So, losing a very public format war must really suck, especially when you were the only one on your team really putting your heart into it. Good to see that Toshiba has put all that behind it and is now just pretending that neither HD DVD or Blu-ray ever existed at all by launching an upscaling DVD player. Next it’ll probably claim that Tony Blair is still prime minister and the economy is going from strength to strength.
Of course, the XD-E500 is not just any old upscaling DVD player – otherwise Tosh would never be able to ask for $150 per box. Its XDE tech – that’s extended detail enhancement, if you’re having trouble with the mangled acronym – is apparently about more than just DVD upconversion.
Sure, it will take a piddly little 480i image and whack it up to 1080p, attempting to fill in the blanks while it’s at it, but it can also enhance colour and contrast in the process. Because that’s what DVDs lack – colour and contrast, of course. Not a proper 1080p picture running at 24fps. No, not at all – only a fool would claim that.
Next up, we’ve heard that Toshiba will also be unveiling a revolutionary new music player that supports digital audio stored on spinning optical discs. More, as we hear it.
Out August | $150
Toshiba (via Akihabara News)
