Boasting support for the HD DVD format for superior picture quality and bleeding edge video compression technologies, Toshiba heralded the new HD-XA1 HD DVD Player for the US market. Other much-sought-after features include better resolution audio specs and Advanced Navigation (iHD).

The Toshiba HD-XA1 (unveiled first at the 2006 CES in Las Vegas) also sports backward compatibility, so don't throw out your CD/DVD collection yet. Utilizing a new decoder chip from Broadcom, it is capable of handling MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1, as well as MPEG2 video compression formats.

Audio options include the latest Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD. With DTS-HD, a lossless format, sampling rates up to 192kHz is possible. Designed to complement Toshiba's lineup of DLP Projection TVs, the HD-XA1 features a motorized door which actually conceals the disc drawer, function buttons and two front USB ports.

The HD-XA1 HD-DVD player will be available starting March 2006 with a price tag of $799.99. Visit Toshiba's website for further details.