The Thrive has specs pretty much the same as all the other Android tablets of the same generation. It has a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, a 10.1? 1280×800 display, 1GB RAM, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, 32GB of built-in storage, etc. It is a little bulkier than the other tablets – but that is due to its unique features. The back cover of the tablet is removable and swappable for different colors, though the main reason it is removable is to allow the battery to be swapped. This is the only Android tablet I’m aware of with a removable battery.

The bulk is also due in part to the inclusion of full size ports. While other tablets may have microUSB, microHDMI, microSD – or may even lack some or all of these features entirely, relying solely on a proprietary connector – the Thrive has a full size USB port, a full size HDMI port, a full size SD slot, and a miniUSB port, in addition to a docking connector. The inclusion of full size ports allows you to use standard cables, and to connect standard USB input devices (keyboard & mouse) if you wish. Connect a keyboard and mouse to the USB port (using a USB hub if you need to), and connect the HDMI to an external display, and you can use the Thrive like a desktop machine.

The 32GB Toshiba Thrive sells new for $479.99 at Amazon, so this is a pretty good deal.

The Thrive has specs pretty much the same as all the other Android tablets of the same generation. It has a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, a 10.1″ 1280×800 display, 1GB RAM, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, 16GB of built-in storage, etc. It is a little bulkier than the other tablets – but that is due to its unique features. The back cover of the tablet is removable and swappable for different colors, though the main reason it is removable is to allow the battery to be swapped. This is the only Android tablet I’m aware of with a removable battery.

The bulk is also due in part to the inclusion of full size ports. While other tablets may have microUSB, microHDMI, microSD – or may even lack some or all of these features entirely, relying solely on a proprietary connector – the Thrive has a full size USB port, a full size HDMI port, a full size SD slot, and a miniUSB port, in addition to a docking connector. The inclusion of full size ports allows you to use standard cables, and to connect standard USB input devices (keyboard & mouse) if you wish. Connect a keyboard and mouse to the USB port (using a USB hub if you need to), and connect the HDMI to an external display, and you can use the Thrive like a desktop machine.

The 16GB Toshiba Thrive sells new for $399.98 at Amazon, so this is a pretty good deal.

First up, Special Holiday Deals on Select LG Home Entertainment Products. Save on 25 different HDTVs, three different Blu-ray Disc players, and three different Home Audio Systems.

Or maybe you’d prefer a Free Family Pack of 3D Glasses with Select LG Cinema 3D LED HDTVs with Smart TV. Five LG 3D HDTV models to choose from.

Or a free LG AN-MR200 Magic Motion Remote when you buy an LG Infinia 42LV5400 42″ 1080p HDTV with Smart TV.

Next up, Save Big on Select Sony HDTVs. Seventeen different models to choose from.

Of perhaps Great Savings on Select Panasonic HDTVs. Sixteen models to choose from!

Next, Save up to 45% on Select HDTVs. HDTVs from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony – 102 different models to choose from!

Maybe Big-Screen HDTVs for $999 or Less. LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, TCL, Toshiba, VIZIO and Westinghouse, 42 models all together.

And to feed those HDTVs content, Blu-ray Disc Players and Digital-Media Devices Under $100. The Apple TV and TiVo Premiere are in there along with the Roku 2 family and Roku LT. Blu-ray Disc players from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, VIZIO, and Toshiba, and streaming devices from Iomega, Western Digital, Patriot, Netgear, and the aforementioned Apple, TiVo, and Roku boxes.

And for those Blu-ray Players, save on thousands of TV shows and movies on Blu-ray and DVD.

Now, if you want to create your own content, there is this special: Instant Savings on Select Sony Camcorders. Eighteen different models to choose from – from the $89.99 Bloggie to the $399.99 HDR-XR160.

If still photography is more your thing, get a Free DSLR Backpack, Memory Card, and Tiffen Filter with Select Canon Rebel DSLR Cameras. Thirteen different camera models to choose from.

Or perhaps you prefer to Save Big When You Bundle Select Canon DSLRs with Qualifying Canon Lenses and/or Printers. With seven different cameras to choose from.

Amazon certainly has your entertainment electronics needs covered.

Thursday-Saturday Only: Best Buy Exclusive Asus Transformer 10.1″ Wi-Fi Tablet, $249.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Acer Iconia Tablet with 8GB Memory, $189.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Dell Streak 7″ Tablet, $149.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Barnes & Noble NOOK The Simple Touch Reader, $79.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Great Tablet Deals.
Thursday-Saturday Only: HP Laptop with AMD Vision Processor, 500GB Hard Drive, and 4GB DDR3 Memory, $429.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Lenovo Laptop with AMD Dual-Core E300 Processor, 250GB Hard Drive, 2GB Memory, $179.00.
Thursday-Saturday Only: HP All-in-One Computer has AMD E-Series Processor, 4GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive, $399.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Toshiba Laptop with Intel Pentium Processor, 320GB Hard Drive, and 4GB Memory, $349.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Samsung Laptop with Pentium Dual-Core Processor, 320GB Hard Drive, 4GB Memory, $299.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Great Computing Deals.
Thursday-Saturday Only: 50% Off All M-Edge eReader Covers.

