Toshiba might have ditched the HD DVD format, but that hasn't stopped them launching a range of new standard-def DVD players today.

The new line-up for 2008 will feature 1080p upscaling on high-end players as standard and all DVD recorders equipped with integrated Hard Disk Drive (HDD) storage are now Freeview Playback compliant.

A duo of non-HDD recorders also include digital tuners, while extensive connectivity, DivX video codec support, JPEG picture viewer, MP3/WMA playback and DV input are also available on various different models across the range.

The complete 2008 DVD family launches with full support for DVD+R/+RW playback, with every model also boasting strong Energy Efficiency credentials according to the company.

Toshiba’s trio of entry-level DVD players all boast High Resolution PAL progressive scan, DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL and CD/CD-R/-RW, Video-CD, SVCD, CD-DA support.

Each of the three players includes Component Video and Composite Video outputs, 1x SCART connection, coaxial output and two channel audio outputs. JPEG compatibility is catered for on all three models, with the SD-185E also offering DivX video codec support. The SD-280E also offers MP3 playback.

The SD-480E and SD-580E are high-end standalone models. Both feature support for High Resolution PAL progressive scan playback, DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, CD/CD-R/-RW, Video-CD, SVCD, and CD-DA compatibility, while HDMI connectivity is added to offer 1080p high-definition upscaling.

Accoridng to Toshiba, each model is compatible with Toshiba’s REGZA-Link technology (HDMI CEC), and also includes Component Video and Composite Video outputs, 1x SCART, coaxial output and two channel audio outputs. JPEG, DivX and MP3 support is also included on both players, with the SD-580E also featuring a USB connection.

On the DVD recorder front Toshiba’s selection of digital recorders provides three different options.

All players provide high resolution PAL playback and DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, CD/CD-R/-RW and CD-DA support. All three also offer DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW (XP/SP/LP/EP/SLP) recording compatibility, and support for Toshiba’s REGZA-Link technology (HDMI CEC).

1080p DVD upscaling is provided via HDMI, with other connections including DV input, Component Video and Composite Video outputs, 2x SCART, coaxial output and two channel audio outputs. The complete range of recorders all offer Freeview playback and twin tuners (1x analogue, 1x digital). The DR-18DT records all content direct to disk, while the RD-88DT provides 160GB of integrated storage alongside two-way dubbing. The range is headed-up by the RD-98DT HDD recorder, which offers the same complete feature-set as the RD-88DT, but adds a 250GB hard-drive to provide additional recording space.