Xbox 360 HD-DVD player $100 and HDMI

[flapbreaker]

Not sure if this is real or speculation.
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/xbox-360-hddvd-player-100-and-hdmi-169071.php


Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player: $100 and HDMI
READ MORE: HD-DVD, Home Entertainment, TOP, xbox 360
While it could be hubris, it seems Microsoft is ready to start crowing about the death of Blu Ray. Their add-on HD-DVD player should cost about $100 and will play HD-DVDs, therefore causing us to believe that it should have HDMI out. In an interview, Chris Lewis, MS exec in charge of Xbox Europe, basically says that HD-DVD is the way to go and that Blu Ray can sit and spin.

Blu-ray right now reminds us of another technology from Sony: Betamax. A bit like VHS — we think that HD DVD is the format that consumers, film studios and publishers will embrace. As you’re mentioning the cost of Blu-ray — we think it’s about giving consumers choice, we think it’s about not necessarily asking them to pay over the odds for a technology that, at the moment, is unproven. It’s an interesting bet to play — we’re watching what goes on, but I think we’re offering a broader, more flexible choice that doesn’t burden the consumer with a cost element that may be wasted.
The player should appear at E3 this year.

 

[steviep]

Speculation
Wait till E3 (I highly doubt it'll be $100)

 

[cfull]

Not to start a flamewar, but more studios are supporting blu-ray than HD-DVD. I think the claim of BetaMax is more appropriately applied to HD DVD at this point. Of course, what do you expect a MS employee to say?

 

[The18thLetter]

we think that HD DVD is the format that consumers, film studios and publishers will embrace.

...yet there's only a handful of studios supporting the format at the moment, yet Blu-Ray has every studio behind it but Universal.

Yep, HD DVD is the format that everyone is embracing.

EDITED

 

[theNoid]

If HD DVD players are cheaper, and ultimately the consumer chooses to buy that over a Blu Ray player ... studios will jump ship. I guarantee you that.

 

[PWMK2]

...yet there's only 3 studios supporting the format at the moment, yet Blu-Ray has every studio behind it but Disney.

Yep, HD DVD is the format that everyone is embracing.

Not true, Blu-Ray is supported by Disney.

But HD-DVD is supported by Warner Bros. and Universal, so I wouldn't exactly call it dead yet...

 

[Rugeroni]

it could be $100 if the 360 actually does all the proccessing. think about all you would need to buy is the motor, tray, adapter and laser in a box. the 360 would do the rest. it MIGHT be possible. i doubt it but if you think of it that was who knows.

 

[|MaguS|]

Update: Joel here. I’m looking at the linked article and I don’t have any clue where we’re getting the $100 figure from. In fact, taking out that bit of information and our speculation about HDMI, there’s really not much, you know, facty here at all. My apologies.

 

[flapbreaker]

Update: Joel here. I’m looking at the linked article and I don’t have any clue where we’re getting the $100 figure from. In fact, taking out that bit of information and our speculation about HDMI, there’s really not much, you know, facty here at all. My apologies.

Weird how they pulled some pretty specific claims out of thin air. Guess I won't be using GIZMODO for my future information.

 

[|MaguS|]

Thats why I only trust news from Gamespot and IGN... any other site is just a rumor untill those two get say something on it.

 

[erwos]

The $100 figure is from the rumors that Spanish MS guy put out. I don't think anyone takes that number seriously.

If they put games out that used it, I'd buy it. Otherwise, I'm not sure it's worth my while - while having it for games and movies might make it worth $150, it's a tough sell for movies only, especially when I've heard HD-DVD drives for PCs will only be $120 out of the gate.

The "games that use it" idea is actually not as far-fetched as it sounds - supposedly the manufacturers are able to make HD-DVDs that have a DVD compatibility layer. Make a smaller-asset version for the DVD layer, and a larger-asset version for the HD-DVD one - that seems like a reasonable solution that doesn't leave anyone out.

-Erwos

 

[steviep]

MS has already said that all game releases will be on DVD9, and that the HD-DVD addon will only ever be used for movies.

