Hitachi & Lite-On to support HD DVD

[zombie]

Finally some more hardware support for HD DVD.

Hitachi HD DVD recorder in 2007 (Japan)

Lite-On HD DVD player in August 2006 for under $1000 (USA)

[hmurchison]

Very cool.

But the Hitachi part is a little strange. Terabyte recorders? I think they're mislabeling HD DVD.

[AV_Integrated]

I think the Hitachi info is completely inaccurate.

1TB = HDD - Hard Disc Drive. Sounds like more clueless journalists. Especially as seeing how Hitachi is on the Blu-ray board and showed a prototype player already.

Obviously they could be releasing a player, but that one certainly is NOT it.

[BTBuck1]

Lite On, Now theres a name brand for ya.

Maybe Cyberhome and Funai will get into the HDDVD camp along with

RCA, Sanyo, & Toshiba! w00t!!!

[singing] Cel-e-brate good times, Come on...It's a celebration![/singing]

[zombie]

Originally Posted by Brian@BBY

Lite On, Now theres a name brand for ya.

Maybe Cyberhome and Funai will get into the HDDVD camp along with

RCA, Sanyo, & Toshiba! w00t!!!

[singing] Cel-e-brate good times, Come on...It's a celebration![/singing]

Yeah I agree but at this point Toshiba needs anyone they can get.

[AV_Integrated]

Originally Posted by nyg

Yeah I agree but at this point Toshiba needs anyone they can get.

Strange how many people at various forums consider the format war all but won for HD-DVD... I'm consistently wondering how in the world they come up with that result in just a month of actual 'war'. I get that people who bought HD-DVD and are buying movies don't want to be stuck with the next Betamax - but there is no doubt in my mind that HD-DVD has a very serious uphill battle if it has any hope to take down Panasonic, Sony, Pioneer, Samsung, LG, Philips, etc. Just as with Blu-ray having more major studios, it has almost ALL CE companies out there that matter!

I am one that believes if M$ hadn't gotten involved at the last second, it would have been unlikely that HD-DVD would have even seen the light of day. Moreso, M$ involvement is highly questionable.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Brian@BBY

Lite On, Now theres a name brand for ya.

Maybe Cyberhome and Funai will get into the HDDVD camp along with

RCA, Sanyo, & Toshiba! w00t!!!

[singing] Cel-e-brate good times, Come on...It's a celebration![/singing]

Hitachi's a decent brand name, but jeezuz, they need to get some heavier hitters than these.

[hmurchison]

Comparing Lite-on with Funai??

Lite-on coproation does almost 3 billion dollars a quarter. They are huge in optical drives and Sony has used them for plenty of branded stuff.

Companies like LG and Lite-on have been OEM to vendors for a while and now are being to sell their own branded stuff.

Having Lite-on for both HD DVD and Blu-Ray is a good thing. They are reputable.

Strange how many people at various forums consider the format war all but won for HD-DVD... I'm consistently wondering how in the world they come up with that result in just a month of actual 'war'

It's just wishful thinking. HD DVD was supposed to be dead on arrival after CES 2006 so the renewed hope is keeping HD DVD fans in a frenzy.

[JTK]

I have a Lite-On CD-RW drive on my PC right now and it's been a real champ.

Funai couldn't lick Lite-On's shoes.

I think they're a good company myself, although their reputation is far more well established in the PC realm vs. any other realm, that I know of.


I guess the question really comes down to: Are these companies simply going to put out rebadges clones of the VERY same Toshiba HD-DVD player that's out now, or are they going ot put out something new and fresh?

[phloyd]

Remember that the Toshiba is in fact an NEC drive.

Anyways, with regards to the old Betamax argument, if I buy an HD DVD player (and I just might!) I will buy it with the knowledge that it could lose the 'war' and that there could be a limited number of discs. But they are discs and I expect them to last the life of the player! Which should be a reasonable amount of time. At least the discs won't wear out

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by AV_Integrated

Strange how many people at various forums consider the format war all but won for HD-DVD... I'm consistently wondering how in the world they come up with that result in just a month of actual 'war'.

