Toshiba to launch HD DVD player next month; plans to approach Bollywood production houses for introduction of Hindi movies in HD DVDs

NEW DELHI: Toshiba India Pvt. Ltd plans to approach production houses in Bollywood to introduce Hindi movies in the HD DVD format.

The firm expects its second generation, high-end HD DVD player to hit the Indian market next month.

"This (plan to approach production houses) is part of our plans after we launch our product in India," said Pranab Mohanty, head IT, quality expert, Toshiba. "This is a high quality digital video format, which offers crystal clear picture quality for best entertainment."

Hollywood studios like Warner, Universal and Paramount have supported Toshiba's HD-DVD and Disney has backed the Sony's Blu-ray DVD format. However, it is yet to be decided which format is superior, but industry experts say that both products promise higher storage capacity, superior image quality and stronger anti-piracy protection.

Toshiba's second-generation player supports CDs as well as the current DVDs. With the advent of new technology in India, the production houses are likely to undergo a sea change in the production of DVDs and CDs.

"As we launch this product in India, we are planning to hold road shows to bring about awareness among the consumers as well as the production houses," Mohanty said.

On the firm's expectation from the Indian market, Mohanty said, "the consumers always want a better technology, which is up-to-date and can offer the best quality image. We are hopeful that the market will gain momentum soon."

The company would target customers opting for 37 and 42 inch LCDs. However, the company declined to reveal the price of the product but indicated that it would be in the high-end segment.

According to statistics, the global market sales for DVD players and recorders is 370 million units at the end of December 2005 and in Japan, the penetration ratio of DVD players and recorders reached 49 per cent of household at the end of March 2005.

Toshiba commercialized the world's first DVD players in the Japanese market in November 1996 and brought its first products to the US market in March 1997.