Toshiba looking to hurt Blu Ray with next gen upscalers!!!

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Not sure if this has already been posted, but it looks like Toshiba have something up their sleeve to already.
They are about to release new upscalers that can convert standard DVD's
into high resolution images comparable to Blu Ray and at a lower cost.....:thumbsup:

From the quality of their current upscalers i can believe this too!

Heres the info and link -





Toshiba 'gets high resolution' from current DVDs

The Yomiuri Shimbun

By the end of the year, Toshiba Corp. plans to release a DVD player capable of producing high-resolution images from regular DVDs, company sources said Thursday.

The planned release of a model compatible with the current DVD format signifies an effort by the major electronic manufacturer to recover from a humiliating setback suffered in March
after announcing its decision to withdraw from its HD DVD business, the sources said.

Toshiba's withdrawal meant its defeat by a group of electronics makers, including Sony Corp., striving to promote the Blu-ray DVD format.

Standard DVD format is capable of playing a 350,000-pixel resolution. Blu-ray and other next-generation DVD formats have a resolution of about 2 million pixels, about six times greater than the current format.

Toshiba's new technology has been made possible by developing a large integrated circuit that can instantly convert images produced in the current format into high-resolution images.

This technology makes it possible to reproduce high-quality images comparable to Blu-ray video from current standard DVDs.

Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida said his company will not market DVD players that are compatible with Blu-ray.

Instead, Toshiba intends to compete with the Blu-ray camp by selling DVD players fitted with LSIs at lower prices than those of Blu-ray models.

To achieve this goal, Toshiba will advertise its new player as a device with which consumers can enjoy a broader array of content than is available in the Blu-ray format, the sources said.


Toshiba's withdrawal decision in March marked the end of a six-year competition between the HD DVD and Blu-ray camps.

Each was seeking to make its format the global standard.
(May. 30, 2008)




http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/20080530TDY01303.htm
 
Be even better if they make them HD DVD compatible as well.
 
if the picture information isn't there no amount of upscaling is going to make any difference....
 
if the picture information isn't there no amount of upscaling is going to make any difference....

Absolutely, but don't expect Tosh's marketing campaign - of which the above is only the first salvo - to make that in any way clear. :D
 
If this is so good why did they bother with HD-DVD in the first place?:confused:
 
Once again another ploy to lure into the ignorant market...
 
IMO, if it makes even a slight improvement to SD DVD, then that surely has to be a good thing.
HD is not all its cracked up to be. The fact is, when comparing a good DVD played on a quality machine, with an equally good Blu-ray - when viewing on your average tv up to around 42", there is certainly not the startling difference that the hype would have you believe.

What we had before with 2 rival HD formats, was never going to work, but this is entirely ok as far as i am concerned. Price will be a key issue though, because Blu-ray is always going to have the psychological advantage, so Toshiba's new players will need to be significantly cheaper, or people will not buy them.

If Toshiba can bring these machines out fairly quickly, then they will have an advantage on the price of discs - Blu-ray is expensive compared to DVD at the moment. There is no logical reason for it, other than it is a newer technology and the public has always been expected to pay more for the privilege of owning something new.

People are being enticed into replacing their existing DVD collection with Blu-ray, due to the amount of older back catalogue films that are coming out on the new format. The price is higher than DVD, but in some cases, the picture quality is no better.

I buy mainly SD DVD's for playing on my Denon 2930, and selected (brand new release only) Blu-rays for my PS3, so i would personally not have any use for Toshiba's new machines.
 
Well i think if toshiba get the machine out without too many issues and pricing right there on to a good thing.

Look at oppo 983hd they have a good following and slightly better picture than the great TOSHIBA XE1 HD DVD ( GATHERING WHAT I HAVE READ !)

If toshibas super dvd player beats this in picture and edges slightly closer to blu ray pic ( i know it wont be better so dont go there !!)

think of how much you would save on replacing most of you sd dvd collection with blu !!??

Look at how many people have bought the xe1 purley for the upscaling capabilities to leash a bit of life in there existing sd dvd collection !!

and they are still being bought second hand !!
 
These are all very valid points.I know that I bought my ep30 for its upscaling abilities just as much as for the cheap Hd Dvd disks now on the market.

However, the big stumbling block for Toshiba is going to be Marketing.They have shown that they are Not the best at it,or HD DVD might have won.

If they go along the lines of this being a format to directly rival Blu-ray,then they could be back to square one and lose out all over again.
But a marketing approach that stresses that you can enjoy your existing collection with a clearer,more stable picture on your new HD Screen,at a reasonable price could win a lot of custom.

I notice that there is no mention of any Sound improvements.Could that be because whatever they do they cant improve that aspect?