Thursday-Saturday Only: Only $999.99 Samsung 55″ Class LED 1080p HDTV. Best Buy exclusive.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Great Home Theater Deals.

Thursday-Saturday Only: Free $50 Gift Card with Apple iPod touch 8GB MP3 Player.
Thursday-Saturday Only: $20 Off Any $100 iTunes Gift Card.
Thursday-Saturday Only: $2.99 Music CDs.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Great iPod and MP3 Player Deals.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Great Entertainment Deals.

Thursday-Saturday Only: Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Bundle with Fable III and Halo: Reach, Only $199.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Nintendo 3DS Game Console, $179.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Select Games for $34.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Select Games for $29.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Select Game Accessories for $7.99.
Thursday-Saturday Only: Great Gaming and Gadget Deals.

There are many more deals, so be sure to check them out. The links should be live on Thursday.

There are new specials each day, so be sure to check back in.

In addition to the current sale, they’ve also published a preview of what they’ll be offering on Black Friday – in stores and online.

In stores only you’ll be able to grab a Sharp LC-42SV49U 42″ Class LCD 1080p HDTV for $199.99, a Toshiba BDX2150 Smart Blu-ray Player for $39.99, a 15.6″ Samsung Laptop with an Intel Pentium CPU, 4GB RAM, and a 320GB HDD for $299.99, and the one I think is the most tempting, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Android tablet for only $249.99.

Also available in stores, the HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE on Verizon for free with a 2-year activation and the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 Blu-ray just $9.99. These will also be made available online – the Thunderbolt on Thursday and the Blu-ray on Friday.

They’ve listed specials that will be available online starting Thursday, 11/24, without revealing the prices. There will be deals on the Dynex 32″ Class LED 720p HDTV, a 15.6″ Gateway Laptop with Intel Core i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, and a 320GB HDD, the Dell Streak 7″ Android Tablet, a Dell desktop PC with Intel Core i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, and an 18.5″ widescreen LCD monitor, the FujiFilm FinePix AX350 16MP Camera, a Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, the Tritton AX120 Headset, and the Nintendo Wii Console with New Super Mario Bros. Wii Game and Music CD. Check back Thursday for the pricing.

There are yet more deals, way too many to list here, so check out their webpage for the full listing. More HDTVs, laptops, PCs, phones, tablets, cameras, hard drives, flash drives, washers & dryers, PlayStation 3, games, etc.

Remember these are new, not refurbished, for just $249.99. The MSRP is $349.99 and Amazon sells them new for $279.98, so this is $100 off MSRP and even $30 off Amazon’s discounted price.

This is good for everyone – industry and consumer – but my earlier diatribe stands. I think Full HD Passive systems will be better in the long run than active shutter systems, standard glasses or not.

Via TWICE.

Free Sharp 3D Wi-Fi Blu-ray Player (Shipping Extra) with Sharp AQUOS 60” Class LED-LCD 1080p HDTV.

5% – 20% Off Select HDTVs.

$369.99 Lenovo IdeaPad Laptop / Intel® Pentium® Processor / 15.6″ Display / 4GB Memory / 500GB Hard Drive

$329.99 Toshiba Satellite Laptop / AMD E-Series Processor / 15.6″ Display / 3GB Memory / 320GB Hard Drive

5%-40% Off Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders, Plus Free Shipping.

Free $75 Gift Card with 250GB Xbox 360 Console.

$10 Off Madden NFL 12 (Game Guide) when you buy Madden NFL 12 for Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii.

$9.99 Sale on Select Blu-ray Titles.

The review is perhaps the most thorough I’ve seen to date, and well documented in photos and video as well. If you’ve been thinking about the Thrive, Brad’s review really covers all of the high, and low, points of the tablet. It is generally favorable, but as we’ve seen with other reviews, whether or not the Thrive is right for you really comes down to size & weight vs. expansion. If the full size ports are useful to you – easy connection to external displays via full size HDMI, the ability to use full size SD cards up to 128GB, connecting USB drives, and USB HID devices (keyboards & mice). With a USB hub you can connect a keyboard, mouse, and external drive, and practically turn it into a PC. The trade off is, of course, a tablet that is physically larger and heavier than its peers. So you have to weigh the options – maybe literally.

Read his full review.

Inevitably, whenever a new tablet comes out, we find ourselves asking, “Why would you choose this over everything else?” And to be honest, in a marketplace with so many forgettable options it’s not always an easy question to answer. In the case of the Thrive, at least, you’ve potentially got enough built-in reasons to count on both hands. It’s got full-sized USB and HDMI ports, not to mention an SDXC slot allowing you to make good use of one of the memory cards you’ve no doubt accumulated over the years. It comes with lots of useful apps — some of which cost money — which means if you’ll be up and running immediately (and so will any low-tech person you give this to as a gift). It runs Android 3.1 at a time when most tabs don’t. Oh, and it’s priced to sell. It starts at $429 for 8GB, making it stand out in a market that absolutely does not need another $500 or $600 slate. We say, get the 8GB version, pair it with an old SD card, and have yourself a party.

