Toshiba, sent packing earlier this year in its battle against Blu-ray, is back again with what one might consider a low-budget HD competitor. The technology is called XDE and the first product out with it is the Toshiba XD-E500, a DVD player priced around $150.

XDE, also known as “eXtended Detail Enhancement,” is reportedly DVD upconversion on steroids. Toshiba says of it that “in addition to providing upconversion from 480i/p up to 1080p, XDE offers user selectable picture enhancement modes that allow for greater detail, more vivid colors and stronger contrast that bring standard DVD quality closer to the HD experience.” Three selectable picture mode settings - sharp, color, contrast - lets one bring closer to “true HD quality” their DVD viewing experience.

Other features of the XD-E500 include HDMI-CEC, DivX certification, JPEG capability and MP3 and WMA playback. If you choose to buy the Toshiba bullshit marketing hype on this, you’ll find it on sale this month.

Toshiba XD-E500