Oh yeah, Onkyo's definitely going to dish out a Blu-ray player of its own later this year, but it can't just sit idly until that one has spent adequate time in the oven, now can it? Say hello to the DV-SP406, a 1080p upscaling DVD player that delivers upconverted content over HDMI. You won't find SACD / DVD-Audio compatibility here, but you will find coaxial / optical digital audio ports, a USB socket for loading up multimedia files and a 180MHz / 14-bit video DAC. Not too much else to gloat about beyond that, but considering the $125 street price (available now in black or silver), we suppose that's just alright.

[Via RandomlyAccessed, thanks littlefarny]

Okay, so we really have no clue what's going on inside of Toshiba's labs, but one thing is for certain: it has upscaling on the brain. After hearing of an elusive super-resolution DVD player and seeing an all-too-curious new DVD logo, in flies word from Germany that the outfit is prepping an updated line of Picture Frame LCD HDTVs for release at IFA 2008. On the surface, there's not too much different about these REGZAs compared to any others, but internally, the newcomers are expected to tout Cell-based Resolution+ technology, which will upscale SD images in an attempt to make something (read: HD) out of nothing. Granted, Tosh has been talking up this stuff since CES, so it's not an entirely new concept, but we'll be interested to see if this has anything to do with those rumored DVD deck plans.

[Via Big-Screen, danke Joel]

We keep hoping that Toshiba will come to its senses and just let this whole thing die, but no. Apparently insistent on keeping the last-generation format alive for as long as it possibly can, it seems the outfit is getting ever-closer to a super-resolution DVD player that would reportedly upscale DVD content like nothing we've ever seen. The latest tidbit in this woefully depressing saga is a newly approved DVD Download DL logo, which was given the final thumbs-up by the DVD Forum Steering Committee last month. In reality, no one outside of Tosh's headquarters has any idea if this development is indeed intrinsically related, but at this point, we wouldn't be shocked one bit to find that it was. Then again, the June 11th meeting also saw specifications for CH-DVD approved, so here's to hoping Toshiba isn't jumping on that bandwagon fiery wreck.

[Via TG Daily]

Read - DVD Forum approval
Read - Discussion / rumors

Let's get real honest with one another here: if folks are legitimately arguing that a $700 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player is overpriced, there's absolutely no way a DVD player is worth over four times as much. That being said, the folks over at Sound & Vision put the pricey pair through the paces, and they were actually quite pleased with the results. In a nutshell, it seems that reviewers found the best upscaling DVD players this planet has to offer, and while all the fawning over their pristine reproduction of colors was fine and dandy, it's the value proposition here that's absurdly out of whack. In fairness, it's good to hear that the bundled Sigma Designs' Gennum VXP video processor chip lived up to the hype, but all the upconverting in the world won't make us believe these things are worthy of the stratospheric prices.

Mum a little overwhelmed with digiframes? Fret not, as OPPO Digital is telling you straight up that a brand new upconverting DVD player is sure to make this Sunday one to remember. C'mon, even you know your mother wouldn't approve of spending a mortgage payment or two on a hamstrung Blu-ray player, and that much newer (and nicer) DV-983H just isn't worth the coin. Our only question is how desperate must you be (or overran with excess inventory) to pimp a 9-month old upscaling DVD player for Mom's Day? Ah well, we've certainly seen worse.

Truth be told, we knew this gem was waiting in Sony's pocket, but it finally came clean and made things official over in Europe. The 2.1 BRAVIA DAV-F200 home theater system features S-Master digital amplification, which delivers a potent 135-watts of power to each speaker (including the subwoofer). The firm also threw in its S-Force Front Surround technology to help convince your mind that 2.1 is really 5.1, and as for the integrated DVD player, it plays nice with MP3 / photo / DivX discs, too. Better still, the unit includes 1080p upscaling over HDMI along with a built-in USB port for listening to WMA / AAC files, and there's even optical / coaxial digital inputs for other external sources. Regrettably, there's no word on a price nor US availability, but we can say for certain that those across the pond can claim their own this June.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Can't get enough of Samsung's new gear? Good, because there's plenty more where that came from. Next up on the docket is a half dozen DVD players and recorders, so without further ado, let's check out the DVD-F1080 ($99.99). This "ultra-compact" unit provides 1080p upconversion, HDMI-CEC, progressive scan playback and support for multimedia files including DivX, MP3, WMA and MPEG4. The DVD-HD1080P8 ($89.99) serves up the exact same features as the aforementioned F1080, but does so while residing in a slightly larger chassis. Moving on, we've got the über-slim (14.2-inches wide) DVD-P180 ($49.99), which upscales DVDs to 720p / 1080i, rocks an HDMI-CEC port and also plays nice with DivX. For the rest of the gang, we suggest you head on past the break.

Earlier this year, we saw reports that hinted at "flat" DVD sales for the remainder of 2007, so it follows logic to hear that standalone DVD players are seeing a similar fate. Reportedly, around 80-percent of US consumers have a DVD player somewhere in their domicile, which reinforces the fact that the market is pretty well saturated. Furthermore, sales of the aforementioned units have "declined 15-percent for the 12 months ending September 2007," and that's coming off of a 24-percent slide the year before. As for DVD recorders, things aren't look too much brighter; sales of these gizmos were also down 15-percent during the year ending September 2007, which is quite a change from the 50-percent uptick it saw during the same window last year. Still, none of this should come as a surprise to anyone remotely paying attention, as the age of HD films has officially arrived -- even though we've yet to choose a single format to lead us down glory road. Nevertheless, we still foresee quite a few people picking up incredibly inexpensive DVD players as gifts this holiday season, but we highly doubt you'll need to throw down on anyone in aisle five this year to get your hands on one.

