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Toshiba 'Space Chair' ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 16th 2009 at 6:15AM

There's something wrong when an advertisement is more memorable than the product. Nevertheless, here we have Toshiba's Space Chair ad campaign promoting its new 2010 REGZA SV LCD TV series, Toshiba's first with LED backlight and local dimming. The campaign will later expand to include a second take featuring the Satellite T Series of 11-hour CULV laptops set for introduction in 2010. The ad follows the journey of "an ordinary living room chair" to the edge of space before falling back to Earth where the ground crew relied upon a GPS beacon to locate the craft. A few facts about the shoot:

A helium balloon lifted the chair and Toshiba's own IK-HR1S ultra-compact 1080i camera to a height of 98,268 feet above terra firma
FAA regulations required that the weight of the rig had to be less than four pounds
The chair is made of biodegradable balsa wood at a cost of of about £2,500
The rig was launched in Nevada's ~~Burning Man~~ Black Rock desert
The temperature dropped to minus 90 degrees at 52,037 feet
The chair took 83 minutes to reach an altitude of 98,268 feet and just 24 minutes to fall back to earth

Truly amazing stuff. Now buckle up and click through for the show.

Gallery: Toshiba 'Space Chair' ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

Continue reading Toshiba 'Space Chair' ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

Toshiba Cell Regza 55X1 and Regza Next concepts hands-on (video)

by Ross Miller posted Oct 5th 2009 at 7:56AM

Now that the Cell-powered cat's out the bag, we had a chance to get up close and personal with a number of its 55-inch Cell Regza 55X1 LCD TVs on hand at the CEATEC show floor. It's certainly not the thinnest flat-screen panel, but the screen was crisp and colors bright. The Cell and most of the heavy duty components were housed in a separate Cell Box -- frankly, it was disappointing just how large the box was, out-sizing even the original PlayStation 3. For reasons that weren't quite made clear to us, the 3TB of storage were divided among four separate drives, two 1TB and two 500GB. None of them are accessible, leaving you only an external USB drive as an expansion option. Frankly, the real draw here (at least the multitaskers inside of us) is eight-window display function and hyper-fast channel scrolling, which in our time with the TV worked great without a hitch.

Also on hand were the four Cell Regza Next concept models. There's not much to say about the entertainment server and the all-in-one, but we do have to give credit to the 4K2K TV for the expected visual quality. The 3D unit was showing off a hands-only motion-controlled user interface, demonstrated only by a Toshiba rep, that seemed to have a few technical hiccups. As we've said before (Natal, anyone?), waving your arms is a fun concept, but here we're not yet sold on the usefulness over novelty of it -- something Toshi can mull over between now and at whatever point in the future it plans on upgrading it beyond concept phase. Video of the 55X1 and the conceptual 3D UI after the break.

Gallery: Toshiba Cell Regza hands-on

Gallery: Toshiba Cell Regza Next future concepts hands-on

Continue reading Toshiba Cell Regza 55X1 and Regza Next concepts hands-on (video)

Toshiba details Cell Regza LCD TV, coming December to Japan (update: video!)

by Ross Miller posted Oct 5th 2009 at 2:12AM

It's a day before CEATEC officially kicks off, but Toshiba's getting a head start on the news, dishing out all the deets on its Cell-powered Cell Regza LCD TV, now officially due out in Japan in early December. The 55-inch, 240Hz display boasts a mighty impressive 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, self-congruency technology for improved picture detail on the edges, a peak luminance of 1250cd/m², and LED backlits dividing the screen into 512 distinct areas. A 7-speaker sound bar lies just below the display. Want more? How about eight-window simultaneous multi-display, an Opera-based web browser, DLNA, and a 3TB hard disk drive, 2TB for "time-shift" recording recording up to 26 hours of programs, up to eight channels simultaneously. There's a sizable box on display, too, which seems to be where the Cell hardware is being housed. Curious about price? If we heard correctly, the retail price is expected to be around 1,000,000 yen, or around US $11,140. We just heard their sales target is leaning on the conservative side, about 1,000 units pushed each month.

If that's not forward-thinking enough, Toshi's also outlining its future concepts, dubbed Cell Regza Next. Those four include a 3D set, a 4K2K version that upcoverts 1080p to 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 46-inch model integrating its Cell Box dedicated TV tuner and HDD, and a 37-inch that works as a home network server. It looks like we'll be getting some hands-on time with the 55X1 shortly, but in the meantime, one more pic and video after the break.

Gallery: Toshiba Cell Regza

Continue reading Toshiba details Cell Regza LCD TV, coming December to Japan (update: video!)

Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player coming November for $250, gives HD-DVD the final cold shoulder

by Ross Miller posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 11:36AM

And so it is. Toshiba, the one-time cheerleader for HD-DVD, has now officially gone to the azure side with the BDX2000 Blu-ray player. It supports BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC), outputs 1080p at 24 frames per second, and does Dolby True HD / DTS-HD Master Audio... but really, all that needs to be said here is that it's a Toshiba Blu-ray player. Look for this one-time paradox this November for a penny under $250. As for yesteryear, we think this line from the press release says it best: "This product does not play HD DVD discs." It's at once both sad and poetic that this very well may be the last official line ever uttered in the once-promising format's story.

