Well that was certainly fast. Just a few weeks after rumors were flying that Toshiba would soon develop its first Blu-ray Disc products, the company has actually made its first official player announcement.
Toshiba previously championed the now-defunct HD DVD format. After a number of movie studios bailed to become exclusive to Blu-ray, Toshiba folded the format in spring 2008. After losing the high def format war, Toshiba changed gears, launching their XDE upconverting DVD player, taking the tack that upconvertered DVD is what people really wanted. But early last month, the company announced non-specific Blu-ray product plans, as well as its application to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and now, finally, an actual standalone Blu-ray player. With the BDX2000 Blu-ray Player, Toshiba will rejoin the mainstream.
The BDX2000 will start selling in November, for $249.99. The unit's Ethernet connection allows it to take advantage of BD-Live. Other features include standard fare such as an SD card slot, 1080p/24fps full HD video output, AVCHD playback, and support for enhanced audio formats, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. It also has a Regza-Link feature (HDMI-CEC), which allows the unit to connect to and operate a Regza LCD TV via one remote.
"Toshiba is a technology leader in high-definition products," said Jodi Sally, VP of marketing for the Digital A/V Group. "From listening to our consumers, we know they demand access to full high definition content. With the introduction of our BDX2000, we are offering consumers what they want with a breath-taking HD viewing experience to meet the needs of today's home theater."