I look forward to some proffessional testers getting their hands on this kit.


KH
 
I don't think Toshiba would intend to market it as a direct competitor to Blu Ray, it can't compete on the same level because it is an entirely different product. But what they can do is promote the value and improvements that is attainable through current DVD technology. Personally i think they'll market the machine as just another DVD player and leave it to the reviewers and ultimately the consumer to decide what is best.
 
This could encourage a price reduction on Blu-Ray players and discs in the future
 
But a marketing approach that stresses that you can enjoy your existing collection with a clearer,more stable picture on your new HD Screen,at a reasonable price could win a lot of custom.

Couldnt have said it better myself!

This is the message Tosh should be leading with

Cheers

Jez
 
I have a Denon 2900 which does an excellent job of scaling up standard DVD (component progressive scan). It does a far better job than feeding my TH-46PZ85 with 576i and letting it do the job.

I also have a PS3 and it is not as good as the Denon with standard DVD (HDMI scales up to 1080p).

I also have BBC Planet Earth in standard DVD and Blue Ray (1080i) so I can do a direct comparision.

Even though the Denon does a great job with Planet Earth standard DVD it is nowhere near as good as the PS3 outputting 1080p with Planet Earth Blue Ray (1080i). From 3-4 metres the difference is clear to see. And the BBC Planet Earth Blue Ray disk is 1080i not 1080p.

Be interesting to see what Toshiba intend to do, but I would be surprised if they can outdo the top end standard DVD universal players produced over the last few years from Denon , Marantz, Yamaha etc. Maybe they can do it cheaper?
 
What a load of old rubbish and marketing bull.

No matter how much processing and wizardry the player does it cannot make SD look like HD.
 
HD is not all its cracked up to be. The fact is, when comparing a good DVD played on a quality machine, with an equally good Blu-ray - when viewing on your average tv up to around 42", there is certainly not the startling difference that the hype would have you believe..
No doubt - problem is though that TV display sizes are growing, so for where the market is going, HD becomes VERY relevant.
 
problem is though that TV display sizes are growing
You see that as a problem? :D
I know exactly what you are saying though, but unless we all move into bigger houses, there is only so big they can realistically get.
I will agree that HD starts to really come into its own as the screen size(and quality)goes up.
 
The fact is, when comparing a good DVD played on a quality machine, with an equally good Blu-ray - when viewing on your average tv up to around 42", there is certainly not the startling difference that the hype would have you believe.

What utter nonsense, completely depends on the viewing distance.
 
What utter nonsense, completely depends on the viewing distance.
So you think all it depends on is viewing distance? :eek:
You are misguided my friend. ;)
If you want to start a debate on this, then you can do it without me, because i am not going to waste my time getting into this with you. :rolleyes:
 
So you think all it depends on is viewing distance? :eek:
You are misguided my friend. ;)
If you want to start a debate on this, then you can do it without me, because i am not going to waste my time getting into this with you. :rolleyes:

You can cower away from debate if you like, but it's really not difficult. If you sit 20' from a 42" screen playing a HD movie, then it's probably quite hard to tell the difference from SD. If you sit 2' away then it's very easy. You can't quote a random screen size and not qualify it with a viewing distance.
 
And you know this because?
Look, lets be honest: the onus isnt on him to prove anything - it is on you - "upscaling" is essentially a claim that information which we dont know can be determined by looking at other information we DO know. It can never be accurate - and therefore any claim that SD can be the same as HD is inherently questionable.

It is you picked up certified records of where I was located at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm - and then you claim that you can tell me where I was at 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30. Maybe you can guess, sure - but you cant ever expect to be as accurate as the person who has actual records of where I was every half hour!!

So maybe on small screens cant tell the different, but on a bigger screen its just not gonna be possible for these to be the same.
 
And you know this because?

Because you can only polish a turd so much.

Trust me, I've spent far too much time and money on SDI modded players, video processors etc to know that no matter what you do, SD cannot come close to HD on a big screen.
 
Yes,you can only polish the turd (wonderful expression!)so much.

My point was,that if Toshiba can achieve levels approaching those set by the likes of Arcam and others,for a fraction of the price,then market it properly,they could be on to a winner in the general market.

The general public arnt as "Anal" about these things as we are.If they see a picture that is improved,even to the smallest degree for the right price,that doesnt involve them buying there movie collection,again,they will buy it.

I also belive that the viewing experience is a very personal one,some may say that my kit doesnt produce a very good result,but,I am,for the time being,very happy with it.That doesnt mean to say that a 50" kuro isnt going to knock it into a cocked hat but that aint relevant to me at the moment.


KH
 
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