Gallery: Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player coming November for $250, gives HD-DVD the final cold shoulder

Toshiba ships REGZA ZV650 and SV670 HDTVs

by Darren Murph posted Jun 10th 2009 at 1:37PM

If you're not down with waiting for Toshiba's internet-connected range of HDTVs -- which, by the way, should be out before the dawn of 2010 -- here's a bit of excellent news: the REGZA ZV650 and SV670 series are now shipping. Both of the sets were initially announced way back at CES, and the latter of the two is Tosh's first-ever LED-backlit HDTV. Said set also packs local dimming, ClearScan 240 dejudder technology, PixelPure 5G 14-bit video processing and that questionably useful Resolution+ system. There's also a USB socket, four HDMI connectors, IR pass-through, a PC input and REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC). As for the other guys (yeah, there's more), head on past the break and take notes on the ones relevant to your interests.

Gallery: Toshiba ships REGZA ZV650 and SV670 HDTVs

Continue reading Toshiba ships REGZA ZV650 and SV670 HDTVs

Toshiba rolls out new REGZA HDTV line, internet connected crew coming later

by Darren Murph posted Jan 7th 2009 at 2:16PM

CES is in full swing here in Vegas, and Toshiba's taking the liberty of busting out a litany of new REGZA HDTVs. New features include a fresh Deep Lagoon Design, which supposedly provides a "three dimensional feeling to a clear flat design." Furthermore, you'll find invisible speakers and an Infinity Flash Front, and functionally, the InstaPort feature enables HDMI switching to occur in just a fraction of a second. As expected, these sets also offer the Resolution+ Super Resolution Technology and the PixelPure 5G engine, but it's not the new line that's truly intriguing. Instead, we're already anxious to feast our eyes upon the Widget Channel-capable family that'll be introduced later this year; furthermore, these HDTVs will be DLNA certified and have Extender for Windows Media Center capabilities baked right in. So, who here's buying one of the "new" XV645, ZV650 or SV670s when you know what's on the way? Is that a sea of crickets we hear? Full release is after the break.

Gallery: Post Inject Code Toshiba rolls out new REGZA HDTV line, internet connected crew coming later

Continue reading Toshiba rolls out new REGZA HDTV line, internet connected crew coming later

Hands-on with Toshiba's SRT REGZA HDTVs (and other old crap)

by Darren Murph posted Sep 4th 2008 at 7:31PM

Man, what a toll the loss of HD DVD has taken on Toshiba. Judging by the vast expanse of floor space at Tosh's booth not covered with people (seriously, look for anyone in the gallery below) and the inclusion of CES-announced DVD / VHS recorders (yes, really) as premiere products, we'd say the outfit is still hurting from the outcome of the format war. In all honesty, we felt kind of sad sashaying through its installation while reading slogans like "See everything in HD (even the non-HD stuff)." We even viewed the Super Resolution Technology demonstration with an open mind, and while there's certainly a mild difference with SRT, these sets hardly make SD signals into high-def. Grab a tissue and wander through the gallery at Engadget HD.

Gallery: Hands-on with Toshiba's SRT REGZA HDTVs, other old crap

Toshiba's Super Resolution-infused REGZA HDTVs get US prices / release dates

by Darren Murph posted Sep 4th 2008 at 12:39AM

Toshiba got official with its new RV / XV REGZA families last week at IFA, but now Tosh is debuting 'em along with a smattering of other lines at CEDIA. The main news here is the US pricing and availability, but if you care to get neck-deep in marketing hoopla, we'd be happy to oblige. The company is trumpeting its Super Resolution Technology (now available in the REGZA RV535 and XV545), which purportedly uses a "proprietary processing system" to "improve image sharpness, brightness and color, [thereby] enhancing standard movies, TV shows, camcorder movies and most video games to near HD quality." For details on how much he AV500, RV525, AV502, RV535 and XV545 sets will cost here in America, head on past the break.

[Image courtesy of TWICE]

Toshiba's Resolution+ ZF LCD in the flesh

by Paul Miller posted Aug 29th 2008 at 2:10PM

We're still pondering the difference between Toshiba's Cell-based Resolution+ technology and its "good enough for everybody else" XDE tech, but we got a look at Resolution+ today -- featured in Toshiba's new ZF575 Regza TVs -- and it seems to work well enough. Unlike XDE, which is designed with DVDs in mind to mess with contrast and colors, in addition to sharpness, Resolution+ just focuses on sharpness, for a multitude of SD inputs, and seems to do a decent job of it. Comparison shots up ahead, don't poke your eye on any jaggies!

