Toshiba's HD DVD format may be dead and buried, but the wounded Japanese company is preparing to tackle Blu-ray via other means.
Following its decision to discontinue HD DVD, reports have suggested that Toshiba will be opting out of manufacturing Blu-ray players. Instead, it's been reported to focus on improving DVD players with enhanced upscaling technology.
These new-and-improved upscaling DVD players are said to bring near-HD quality to the DVD format, and could reach retail by the end of the year.
It appears, however, that improved upscaling isn't all that Toshiba has in store. At a recent DVD Forum meeting, the following logo was revealed for a newly-approved DVD format.
The exact purpose of the format, known as DVD Download DL, remains unknown. One would imagine, however, that DVD Download DL will add online features similar to those available to Blu-ray Live discs.
Toshiba could simply be clutching at straws, but, it could be onto something. DVD is the widely accepted format, and if Toshiba's upscaling technology provides a significant boost in quality, the combination of online functionality could dampen Blu-ray take-up and keep DVD going strong for many more years.
On the other hand, it could just be clutching at straws.
