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.

Is your room configured to handle 1080p video footage streaming over a network? Then you’ll like the Aztech WL850MS Wireless Multimedia Streamer. It’s got some specs that make it different: 802.11n Wi-Fi technology, Multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) antennas for extra coverage, 2.4/5GHz dual-band capability.

It will be less prone to interference from cordless phones, bluetooth and the like with the dual-band capability. It will cost you about $263 for the WL850MS transmitter/receiver kit.

Sony in Europe is showing off a new upscaling DVD player which is pretty slim. It is called the Sony DVP-NS708H.

The Sony DVP-NS708H, like other upscaling DVD players, converts standard DVD video up to 1080p. The player itself is of a slim design, sporting a high-gloss black finish and compatibility with BRAVIA Sync to cut down on extra remotes lying around the media room.

Westinghouse is introducing a new 40-inch LCD 1080p display which pulls double duty as a DVD player. It is known as the Westinghouse VK-40F580D and you’ll find it pricing around $1,150.

The Westinghouse VK-40F580D offers 1080p resolution on its 40-inch display, bringing to HD lovers as well two HDMI inputs and an integrated ATSC/NTSC/ClearQAM tuner. It also has built-in a front slot loading DVD player which, unfortunately, does not seem to offer upscaling.

Pioneer recently unveiled a new 1080p home theater projector designed for its Elite line and enhanced with the company’s KURO display technology. It is known as the Pioneer Elite KURO Projector and you’ll find it pricing around $9,000.

The Pioneer Elite KURO Projector was designed specifically for the custom install market, offering Pioneer’s KURO display technology for “deep black levels and rich colors.” This technology is featured in the projector’s multiple viewing modes. It also offers dual HDMI 1.3 support.