Toshiba postpones launch of high-definition DVD recorder

TOKYO: Toshiba said Thursday it will postpone the sale of the world’s first recorder for HD DVD high-definition video discs because of a production delay. The new recorder, the RD-A1, had been slated to go on sale July 14, but the release will be pushed back to July 27, the Tokyo-based electronics maker said in a release.

The new machine combines an HD DVD burner with a one-terabyte hard disk and can record and store up to 130 hours of high-definition broadcasts. The product is a key element of Toshiba’s battle against rival Sony to establish the standard for next-generation DVD technology.

Sony and its allies are pushing an alternative technology called Blu-ray. HD DVD players are already available, but the RD-A1 will be the first model that can record disks. Toshiba said last month the recorder will carry a suggested price tag of 398,000 yen ($3,470).

The electronics maker hopes to sell 10,000 recorders by the end of ’06. It was unclear when the product will be launched overseas. Sony has been selling Blu-ray recorders since 2003 in Japan, but prices have been high and uptake low.

Both HD DVD and Blu-ray can deliver dazzling high-definition video and can store much more data than today’s DVDs, but are incompatible. Toshiba launched HD DVD players in Japan in March, and in the United States in April. Sony plans to begin selling personal computers equipped with Blu-ray drives later this month.