Toshiba will introduce laptops with HD DVD technology in December 2005, aiming to pressure rivals in the battle over formats for next-generation DVDs, the Nihon Keizai daily reported Wednesday.

The paper said Toshiba, Japan's second-largest electronics conglomerate, would price the new laptops at a level similar to that of its current high-end DVD-equipped models, at around 200,000 to 300,000 yen ($1,845 to $2,770).

Toshiba officials were not immediately available for comment.

The new laptops will be released under its "Qosmio" brand, and will play regular DVDs and CDs in addition to HD DVDs, the paper added.

Toshiba aims to ship 1 million of the HD DVD laptops in the first business year after their introduction, the paper said.

The battle over next-generation DVD formats has been heating up. Toshiba, along with NEC and Sanyo Electric, supports HD DVD, while a global consortium including Sony and Matsushita Electric Industrial promotes competing Blu-ray technology.