Toshiba releases third-gen HD DVD players

Wayne (NJ) – Toshiba today released three new HD DVD players with prices ranging from $300 to $500.

With the new product family, Toshiba continues its strategy to offer a relatively affordable entry-level model, a mainstream product as well as one device that is designed to appeal to enthusiast users.

The HD-A3 has the lowest price of the the new HD DVD players and will sell for a suggested retail price of $300. As its direct predecessor, the device has a maximum output resolution of 1080i, which means there isn’t much new other than a slightly revised look of the device.

The mid-level A-30 and the higher-end A-35 both can play videos in up to 1080p at 24 frames per second. The $400 A-30 adds support for HDMI-CEC ("Consumer Electronics Control"), which is included in the HDMI wiring and enable sthe user to control multiple CEC-equipped devices with one remote and allows CEC-enabled devices to control each other without user interaction. The $500 A-35 also offers support for HDMI deep color.

The A-3 and the A-35 are expected to be available in October, while the A-30 will hit retail shelves in September, Toshiba said.