DVD Download DL logo sparks wonder over Toshiba's super-resolution DVD player

We keep hoping that Toshiba will come to its senses and just let this whole thing die, but no. Apparently insistent on keeping the last-generation format alive for as long as it possibly can, it seems the outfit is getting ever-closer to a super-resolution DVD player that would reportedly upscale DVD content like nothing we've ever seen. The latest tidbit in this woefully depressing saga is a newly approved DVD Download DL logo, which was given the final thumbs-up by the DVD Forum Steering Committee last month. In reality, no one outside of Tosh's headquarters has any idea if this development is indeed intrinsically related, but at this point, we wouldn't be shocked one bit to find that it was. Then again, the June 11th meeting also saw specifications for CH-DVD approved, so here's to hoping Toshiba isn't jumping on that bandwagon fiery wreck.

[Via TG Daily]

Read - DVD Forum approval
Read - Discussion / rumors

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 10:09PM]

Love Guru
In 1987, Toshiba Machine, the subsidiary of Toshiba, sold CNC milling machines used to produce very quiet submarine propellers to the Soviet Union in violation of the CoCom agreement, an international embargo on Western exports to East Bloc countries.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 10:44PM]

I'm holding on to my DVDs for as long as possible. The reason isn't that I am overly pleased with the quality it is just that I have several hundred DVDs that I doubt will ever be brought out on Blu-ray simply because the base is too small.

The same happened when VHS died. I had to wait until it became practical to copy the VHS onto DVD. With Blu-ray I doubt that will ever be allowed.

[apeguero Posted Jul 1st 2008 11:21PM]

I took a big risk when I bought a PS3 last year. Never did I know that it does a great job upscaling regular DVDs. As such, all my new titles are DVD and not Blueray. Why buy BR Discs when I only have one BR player in the house vs 4 DVD players? Also BR discs don`t play on any of my Macs. Also BR discs are about 33% more expensive than DVDs.

I`d say to Tosh, if it`s going to improve DVDs then Godspeed. Sony needs to bring these BR player and title prices down or else they may discourage new buyers from their standard and lessen the expansion of BR..

[saintrobyn Posted Jul 1st 2008 11:36PM]

I agree. I have only been buying BR discs when they are cheap or it is a must have movie that I want the absolute best experience.

[tavisjohn Posted Jul 1st 2008 11:48PM]

I do not understand why DVD can't still be arround. There are old movies and TV series that were not recorded in HighDef, and do not belong on BluRay.
And I doubt that they will encode standard DVD quality content onto a BluRay disk, so that you only have 1 disk with a whole season of a TV series.

[Shmiert Posted Jul 2nd 2008 5:03AM]

Actually, if it was recorded on film, it is automatically in a higher resolution than BluRay.

But yeah, why should DVD suddenly be abandoned? I don't appreciate the Engadget staff telling me that I should buy 200+ movies all over again just because they have a hard-on for Sony's format.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 2nd 2008 5:32AM]

DVD's still work in all good Blu-ray players...

[Shmiert Posted Jul 2nd 2008 6:58AM]

@Skry: Shame that that's not the point. The point was getting BluRay like quality images from DVD's. BluRay players can't do that, so I'm stuck buying everything on BluRay again if I want that.

Or I could buy Toshiba's player.

[wraith404 Posted Jul 2nd 2008 11:29AM]

Why not make a blue ray player that upscales this well? Oh, wait that wouldn't hinder the transition to blue ray, which is Toshiba's true goal. Really, they need to realize defeat and just fall on their sword.

[tavisjohn Posted Jul 2nd 2008 11:51AM]

@Fred
The old Honeymooners and "I Love Lucy" that was recorded on film is higher resolution than BluRay?

[psyclotron Posted Jul 2nd 2008 12:44AM]

DOWNLOAD LOL

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 2nd 2008 5:29AM]

OK, the only reason people are saying Toshiba needs to kick this in the teeth is because it is hurting us the consumers... the longer Blu-ray is held off the longer it will stay the more expensive option. It's the better platform, and keeping it away from mass market because Toshiba didn't like loosing the format war is harming consumer choice. If Toshiba put any work into Blu-ray along with a few other companies it wouldn't take long at all to have cheap, affordable Blu-ray players and movies.

And even if Toshiba want to continue to develop DVD, why not put this technology in a Blu-ray player? All they are doing is harming their customer base and consumers at large for keeping Blu-ray from mainstream.

[apeguero Posted Jul 2nd 2008 8:48AM]

The only thing hurting us consumers are the Blue-ray companies themselves charging us ridiculous prices. Blue-ray has been the number High Def DVD media and technology since January of this year when it was declared the winner. BR's have always been more expensive and now us consumers are paying a premium because there is no incentive for the BR companies to reduce the price because they have no competition.

I'd say if this Toshiba technology enhances current DVDs - which is what we should've had from the very beginning instead of introducing another format, then the better. Even if it's also introducing another format then whatever, as long as it's market competition for BR then I think we all win because competition drives down prices.

[neofolklore Posted Jul 2nd 2008 8:40AM]

THROW SOME D'S ON THAT ON THAT

[czeese Posted Jul 2nd 2008 9:51AM]

The Blu-Ray catalog isn't just small, it's stupid. Why do we need "Blades of Glory" or "Benchwarmers" and similar trash that nobody watched in theaters on BR?

And when I say "nobody" I mean "nobody except 12 to 15 year old boys", who are not the people with the the 60" 1080p screens, the 7.1 surround sounds, the full-blown home theaters, or $400 to spend on a new player. Those people are the 40-60 year old Boomers with kids through college, lots of disposable income, time on their hands, no desire to share a movie theater with teenagers... and fond memories of movies from the 60s, 70s and 80s. If the studios were to focus on remastering *and marketing* the movies that age group loved -- everything from The Graduate to Jaws to Raging Bull -- they'd have a lot more adoption IMO than regurgitating recent releases.

Bottom line: the early market for Blu-Ray ought to be the people who *don't* go to the movies anymore, not the people who do.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 2nd 2008 10:51AM]

Old Japanese Proverb says "Stubborn Japnese company know not when to stop beating dead horse"

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 2nd 2008 1:45PM]

It's not competing with BluRay, it's offering better playback of SD DVDs that looks better than current upscalers. This is good for those of us with a large DVD collection that dont want to spend £250 ($500) on unfinished, over priced BluRay technology with kids/girly flicks, and replacing all DVDs with Blu. Also, not all on VHS made it to DVD, and the same will apply to Blu, not all DVDs (probably quite alot!!) will make it to Blu. So if I have plenty of DVDs that wont make it to Blu, I'd rather purchase a good upscaler rather than an expensive Blu player that wont do the same job. I think I am not in the minority for thinking this way. Also, if this is offering an alternative to Blu, this should encourage Sony to reduce the prices of their players discs. So all these blu/sony fanboys should start looking at the broader picture, not just through their one-sided vision of a sony/blu world.