News

Toshiba Announces the XD-E500 DVD Player with upscaling technology giving near-HD picture quality (28/8/2008)

• ‘eXtended Detail Enhancement’ (XDE) upscaling technology produces stunning, near-HD picture quality from 480i / 576i DVD sources

• Consumers can unlock benefits of HD Ready TVs and rediscover their DVD collections

Toshiba today announces the launch of the XD-E500 – a groundbreaking upscaling DVD player encompassing Toshiba’s new XDE (eXtended Detail Enhancement) technology. XDE provides more than just upscaling, taking DVD picture quality to a whole new level. By enhancing video and detail closer to the HD experience, XDE technology lets consumers enjoy their existing DVD libraries in a whole new way.

Whereas many upscaling players simply extend the image resolution, Toshiba’s proprietary XDE technology includes three additional video processes to deliver sharper, cleaner images with richer, more vibrant colours and contrast. Firstly, the ‘Detail Enhancement’ feature enhances image edges while simultaneously reducing noise by 3D DNR. Secondly, ‘Intelligent Colour’ enhances blues and greens[, which can often lose vivacity during the upscaling process, thus improving the overall colour balance of the picture. Finally, ‘Contrast Enhancement’ improves contrast in dark areas whilst maintaining brightness in others. The result is a startlingly rich, crisp image from a standard definition source.

“Penetration of HD-ready LCD and plasma screens continues to increase at an exponential rate in Europe” commented Olivier Van Wynendaele, Deputy General Manager, DVD, Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd. “The new XD-E500 allows those consumers to unlock the potential of their HD-Ready TVs, breathing new life into existing DVD collections by not only upconverting images to a 1080p standard, but also enhancing them through the new XDE technology.”

Facts & Figures XD-E500

• Toshiba’s new XDE Technology
• Sharp, Colour and Contrast Modes
• DVD Upscaler: 720p, 1080i, 1080p
• HDMI connection and cable
• Regza Link (HDMI CEC)
• DivX / MP3/ JPEG Viewer
• Pal Progressive
• DVD, DVD-R/-RW,
• CD/ CD-R/-RW, VIDEO
• CD, SVCD, CD-DA
• Component Video Output
• SCART x1
• Composite Video Output
• Coaxial Output
• 2 Channel Audio Output
• Availability: September 2008
• RRP: 149,- Euro (inkl. VAT)

The XD-E500 includes three different modes – Sharp, Colour and Contrast – which enable the player to produce a suitable picture based on the type of content being watched.

• Sharp Mode offers improved detail enhancement that is one step closer to high definition. Edges are sharper and details in movies are more visible. Unlike traditional sharpness control, XDE technology analyzes the entire picture and adds edge enhancement precisely where it’s needed.

• Color Mode makes the colors of nature stand out with improved richness. Blues and greens are more vivid and lifelike – suitable for enjoying wildlife documentaries. Color Mode combines the improvement in color with the detail enhancement of Sharp Mode and is outstanding for outdoor scenes.

• Contrast Mode is designed to make details in darker scenes or foregrounds more clearly visible without the typical “washing out” that can occur with traditional contrast adjustment. Perfect for dark scenes where detail may be difficult to notice, Contrast Mode is also combined with Sharp Mode to provide a clearer viewing experience.

In addition to Toshiba’s new XDE technology, the XD-E500 also features support for PAL progressive scan playback and offers DVD, DVD-R/-RW, CD/ CD-R/-RW, Video-CD, SVCD, CD-DA and HDMI compatibility via the HDMI cable included in the box. Each model is compatible with Toshiba’s REGZA-Link technology (HDMI CEC), and also includes Component Video and Composite Video outputs, 1x SCART, Coaxial output and two Channel Audio outputs. JPEG, DivX and MP3 support is also included.

The XD-E500 is available from the end of September 2008, with a typical purchase price estimated around 149€ (inc. VAT).

www.toshiba.co.uk