Toshiba showed its first Blu-ray Disc player and laptop computer on Thursday, less than a month after confirming it was putting the high-def disc format battle behind it by joining the Blu-ray Disc Association.
The BDX2000 player will be available around the end of this year and is compatible with the latest version of the BD Live format, profile 2.0, that pulls in extra interactive features across an Internet connection, the company said at the IFA electronics fair in Berlin.
The player outputs a full high-definition (1080P) signal and supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD audio. In addition to Blu-ray Disc, it can also play Divx HD and AVCHD video footage and there's an SD card slot.
Few other details were available on the device although Toshiba also released several photographs of the player, which is black and has a stylish and simple design. No price was announced.
The Satellite P500 laptop is part of Toshiba's multimedia range and comes with an impressive full-HD 18-inch screen. Blu-ray support comes courtesy of a BD-RW drive that is compatible with the major Blu-ray and DVD formats. The computer is coming in the fourth quarter at a price yet to be announced.
Toshiba battled against Blu-ray Disc for several years with its HD DVD format although it eventually withdrew from the market in early 2008 when it became clear that Blu-ray Disc had overwhelming industry support. The battle lasted years and stunted growth of the home high-definition market although consumer interest now appears to be slowly picking up.
