Toshiba Delays Progressive Scan DVD-Video Player
Toshiba has put on hold the introduction of its previously announced SD7108 progressive scan DVD-Video player due to what the company states is a lack of consensus within the DVD Forumís Copy Protection Technical Working Group in regard to copy protection for progressive scan video outputs on a DVD-Video player. Toshiba first announced the progressive scan DVD-Video player in May 1998, though in actuality the player did not employ ìpureî progressive scan technology based on delivery of the native progressive scan imagery recorded to the DVD, but instead, line doubled the processed interlaced video in the DVD player to deliver 480p-level progressive scan video. The SD7108 was originally slated to be sold in September at the suggested retail price of $1,199.95. Toshiba says that the company is continuing ìto work with the hardware and software communities to reach a satisfactory resolution of this issue.î The company, in any event, says it will continue ìto include ColorStream Pro Progressive video inputs on its DTV-ready and DTV color television products and will work aggressively to insure that consumers will be able to enjoy true progressive scan video DVD picture quality in the near future.î While Toshiba has taken a strong leadership role in advocating progressive scan video outputs on DVD-Video players in order to deliver the full picture resolution capability of the DVD-Video format, other companies who are in support of this feature on their DVD-Video players also have been thwarted in their plans to introduce product, due to complexities within the DVD Forumís Copy Protection Technical Working Group in dealing with such issues. The same Working Group also is dealing with copy protection issues in regards to the DVD-Audio format. DVD-Video players equipped with true progressive scan component video outputs will take the level of performance of DVD-Video a dramatic notch up in resolution quality, and will initiate a new generation of DVD-Video player performance.