Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player

The Toshiba HD-XA1 is an HD DVD player that’s scheduled to start shipping on March 2006. It plays both HD DVD and regular DVD discs and connects to your HDTV using HDMI.

In addition to HD DVD discs, the Toshiba HD-XA1 will playback HD DVD-R (recordable HD DVD discs), DVD-R/RW/-RAM, CD, and CD-R/-RW. When playing back standard definition content from DVD, it upscales it to 720p or 1080i resolution.

Audio features include support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS-HD, and Dolby Pure HD. It will also playback MP3 and Windows Media Audio files. Audio outputs in addition to HDMI (which passes both video and digital audio content), are stereo analog, 5.1 multi-channel analog, coaxial digital, and optical digital.

The Toshiba HD-XA1 has a few neat tricks up its sleeve. An Ethernet port on the rear allows you to hook it up to a broadband Internet connection to download additional content. One use described in Toshiba’s promotional brochure is the ability to buy the soundtrack from a movie you’re watching or purchase merchandise that has been featured in the movie.

Other tricks include the ability to navigate the menu system of the disc your watching while still watching the movie or view additional features, such as directors' commentaries in conjunction with the movie. And, also while still watching the movie, you’ll able to display scenes and chapters in a thumbnail view along the bottom of the screen.

The Toshiba HD-XA1 also has two USB ports hidden, alongside the disc drawer and other controls, behind a panel on the front of the device. These, according to Toshiba, are for connecting games controllers, allowing the HD discs player to be used as a games console, with games sold on HD DVD discs.

The Toshiba HD-XA1 is due to ship in Marc 2006 for $799.

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