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Finally, the world’s first commercially available HD DVD player is with us, as Toshiba’s HD-XA1 went on sale today in Japan, handling dual-layer discs up to 30Gb.
The ¥110,000 player adds features that could change the way we view director’s commentaries and the like on movies. The firmware generates pop-ups that display movie chapters with thumbnails while the movie plays, allowing viewers to navigate menu features without pausing playback. Added to that is picture in picture (PIP), which allows simultaneous playback of disc extras alongside the main feature, something smart studios are sure to exploit quickly to add value.
The HD-XA1 can up-convert standard DVD to 1080i or 720p through HDCP-capable HDMI output, although we’ll be more sold on this when we actually get to try one. On the audio side, there’s L-PCM 5.1ch audio, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. Backwards compatibility with standard DVDs has been confirmed, as has the ability to decode MP3 and WMA on CD. AACS DRM is present too.
Initial shipments of HD-AX1 until Apr. 27, will include two HD DVD movie discs; one’s called “Moonlight Jellyfish,” while the other is “Resident Evil.” Could this be a bit of a swipe at Sony?
(Via Toshiba)
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