Today Toshiba also announced the addition of two HD DVD players to their line of HD DVD players. But before I get to that, I need to mention some funny tidbits the PR lady said. She rambled about how well the HD DVD launch went in April, then she mentioned that there are Toshiba HD DVD players in approximately 30,000 homes and each of which bought 25-30 HD DVDs. What the f—25-30 HD DVDs per player. Sounds a bit ridiculous, but could be true. You A/V nuts love to spend money. Now, on to the new players.
The HD-A2 (top) is the lower-end HD DVD player revision. This player will be available in October for $500. It has a 720p/1080i resolution, HDMI 1.2 and a much-needed, improved, remote. It also has a slimmer design than its predecessor, the HD-A1.
The HD-XA2 (bottom) is the higher end HD DVD player revision. It uses HDMI 1.3, 12-bit processing, 1080p resolution and Dolby True HD 5.1 audio. Expect to drop $1,000 on this player when it is officially released in December.