than current DVDs.
Most studios are saying now that they won't add the software, but they are not making any long-term commitments. So you might see a great picture today and a lousy one before year's end.
To make matters even more complicated, Toshiba's new DVDs will not be compatible with the Sony Blu-ray player, which could lead to another Beta vs. VHS disaster. Your new Toshiba player could be obsolete in a year or two.
The launch of the high-def DVDs is an exciting development, but the industry has made it difficult for me to recommend that you buy one at this time.
To learn more, click Here
Yes, it can display a true HDTV picture -- but will it?
As reported here previously, the new HD-DVD (and Sony's rival Blu-ray HDTV DVD, which will be released in early summer)includes an anti-copying feature that could dramatically reduce the picture quality on early-model HDTVs with analog components. (The number of HDTVs with analog components could be as high as 12 million.)If the studios add the anti-copying software to their DVDs, the picture quality would not only not be true HD, but it would be little better than current DVDs.
Most studios are saying now that they won't add the software, but they are not making any long-term commitments. So you might see a great picture today and a lousy one before year's end.
To make matters even more complicated, Toshiba's new DVDs will not be compatible with the Sony Blu-ray player, which could lead to another Beta vs. VHS disaster. Your new Toshiba player could be obsolete in a year or two.
The launch of the high-def DVDs is an exciting development, but the industry has made it difficult for me to recommend that you buy one at this time.
To learn more, click Here
4 Comments:
I'd just like to thank you, Swanni, for keeping this very important issue in the spotlight for consumers. It's hard enough, as you have pointed out many times, for consumers to recognize the true benefits of HDTV -- between buying the proper equipment, to choosing the true HD signals, to hooking everything up correctly -- that when the studios have reserved the capability to shut off HD quality on DVDs for so many millions of consumers and early adopters (myself included), I don't blame anyone for holding off on buying these expensive players. It's a darn shame, too, as this could have been one of the major selling points for HDTV and could help sell even more TVs and boxes for the consumer electronics industry.
Bravo ! when a standard is open and fair, it will be adopted by everyone, such as mp3 or VHS. When it comes with restrictions, like the early DiVX, or SACD, then it will die.
Windows is going to have a hard time selling Vista...who wants the RIAA or MPAA INSIDE your computer.
I work at a electronics retail store and it makes me sad everytime i sell an HD anything because these people are burning there money. They thousands of dollars just to beable to tell weather the hair on some actors back is brown or black. And on top of buying a 3 thousand dollar tv you have to buy the right cables the rights source and now the right dvd player which comes to another 1200 dollars not to mention each one of these hd dvd will be around 40 dollars themselves. But hey if your rich and ignorent, come and buy a tv from me cause ill add on another 3000 dollars to the tv and tell u have a nice day.
It would be very hard for me to believe that the studios would want their board of directors to cringe in their seats after hearing their CEOS just locked out (conservative figure....12 million X $23.00 per CD) you do the math!!! I just bought the New Toshiba HD-DVD player because by the time this format war is over...I'll need another one anyway. The studios have already said they would make a duel format HD disc on some of their up coming movies so I feel its really a Win Win.
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