Wayne, N.J. — Toshiba America said it has started shipping its HD-A20 HD DVD player at a $499 suggested retail.
The HD-A20 becomes the company’s lowest-priced model offering high-definition output at full 1,920 by 1,080p resolution through an HDMI output.
The player is added to a line that includes the entry Toshiba HD DVD HD-A2 and the top of the line, HD-XA2.
In addition to outputting native 1,080p content from HD DVD discs, the player will also up-convert standard DVD to 1,080p, with “near-HD picture quality,” Toshiba said.
All Toshiba HD DVD players will play DVDs and audio CDs in addition to HD DVD discs, and feature interactive capabilities and an Ethernet port to support networking applications. Firmware updates may be required for some functionality, however, the manufacturer stated.
As an incentive to buy, Toshiba is offering a software promotion through July 31, 2007, allowing Toshiba HD DVD player purchasers to receive five HD DVD titles for free, from a selection of 15, via a mail-in offer. Full offer details are available at www.toshibahddvd.com.
