After the death of HD DVD, Toshiba pretty much remained in limbo, focusing their efforts on upconverting DVD players rather than making the Blu-ray jump. They even recently announced their intentions to debut their BD-18 Blu-ray player early next year.

Well today we have word that Toshiba has officially joined the Blu-ray Disc Association which means we should see a plethora of Blu-ray touting hardware from them in the future.

Below is a statement from Toshiba themselves discussing their Blu-ray affiliaton:

“In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA. Toshiba aims to introduce digital products that support the Blu-ray format, including BD players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives, in the course of this year. Details of the products, including the timing of regional launches, are now under consideration. We will make announcements in due course.”

Read (Toshiba)