Cambridge Audio's Azur 540D V2 is an evolution of a DVD player we first looked at over two years ago - and this is some upgrade. Most critically, the V2 features an HDMI output and video scaling to 1080i standard. On paper, the lack of 1080p upscaling seems a shortcoming - but we've said plenty of times that the practical difference between 1080i and 1080p images is negligible, especially on a sub-40in screen. Review details: Single Test   → Test results

Sorry folks, but if you're reading this in the hopes of finding out which HD disc camp, HD DVD or Blu-ray, will win the format 'war', you've come to the wrong place. Both formats continue to have their numerous relative advantages - mainly cost on HD DVD's side and film studio support on Blu-ray's side - and it's just way too early to pick a potential winner. Presuming, of course, that both don't survive indefinitely. But what this feature certainly will do is pitch four of the highest profile HD disc players against each other to see which ones simply perform the best, irrespective of which format they belong to. Review details: Four high-definition DVD players, both Blu-ray and HD DVD, were reviewed and rated based on features, performance and value for money. Scores ranged from 6 to 9 points out of 10.   → Test results

Toshiba is king of the HD DVD hill, and a company that obviously believes its high-definition future lies outside the better populated world of Blu-ray. But that doesn't mean it isn't keen on raking in the mass-market cash in the still-lucrative affordable DVD market, and the SD-370 is its current low-cost/high-volume squeeze. Review details: Single Test   → Test results

DVD has been around for just over a decade, and most of us have built up a pretty impressive collection of discs. But the introduction of HD Ready TVs, Blu-ray and HD DVD has presented us with a dilemma – should we upgrade to a high-definition player and start our collections from scratch, or should we make the most of our existing standard-def discs? For most people the latter is the only option, given how expensive the former would be, and that’s where upscaling DVD players come in. They take the 576 lines of picture information stored on a DVD and boost the pixel count up to 1,280 x 720 or 1,920 x 1,080 using clever interpolation techniques, more closely matching the resolutions of HD Ready flatpanel TVs and projectors. But the best part is that this feature is no longer reserved for high-end players. You can now pick up an upscaling DVD deck for peanuts, even ones from big name brands as this £60 player from Toshiba demonstrates. Review details: Single Test   → Test results