LAS VEGAS -- High-definition digital televisions and DVD recorders are ready for prime time, Toshiba executives said Wednesday during a press conference at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show.
Toshiba said it plans to expand its current lineup of high-definition digital televisions and will introduce what it believes is the next generation of DVD recording technology during 2005.
One of the themes of this year's CES is the growing adoption of HD televisions. Consumers who made the early jump to HDTVs gush about the superior picture quality, but are running into storage problems as they begin converting their entertainment centers to digital technology, said Yoshi Uchiyama, a group vice president at Toshiba's Toshiba America Consumer Products subsidiary.
Larger TV Screens
Toshiba will address demand for HDTVs with new, larger screens for both its plasma and rear-projection television products, said Scott Ramirez, vice president of marketing for Toshiba America. It will also introduce what Ramirez called the company's "Ferrari," an SED (surface-conduction electron-emitter display) television that will be produced in limited quantities starting later this year. The SED technology allows the television to produce bright, detailed images without time-delay problems that can crop up on other flat-panel televisions.
The company hopes that once HD televisions start becoming mainstream products, consumers will address their storage problems with its DVD recording technology. Toshiba is backing a standard called HD DVD and plans to bring an HD DVD recorder to the United States in the fourth quarter of 2005 that will cost around $1000, Uchiyama said. A group headed by Sony is backing a rival DVD recording standard known as Blu-ray.
Hard-Drive Music Players
Toshiba also unveiled plans to bring its Gigabeat music players to U.S. consumers in the second quarter, Uchiyama said. The Gigabeat players were first introduced in Japan in 2004, but now U.S. buyers will be able to purchase the hard-drive-based players in capacities up to 60GB, he said. They also come with 2.2-inch color screens for viewing pictures.
Four capacities will be available: 10GB, 20GB, 40GB, and 60GB. The 10GB player costs $299, while the 60GB player costs $549.
For more CES coverage, see PC World's CES news page or our CES staff blog.
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