 

[Netrat33]

...yet there's only 3 studios supporting the format at the moment, yet Blu-Ray has every studio behind it but Disney.

Yep, HD DVD is the format that everyone is embracing.

Every studio actually isnt' supporting Blu-ray. But like theNoid said, Cheaper...more people are going to buy it.

Even the porn industry this time can't really say, some porn is in blu-ray..some in in HD..so even they are confused

 

[flapbreaker]

Porn will decide this. Time to give this format war a good rogering.

 

[The18thLetter]

Every studio actually isnt' supporting Blu-ray. But like theNoid said, Cheaper...more people are going to buy it.

Even the porn industry this time can't really say, some porn is in blu-ray..some in in HD..so even they are confused

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6463_7-6462511-1.html

...No HD-DVD movies from Columbia, MGM, Fox, or Disney...

and

...Every Hollywood studio except Universal has pledged to release movies in the Blu-ray format...

There we go, fixed.

 

[Domingo]

For me it's all speculation...but my question is - how lame is it that we need an add-on drive? The 360's going to look sort of lame with 2 drives.
Also, comparing video quality for the 360's DVD-Drive vs. a stand-alone is also a little shaky.
I'd hope that this add-on drive wouldn't be "it works, but no frills" HD-DVD player, but at $100...I wonder.

 

[phoderpants]

If HD DVD players are cheaper, and ultimately the consumer chooses to buy that over a Blu Ray player ... studios will jump ship. I guarantee you that.

DIVX was cheaper. DVD won that one.

edit: Also, from going around to stores on the day they were available and set up, I saw that there isn't really that much of a difference between the picture from a DVD and an HDDVD. So, that may be a factor also, if Blu Ray ends up having a far superior picture (and I have no idea if it will or not).

 

[Domingo]

DIVX was cheaper. DVD won that one.

edit: Also, from going around to stores on the day they were available and set up, I saw that there isn't really that much of a difference between the picture from a DVD and an HDDVD. So, that may be a factor also, if Blu Ray ends up having a far superior picture (and I have no idea if it will or not).

From what I've seen of HDTV and DVD's there isn't that huge of a difference. I think the really high quality DVD's like sin city look VERY close to HDTV quality. For anyone who doesn't have a large HD set (I'd guess anything less than 20" makes 'em look the same), I doubt it'll be a must-have until it's THE standard.

 

[erwos]

MS has already said that all game releases will be on DVD9, and that the HD-DVD addon will only ever be used for movies.

So what? Do you think Microsoft would just sit idly by and get slaughtered by Sony if it turned out that Blu-Ray's storage was a serious advantage? No, smart companies react to real world situations, and don't throw themselves on the sword because of past statements. I've presented a relatively painless way to keep original owners happy, too.

So, besides some old statement, why wouldn't it work?

A more likely problem could be drive speed - how fast would the HD-DVD drive be? Enough to play movies, certainly, but to stream huge amounts of data from games? Maybe not.

-Erwos

 

[|MaguS|]

If MS allowed Developers to use HD-DVD as a Game Media then the X360 would be doomed as soon as the announcement went out. It would require people to buy an addon for them to play the games so that means developers would be aiming for a low percentage of people who actually own the addon.

So either the addon wont get support or developers would move to another console to not have to worry about such a stupid idea.

As for speed of the drives for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, A 2x Drive would be more then enough. The amount of data that can be read from the drives is alot larger then normal DVD ROM drives so they don't require such a fast speed and also streaming is also an option considering that the PS2 has a slow DVD Drive and it can load large leves just fine.

DVDROM 1x = 11.08Mbps
BDROM 1x = 36.0Mbps

Sony is rumored to be including atleast a 2x BDROM drive into the PS3 so speed wont be an issue.

 

[erwos]

If MS allowed Developers to use HD-DVD as a Game Media then the X360 would be doomed as soon as the announcement went out. It would require people to buy an addon for them to play the games so that means developers would be aiming for a low percentage of people who actually own the addon.

