May 4, 2006 - The Asahi Shimbun reported yesterday that Toshiba has managed to sell all of the HD-A1 HD-DVD players it shipped to retail in Japan, amounting to some 1,500 units. Though that number seems extremely small, Toshiba is counting the sell-through as a win, citing penetration of the market beyond just high-end video fans.

We know Japan is a small country, but we're a little skeptical that there are only 1,000 or so hard-core movie fans in the entire country, which would have to be the case if Toshiba's statements are accurate. It was also announced that 6,000 HD-A1 units were shipped in America, which is short of the previously promised 10,000 units for launch. Toshiba reportedly plans to ship another 5,000 units "soon."