Onkyo's CES announcement regarding HD DVD player

[gvortex7]

Onkyo to Launch HD DVD Player in 2007
01/08/07 -

Las Vegas, January 2007 – Onkyo Corporation today announced plans to launch its first HD DVD player for the North American market in 2007. HD DVD is the next generation DVD format approved by the DVD Forum.

Today, the global environment for audio visual products has changed dramatically; large screen HDTV sales have been growing and consumer demand for the high definition content is increasing. In parallel with the expansion of digital broadcasting services, DVD has been required to provide much more data capacity and higher density, which HD DVD can fulfill.

Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD 5.1 channel audio processing formats are supported by HD DVD, which allows consumers to enjoy a high quality home theater experience. HD DVD also will offer the advanced content and features such as active menus and PinP video adopted by HD DVD.

Onkyo will introduce an HD DVD player initially in the North American market, where there is a strong demand for packaged media in high definition with the increasing large screen HDTVs market, and then plans to further expand to other markets. Onkyo also plans to develop AV receivers to enjoy attractive and vigorous HD DVD content through a single HDMI cable that transfers video, audio and control signals.

Details of the Onkyo HD DVD player for North America, including launch timing, specifications and specifics of the launch in other regions along with future AV receivers will be announced separately.

Press Contact:
Paul Wasek , Marketing Manager, ONKYO U.S.A. Corporation
18 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Tel : 201-785-2610, Fax : 201-785-2650

What is Onkyo, who in my opinion is a very reputable company, doing supporting a losing format? I just can't believe they would pick an already dying format to support, NOW.

Oh, well.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by gvortex7

What is Onkyo, who in my opinion is a very reputable company, doing supporting a losing format? I just can't believe they would pick an already dying format to support, NOW.

Oh, well.

They were probably under the impression, like many other people, that Universal and Toshiba would take the sword to the faltering start of the BDA, but they didn't and now this player probably won't ever see daylight.

[hyperdine]

What a poor decision on their part. I like Onkyo products (I have an Integra recevier). I just hope all of this is resolved before they put out this player. I would hate to see a good company like them lose money unnecessarily.

[Deane Johnson]

Why do I think this decision may go back to committee for further review?

[Jeff®]

Originally Posted by Deane Johnson

Why do I think this decision may go back to committee for further review?

LOL. They should first remove the committee member who wrote this:

"HD DVD also will offer the advanced content and features such as active menus and PinP video adopted by HD DVD."

That's like saying, "BMW will offer the xDrive system adopted by BMW."

[TauRus]

Hopefully this move by Onkyo will push Denon/Marantz to consider releasing a Blu-ray machine sooner.

[frankc4s]

Originally Posted by TauRus

Hopefully this move by Onkyo will push Denon/Marantz to consider releasing a Blu-ray machine sooner.

It makes no sense what so ever for the likes of Denon/Marantz/Arcam etc etc to build a machine until we have a clear format winner.
I cant see a HD player, on any format, from any of this lot for a year or two yet.

[56@Yamamoto]

One of the main stockholders of ONKYO is Intel. And ONKYO has a consideralbly relation with Toshiba with TV built-in speaker production.

I think it is why this announse has made in this timing.

ONKYO, once which was one of respected Japanease audio products maker, has gone bankrupt about 10 years ago. The composition of stockholders largely changed afterwards and withdrew from pure-audio products.
ONKYO made efforts mainly in low-priced audio visual products and embodiment products afterwards. Recently they has come to release comparatively high-priced DVD-player and AV receiver.

[Deane Johnson]

There's always so much more to the story behind the scenes than we know about, isn't there.