The high-definition format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD intensified last week as manufacturers supporting HD DVD said they would bring several aggressively priced HD players to Europe in time for Christmas.

Venturer, the Canadian electronics company, will launch the first high-definition player in Europe to sell for less than €300 ($409). Meanwhile, Toshiba, one of the key companies behind the HD DVD standard, will launch a HD player that sells for €400.