Continuing with the battle over the next-gen high definition optical format, Toshiba announced that it will soon be launching its third-generation HD DVD players. Three players will be available covering the entry-level, mid-range and high-end market, with all of them priced under $500, putting some pressure on the Blu-ray camp.

"Because of the proven manufacturing efficiencies of the HD DVD format, Toshiba can bring this level of innovation in technology to a new generation of players with cutting-edge functionality at affordable prices." said Jodi Sally, VP of Marketing for Toshiba's Digital A/V Group.
At the low end, the Toshiba HD-A3 is priced at $299.99 with support for 1080i video. The other two new models, Toshiba's HD-A30 and HD-A35, are capable of outputting signals at 1080p/24 frames per second and will sell for $399.99 and $499.99, respectively. The HD-A30 and A35 will also offer a “CE-Link” feature, which allows enabled devices to be controlled together to perform various functions. Additionally, the high-end HD-A35 adds support for Deep Color over HDMI, 5.1 channel analog audio output and High Bit Rate 7.1 Audio over HDMI.

The HD-A30 will be the first of the three to roll out in September while the HD-A3 and HD-A35 will be available in October.