HD DVD Store

HD DVD New Releases

Jan 22, 2008

• Method Man: Live From The Sunset Strip [HD DVD]
• Mysterious Aqua - Music Experience in 3-Dimensional Sound Reality [HD DVD]
• Channels [HD DVD]

Jan 15, 2008

• The Lawless [HD DVD]

Jan 8, 2008

• Zodiac (Two-Disc Director’s Cut) [HD DVD]
• The Pianist [HD DVD]
• The Road To Rio / The Road To Bali (Double Feature) [HD DVD]
• White Noise 2 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
• Mobsters [HD DVD]
• White Noise [HD DVD]
• Galaxina [HD DVD]

Dec 25, 2007

• Pan’s Labyrinth [HD DVD]
• Cat People [HD DVD]
• The Heartbreak Kid [HD DVD]

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Top 10 Bestsellers in HD DVD

Jan 13, 2008

1.		Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series [HD DVD]
2.		Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector’s Edition) [HD DVD]
3.		Transformers (Two-Disc Special Edition) [HD DVD]
4.		Stardust [HD DVD]
5.		Serenity [HD DVD]
6.		Zodiac (Two-Disc Director’s Cut) [HD DVD]
7.		Top Gun [HD DVD]
8.		The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum) [HD DVD] - Amazon.com Exclusive
9.		Pan’s Labyrinth [HD DVD]
10.		Eagles: Farewell 1 Tour - Live From Melbourne [HD DVD]

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Jan 8, 2008

1. Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series [HD DVD] DVD

~ David Attenborough

2. Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector’s Edition) [HD DVD] DVD

~ Harrison Ford

3. Zodiac (Two-Disc Director’s Cut) [HD DVD] DVD

~ Jake Gyllenhaal

4. The Bourne Ultimatum (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD] DVD

~ Matt Damon

5. The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum) [HD DVD] - Amazon.com Exclusive DVD

~ Matt Damon

6. Transformers (Two-Disc Special Edition) [HD DVD] DVD

~ Shia LaBeouf

7. The Kingdom (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD] DVD

~ Jamie Foxx

8. Serenity [HD DVD] DVD

~ Nathan Fillion

9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [HD DVD] DVD

~ Daniel Radcliffe

10. Batman Begins [HD DVD] DVD

~ Christian Bale

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What is HD DVD?

HD DVD: The Look and Sound of Perfect

Even with the world’s greatest HDTV, you may not be experiencing all that high definition has to offer. HD DVD (high-definition digital versatile disc) is a new optical disc format that uses a blue laser, which allows for more data density per disc–up to five times the amount of data that a standard DVD can hold. So what does that mean? Learn about the many benefits of adding an HD DVD player to your media library.

The Benefits of HD DVD

1. Amazing picture. HD DVD Discs are all encoded at 1080p. All HD DVD discs store film source material in its native 1080p24 format (1080 progressive, 24 frames per second), which matches cinematic display. What most people don’t know is that all 1080p displays can de-interlace the 1080i content to 1080p. So even if an HD DVD player outputs at 1080i, all movie content is reconstructed within a 1080p display to produce a true 1080p picture.

2. Spectacular sound. When you’re listening to HD DVD, up to 7.1 channels of high-resolution audio is being fed to your home theater system. (Note that you will need a home theater system to get the full HD DVD audio experience.)

3. A giant step forward for special features. HD DVD with HDi pushes the boundaries with revolutionary, interactive movie content. Just think how cool it would be if you could press a button whenever you wanted to have the film director pop up and give you the scoop on the movie as it plays. HD DVD offers all this and more.

Check out the HD DVD version of 300, for example. With the blue screen picture-in-picture feature, you can learn about the making of the movie while you’re watching it. You can also play games, create a montage of your favorite scenes, and much more. In short, HD DVD provides a far richer viewing experience than standard DVD ever could.

4. Affordability. HD DVD is the best value way to get full high definition video on your HDTV. With affordable 1080p players from Toshiba available for $399 MSRP (and often less at retail), and 1080i players starting at $299 MSRP, HD DVD is an affordable HD solution for anyone with an HDTV. You can even get an add-on HD DVD player for under $180.

