Toshiba Announces first HDMI 1.3-enabled HD DVD Player for European Market

Today Toshiba announced today the introduction on the market of the European-wide first commercially available HD DVD Players. The HD-E1 is due to market in the middle of November. At the beginning of December will follow the HD-XE1, which is a bit more technologically advanced and sports higher-quality audio and video performance. The Player comes in a flat black Slimline Design and is equipped with the newest HD DVD technology, and of course the ability to upconvert standard definition DVDs to 720p and 1080i (HD-E1) and even 1080p (HD-XE1).

Next generation surround sound is also included with the HD-E1 and HD-XE1 including Dolby digital plus which uses a higher bit rate (up to 3 Mbit/s) for improved audio playback. If that weren't enough, the units also support Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD which are sure to make advanced users and early adopters very happy.

Here is a breakdown of features and compatibility for both players:

Feature / Supported Format	HD-E1	HD-XE1
Availability	Mid-Nov	December
1080p Support (HD DVD and upconversion)	- -	Yes
297MHz/12-bit video DAC (analogue outputs)	- -	Yes
Deep Color HDMI output	- -	Yes*
Analogue 5.1 outputs	- -	Yes
Analogue stereo outputs	Yes	Yes
Digital Coax S/PDIF	- -	Yes
Digital optical S/PDIF	Yes	Yes
HDMI 1.2	Yes	- -
HDMI 1.3	- -	Yes
RS-232C (bidirectional)	- -	Yes
Dimensions (inches: L x W x H)	16.9x13.6x2.6	TBD
MSRP (Euros)	599	899
MSRP (USD)	TBD	TBD

In order to have Deep Color support, a compatible display (and compatible electronics devices in the signal path) must be present and based on HDMI 1.3. Not all HDMI 1.3 displays, AV processing devices and cables will necessarily feature Deep Color support.

Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available…