January's coolest gadgets

We've been writing about prototype high-definition video disc players for a long time, so it's great to finally be able to report that they're coming. Three companies have announced their first players along with prices. Two have even been specific about the month they'll be released, although we still don't know precise dates.



All three companies are Asian, but unlike most consumer electronics products from this region it looks like the players will be going on sale first in the U.S. Several high-definition movies were also announced at the same time, so there's more than just price on which to base a decision whether to go with the HD-DVD or Blu-ray Disc formats. That's if you're going to rush out and buy one at all. It's expected that many consumers will sit out the format battle and wait until one emerges victorious.



Toshiba HD-DVD Player



Toshiba Corp. has announced its first HD-DVD players. There will be two models, a low-end player called the HD-A1 priced at US$500, and a second player, the HD-XA1, priced at $800. Both will output a 720p and 1080i (720 line progressive scanning and 1080 lines interlaced scanning) high-definition signal via HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) to a compatible high-definition TV. Both products can also play current DVDs and will up-convert a standard-definition picture from DVD to high definition, which is said to make it clearer. The machines also support a number of audio formats that are part of HD-DVD, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS and DTS HD. The more expensive HD-XA1 player has four digital signal processors, said Toshiba. Look for them in the U.S. from March this year. Launch details for other markets have not been announced.



Samsung Blu-ray Disc Player



Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is planning to launch it's first Blu-ray Disc player in April this year at a price of about US$1,000. The BD-P1000 can output high-definition video on an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) at 720p and 1080i resolutions. That's the same as the Toshiba players and means that both first-generation high-definition optical disc players won't be able to output a signal at 1080p, which is considered the best of several high-definition picture standards. Samsung didn't implement 1080p in the interest of speeding up development. The player will be available first in the U.S.



Pioneer Blu-ray Disc Player

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