The Toshiba players play CDs and upconvert standard DVDs (on a digital HDMI or DVI connection only). A growing number of HD DVD-enabled PCs and laptops are available today from Toshiba, HP, Acer, Niveus, LG, and Fujitsu Siemens.

5. Combo discs.

Currently, only HD DVD offers combo discs (standard DVD on one side, HD DVD on the other), meaning you can go ahead and purchase HD DVDs without owning an HD DVD player and use them with your existing DVD hardware. When you do upgrade to an HD DVD player, you ‘ll have an instant library of high-definition content! Of course, this also allows you to purchase one disc and play it in the home theater with an HD DVD player and–say–in the bedroom with a standard DVD player.

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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still watch my existing DVDs on an HD DVD player?

HD DVD is backward compatible, which means it can play movies in the original DVD format just as easily as it plays HD DVDs. In fact, your old movies will look better than ever because HD DVD upconverts DVD content to near high-definition picture quality when used with a digital connection. Plus, HD DVD players have some of the best-rated upconverting technologies available–even better than those found in $1000+ upconverting DVD players. In addition, HD DVD doesn’t have region coding. So you know all those rare import DVDs you’ve always wanted to watch but couldn’t because your DVD player wouldn’t support them? HD DVD lets you legally play titles from all around the world.

Will I get a good viewing experience from a 1080i player?

Yes! All 1080p displays have de-interlacers, which means a 1080p display will always show a 1080p picture regardless of whether the player is outputting 1080i or 1080p. Even if the player outputs 1080i, all movie content is reconstructed within a 1080p display to produce a true 1080p picture. Toshiba’s HD-XA2 and HD-A20 players, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player, and PC HD DVD players all include 1080p outputs.

Do all next-gen high-def formats have fancy interactive features like HD DVD?

Not necessarily. Only HD DVD mandates player support for technologies like persistent storage, networking and second decoder, enabling advanced viewing, and interactive features. And only HD DVD is shipping titles with advanced viewing and interactive features because it is the only format that guarantees the hardware support in every player.

Do I need HDMI 1.3a to take advantage of the new audio codecs?

No. HD DVD is the only format that can decode these audio codecs in the player. HD DVD supports up to 7.1 multi-channel, lossless surround sound, and is the only format that mandates that every player can decode the new advanced audio codecs (Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD).

Unlike DVD or other formats that require passing the digital stream to an AVR or Pre/Pro to do the decoding (thus requiring HDMI 1.3a), Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD are decoded in the player and take advantage of existing equipment, or take advantage of the large installed base of analog audio inputs. The result is that consumers can enjoy a high-definition, surround-sound experience using their existing audio equipment.

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Technical Information

Max Storage

HD DVD delivers all the capacity necessary for all sorts of recorded content, including movies and live performances. The overwhelming majority of HD DVD discs are dual layer with 30GB of storage. Using the latest compression technologies, the 30GB disc can display up to 1080-line high-definition images with high resolution audio and advanced interactivity. Today’s DVDs have a capacity of up to 8.5 GB, and can only display 480-line standard definition (SD) images with no high-resolution audio or interactivity. If you want to record your own content in high-definition, we’ve got that covered too. The DVD forum has defined the standard for a single-sided, single-layer HD DVD rewriteable disc with 20GB capacity. And look for more capacity in the forthcoming single-sided, dual-layer disc.

Updating Your Firmware

Your HD DVD player is on the cutting edge of high-definition technology. With mandatory support for networking, every HD DVD player can take advantage of the internet for player firmware updates, making the process quick and easy. Contact HD DVD manufacturers personally for instructions on receiving and installing the latest firmware updates.

Xbox: Website: www.xbox.com/hddvd (click on the support link)

