Chinese-manufactured $199 HD DVD players shipping in Q4
Venturer Electronics to release set-tops
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 8/28/2007
AUG. 28 | Sub-$200 Chinese-manufactured HD DVD players are slated to be released by Venturer Electronics by the fourth quarter.
Venturer's SHD7000 will be the
lowest priced entry-level
high-def stand-alone player.
Venturer's SHD7000 will be priced at $199, according to a company representative, which would make it the cheapest stand-alone HD DVD player available today.
To date, Toshiba has the offered lowest priced stand-alone player, its entry level HD-A2 $299 model.
A statement from Venturer, whose North American headquarters is in Markham, Ontario, touts the player “to be one of the lowest among entry-level HD DVD players.”
The SHD7000 features 1080i video output, Ethernet connectivity and advanced audio technology Dolby TrueHD. In addition to HD DVD and CD playback, the model also upconverts standard-definition DVDs to near high-def quality through an HDMI connection. The player will be distributed nationally to retailers.
For months, HD DVD backers have said that Chinese manufacturers would soon start producing ultra low-price players, likely impacting the format war. Venturer represents the first such company to potentially get the ball rolling.
Other Venturer home entertainment products include standard-def DVD players and portable DVD players for the home and car.
