First Toshiba Blu-ray Disc Player Unveiled
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 9/3/2009
Wayne, N.J - Toshiba America Consumer Products formally introduced Thursday the company's first Blu-ray Disc player for the U.S. market.
Putting its HD DVD platform fully behind it, the company recently announced that it was ready to extend its expertise in DVD technology into the Blu-ray Disc space.
Model BDX2000 will carry a $250 suggested retail when it begins shipping in November.
 Toshiba's first Blu-ray player, model BDX2000 ($259 suggested retail) |
It will include BD-Live Profile 2.0 capability (with the addition of 1GB or more of persistent storage memory via an optional SD card) and BonusView support.
To accommodate the additional memory for the BD-Live function, the player will include an SD card slot that can also be used to play back digital photos and music files on a connected TV.
BD-Live will also require a connection to an in-home broadband network via a built-in Ethernet port. The addition of an optional third-party Wi-Fi adapter will enable wireless Internet connectivity, Toshiba said.
In addition, the player will support all of the advance surround-sound codecs in the Blu-ray spec, and will up-convert standard-definition DVDs to HD formats, including 1080p at 24fps, Toshiba said.
However, Toshiba does not include in the first BD player its advanced XDE up-conversion system that is used in select Toshiba XDE DVD players.
Cosmetically, the BDX2000 was designed to continue the look of Toshiba's 2009 Regza LCD TVs, with a black color treatment similar to the "Deep Lagoon" look of advanced Regza TV models. It also adds a high-gloss front-panel drop-down door to conceal the onboard primary function buttons.
"Design is a very integral component of our whole entertainment-based product lineup," Sally said. "We will follow that tradition, offering a Blu-ray player with a very sleek appearance."
Outputs include a RegzaLink (HDMI-CEC) connection, enabling owners of compatible Toshiba Regza TVs to operate multiple connected components with one remote.
Jodi Sally, Toshiba DAV group marketing VP, said the player will have open distribution to all of Toshiba's authorized retail partners. The company plans to promote the deck both as a stand-alone sale and as an add-on to Regza LCD TVs.
"Our marketing message to our retailers with the launch of our first Blu-ray player is that we want to support the sales of our high-def TV products, and during the key holiday selling season we will deploy promotions enhanced to drive sales at retail, including this model in bundled promotions for the Regza TV lineup," Sally said. "We will also be promoting the player at retail with some promotions designed to drive stand-alone sales."
Details on any specific stand-alone and bundling offers will be announced later, she said.
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