Yeah, some war...You have Toshiba with their whole Force out (and a promise of back up from M$)

Then theres Blu-Ray...all they've done is sent in some special ops team (sammy).

The: Marines, Navy, Army, Airforce haven't even arrived yet.
(sony) (panny) (sharp) (pioneer)

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by Brian@BBY

Yeah, some war...You have Toshiba with their whole Force out (and a promise of back up from M$)

Then theres Blu-Ray...all they've done is sent in some special ops team (sammy).

The: Marines, Navy, Army, Airforce haven't even arrived yet.
(sony) (panny) (sharp) (pioneer)

Shock and awe it will be indeed.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

Shock and awe it will be indeed.

Microsoft claiming it will be the "mother of all battles" lmao...j/k

[zombie]

Originally Posted by AV_Integrated

Strange how many people at various forums consider the format war all but won for HD-DVD... I'm consistently wondering how in the world they come up with that result in just a month of actual 'war'.

Yes unfortunately some people do but I don't. Blu-ray has thus far bunted but this fall I expect they'll hit a home run or two.

I get that people who bought HD-DVD and are buying movies don't want to be stuck with the next Betamax - but there is no doubt in my mind that HD-DVD has a very serious uphill battle if it has any hope to take down Panasonic, Sony, Pioneer, Samsung, LG, Philips, etc. Just as with Blu-ray having more major studios, it has almost ALL CE companies out there that matter!

Yeah the last thing I need is a $500 paperweight. I'm in full agreement. Toshiba needs all the help they can get just to coexist with Blu-ray IHMO.

I am one that believes if M$ hadn't gotten involved at the last second, it would have been unlikely that HD-DVD would have even seen the light of day. Moreso, M$ involvement is highly questionable.

Agreed, again.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Brian@BBY

Yeah, some war...You have Toshiba with their whole Force out (and a promise of back up from M$)

Then theres Blu-Ray...all they've done is sent in some special ops team (sammy).

The: Marines, Navy, Army, Airforce haven't even arrived yet.
(sony) (panny) (sharp) (pioneer)

Exactly right.

[AV_Integrated]

Originally Posted by nyg

Yes unfortunately some people do but I don't. Blu-ray has thus far bunted but this fall I expect they'll hit a home run or two.

Yeah the last thing I need is a $500 paperweight. I'm in full agreement. Toshiba needs all the help they can get just to coexist with Blu-ray IHMO.

Agreed, again.

NYG - I wish more people who owned HD-DVD players were like you. The owners group is often just so defensive and blind to what is likely to come. I wish I could feel bad for them, but those that choose to ignore the competition are likely to be run over by them. I can assure you that ALL the major players in this format war (from both sides!) are well aware of what their competitors are doing, and are working to bring them down... just as in warfare.

I think one of the biggest plusses for HD-DVD supporters is that, at the very least, you end up with a good upconverting DVD player should the format fail and people want to keep using it. There is no evidence that the Blu-ray players will perform upconversion of standard DVD as well as the Toshiba is known to do so. They get serious props in my book for not overlooking that feature. But, I REALLY don't want to hear from a single person should either format fail about "how unfair it is they put so much money into it and then it failed"

Boo-waah.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by AV_Integrated

"how unfair it is they put so much money into it and then it failed"

Boo-waah.

I've got 4 HD sets in my house, And I can always use an extra upconverting dvd player in one of the rooms. I'm guessing the upconversion feature will be very similar to how brands in the standard dvd player upconverts have done. Samsung has been notoriously bad, Toshibas where hit or miss, the Sony's/Panny's & Pio Elites, all get good reviews. If only I ever had a 100-200 BR or HDDVD collection then I wouldn't concider it a bad purchase, as thats a pretty good size library and you'd most likely still have a solid DVD player. Add in the fact that the Blank Media for either side will probably be around for many many years you'd then have a place to play back HD camcorder footage on your tv too.

[Psiweaver]

I agree with all above that say that HD DVD faces an extremely hard uphill battle and wouldn't even be doing it if it wasn't for MS. My guess is that MS will jump shit or go neutral eventually and leave toshiba floundering.