So if the features unique to the Thrive are useful to you, it isn’t a bad choice. But if not, there are slimmer, sleeker tablets with longer battery life that are probably better choices. Read the full review for all of the facts.

How things can change in a year.

For the second quarter of 2011 the iPad’s share of the market dropped to 61.3%, while Android tablets had clawed their way up to claim 30% of tablet sales. You might’ve noticed that, jointly, they claimed 91.3% this year – but 96.9% last year. So where did the rest go? Well, coming in at number three, Windows tablets claimed 4.6%. Yes, Windows tablets. What about RIM’s PlayBook, which launched during the quarter? It managed a measly 3.3%. These figures are according to a study by market research firm Strategy Analytics.

We’ll have to see how they all fair this quarter, and we have a new entrant in the fight, the HP WebOS Touchpad. But the wave of Android tablets also continues to build. The best selling Android tablet, and second best selling tablet overall, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer could’ve sold even more if not for supply issues. Asus seems to have ironed out the issues, and the supply of Transformers has already begun ramping up and will continue to do so. The T-Mobile G-Slate (aka LG Optimus Pad) shipped just before the end of the last quarter. The Toshiba Thrive has just launched.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is slated to launch next month, sliding in between the 7 and 10.1 inch models, giving consumers more choice. Lenovo has just announced the IdeaPad K1, aimed at consumers, and the ThinkPad Tablet, which is aimed more toward business users – right at the RIM PlayBook. The delayed Cisco Cius, also aimed at businesses, will ship at the end of the month. Archos has a couple of models pending, Vizio has their tablet, etc.

The reality seems very different from the impression you’d get reading articles about the tablet market. From the articles you’d think that everyone wants an iPad and no one is buying anything else. Sales of Android tablets have been weak, makers are even considering pulling out of the market, it is all doom and gloom. Android Honeycomb, the first version of Android optimized for tablets, only released in late February with the Motorola Xoom. That’s when the Android tablet market kicked off for real.

Remember how dismissive articles about Android phones were in 2009 – right up until the Motorola Droid hit the streets with Android 2.0? In the year and a half since then which mobile OS has taken the top spot in sales? It’s been less than five months since Honeycomb hit the streets. 30% of the global tablet market. Let’s see what things look like at the end of the year, by which time Ice Cream Sandwich will be out too.

Report figures via Boy Genius Report.

Edit: He’s posted a blog entry related to the video now too.

Do I want a tablet that’s more like a PC? No. Especially not when “more like a PC” includes pre-loading my device with piles of bloatware that I’ll never use, proprietary crapps that I can’t delete. I do not want to visit your App Place, Toshiba, or your Book Place or any Place you want to take me. I don’t get in cars with strangers. The display? Your scan lines are showing. Do I mention its fatty, awkward size and the shape? Thrive feels like you’re holding a GoKart steering wheel. If this is what it takes to get MiniUSB on a tablet, I’ll pass on the MiniUSB.

I think they’re overly harsh, frankly, and the other reviews are more balanced. But it doesn’t matter too much to me, I’ve pretty much decided to go with the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. I’d already decided to go with that when the Thrive caught my eye, but I think the Transformer is what I really want.

Ars Technica has busted out a review of the Toshiba Thrive Android Tablet which comes across as generally favorable. I recommend reading the full review, and watching the video below, but as they summarize at the end of their review:

The Good

• Hardware runs Honeycomb 3.1 well, with no skinning or annoyances
• The array of full-sized ports makes connecting your Thrive to existing devices a snap
• SD card slot makes expanding the Thrive’s memory easy, not to mention it’s simple to move files to the hardware
• The File Manager gives you a lot of control over the content on your device, including the ability to cut, copy, delete, and launch files at will
• The battery gives you 7+ hours of heavy use, and can be removed and replaced easily by the user
• Ribbed plastic back is comfortable to hold

The Bad

• No support for 3G or 4G connectivity
• Thicker and heavier than its competitors
• Toshiba’s built-in apps are either demos or nearly useless, and can’t be removed without rooting
• The built-in cameras are nice for candid snaps or video calls using Google Talk, but won’t replace your dedicated camera
• The back panel is tricky to remove without using a wince-inducing level of force
• The volume and power buttons on the side of the unit can be hard to hit
• The LED lights on the unit’s face are annoying
• The rear camera’s placement makes it easy to cover the lens when you’re holding the tablet in landscape view
• The interface can be jerky on occasion, and is much less smooth than what we’re used to from the iPad

The Ugly

• The fact that a SD card slot is such a major selling point. C’mon, everyone else, catch up.

Verdict: Buy

As I’ve said before, I’m torn between the Toshiba Thrive and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, and I still haven’t made up my mind. They both have some very appealing features.

