More Rumors Regarding Future Toshiba Blu-ray Player
Posted July 20, 2009 08:15 AM by Josh Dreuth
According to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, Toshiba will release their first Blu-ray Disc Player - rumored to be named the BD-18 - by the end of this year. After admitted defeat in the high definition format war, Toshiba initially distanced itself from Blu-ray, with a promise to focus on their XDE DVD-upscaling technology. With those plans failing to gain consumer support, and a rumored $1B financial hole caused by the HD DVD failure, Toshiba now appears to be shifting support to its former rival.
No technical details have been released regarding the player, though it is expected that Toshiba will focus on the larger budget Blu-ray Disc player market. With a rumored late 2009 launch, it appears that they will try to capitalize on holiday shoppers looking for the perfect high definition gift.
Albeit somewhat delayed, Toshiba's eventual move to Blu-ray is not unexpected. Many retailers encourage consumer electronic companies to bundle their products, and Toshiba was definitely at a disadvantage with no high definition player available under their name to pair with their line of HDTVs.
Look for more information regarding this player later this year.