[Image courtesy of NY Times]

If you thought LG had milked the Chocolate for all it was worth, you've got another thing comin'. That thing would be the HT972TR HTIB, which includes five satellite speakers, a 225-watt subwoofer, 1,000 total watts of amplification and a DVD player that handles 1080p upscaling as well as DivX. Moreover, the system boasts HDMI, DTS support, an AM / FM tuner and a USB port for loading up portable media. Not a lot of details beyond that just yet, but do yourself a favor and check out two more delicious shots waiting after the jump.

[Via Electronista, images courtesy of Le Journal du Geek]

Nah, Pioneer's DV-800AV won't play back HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs, but it should make those vanilla DVDs look an awful lot better. This fairly high-end device sports HDMI / component outputs and optical / coaxial digital audio ports, and it plays nice with a plethora of file types including WMV, DivX, JPEG, MPEG-4, AAC and WMA. For those still clinging to the fledgling music format, there's even support for SACD, and the Burr Brown 24-bit / 192kHz PCM1796 DAC should impress, too. The unit is all set to launch late next month for ¥70,000 ($611).

Regrettably, Panasonic's SC-PTX5 won't play either high-definition disc format, but for those still basking in the glory of plain ole DVD, it's not a half bad setup. The system consists of an upscaling DVD player that takes your DVDs to 1080p over HDMI as well as a 2.1 sound system with 140-watts of total power. The DVD player also plays nice with WMA, MP3, JPEG, MPEG4, and DivX files, touts a built-in DTS decoder and VIERA Link, and boasts a slew of ports including component, optical digital audio in / out, optional iPod connectivity, and a USB socket to boot. Per usual, there's no official deets on pricing, availability, or whether we Americans will ever see this package make its way to our side of the drink, but word on the street has it at €649.99 ($888).

[Via Pocket-Lint]

Those familiar with the Helios name probably haven't forgotten the uber-cheap H4000 that landed late last year, but the firm has outdone itself once again by slipping under that oh-so-magical $100 price point with the H2000. This slim multiformat player can not only upscale your standard DVDs to 1080i, but MPEG2/4, DivX, and even XviD files can also be upconverted for your viewing pleasure via component, HDMI, or VGA. Moreover, this device also outputs unprocessed 480i / 576i signals via the HDMI port if you're sending it to an external video scaler, and while we're sure you may be willing to give your first second born for all these niceties, Helios Labs will only be asking for $99 when it arrives next month.

Home cinema newbies can collectively rejoice, as even Epson has stepped up to the plate and is offering a high-end HTIB of its own. The Ensemble Home Cinema System provides "everything" (even patience?) you need to turn your den into a theater worth being proud of, and includes your choice of a 1080p or 720p Epson projector, 100-inch motorized screen, a 5.1 Atlantic Technology surround system, ten-inch subwoofer with built-in amplifier, AV controller with twin HDMI inputs and an upconverting DVD player, and a pre-programmed universal remote that takes the fun frustration out of establishing a one-button setup. Interestingly, Epson claims that the entire installation can be completed in a mere four hours, so if you're inches away from tearing your hair (or walls) out, simmer down and hand over your $4,999 (720p) to $6,999 (1080p) to handle HT the easy way.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

If you're itching for a new DVR, and wouldn't mind losing your current DVD player and media streamer in the process, Beyonwiz's DP-S1 should be just the thing for you -- if you reside Down Under, that is. Aimed squarely at the Australian market, this dual-tuner HD DVR packs a sleek, black and silver chassis, 200GB hard drive, an integrated DVD player that purportedly upconverts, and a built-in media center that "streams video, music, and photos over Ethernet or WiFi from your home computer network, external HDDs, or the internet." Marketed as an end-all home entertainment solution, this conglomerate even boasts a well featured front panel with USB 2.0 connectors and a three-in-one flash card reader that plays nice with SD, MMC, and CF. Best of all, this multi-faceted device is available right now in the land of Oz, but it will run you a stiff A$1,599 ($1,318).

We're not exactly sure who'd spring for a completely wired version of a media streamer these days, especially with all the wireless renditions already out there, but I-O Data is officially launching its AVeL LinkPlayer2 for Intel Viiv anyway. Designed to stream audio and video over a wired Ethernet connection from your PC to your TV, this device supports HD streaming (1080i / 720p), WMV9HD, MPEG2-TS, and DivX HD, but recommends a Viiv-certified HTPC to be the sender of the data. Aside from the lack of WiFi, it also strangely lacks an HDMI port (and subsequently, HDCP support) and includes a component output instead, but you can connect external hard drives via USB 2.0 and stream files stored locally across your TV set as well as view standard DVDs via the built-in DVD player. Nevertheless, this admittedly less-than-attractive device can be snapped up later on this month for $279, but do take note of the "Viiv sticker" requirement that's supposed to be found on your connected PC (and try not to chuckle).

[Via DailyTech]