Toshiba, the company behind the now dead HD DVD format, first talked about joining the Blu-ray bandwagon back in June, but it seems there’s no hurry. The company announced a total of three new Vardia DVRs today [JP], and they all use DVDs and HDDs to store data.
The most interesting model is the RD-X9 (pictured above), which not only boasts a 2TB HDD but also supports external HDDs (via USB) in case you have that many video files to handle. The usual DVD formats are supported, too. There is another USB port, which is reserved for USB keyboards, Toshiba says. The RD-X9 will be available in Japan starting next month (price: $1,300).
The RD-S1004K (see above) is one of two “standard” DVRs Toshiba unveiled today. It features a 1TB HDD and lets you store video on DVDs and an external USB HDD, too (price: $950). The RD-S304K features an HDD that stores just 320GB, but it also comes with a USB port, just in case. This model costs $750 and is pictured below.
Both the S1004K and the S304 are available in Japan from next month. Toshiba is yet to say if these DVRs will ever be sold outside this country, too.