The big dog from Toshiba at the 2009 CES is its 56-inch, Quad HD resolution set based on Cell processor technology. Toshiba's Cell implementation is supposed to link together high-resolution video with high-speed network connections to deliver content all over the home and help control how all these systems work together. The prototype upconverts 1080p to the screen's native 2160p for display. Also using Cell technology, Toshiba had a 55-inch LED backlight demoing local adaptive dimming, which could make dynamic contrast adjustment even more impressive in future models.

Along networking lines, Toshiba is bringing its Network Player support to many of its TVs and stand-alone boxes, letting devices access content from Intel and Yahoo's upcoming Widget Channel and streaming media from Windows Media Center. Widgets will add customizable on-screen interactive content ranging from entertainment to news. Future REGZA models should be getting Network Player built in to them starting later this year. The stand-alone box Toshiba has in mind would combine these network functions with DVD playback and support for content stored on USB devices and SD cards.

Although the networked REGZA sets are still down the road, Toshiba has a bunch of new models ready for this spring that feature some aesthetic improvements and a few neat pieces of tech. The ZV650 series will be shipping in April, with the XV645 and SV670 series following in May. The sets in these lineups range from 40 to 55 inches. SV670 models will have a unified glass bezel for a seamless-looking screen, one that sports an anti-reflective coating to boot. All the REGZA screens will use 240 Hz scan rates to display their 1080p images, which manufacturers claim leads to smoother-looking motion. The SV sets will use a zone-based adaptive backlight, providing similar contrast benefits as the 55-inch Cell-controlled backlight the company demoed. One really useful new feature for REGZAs is Dolby Volume, which normalizes output, keeping volume levels consistent from show to commercial, and channel to channel.

Whereas some companies are integrating Blu-ray players into their latest TVs, Toshiba is keeping things cheaper by making its integrated line DVD-only. Models include the 15-inch 15LV505, 19-inch 19LV610U, 22-inch 22LV610U, and 26-inch 26LV610U. The 15-inch set is available now, with the rest coming out in the spring, and most models are available in either black or white. Prices start at $300 for the 15LV505 and run up to $550 for the 26LV610U. Especially for the smaller models, these look like the kind of set you'd want in a playroom or in the kitchen, but might be too small for your primary TV.

It may seem strange to see a company releasing so many DVD players without a Blu-ray in sight, but remember that Toshiba was at the forefront of the competing HD-DVD format, which died less than a year ago. The company has some new portable DVD players coming out, the seven-inch SDP72S and nine-inch SDP93S. Both have dual headphone jacks for sharing the audio with a friend and support MP3s and JPEGs burnt to disc. The nine-inch player also has DivX support and features a rotating screen. Both will be out in March for under $200.

For the handful of people who don't have one yet, Toshiba is putting together a few new stand-alone DVD players, but none that look like they're doing anything special. The company's DVD recorders are a little more exciting, with the $120 DR420, the $180 DR570 and DVR620, and the $250 DVR670 coming out by April. While Toshiba didn't give us the full break-down on which does what, some of these models will include VHS decks, for digitizing your old tapes, and ATSC tuners, which will let you record HDTV broadcasts, downsampled to DVD resolution.

Toshiba's game isn't all TVs and DVD hardware; its tiny TDP-F10U DLP projector was out on display, a 1.4-pound model with LED illumination. Unlike some of the relatively dim projectors this size we've been seeing, Toshiba's should put out a decent 100 lumens at an 800:1 contrast ratio. And while the 800 x 600 resolution isn't quite high definition, it's above and beyond that offered by other models this size. The TDP-F10U should be out in March for $600.

Outside of video altogether, Toshiba has some new storage products it featured. It put together both a 512 GB solid-state flash drive as well as smaller, more compact SSDs for portable devices. The company expanded its line of portable 2.5-inch hard drives by increasing storage capacity up to 500 GB. The hard drives are available now, but we don't know when to expect the SSD products.

That's the gist of what Toshiba had to show off this year. It's a shame that the most exciting stuff — the networked TVs with Widget Channel support — won't be out until the second half of 2009, but we'll still be here to cover them once they finally show up.

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