1. It's not line doubling. 2. Nobody's claiming it's HD. 3. Toshiba is not using it to "attack Blu-ray". They've bowed out of the HD disc-based media game, after losing a billion on HD DVD. The fact they're implementing cheap upscaling technologies in their TVs to make HDTVs more desirable at a time when most sources of content are SD is pretty reasonable. Guess what, Sony's doing the same thing. Is Sony using upscaling to attack Blu-ray too?
Engadget HD decided to run a hate-on against Toshiba at the end of the HD wars. They've consistently refused to acknowledge why Toshiba isn't investing in Blu-ray, instead portraying the whole thing as a war Toshiba's still fighting on behalf of HD DVD, despite Toshiba dropping the latter format. The claim Toshiba is creating new upscaling technologies to fight Blu-ray is so ridiculous it's incredible EHD can get away with claiming it.
Acknowledging the real reason means acknowledging that intelligent people who have to make real decisions with real money and real jobs on the line believe that Blu-ray is the wrong technology at the wrong time, and that investing in it at this particular point, competing with heavily subsidized boxes from Sony et al, in the vain hope that in three or four years the format might be successful, is a dead end.
By believing that upscaling is somehow part of a war on Blu-ray, you've fallen for EHD's argument hook line and sinker. Open your eyes.
Toshiba is investing in upscaling because it's cheap and desirable. Just as Sony is. Just as Pioneer is. Toshiba is not investing in Blu-ray not because they're still trying to push HD DVD, but because they don't believe it'll be profitable in the short term, or successful in the long term.
Actually Toshiba is not supporting Blu-Ray because
1- they have huge digital distribution content plans, for digital distribution and storefront/kiosks. http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6599175.html 2- they have a huge digital storage division which manufactures memory chips, cards, hard drives and related other chips 3- They profit from continued dominance of DVD format, they are the largest patent holder as part of the DVD consortium. so more dvd's and players supporting it, they make more $$
As for the quality of upscaled DVD, it's a little better than the original, but it isn't good when compared to real HD. alot of people are being pushed to this as a temporary band aid to prevent the switchover to Blu-Ray, thus marginalizing physical formats and allow for digital distribution and ... Toshiba to profit alot from that part of the business.
Argue as much as you want that other companies are using upscaling technology, but Toshiba is the one pushin it the most, and for very very self interested reasons. nothing wrong with that, but it helps to know the real reasons behind it.
You're making up justifications that have no bearing whatsoever on why Toshiba is avoiding Blu-ray.
Yes, Toshiba believes the future is online content. That's why HD DVD incorporated online content. It was always intended to be an integral part of a system that eventually would drop hard media in favour of online distribution. So damn straight they're supporting various efforts to create online distribution systems, because they believe that's the future.
But you're taking that further than is legitimate. Toshiba is avoiding Blu-ray and investing in online systems because it sees BD as inevitably failing and online systems as likely to succeed. If Toshiba saw an opportunity to make money from Blu-ray, online or not, it'd do so.
This is not a matter of Toshiba wanting Blu-ray to fail. It's a matter of Toshiba saying "This is where we see the world heading" and then noting Blu-ray is not there and not capable of going there.
Your third point demonstrates how you're trying desperately to come up with justifications for the "Toshiba is trying to fight Blu-ray" meme. If you look at it, it completely contradicts your first two points. Toshiba is going online. It's not seeing hard media as having any future. Therefore it's safe to say Toshiba doesn't give a crap whether Blu-ray succeeds as a rival to DVD in that it sees DVD as likely to disappear anyway.
DVD is dying. Toshiba isn't trying to prop it up. Their entire focus is on what replaces it.
I'm neither going to acknowledge nor deny Toshiba's promotion of upscaling technology, given I've never really seen an ad for Toshiba or anyone else's upscaling technology outside of their own websites. What I will point out is this:
First, it's utterly irrelevant. Upscaling is a useful feature, and any manufacturer worth their salt is trying to create good upscalers. Second, Toshiba was making quality upscalers back when they were still supporting HD DVD.
I guess Toshiba wanted HD DVD to fail too. Right?
Toshiba doesn't think Blu-ray's going to succeed. It's fairly obvious why they think that, you only have to read the HD DVD spec to get some idea of where the DVD Forum felt movie distribution was going, and Toshiba - as a major member of the DVD Forum - seems to be continuing to go in that direction. If Toshiba were to produce Blu-ray players, they'd be making a completely illogical leap into a technology of a type they said was dying.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mitchelljd @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:58AM
it aint hd, its just line doubling/upscaling.
which while it can make something look slightly better. just ain't HD. though people on smaller 720p sets will be hard pressed to tell the difference.
just another thing Toshiba is using to attack blu-ray. hell their motto seems to be, "if HD DVD can't win, we will try and prevent Blu-Ray doing so"
squiggleslash @ Dec 3rd 2008 11:56AM
Wow, that's pathetic.
