Industry Trends

Toshiba unveils first laptop with next-generation DVD drive

27.09.2005
AFX News Limited

TOKYO (AFX) - Toshiba Corp said it has developed the first laptop computer with its new HD DVD drive, despite a looming struggle over the format of next-generation DVDs with a rival group led by Sony Corp.

Toshiba, in collaboration with South Korea's Samsung Corp, said it will start selling in Japan personal computers with a slim HD DVD drive designed specifically for laptops by the start of next year.

The company said demand is growing for high-definition images.

"Toshiba has responded to this trend by promoting the advanced imaging capabilities of the next-generation HD DVD format and has now brought HD DVD to portable computing, the fastest growing segment of the computer market," it said in a statement.

Toshiba's announcement came after the company failed in its efforts to reach agreement on a common standard for next-generation DVDs with a rival group led by Sony, which is promoting another format called Blu-Ray.

Next-generation DVDs, expected to hit the mass market later this year, are billed as offering cinema-quality images and opening up new possibilities in interactive entertainment.

Toshiba said last month it was in talks with Sony to find a common format but in the absence of an agreement it was going ahead with production of its own format.
Copyright 2005 AFX News Limited. All Rights Reserved.