Gallery: Toshiba's Resolution+ ZF LCD in the flesh

Toshiba expands the Regza family with RV, XV series 1080p LCDs

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 28th 2008 at 7:27AM

IFA's apparently given Toshiba just the opportunity necessary to refresh its line of Regza LCDs, for those without the Resolution+ itch with a few new sizes and features. The existing entry-level XV line of 1080p LCDs gets 46- and 52-inch models, plus a gloss black design that helps it fit in at the Regza family reunion. The brand new RV line of 1080p LCDs bring similar features to the ZF Series, sans Resolution+ technology and one HDMI port, but with Active Vision M100 HD 100/120Hz 5:5 pulldown image processing intact. 37-, 42- and 46-inch sizes are confirmed for the October Euro launch, prices and U.S. availability for both TBD.

IO Data unveils DiXiM HVL4-G2.0 NAS for Regza HDTVs

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 9th 2008 at 3:25AM

IO Data took the wraps off of a new HDD unit made specifically to attach to those new Regza ZH500s, the DiXim HVL4-G2.0 is compliant with the latest DLNA / DTCP-IP standards to easily record TV shows via the network. It's got space for four drives up to a maximum capacity of 2 TB in a RAID 5 array, limiting recording space to a max of 1.5 TB. Because of copy protection, it only records from Toshiba's TVs right now, and can be controlled completely via remote. Doubt we'll be seeing this here anytime soon, but it'll be on store shelves in Japan later this month for 111,615 ($1,090 US).

[Via AV Watch]

Toshiba's 10 new REGZA LCDs: 3x Ethernet, built-in DVR, and much much more

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 9th 2008 at 3:04AM

In Japan, the hand can be used as a knife. And you can't swing a Yume Neko Smile cat without defacing a 1080p TV with built-in Ethernet and a hard disk drive recorder. Case in point, Toshiba's latest batch of REGZA LCDs, ten in all. The top of the line ZH500 series measures in at 52- (52ZH500) and 46-inches (46ZH500) with 120Hz VA panels, 4x HDMI (1080/60p, 24p) inputs, 3x Ethernet (with DLNA support), 2x USB, Bluetooth, Firewire, SD slot, and a DVR to record your shows to the built-in 300GB disk. These lack the eSATA jack found in the 42-, 37-, and 32-inch RH500 series, but you can add more disk over Ethernet via an I-O Data REGZA drive wrapped in DTCP-IP DRM to keep your HD recordings off the global torrents. Rounding things out are the 42- and 37-inch ZV500 series of 120HZ IPS panel LCDs and the relatively low-end, 42-, 37-, and 32-inch CV500 series of diskless TVs. Prices will range from ¥160,000 ($1,560) on up to about $5,850 when products start hitting shelves between April and July. Pics of the in/outs on the ZH500s after the break.

Read - ZH500 and ZV500 series
Read -- RH500 and CV500 series

Continue reading Toshiba's 10 new REGZA LCDs: 3x Ethernet, built-in DVR, and much much more

Video: Up close with Toshiba's new LCD TVs

by Nilay Patel posted Jan 6th 2008 at 3:04PM

We already spent some time with Toshiba's new crop of LCDs, but Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont got up close and personal with the new units, and they're just as sweet -- and thin -- as you'd expect. Check out the vid after the break!

Continue reading Video: Up close with Toshiba's new LCD TVs

Toshiba announces slew of LCDs for 2008: hands-on

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2008 at 2:20PM

As you've surely saw in our liveblog of the Toshiba press conference, the firm went wild with new LCD releases for 2008. The overriding theme was thinness and early release dates, with essentially every set listed shipping by April. We'll get down to the dirt: two new 720p sets were introduced -- the AV500 and REGZA CV510 -- the first of which will be available in sizes ranging from 19- to 42-inches and feature DynaLight, HDMI and a PC input, while the latter will only be available in 32- / 37-inch sizes and sport PixelPure4G 14-bit internal processing, a 1.5-inc ThinLine Bezel design and a trio of HDMI 1.3 ports. For more on the outpouring of 1080p sets, click on through.

Gallery: Toshiba announces slew of LCDs for 2008

Continue reading Toshiba announces slew of LCDs for 2008: hands-on

Toshiba's new 1080p REGZA LCD lineup gets official in US

by Darren Murph posted Sep 6th 2007 at 11:49AM

You know those oh-so-sexy RF350U LCDs that Toshiba has slated for Japan? Yeah, they're heading stateside, too. According to Tosh, the latest duo of REGZA LCDs boast 1080p resolutions, the "world's thinnest LCD TV bezel" at less than one-inch wide, and PixelPure's 14-bit internal processing. The duo will be available in 40- and 46-inch flavors, and will tout a "high-gloss black with chrome trim," xvYCC signal support, DynaLight backlighting, an uber-slim SoundStrip2 speaker system, and a trio of HDMI inputs with CE-Link control. Both of the REGZA Super Narrow Bezel (SNB) models will be landing this month, and while the 40RF350U will cost $1,899.99, the 46RF350U tacks on another $600.