1. It's not line doubling.
2. Nobody's claiming it's HD.
3. Toshiba is not using it to "attack Blu-ray". They've bowed out of the HD disc-based media game, after losing a billion on HD DVD. The fact they're implementing cheap upscaling technologies in their TVs to make HDTVs more desirable at a time when most sources of content are SD is pretty reasonable. Guess what, Sony's doing the same thing. Is Sony using upscaling to attack Blu-ray too?
Engadget HD decided to run a hate-on against Toshiba at the end of the HD wars. They've consistently refused to acknowledge why Toshiba isn't investing in Blu-ray, instead portraying the whole thing as a war Toshiba's still fighting on behalf of HD DVD, despite Toshiba dropping the latter format. The claim Toshiba is creating new upscaling technologies to fight Blu-ray is so ridiculous it's incredible EHD can get away with claiming it.
Acknowledging the real reason means acknowledging that intelligent people who have to make real decisions with real money and real jobs on the line believe that Blu-ray is the wrong technology at the wrong time, and that investing in it at this particular point, competing with heavily subsidized boxes from Sony et al, in the vain hope that in three or four years the format might be successful, is a dead end.
By believing that upscaling is somehow part of a war on Blu-ray, you've fallen for EHD's argument hook line and sinker. Open your eyes.
Toshiba is investing in upscaling because it's cheap and desirable. Just as Sony is. Just as Pioneer is. Toshiba is not investing in Blu-ray not because they're still trying to push HD DVD, but because they don't believe it'll be profitable in the short term, or successful in the long term.
They're right, you know.
mitchelljd @ Dec 3rd 2008 1:35PM
Actually Toshiba is not supporting Blu-Ray because
1- they have huge digital distribution content plans, for digital distribution and storefront/kiosks.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6599175.html
2- they have a huge digital storage division which manufactures memory chips, cards, hard drives and related other chips
3- They profit from continued dominance of DVD format, they are the largest patent holder as part of the DVD consortium. so more dvd's and players supporting it, they make more $$
As for the quality of upscaled DVD, it's a little better than the original, but it isn't good when compared to real HD. alot of people are being pushed to this as a temporary band aid to prevent the switchover to Blu-Ray, thus marginalizing physical formats and allow for digital distribution and ... Toshiba to profit alot from that part of the business.
Argue as much as you want that other companies are using upscaling technology, but Toshiba is the one pushin it the most, and for very very self interested reasons. nothing wrong with that, but it helps to know the real reasons behind it.
So why don't you acknowledge that? oh please.
squiggleslash @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:08PM
You're making up justifications that have no bearing whatsoever on why Toshiba is avoiding Blu-ray.
Yes, Toshiba believes the future is online content. That's why HD DVD incorporated online content. It was always intended to be an integral part of a system that eventually would drop hard media in favour of online distribution. So damn straight they're supporting various efforts to create online distribution systems, because they believe that's the future.
But you're taking that further than is legitimate. Toshiba is avoiding Blu-ray and investing in online systems because it sees BD as inevitably failing and online systems as likely to succeed. If Toshiba saw an opportunity to make money from Blu-ray, online or not, it'd do so.
This is not a matter of Toshiba wanting Blu-ray to fail. It's a matter of Toshiba saying "This is where we see the world heading" and then noting Blu-ray is not there and not capable of going there.
Your third point demonstrates how you're trying desperately to come up with justifications for the "Toshiba is trying to fight Blu-ray" meme. If you look at it, it completely contradicts your first two points. Toshiba is going online. It's not seeing hard media as having any future. Therefore it's safe to say Toshiba doesn't give a crap whether Blu-ray succeeds as a rival to DVD in that it sees DVD as likely to disappear anyway.
DVD is dying. Toshiba isn't trying to prop it up. Their entire focus is on what replaces it.
I'm neither going to acknowledge nor deny Toshiba's promotion of upscaling technology, given I've never really seen an ad for Toshiba or anyone else's upscaling technology outside of their own websites. What I will point out is this:
First, it's utterly irrelevant. Upscaling is a useful feature, and any manufacturer worth their salt is trying to create good upscalers.
Second, Toshiba was making quality upscalers back when they were still supporting HD DVD.
I guess Toshiba wanted HD DVD to fail too. Right?
Toshiba doesn't think Blu-ray's going to succeed. It's fairly obvious why they think that, you only have to read the HD DVD spec to get some idea of where the DVD Forum felt movie distribution was going, and Toshiba - as a major member of the DVD Forum - seems to be continuing to go in that direction. If Toshiba were to produce Blu-ray players, they'd be making a completely illogical leap into a technology of a type they said was dying.