Toshiba's Brazil unit peddling Blu-ray hardware?

While Toshiba still hasn't announced any new HD moves since withdrawing from the format war earlier this year, its Brazilian arm may be moving on with a hybrid HTPC. Powered by a Core Duo 6300 and Vista Home Premium, Semp Toshiba's Spectra packs a TV tuner and an optical drive ready for Blu-ray and HD DVD and should be available later this month. Society Eletromercantil Paulista merged with Toshiba in 1977 and has operated as Semp Toshiba in Brazil ever since, but it might be working a little more independently of its parent company than usual on this project, unless there are more Toshiba-branded Blu-ray products on the way. We'll keep this one on rumor status pending a more official announcement (or a significant improvement in our Portuguese skills.) Check out another image after the break.

[phanbouy @ Apr 24th 2008 1:01PM]

i'm glad i stuck around to check out that second image after the break. it really helps to see the keyboard and remote put on TOP of the unit rather than the side.

[David85 @ Apr 24th 2008 1:31PM]

Funny...although it does look like a different unit at the front.

[Diogo @ Apr 24th 2008 1:06PM]

FTA:

"Nobody expected it, but yesterday SempToshiba - brazilian arm of Toshiba - presented its Media Center with a bonus: the unit has a player capable of reproducing and recording videos on Blu-ray! For those who do not remember, a few months ago, Toshiba lost the fight with Sony, the Blu-ray standard winning against HD-DVD.

Besides this curiosity, the media center sports an Intel Core 2 Duo 6300, 1.86 GHz, up to 4 GB of RAM and HD with capacity ranging from 160 GB to 750 GB. It also has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/e/g, 3 HDMI ports, 6 USB ports, VGA, DVI, S-Video and Windows Vista Home Premium."

Cheers,
Diogo - From Sao Paulo, Brazil

[Eloi @ Apr 24th 2008 1:32PM]

Just a little fix on the beginning of Diogo's translation: instead of "nobody expected it" it will be better "nobody cared".

And here's a link for a more complete report:
http://info.abril.com.br/blog/gadgets/20080423_listar.shtml?82730

It's also in Brazilian Portuguese. Therefore, here's a translation:

~~

Semp Toshiba Computer announced yesterday "Spectra", its new media center PC, capable of reproducing and recording videos on Blu-ray. Yes, after losing the format wars between Sony Blu-ray x HD-DVD, STI - Brazilian arm of Toshiba - decided to market a hybrid player [Translator note: apparently, it's an hybrid drive that can reads Blu-Ray AND HD-DVD, go figure].

Besides the "ideological" novelty, the Spectra comes with interesting features, like a Digital TV tuner. It comes with a Core 2 Duo 6300 processor, 1.86 GHz, up to 4 GB of RAM and an HD that ranges from 160 GB up to 750 GB.

To connect the media center directly to the TV and enjoy the Full HD 1080p resolution of the Blu-ray or the defunct HD-DVD, Spectra comes with three HDMI inputs, which also bring a respectable audio output to a home theater.

In all, media center brings other desirable features, such as a 8-in-1 card reader, an embedded Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g card and wireless keyboard with integrated TrackBall. Okay, the TrackBall is not that desirable, but it is there and doesn't get in the way. Besides the HDMI connection, there are six USB ports, VGA, DVI, S-Video.

The product should take about a month to reach the shops because the STI is still finishing developing a remote [Translator's note: that might come also with the Media Center PC, I guess?] that should control any TV and the Windows Media Center in Vista. They are missing some adjustments in the software. The suggested price for the different settings should range between 3.000 and 5.000 Brazilian reais (roughly between 1.800 and 3.000 dollars), as informed Semp Toshiba itself.

~~

May I add a comment that, in Brazil, Semp Toshiba has always operated without too much influence of their Japanese arm. Therefore, doesn't come as a huge surprise (at least for us Brazilians) that they're doing something that, most likely, the Japaneses don't even have a clue that they're doing. But of course, Toshiba's with Blu-Rays are (at least for now) always cause for a huge surprise.

Cheers,
Eloi
Brazilian, but living in Leuven - Belgium

[Cal @ Apr 24th 2008 1:32PM]

Giant case or tiny keyboard?

[giuliop @ Apr 24th 2008 2:00PM]

Both

[Paulino Michelazzo @ Apr 24th 2008 3:13PM]

Oh God, now I really go away from Toshiba in Brazil. The brand don't have a good market and now using Windows in your products is a nightmare. Starting the reboot age on TV.

[Pedro @ Apr 24th 2008 5:27PM]

And, someday, a computer with a Blu-Ray drive shall be a common thing...
Here in Brazil, Many people don't even know what Blu-Ray means. I wonder if this computer will be a market hit.

[chi22ko @ Apr 24th 2008 6:03PM]

i actually thought that semp toshiba wasn´t even part of toshiba...

i really doubt this product will be anything important here...


people don´t really care that much or blue-ray.


we like plasma tvs in brasil...

[Lombardi @ Apr 25th 2008 7:24AM]

Yes we do! I don't buy one right now 'cause of the price.!!

No we don't!!!!! Plasma TV is garbage. LCD Rulez!

São Paulo

[Dener @ Apr 24th 2008 6:26PM]

It's real and official, as we can see here: http://ccsp.com.br/_img/full/novo/19312.jpg

[Viakenny @ Apr 24th 2008 6:28PM]

here in Brazil, both entry-level Semp and mid/high-end Toshiba are marketed as "Semp Toshiba". I don't think that's good for either brand.
they also don't sell decent Toshiba notebooks, instead selling STi (for "Semp Toshiba Informática") desktops and notebooks (mostly Celeron-based).

[Luis Rego @ Apr 24th 2008 6:52PM]

I speak Portuguese if you guys need help.

[Summer Sky @ Apr 25th 2008 11:15AM]

This actually seems a rebranded version of the Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo EVi HTPC that is offered, at least, here in Europe