No, I haven’t lost it, product names have just gotten a bit silly. I’m talking about Android tablets. Let me say right now that I’m both a user and fan of Android. I picked up an original Droid at launch and that’s what I’m still using – albeit rooted and running Cyanogenmod 7.1-RC1. It isn’t a religious war for me – iOS and WebOS are fine operating systems. (I’ve never played with the QNX-based TabletOS RIM is using on the Playbook, but I have used Blackberry OS and actively dislike it.) But I have a decent investment in Android apps (yes, I pay for apps – the stereotype that Android users don’t buy apps really bugs me), and it just doesn’t make sense to me to use another OS on a tablet. Plus I just plain like Android so why switch? So don’t suggest the iPad, etc. Thanks.

Anyway, I decided a while ago to get an Android tablet, but to wait for Android 3.x Honeycomb. I don’t have a pressing need for one, mainly technolust for a new toy, so there was no reason to rush out and buy one. I decided not to pick up a Motorola Xoom because I tend to avoid the first in any product family to let them work out the bugs, and the pricing was kind of high. I also figured there would be interesting options coming later – and I was right, there are. A friend of mine has a Xoom and I’ve played with it. It is nice, but I still think some of the newer options are better.

So now the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and Toshiba Thrive are all out, or coming very soon. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 looks great, very thin and light, but to get that Samsung cut a lot – no USB & HDMI ports, no expandable storage (no SD/microSD), etc. You basically have to do everything via their proprietary docking connector – very iPad. I don’t want to be that limited, so that’s out of the running.

The Transformer is the one I’ve been eyeing for a while, just waiting for supply issues to get worked out so they’re a) in stock and b) not overpriced to rip off impatient suckers. The Transformer has some nice features, but the most notable is the keyboard dock which basically turns it into a netbook. The tablet itself has a miniHDMI port and a microSD slot. No USB ports on the tablet, but another proprietary 40-pin docking port with a cable for USB and charging. I’m a little unhappy about the dongle for USB again, but that’s starting to feel inescapable. But the miniHDMI and expandable storage are a plus. And the keyboard dock adds two full-size USB ports to connect other devices and a full-size MMC/SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

So I was thinking of finally ordering this, as pricing has settled down, but decided to check what else is out there – and saw the Toshiba Thrive.

Like all of these, it has the same processor (NVIDIA Tegra 2), same display size and resolution (10.1” 1280×800), same OS (Android Honeycomb 3.1 (the Transformer shipped with 3.0 but has an update)), front & rear camera (front camera is 2.0MP to the Transformer’s 1.2MP, 5MP rear on both), 1GB RAM, 32GB storage (I’m comparing 32GB models, both also have 16GB, and Thrive has an 8GB model), 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, etc. The Thrive also has a full size MMC/SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot right in the tablet, and generally all of the features of the Transformer – except it doesn’t have a keyboard dock.

But the Thrive has some unique features too. It has a full-size HDMI port, not miniHDMI, so you can use any standard HDMI cable. It has a full size USB port and a miniUSB port right on the tablet, to act as a USB host device for cameras, etc. No dongles needed, no need for a dock (like the keyboard on the Transformer to get the USB ports & full-size memory cards). The entire back of the Thrive is swappable for different colors, designs – and, more importantly, to provide access to the swappable battery, the only one on an Android tablet. There is a dock connector, and charging appears to be via the dock or the dedicated power port. Just no microUSB charging on these tablets I guess. That would be nice since that’s what phones use and one charger could handle both. Though with the USB port on the Thrive maybe I could charge my phone from it via USB while it charges from the wall.

The Thrive also includes Swype, which I love on my Droid, and has some nice included extras like a file manager to handle the SD & USB mass storage devices, and a printer utility to allow it to easily print to printers via WiFi (the USB port doesn’t have printer drivers it seems), and the USB port apparently handles standard USB keyboard & pointer devices. Though I’d expect Bluetooth to work as well.

While the Thrive is a bit more expensive than the Transformer, tablet to tablet ($580 vs. $480 for 32GB models), the Transformer’s keyboard dock is $150 and up, so even if I buy the $60 multimedia dock for the Thrive (USB, HDMI, audio, and power connectors), the Thrive is competitive on price overall.

I don’t know, I thought the keyboard would be cool and useful to have, but then again I bought my Droid thinking I’d use the keyboard a lot – and now I’m planning to get a touchscreen-only phone on my next upgrade as I ended up using the keyboard less and less, until I didn’t use it anymore (especially once I had Swype). And having all of the ports right on the tablet is very convenient, as well as having the option to have a spare battery. I thought I’d made up my mind, but now I’m re-thinking my choice.

So right now I’m kind of leaning toward the Toshiba Thrive, but what do you think? Am I missing out on something critical with the Transformer – or the Xoom, Tab, or anything else? (Again, please don’t try to sell me on iOS, WebOS, etc. Really, that decision has had all due consideration already.) Of course, there are also rumors of an Amazon Android tablet coming this fall, but if I keep waiting for the Next Big Thing I’ll never buy anything! There is always a Next Big Thing just around the corner.

I still have a small grudge against Toshiba over their back of HD-DVD, but I should probably finally let that go. After all, they got whupped but good.

