Dismissing that whole Blockbuster Blu-ray decision as nothing more than a PR victory, and in no way an exclusive deal by the video-rental company, execs from Toshiba and Microsoft came to NYC to show off the latest in HD DVD amenities. The latest firmware, the one that finally allows for Web-enabled network capabilities, is here, and to mark the occasion, Toshiba has officially lowered the prices of two of its players: the HD-A2 with 1080i output will drop to $299, and the HD-A20 with 1080p output will be $399. (There had previously been an instant rebate keeping the prices low.)
Kevin Collins of Microsoft is the chief evangelist of HD DVD, and he talks about three things that, in combination, he says, make HD DVD better than Blu-ray.
• Internet connection for online updates, and now, finally, Web-enabled content
• Dual decoding for real picture-in-picture playback
• "Persistent storage" memory on the deck for customization and downloading...

Similar to the HD DVD deal a while back, the Blu-ray camp is offering five free Blu-ray movies when you buy qualifying player. The 21 titles (some listed after the jump), can be chosen from if you pick up a BD player between July 1 and September 30. We're not sure which players qualify yet, but let's hope the PS3 is one of them.
Babel, Black Rain, Blazing Saddles, Chicken Little, The Corpse Bride, The Devil's Rejects, The Guardian, Hart's War, Invincible, The Italian Job, Kiss of the Dragon, The Last Waltz, The Omen [2006], Pearl Harbor, The Phantom of the Opera, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Species, Stealth, Stir of Echoes, The Transporter 2 and Underworld: Evolution.

Filed under: HDTV, Wireless
We'll bet you aren't alone if you were starting to wonder if you'd ever hear from SiBEAM again, but after an extended pause, the company is back to fully unveil its WirelessHD streaming solution. Reportedly, the company has developed 60GHz chipsets for non-line-of-sight applications, and has also stated that its OmniLink60 wireless semiconductor technology would be WirelessHD-compliant and "deliver AV connectivity for wireless applications at the 60GHz band." Built using standard CMOS manufacturing techniques, this system will purportedly allow users to enjoy Wireless Video Area Networking (WVAN), which could consist of an HDTV, HD DVD / Blu-ray player, HD DVR, etc,. and while specific integration details were solely absent, the firm seems quite adamant that its newfangled technology will have no issues fitting in (whenever it actually ships, that is) with your current setup.

[Via ExtremeTech] 
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Get ready to get a sheet of little stickers with high definition titles on them. Columbia House will begin offering high definition titles on both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD this fall. It is unclear if the ...

Filed under: Laptops

Toshiba was concerned that laptop buyers at pretty much every stage of the spectrum might not have enough choices, so it's done what any self-respecting member of the PC community would: released a bunch of new computers. Currently doing victory laps at Toshiba Direct are the Qosmio F45, gamer-targeted Satellite X205, and the Satellite A215 -- the cheapskate of the crew. Some notable specs:
Qosmio F45-AV412 - 15.4-inch XGA TruBrite display, 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo, HD DVD drive, HDMI out, 802.11a/b/g/n, Intel Mobile GMA X3100, fingerprint reader, built-in webcam
Satellite X205-S9359 / S9349 - 17-inch XGA TruBrite display (up to 1680 x 1050), Core 2 Duo at 1.8Ghz or 2.0Ghz, NVIDIA GeForce 8600M, 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Harmon-Kardon speakers w/ subwoofer
Satellite A215-S4767 / S4757 - 15.4-inch XGA TruBrite display, AMD Turion 64 X2 CPU, DVD-R, Mobility Radeon X1200, 802.11b/g All in all, truly three of the mos...

The small, hip Qosmio F-Series is returning, this time with a read-only HD DVD-ROM drive.

The Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on has sold 155,000 units in the U.S., which is significantly higher than the 100,000 or so standalone units sold in the format's first year on the shelves. [DailyTech]

Filed under: Desktops, HDTV, Media PCs

Before Shuttle goes and entertains any potential bids to sell itself, it's answering the demands of HTPC admirers hankering for a small-form-factor barebones system that integrates well into an AV setup. The SG33G5, straight from the egotistical Glamor series, sports an Intel G33 Bearlake chipset, 250-watt power supply, supports Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad Intel CPUs, handles up to 4GB of RAM, and features the company's own I.C.E. cooling technology. Furthermore, you'll find a PCI Express slot, Intel's GMA 3100 graphics set (weak, we know), 7.1-channel audio, Dolby Digital / DTS support, gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, SATA compatibility, VGA output, and the obligatory HDCP-compatible HDMI port. Of course, picking up a quasi-stripped box in order to snag the HD DVD / Blu-ray drive of your choice won't come cheap, as the currently available SG33G5 will set you back a whopping €303 ($405) right from the start.

[Via PCLaunches]...

Filed under: Laptops

You already knew that Toshiba was doling out the HD DVD love to the X205, but a purported Satellite X200 machine has apparently been apprehended by a Frenchman (or woman) and revealed to the world. Reportedly, this "desktop replacement" starts off with a 17-inch 1,440 x 900 resolution LCD, and packs a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT, 2GB of RAM, a 200GB hard drive spinning at 4200RPMs, Harmon Kardon speakers, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, a DVD burner, 1.3-megapixel camera, hordes of USB 2.0 connectors, fingerprint reader, an ExpressCard slot, and even a numeric keypad thrown in for good measure. While we've seen nothing official, word on the street has this bad boy landing next month for around €1,599 ($2,147), but for now, click on through for the rest of the show.Continue reading Beastly Toshiba Satellite X200 laptop gets spotted
 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget...

Filed under: Desktops, Media PCs

Hey, we all knew good and well VidaBox was sparing no luxury when crafting the CableCARD-ready, HD DVD / Blu-ray supporting HTPC it affectionately dubs the Magnum, but even the well prepared may be a tad taken aback by the price. While the vendor's website still requests that you swallow a chill pill and calmly call for any pricing inquiries, AudioJunkies has apparently done us all the favor. Wrapped up in what appears to be OrigenAE's oh-so-sexy aluminum chassis, the VidaBox Magnum reportedly starts at a dollar under eight grand, and while we're sure the base configuration is more than plenty, why not throw in an extra stick of RAM and a few terabytes of HDD space to ensure your next media PC costs more than a new Kia Rio? 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!