Toshiba HD-S25

Jeremy Roche

Hi, I look after product development for CBS Interactive in Sydney - which lets me develop a range of websites including CNET Australia, TV.com and ZDNet Australia.

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Jeremy Roche

July 25, 2004 3:55 p.m. PT

Upside

Toshiba's HD-S25 is a High Definition (HD) digital set top box that produces pictures up to 1080i (1080 horizontal lines interlaced). It accommodates a range of resolutions: 1920x1080i, 1280x720p, 720x576p, and 720x576i. It supports Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and has a bevy of outputs including 15 pin D-Sub, RGBHV, digital audio (optical/coaxial), S-video, composite video, and dual analogue audio outputs. Toshiba claims that with multiple outputs, users are able to watch HDTV while recording SD at the same time.

Downside

Early adopters of any technology will pay a high price to be on the cutting edge. Not only is the outlay of a HD-capable TV going to put a strain on the wallet, but Toshiba's HD-S25 will set you back a further AU$1,000. Unless you have a HD-capable rear projection, plasma or LCD TV, you're not going to see much benefit from this unit.

Outlook

HD broadcasts are still very limited in Australia with broadcasters only required to transmit 1040 hours of programming per year. However, if you've invested in a swanky high resolution home theatre set up then you'll probably want to fork out an extra $1,000 for the best in picture and audio quality.