Toshiba Ships Low-Cost 1080p HD DVD Player

Toshiba said Wednesday that shipments of its HD-A20 HD DVD player had begun. The player is the first of the high-definition players, either Blu-ray or HD DVD, to offer 1080p resolution at a sub-$500 price point. The player will include an HDMI interface which Toshiba says could upconvert standard DVDs to near-HD quality, as well as standard interactivity and networking capabilities.

Over 900,000 HD DVD discs have been sold to date, Toshiba says, and 70 new titles are scheduled to be released between now and July. In an effort to continue the momentum, the company has announced a promotion that offers five free discs from a selection of 15 via a mail in-offer. Available titles include The Chronicles of Riddick, Constantine, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and U-571.