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Toshiba’s HD DVD format may be dead and forgotten, but the Japanese company just isn’t ready to surrender against Blu-ray and start manufacturing players for the format. Not only are they working on DVD up-scaling technology that will supposedly deliver quality video comparable to that of Blu-ray, but apparently the company is also looking into adding other HD DVD-derived features to DVD players.

The DVD Forum, an organization headed by Toshiba, recently approved the DVD Download DL logo – which suggests the company could add interactivity and perhaps bonus material via internet connectivity to DVDs. No official details have been announced by Toshiba, but the combination of online functionality with a significant boost in quality could (to some extent) dampen Blu-ray adoption.

One has to wonder, though, why would anyone want to spend cash on buying another DVD player with all these new features instead of just going for Blu-ray? I know cost is a big concern, but I’d rather wait for lower prices or just go the digital download route.