And I have to start thinking about replacing my Droid, I’m up for renewal this month. I’m tied to Verizon through work, so only phones on their network qualify. I definitely want LTE support, dual-core processor, and a good size screen – qHD would be nice. The Droid Bionic drops soon, but the rumored Nexus Prime sounds like it could be quite the phone, and there are a few other options out there. I’m just starting to look at those.

So if you have any Android tablet thoughts, leave a comment. Especially if you have one and want to share your experience.

So today Toshiba dropped a press release entitledToshiba ‘Breathes New Life’ Into DVD with XDE™ Technology. XDE stands for eXtended Detail Enhancement, which to me sounds like nothing more than upscaling with fancy edge enhancement and color contrast adjustment. Frankly it sounds like crap to me, based on the press release.

XDE Flexibility

In addition to upconversion from 480i/p to 1080p, XDE technology offers consumers the ability to customize their viewing experience to their liking with its picture mode settings. With these three selectable settings — Sharp, Color and Contrast — users can get the most out of their DVD movie-viewing experience on their terms.

– Sharp Mode offers improved detail enhancement that is one step closer to high definition. Edges are sharper and details in movies are more visible. Unlike traditional sharpness control, XDE technology analyzes the entire picture and adds edge enhancement precisely where it’s needed.

– Color Mode makes the colors of nature stand out with improved richness. Blues and greens are more vivid and lifelike. Color Mode combines the improvement in color with the detail enhancement of Sharp Mode and is ideal for outdoor scenes.

– Contrast Mode is designed to make darker scenes or foregrounds more clearly visible without the typical “washing out” that can occur with traditional contrast adjustment. Recommended for dark scenes where detail may be difficult to notice, Contrast Mode is also combined with Sharp Mode to provide a clearer viewing experience.

So ‘Sharp Mode’ cranks up the edge enhancement. But too much edge enhancement is one of the most common complaints videophiles have about many titles. This is the kind of cheap trick studios use to try to make an image ‘pop’, but it is unnatural. And now your DVD player can do it to all of your discs. Yay?

‘Color Mode’ sounds like it just tweaks the color palette to favor blues and greens, which can certainly make an image seem more vivid, but artificially so. This is the same kind of trick box stores use to make images on HDTVs look more striking on the wall of screens. And also why the first thing you should do is calibrate your TV, because the settings it comes with are great for selling the set in the store, but not for accurate color reproduction at home.

And ‘Contrast Mode’ cranks up the contrast. But if the contrast isn’t there in the source material, then it must be artificially boosting and/or suppressing some of the picture to increase the contrast. It all sounds like a high-tech, fancy way of doing what people used to do with the color, tint, and contrast knobs on old TVs – and the menus that replaced them on new TVs. This doesn’t sound so much like ‘breathing new life’ into DVD as it does ‘putting DVD in an iron lung’.

You know what these remind me of? Those silly audio modes most receivers have. You know, like ‘Concert Hall’? The settings that mess with the sound to supposedly recreate the feeling of a different space, but in reality are about as close the the real thing as Froot Loops cereal is to real fruit. The snozberries taste just like snozberries!

Sure, I’m just basing this off their press release and I haven’t seen it for myself. But even if they’ve been remarkably clever about the technology, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re just upscaling DVDs and tweaking the picture to try to make it look better. They’re just putting lipstick on a pig compared to real HD media like Blu-ray. No matter how you slice it, the best DVD can provide is one-sixth the raw pixel count as Blu-ray. And no matter how clever your algorithms are to interpolate the data, you just can’t recreate what isn’t there to start with. You can never start with a 480p source and upscale it to 1080p and match a native 1080p source.

So who is going to buy XDE players? People with extensive existing libraries of DVD you say? I have many hundreds of DVDs myself. But Toshiba is selling their XD-E500 1080p/24fps Upconverting DVD player, their first XDE-equipped player, for $149.99. Now, it also handles MP3 and WMA music playback, JPEG display, and is DivX certified, which is all well and good. But you can get a non-XDE player with all of those features (1080p24 upscaling, MP3/WMA, JPEG, DivX), for $50-$60. I myself have a Philips unit I picked up a while back from Amazon for around $60 which has those features, plus known codes to enable region free playback, and it handles NTSC< ->PAL. The Toshiba is unlikely to have either of those features. So is XDE worth the extra $90-$100? Or even $50 if the player is that much cheaper online? Will XDE and the Toshiba logo on the box convince people to pay double what they can get another unit for?

I doubt it will for the majority of users. Any improvement can only be just so good, and you’d need a good HDTV to really get the full benefit. And that’s after you manage to educate users on just what XDE is. When someone in standing in their local Best Buy, comparing units on a shelf, and the only differences are the brand, the price, and that the Toshiba has ‘XDE’, you’ve got an uphill battle on your hands to educate the user on what XDE is and why they want it.

So you’re really after users who are willing to spend more for a (supposedly) better quality picture. But then the users most likely to be willing to shell out more for such improvements are the very same group most likely to be willing to shell out for a Blu-ray deck. Entry level, current model decks are under $300 now, closer to $250 in some cases. And existing stocks of last generation units can be had for less than that. Even some of the best of the current models, with bells and whistles like BD-Live, are between $350-$400. And those prices are falling as supply and competition both increase, and component costs decrease. Entry level units should be under $200 by the holidays, with some well-equipped units under $300.

