Toshiba Launches Upscaling DVD Player

By Geoff Duncan Updated August 18, 2008

Toshiba may have lost the high-definition format war—throwing in the towel to Sony’s Blu-ray format earlier this year—but that doesn’t mean the company is embracing Sony’s technology. Instead, Toshiba has been focussing on the digital movie format with the largest market penetration: plain, simple DVD. And it’s new XD-E500 DVD player aims to put new life into existing DVD through upscaling and a plethora of picture mode setting via the company’s new XDE (eXtended Detail Enhancement) technology.

"Consumers have embraced the DVD format like no other technology and invested in large libraries of their favorite movies. As the market moves towards high definition, XDE lets them experience their existing DVD library and the tens of thousands of DVD titles in a whole new way," said Toshiba director of product planning Louis Masses, in a statement.

In addition to upscaling standard DVDs all the way to 1080p/24fps, the XD-E500 carries HDMI output, JPEG display capability, MP3 and WMA playback, and DivX certification. The XDE technology also offers a Sharp mode (bringing out more detail), a Color mode (adding richness to colors), and a Contrast mode that brings out foreground images, and can be combined with Sharp mode.

The XD-E500 should ship this month for a suggested price of $149.99, almost double what a typical upscaling DVD player goes for these days.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Audio / Video

Sonos teases upcoming launch of the Era generation

A Sonos email touting an upcoming launch.

Sonos today sent out an email telling folks to "Get ready for a new era of sound." Get it? New "era?" Because that's exactly what's about to drop with the Era 100 and Era 300 speakers, which already have leaked in pretty good detail.

The countdown on the email points to something happening on Tuesday, March 7, and the email says to expect preorders then, too.

Audio / Video

Skullcandy and legendary snowboard brand Burton launch new collaboration

Skullcandy x Burton Crusher Evo worn by Anna Gasser.

If you were around at the dawn of the snowboarding age, the Burton brand probably holds a special place in your heart. Founded in 1977 in the U.S., it was one of the sport's very first manufacturers and remains one of the largest snowboard companies on the planet. Today, Burton is lending its distinctive mountain logo and flashy graphics to a new collaboration with Skullcandy for a limited release of three of the latter's wireless headphone and earbud models.

The Crusher Evo, Push Active, and Mod are now available with graphics torn from Burton's Rewind and Name Dropper board designs, which feature asymmetrical patterns of peach, pink, and purple cheetah print on one side and olive green on the other. Only 4,000 of each model will be made.

Audio / Video

The best 4K Blu-ray players for 2023

Sony BDP-S6700 Blu-ray Player.

With such a focus on all the streaming services out there, it's easy to forget that one of the best ways to watch movies in stunning picture and sound quality, regardless of your internet speed or if you even have internet, is with a 4K Blu-ray player.

Several models of Blu-ray players can be had for very reasonable prices, and you can even find them in gaming consoles like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, in case you already have one of those in your entertainment unit. Blu-ray players can play 4K Blu-rays, regular Blu-rays, DVDs, and even audio CDs, and they can pump out impressive HDR visuals through leading codecs like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X for a truly cinematic experience at home.