Continuing to drive the mobile computing industry with innovation, Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., is demonstrating an HD DVD- ROM drive-equipped Qosmio(TM) audio-video notebook PC at its CES booth this week, the first notebook computer to integrate an optical drive under the DVD Forum's new HD DVD media standard.
Combining stunning visual detail and enhanced audio capabilities, the HD DVD drive-equipped Qosmio will allow consumers to be able to enjoy high-definition video content anywhere in the home or on the go with external power. With its similar disc structure, HD DVD is backwards-compatible with the current DVD formats. The drive can read or write current DVD formats, allowing users to continue playing compatible discs in their existing DVD collections, offering the optimum entertainment notebook PC experience.
Other benefits of HD DVD include discs that offer 30GB of storage capacity, enough for playing long-running high-definition movies, and discs that are less sensitive to surface blemishes and fingerprints.
"Toshiba is leading the industry in bringing HD DVD technology to market to allow people to enjoy high-definition video content," said Mark Simons, vice president and general manager, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems. "Our Qosmio line has always been at the cutting edge of digital convergence, but with HD DVD we are now integrating consumer electronics innovation into the notebook PC simultaneously with its introduction into CE products."
The Qosmio will feature several new technologies to enhance the playback of HD DVD video content, including:
--Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology-based platform (code- named "Napa") built around Intel's first mobile dual-core processor;
--the world's first 1-bit digital amplifier in a notebook PC, often featured in high-end audio systems;
--new bass-reflex speaker technology from harman/kardon, allowing greater amplification and clarity;
--Dolby Home Theater(TM), delivering a richer, more engaging surround sound experience from stereo and multichannel audio sources through headphone, 2- or 5.1-channel speaker system;
--Toshiba original HD DVD playback software;
--new Toshiba Ultimate TruBrite(TM) display with enhanced color saturation for more life-like images that supports resolution up to 1080p signal format;
--and next-generation NVIDIA graphics for state-of-the-art performance.
"Toshiba's new notebook offers the best in entertainment, combining their innovative notebook design with integrated HD DVD and Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005," said Kevin Unangst, director of Windows Digital Media at Microsoft Corp. "This is a fantastic advancement in delivering high-definition entertainment experiences in an affordable, flexible notebook form factor."
"With an integrated HD DVD drive, the Toshiba Qosmio is a great example of a cutting-edge notebook based on Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology that can deliver a generational leap forward in users' entertainment experiences," said Keith Kressin, director of marketing, Intel's Mobile Platforms Group. "Using Intel Centrino Duo- based Toshiba notebooks, people can more fully immerse themselves in music, games and high-definition movies, TV and video."
Qosmio (pron. "koss-mee-oh") is Toshiba's flagship "four-in-one" audio-video notebook PC featuring an integrated TV tuner, digital video recorder (DVR), virtual surround-sound stereo and all the capabilities of a powerful, full-featured notebook PC with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 delivers advanced computing and easy-to-use integrated digital entertainment, including live and recorded television, movies, music, photos and radio, that consumers can enjoy when and how they want. It provides an all-in-one digital entertainment hub, accessible on either a PC monitor or TV display, using a single remote control.
Pricing, availability and specific model number and configuration for the next-generation Qosmio with integrated HD DVD will be announced later in Q106. Some advanced HD DVD features may be limited in initial product.
As CES begins to wind down we are still poking around to find new products which fit our lustful next-gen optical disk needs. One which seems to fit the bill while straddling both sides of the cold war is the innovative new Buffalo Technology MediaStation Blu-ray HD DVD. This external player combo is set to price at around $650.