Toshiba: Website www.tacp.com/customersupport

Customer service: 1-800-631-3811

Toshiba PCs: www.pcsupport.toshiba.com

Important Notes

HD DVD with high-definition content is required for HD viewing. Viewing high-definition content and upconverting DVD content may require an HDCP capable DVI or HDMI input on your display device. Upconversion of DVD content will result in near-HD picture quality. Firmware update may be required for some interactive features depending on content, which may also require an always-on broadband internet connection. Some features may require additional bandwidth. Some recordable media may not be supported. Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS support for up to 5.1 channels (DTS HD support for DTS core only). MP3/WMA audio files not supported. Some current DVDs and CDs may not be compatible. Some combo Discs and Twin Format Discs may not be compatible. HDMI audio support for PCM only. Because HD DVD makes use of new technologies, certain disc, digital connection, and other compatibility and/or performance issues are possible. This may in rare cases include disc freezing while accessing certain disc features or functions, or certain parts of the disc are not playing back or operating fully as intended. If you experience such issues, please refer to the FAQ sections of www.toshibahddvd.com or www.tacp.toshiba.com for information on solutions. Some features subject to delayed availability. 1080p capable display required for 1080p output resolution. Deep Color feature as specified in HDMI 1.3a requires compatible Deep Color capable HD display and/or device. Some devices may not be compatible. While Toshiba has made every effort at the time of publication to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product specifications, configurations, prices, system/component/options availability are all subject to change without notice.

Based on DVD Technology

DVD and HD DVD share the same basic disc structure: back-to-back bonding of two 120 mm-diameter substrates, each 0.6 mm thick. As a result, HD DVD combines advanced capabilities with essential backwards compatibility. HD DVD allows for cost-effective disc and hardware production, and assures quality, availability and market viability.

Advantages of a common Disc structure

The shared disc structure of DVD and HD DVD offers numerous advantages to consumers and manufacturers alike. Full backwards compatibility allows consumers to enjoy their entire current DVD library and audio CDs on the same HD DVD player. DVD disc replicators are utilizing their current production equipment with only minor modifications, and have already reached disc yields comparable to DVDs’. Moreover, the simple structure of a single-lens optical head that can accommodate both red and blue laser diodes allows for cheaper and more compact systems.

Storage Capacity With HD DVD

An HD DVD drive in a laptop will far surpass DVD as a storage medium for images, video, and large volumes of data, ad the blue laser diode allows for high-density recording. The blue laser that reads and writes to HD DVD has a shorter wavelength than DVD’s red laser. Even though DVD and HD DVD share the same disc structure, the blue laser’s shorter wavelength translates into an HD DVD storage capacity dwarfing that of DVD. Standard DVDs can hold 4.7 GB of Data. The single-sided, dual-layer HD DVD-ROM surpasses that 6.2 times with its 30GB capacity.

Sophisticated Video Compression Technology

In addition to recognizing content in MPEG-2 encoding, HD DVD players also recognize the advanced codecs MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1. The quality and efficiency of these codecs allow for substantially lower average bit rates while maintaining the quality of the original master. That means more hours of high-definition content on every disc. With a rate of 32.4 Mbps for transferring high-definition digital TV broadcasting images, HD DVD disc drives allow plenty of space for VC-1 high-definition video, Dolby TrueHD lossless audio, and PIP content.

Hardware and Peripheral Development to Expand and Advance

Rapid advances are being seen in the hardware, which will promote the smooth transition to HD DVD in everything from disc manufacturing technology to players and drives for PCs, including slimline PCs. HD DVD digital video recorders under development will also integrate HD DVD drives, along with hard drive storage, to allow consumers to record HDTV programs for archiving on HD DVD discs.

Support for the Next Generation OS

HD DVD has set the standard in the PC environment. While there are already HD DVD-ready laptops and PCs on the market today, Microsoft’s next-generation operating system Windows Vista will provide HD DVD playback through a variety of third party HD DVD software players. That means the smoothest playback and guaranteed compatibility with HD DVD content.

HD DVD Specs

• Disc Resolution: Up to 1080p
• Surround Sound: Up to 8 discrete channels or 7.1 channels
• Disc Diameter: 120 mm
• Disc Structure: 0.6mm x 2 substrates
• Interactive-mandatory Hardware Support: Secondary video decoder, Persistent Storage, networking capabilities
• Capacity (single-sided, single-layer): 15GB
• Capacity (single-sided, dual-layer): 30GB
• Combo Disc Capacity(double-sided): 30GB/9BG
• Recording Time: 30GB, HD resolution over 8 hours
• Laser Wavelength: 405 nm blue laser
• Compression technology supported (codecs): VC-1/MPEG-4 AVC/MPEG-2
• Max bit rate: 32.4 Mbps
• Track Pitch: .40 um
• Security: layer (Physical layer)

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