Tokyo, June 22 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp. said it planned the launch of the first next-generation, high-definition optical disc recorder based on the HD DVD format on July 14 in Japan as it intensifies competition with rival Blu-ray products. Toshiba, which already debuted the world’s first HD DVD player in March, expects the new recorder, equipped with a 1 Terabyte hard disk, to sell for Â¥398,000 ($3,466)

A single-layer HD DVD-R can hold 115 minutes of 1080 broadcasts, while a dual layer manages double that. Next, the hard drive can store up to 130 hours of high-def programming. Then there’s the construction. Toshiba has designed the RD-A1 HD DVD Recorder to minimize vibration and enhance audio. The body consists of a 1mm-thick main case and a metal subframe resting on aluminum damping pillars. It also reads and writes to DVD-RAM/-RW/-R discs.

Tokyo, June 22 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp. said it planned the launch of the first next-generation, high-definition optical disc recorder based on the HD DVD format on July 14 in Japan as it intensifies competition with rival Blu-ray products. Toshiba, which already debuted the world’s first HD DVD player in March, expects the new recorder, equipped with a 1 Terabyte hard disk, to sell for Â¥398,000 ($3,466)

A single-layer HD DVD-R can hold 115 minutes of 1080 broadcasts, while a dual layer manages double that. Next, the hard drive can store up to 130 hours of high-def programming. Then there’s the construction. Toshiba has designed the RD-A1 HD DVD Recorder to minimize vibration and enhance audio. The body consists of a 1mm-thick main case and a metal subframe resting on aluminum damping pillars. It also reads and writes to DVD-RAM/-RW/-R discs.