Did you even read what I said? Use the DVD compatibility layer support to handle everyone who doesn't get the upgrade. If devs don't want to release an HD-DVD version, they can always use DVD-9. If they want to release an HD-DVD version, this method would allow them to do so in a hybrid fashion, at the cost of slightly more testing and a bit of coding.

I swear, reading comprehension is a lost art.

Good catch on the speeds, though - I didn't realize how fast HD-DVD/BR were.

-Erwos

 

[cfull]

i can tell you one thing: im not messing with either of these HD formats via my gaming console. xbox and ps2 were famously assy for watching movies on. I highly doubt the xbox360 and ps3 drives will be any different, as they will be implemented as cheaply as possible. Ill stick with a standalone player, thanks.

 

[NEODARK]

i can tell you one thing: im not messing with either of these HD formats via my gaming console. xbox and ps2 were famously assy for watching movies on. I highly doubt the xbox360 and ps3 drives will be any different, as they will be implemented as cheaply as possible. Ill stick with a standalone player, thanks.

Your title precedes you..

The xbox is one of the best DVD players out there when coupled with XBMC and upscalling to 1080i.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Your title precedes you..

The xbox is one of the best DVD players out there when coupled with XBMC and upscalling to 1080i.

Are you serious?

(I'm not taking the piss or anything, thats a genuine question)...

I dont think the dvd playback comes even close to my Denon 1920 at 720p.

 

[cfull]

Your title precedes you..

The xbox is one of the best DVD players out there when coupled with XBMC and upscalling to 1080i.

oh, i'm sorry. I forgot that i had to mod and load opensource software on my console to make it a PASSABLE DVD player before i opened my mouth. How silly of me. That I have to mod my 150-300 DOLLAR CONSOLE (depending on when you bought it) which already has that particular functionality.

I stand by what I said. The XBox and the ps2 are both horrible dvd players. The fact that you even have to tweak it to make it decent is proof of this.

I'd say your title prededes you as well, but "smug a**hole" isn't a title.

Stack up that XBMC-equipped XBox against a decent upscaling dvd player and it still falls way short. And dont even get me started on the PS2.

Are you serious?

(I'm not taking the piss or anything, thats a genuine question)...

I dont think the dvd playback comes even close to my Denon 1920 at 720p.

Nor does it come anywhere close to the Oppo.

 

[Erasmus354]

cfull : your comparing 6 year old technology against much newer tech. Sure, even when they came out the PS2 and Xbox weren't the best DVD players you could buy, but they also weren't the worst. They also had the value for money because a standalone player of equal or better quality was priced about the same, except the console could also play games.

Now unless you have the inside track and are beta testing this drive for the 360, I suggest you back off before you get burnt by your own flames. I highly doubt the HD-DVD drive addon will compare to the quality of 1000$ + standalone players, but for 100$ if it is decent that is still a good deal.

 

[darktiger]

Doesnt matter, I am waiting for the Bluray - HD DVD combo burners. Which you know they will come out..Reminds me of the DVD-r and the DVD+r debate...

 

[cfull]

cfull : your comparing 6 year old technology against much newer tech. Sure, even when they came out the PS2 and Xbox weren't the best DVD players you could buy, but they also weren't the worst. They also had the value for money because a standalone player of equal or better quality was priced about the same, except the console could also play games.

Now unless you have the inside track and are beta testing this drive for the 360, I suggest you back off before you get burnt by your own flames. I highly doubt the HD-DVD drive addon will compare to the quality of 1000$ + standalone players, but for 100$ if it is decent that is still a good deal.

Im not comparing anything from back then to now. The xbox and ps2 were sh*tty dvd players back then when stacked up against dvd players of their day, just like the 360 HDDVD addon and the ps3 bluray will be sh*tty players when stacked up against standalone players of the same generation. And speaking of comparing 6 year old technology to current tech, i believe this guy did that when he said

Your title precedes you..

The xbox is one of the best DVD players out there when coupled with XBMC and upscalling to 1080i.

Thank you and goodnight.

 

[lesman]

It's all speculation. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Does an argumanet have to start over everything?