So where does XDE fit? Users who are just slightly more demanding than a non-XDE DVD player, but not demanding enough to go for even a low-end Blu-ray deck? All Blu-ray decks are also DVD players, all upscaling as far as I’m aware, most quite good at it, some very, very good. Once a person is willing to spend more money on the player, beyond the glut of sub-$100 upscaling players, they’ve already taken the first step toward being willing to make the jump to Blu-ray. It seems like XDE is there just to try to catch those who don’t quite jump high enough to clear the bar. I can’t believe that’s a big market.

The DVD player market is a commodity market now, even for nice upscaling players. It is getting such that there are fairly decent DVD players that cost less than some new release DVDs. Buy a movie, get a free player. That’s a joke, but sometimes it seems like that’s the next step. Toshiba is trying to be the odd man out, and they seem to think XDE will distinguish them from the hordes of commodity players. Enough that users will pay their higher prices. I don’t think it is going to be a big win for them.

Toshiba’s HD DVD decks were very nice units with some great features. They could easily have used the same platform as the basis for a Blu-ray player development. And now is the time (well, six months ago was the time) to get some nice BD players out and make revenue on them. In 2009 when the wave of Chinese BD players hits, there will be a lot of downward pressure on player pricing, making the market less attractive to ‘premium’ brands like Toshiba. That happened in the DVD market years ago. Instead of chasing yesterday’s market long after it has been commoditized, Toshiba needs to go after the marker’s of today and tomorrow, where the margins are higher and competition is lower. I really think it is just their corporate pride and stubbornness which keeps them from embracing Blu-ray.

The full press release:

Aug 18, 2008 04:00 ET

Toshiba ‘Breathes New Life’ Into DVD with XDE™ Technology

XDE offers enhanced picture performance from standard DVDs

WAYNE, N.J., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. (“Toshiba”) today announces its new video enhancement technology for DVD with the introduction of the XD-E500. XDE, or “eXtended Detail Enhancement,” is more than just DVD upconversion. XDE takes DVD picture quality to a whole new level. In addition to providing upconversion from 480i/p up to 1080p, XDE offers user selectable picture enhancement modes that allow for greater detail, more vivid colors and stronger contrast that bring standard DVD quality closer to the HD experience. XDE technology lets consumers enjoy their existing DVD libraries in a whole new way.

“Consumers have embraced the DVD format like no other technology and invested in large libraries of their favorite movies. As the market moves towards high definition, XDE lets them experience their existing DVD library and the tens of thousands of DVD titles in a whole new way,” said Louis Masses, Director of Product Planning. “XDE offers consumers a simple solution to add on to their HDTV purchase. XDE works with existing DVDs to deliver a near HD experience with enhanced detail and richer colors. Toshiba is delivering to consumers what they want — a high quality experience at an affordable price.”

XDE Flexibility

In addition to upconversion from 480i/p to 1080p, XDE technology offers consumers the ability to customize their viewing experience to their liking with its picture mode settings. With these three selectable settings — Sharp, Color and Contrast — users can get the most out of their DVD movie-viewing experience on their terms.

– Sharp Mode offers improved detail enhancement that is one step closer to high definition. Edges are sharper and details in movies are more visible. Unlike traditional sharpness control, XDE technology analyzes the entire picture and adds edge enhancement precisely where it’s needed.

– Color Mode makes the colors of nature stand out with improved richness. Blues and greens are more vivid and lifelike. Color Mode combines the improvement in color with the detail enhancement of Sharp Mode and is ideal for outdoor scenes.

– Contrast Mode is designed to make darker scenes or foregrounds more clearly visible without the typical “washing out” that can occur with traditional contrast adjustment. Recommended for dark scenes where detail may be difficult to notice, Contrast Mode is also combined with Sharp Mode to provide a clearer viewing experience.

In an effort to reach a broad spectrum of consumers from around the world, Toshiba’s new XDE technology and the exciting experience it delivers, will be featured in an extensive print and online advertising campaign. This includes placement on NBCOlympics.com, a site that signifies strength, performance, diversity and unity among many. A new Web site, http://www.toshibaxde.com/, will be launched to help educate consumers on the benefits of XDE technology and how it works so they can experience the best of what this new technology has to offer and enjoy their DVD movies in near HD quality.

XDE will be launched today onboard the XD-E500 1080p/24fps Upconverting DVD player. Featuring XDE technology, the XD-E500 also incorporates key features found on today’s upconverting standard DVD players such as HDMI-CEC, DivX certification, JPEG capability,

MP3 and WMA playback and much more in a slim, high-gloss cosmetic design to complement today’s HDTV.

The XD-E500 is shipping this month with an MSRP of $149.99 and can be found at authorized retailers nationwide. For more information on XDE please visit http://www.toshibaxde.com/ or http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/.

About Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.

Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, a world leader in high technology products with subsidiaries worldwide. Toshiba is a pioneer in DVD and DVD Recorder technology and a leading manufacturer of a full line of home entertainment products, including flat panel TV, combination products and portable devices. Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey. For additional information please visit http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/.

Important Notes

This product does not play HD DVD or Blu-Ray discs. It upconverts standard definition (480p) DVD content to HD (720p, 1080i or 1080p) to match the resolution of your HD display. Although near the picture quality, it does not produce or output native HD video content.

To display upconverted 720p, 1080i or 1080p video content, a 720p, 1080i or 1080p capable HDTV or HD Monitor (as applicable) with an HDCP capable HDMI or DVI input is required.

The effect of enhancements may vary depending upon disc content quality and display device capability/functionality/settings. Depending on the quality of the DVD disc, some video noise may be visible.

Some DVD-R/DVD-RW discs may be incompatible due to laser pick up and disc design. Some recordable media or recording formats may not be supported.

Compatibility with other HDMI-CEC products will vary by manufacturer. Some products may not be compatible at all or may only allow for limited functions.

Viewing 24 frames per second requires content created in 480p / 24 frames/sec and an HD display capable of accepting a 1080p/24Hz signal.

Source: Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.

CONTACT: Nicole Lawler of BRODEUR for Toshiba America Consumer Products,
L.L.C., +1-617-587-2024, nlawler@brodeur.com

Web site: http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/
http://www.toshibaxde.com/

Of course, the BDA hasn’t just been standing by while this happens, shortly after CH-DVD was announced the BDA announced that they too were considering the Chinese codecs. And taking it a step further, unlike CBHD, which is a ghetto standard restricted only to China, the BDA is considering adding the codecs to the global Blu-ray specification.

And, despite predictions from HD DVD fans that it would ‘never happen’, the BDA has approved several Chinese CE vendors to produce Blu-ray players. And even more players have been announced recently at SinoCES. With most of their major CE vendors cranking out Blu-ray players for the growing global market player availability will rise, while unit costs fall. With a limited domestic market, CBHD will have a hard time competing with the falling BD player costs.

DIGITIMES cites lower costs as the main advantage for CBHD over BD. An existing DVD line can be converted to press CBHD for around USD$800,000, while establishing a new BD line costs around USD$3,000,000. And the licenses required to produce a CBHD player are around USD$8.10, reportedly much less than the equivalent BD licenses. However, a BD production line can take orders for export discs as well, making it easier to keep the line busy – and making money. A CBHD line is only good for domestic disc pressing. And the licensing costs for BD are expected to drop sharply in the coming years. Plus a production line can be shared between domestic and export players, spreading the non-licensing overhead costs over a larger production base.

If the BDA can complete the China-ized version of the BD specification to receive Chinese governmental approval for the format, it should easily squeeze CBHD out of the market just as it did to HD DVD.

Picked up via EngadgetHD.

Via CNET News.com.

WSJ: When did you first start thinking about withdrawing from the HD DVD business?

Mr. Nishida: When Warner [Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros.] announced its support for Blu-ray on the 4th of January. We took a little time before reaching a final decision, so we could give people a chance to voice their opinions and we could consider all the ramifications and consequences of pulling out, such as how it would affect consumers and us.

WSJ: Most industry observers had expected the format war to continue for a while longer. Why did you decide to pull out so quickly?

Mr. Nishida: I didn’t think we stood a chance after Warner left us because it meant HD DVD would have just 20% to 30% of software market share. One has to take calculated risks in business, but it’s also important to switch gears immediately if you think your decision was wrong. We were doing this to win, and if we weren’t going to win then we had to pull out, especially since consumers were already asking for a single standard.

Sounds like he approached it logically and rationally, and didn’t allow corporate pride to keep Toshiba in the fight. He recognized that the war was lost, and if Toshiba couldn’t get a win then it was time to concede and cut their losses. He deserves credit for making the decision to end things quickly. And yes, January 4th (Warner’s announcement) to February 19th (Toshiba’s announcement) is very quick for a major corporate direction change. Toshiba had to coordinate with all of their partners as well.

Nishida reiterates that Toshiba plans to focus on DVD, at least for the time being. It sounds like they’ll be sitting out the Blu-ray market, though personally I can’t see them abstaining forever. They may wait until the market grows a bit to try to carve out a bit for themselves. For now they plan to focus on upconverting DVD players and PCs. They’ll also be putting more resources behind video downloads now that HD DVD is dead.

“While Universal values the close partnership we have shared with Toshiba, it is time to turn our focus to releasing new and catalog titles on Blu-ray,” said Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

“The path for widespread adoption of the next-generation platform has finally become clear. Universal will continue its aggressive efforts to broaden awareness for high-def’s unparalleled offerings in interactivity and connectivity, at an increasingly affordable price. The emergence of a single, high-definition format is cause for consumers, as well as the entire entertainment industry, to celebrate.”

I’m actually a bit surprised. Not that Universal is supporting Blu-ray, that was obviously coming, but that they made the announcement before Paramount – who still hasn’t done so, from what I can tell. Since Paramount, and DreamWorks Animation, were formerly format neutral, releasing both Blu-ray and HD DVD, I kind of expected them to be the first to jump on the news. Paramount probably still has warehouses full of Blades of Glory Blu-ray discs, and other titles they’d already pressed for release on BD before their sudden shift to HD DVD exclusivity. They could start by give those discs a new street date. I’m sure they’ll announce their plans soon.

Via Blu-ray.com.

Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

Toshiba will cease all production of HD DVD by the end of March:

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

I’m thrilled to see the end of this war, doubly so to see Blu-ray finally carry the day. I’ve been calling the war for Blu-ray since before either product shipped, and I was sorry to see a war develop in the first place. Now that the war is over and we’ll have one format going forward I look forward to more Blu-ray title releases and player advancements. There are definitely a few Universal & Paramount titles I look forward to picking up on Blu-ray.

I’m also hopeful that Toshiba will join the BDA and devote their product development expertise toward producing top-notch Blu-ray players. Toshiba’s HD DVD players were decent hardware, and it gives hope that they’ll be able to produce some nice BD decks. I do think they’ll join the BDA, since the alternative is to sit out the next-generation disc market completely. And while Toshiba may have a healthy DVD business, I can’t see them yield the high-def market to the competition without any response. They’re statement seems to indicate they plan to remain a player:

“We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop,” said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. “While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.”

Of course, there are still some unanswered questions. Will those who invested in HD DVD players recently get any compensation? (I’d guess no.) How many HD DVD owners will return their players before the return window closes? Will we see a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360? Would Microsoft consider bundling Blu-ray into a new model of the 360 now that there is one format, to compete more directly with the PS3? (That’s probably a stretch – but I think a BD add-on drive will happen.)

Press release picked up via EngadgetHD.

EDIT. Engadget Japan is at the Toshiba press conference. From the Q&A session:

Q: Any plans to adopt Blu-ray?
A: No plans at all, not at this moment.

Q: Are there no plans for next gen optical disc at all?
A: We don’t have any plans to announce at this time.

Of course, keep in mind that just yesterday Toshiba was stating that no final decision had been made to exit the HD DVD market. So not having any plans at this moment likely means just that – they haven’t decided exactly what they will do going forward and won’t have anything to announce until they’ve had time to formulate those plans.

Interesting to see their figures for HD DVD players sold – since it is quite a bit short of the ‘one million’ figure that the HD DVD camp oft repeated previously:

Q: How many HD DVD players and recorders, exactly, did you sell?
A: 600,000 players in the US — 300,000 of which were Xbox 360 HD DVD drives. 100,000 units were sold in Europe. And about 10,000 players and 20,000 recorders in Japan. So about 730,000 units worldwide.

EDIT 2: I see that, sometime today, Engadget edited their post and it now reads:

Q: How many HD DVD players and recorders, exactly, did you sell?
A: 600,000 players in the US and 300,000 Xbox 360 HD DVD drives. 100,000 units were sold in Europe. And about 10,000 players and 20,000 recorders in Japan. So about 1,030,000 units worldwide.

It looks like they updated it to list the 300,000 Xbox 360 drives *in addition to* the 600,000 standalone players, and not as part of that 600,000. Which puts the total just over the one million mark.

NHK reports that Toshiba plans to stop producing HD DVD players and recorders at its plant in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan. And, of course, all future development of the format will cease. There is an extraordinary meeting of Toshiba’s board of directors early this week, and the exit plan is expected to be decided at that meeting. Toshiba will suffer a loss of tens of billions of yen, hundreds of millions of dollars, related to the termination of their HD DVD business.

Via EngadgetHD.

Officially, no decision has been made, insists Jodi Sally, vp of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products. “Based on its technological advancements, we continue to believe HD DVD is the best format for consumers, given the value and consistent quality inherent in our player offerings,” she said.

But she hinted that something’s in the air. “Given the market developments in the past month,” she said, “Toshiba will continue to study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, particularly in light of our recent price reductions on all HD DVD players.”

They also report that, for the week ending 2/10, BD took 81% of disc sales to HD DVD’s 19%. That would be a large backslide for HD DVD from the previous week’s 74:26 split, almost back to the 1/27 82:18 split. And this with heavy discounting on HD DVD players, a Super Bowl ad that reportedly cost Toshiba $2.7 million, and a number of concurrent promotions on both players and media. They also caught a few Blu studio converts that I’d missed:

Blu-ray support among independents is rising. ADV Films, Tai Seng Entertainment, Topics Entertainment and National Geographic have all confirmed they are going Blu-ray exclusive, while more than one indie that was releasing titles just on HD DVD, including Surround Records and Opus Arte, will now offer Blu-ray as well.

This is still firmly in the rumor category, but it really seems inevitable. Toshiba cannot continue to bleed red ink on every HD DVD player they sell. Their deep price cuts were also deep cuts to the corporate wrist. A desperate cry for attention – but one that doesn’t appear to have worked. The only upside could be clearing out stock from their warehouses so they aren’t stuck with too many units when they finally announce that HD DVD is dead.

Picked up from High-Def Digest.