360 Rumor gaining some steam: Future built-in HD-DVD drive

[JohnleMVP]

I've never heard of so many different versions of the same console coming out within it's lifetime.
Xbox 360 Basic
Xbox 360 Premium
Xbox 360 Elite
Xbox 360 Halo 3 Edition
Xbox 360 w/ HDMI & 65nm
Xbox 360 Arcade

I think that's it...

To be fair the Halo 3 Edition is just a paint job like the PS2 which came in every color under the sun, its still just a premium. The arcade edition is just a bundling of games and accessories which has been done before as well, its still just a core. Going to 65nm isn't unusual either, the PS2/GameCube/XBOX went through plenty of internal hardware changes. Its part of the console lifecycle to cut cost and improve upon the product.

Really M$ has:
XBOX 360 core
XBOX 360 core w/HDMI
XBOX 360 Premium
XBOX 360 Premium w/HDMI
XBOX 360 Elite

Sony has:
PS3 20GB (Hardware BC, 4 USB)
PS3 40 GB (No BC, 2 USB, WiFi?)
PS3 60GB (Hardware BC, 4 USB, WiFi, Memory Card Reader)
PS3 60GB Euro edition? Software BC?
PS3 80GB (Software BC only, 4 USB, WiFi, Memory Card Reader)
And their not done yet... 160gb?

 

[stop!theradio]

To be fair the Halo 3 Edition is just a paint job like the PS2 which came in every color under the sun, its still just a premium. The arcade edition is just a bundling of games and accessories which has been done before as well, its still just a core. Going to 65nm isn't unusual either, the PS2/GameCube/XBOX went through plenty of internal hardware changes. Its part of the console lifecycle to cut cost and improve upon the product.

Really M$ has:
XBOX 360 core
XBOX 360 core w/HDMI
XBOX 360 Premium
XBOX 360 Premium w/HDMI
XBOX 360 Elite

Sony has:
PS3 20GB (Hardware BC, 4 USB)
PS3 40 GB (No BC, 2 USB, WiFi?)
PS3 60GB (Hardware BC, 4 USB, WiFi, Memory Card Reader)
PS3 60GB Euro edition? Software BC?
PS3 80GB (Software BC only, 4 USB, WiFi, Memory Card Reader)
And their not done yet... 160gb?

Agreed totally...there's a difference between a new paintjob and internal/external design change.

Anyone remember how many revisions of the PS1 and PS2 there were? TONS. The first PS1 version had individual A/V ports on the back....the next revision had an all-in-one port in which the A/V cables came out of one connector. The next revision didn't have an I/O port. Other revisions included different internal software for music playing, etc...then came along the tiny PSone revision.

The PS2 has been no different...tons of different SKU's and revisions, INCLUDING another complete system redesign (the PS2 Slim)

So why are some of these people acting like different SKU's and redesigns are a new thing?

 

[ne0-reloaded]

To be fair the Halo 3 Edition is just a paint job like the PS2 which came in every color under the sun, its still just a premium. The arcade edition is just a bundling of games and accessories which has been done before as well, its still just a core. Going to 65nm isn't unusual either, the PS2/GameCube/XBOX went through plenty of internal hardware changes. Its part of the console lifecycle to cut cost and improve upon the product.

Really M$ has:
XBOX 360 core
XBOX 360 core w/HDMI
XBOX 360 Premium
XBOX 360 Premium w/HDMI
XBOX 360 Elite

Sony has:
PS3 20GB (Hardware BC, 4 USB)
PS3 40 GB (No BC, 2 USB, WiFi?)
PS3 60GB (Hardware BC, 4 USB, WiFi, Memory Card Reader)
PS3 60GB Euro edition? Software BC?
PS3 80GB (Software BC only, 4 USB, WiFi, Memory Card Reader)
And their not done yet... 160gb?

even tho i havent played my wii in prolly a month or so, this is the reason im so fuckin glad nintendo is kicking ass this gen. look at that bullshit. yo can call it an overpriced gamecube if yo want, but at least theres only 1 kind of it. wii are the champions!!!

 

[JohnleMVP]

We'll see how long that last. Before the Wii even came out they announced a Wii that could play DVD's. We'll see if it really comes out though.

 

[Kahnvex]

Just as a heads up (seeing how it's related) you'll be able to get a new full-featured Toshiba HD-DVD drive @ Wal-Mart for $200 starting in the next few weeks. Pretty much eliminates the need for the kludgey add-on IMO. The 360's add-on is $175'ish and lacks and HD audio support.
Hopefully this will inspire MS to either make theirs HDMI 1.3 or lower the price to something more appropriate like $99.

Strictly for HT purposes, I'd buy a stand alone console hd-dvd player rather than an external for the X360. I don't see it getting used often, if ever, for games. It would be Sega 32X all over again.

True on both accounts. I have a first gen HD-A1 Toshiba and the internal video processing components plus audio decoding capabilities make the HD DVD add on look silly in features comparison. The only thing lacking on my end is 1080p support which I can't use anyway on my main HDTV. The models HD-A20 or newer will absolutely blow the 360's implementation straight out of the water.

For $99 though it would make it a serious contender, were the price to ever drop to that level.

 

[Rash]

Are there any hddvd drives that read dvds at 16x yet?Just a thought as they would have to design a specific drive for the 360 if not, id like to see a 360 with a hddvd drive, id even pay the same price as a ps3 for one. I cant see it happening though untill the next gen when hd dvd drives are a lot cheaper, by then they might have to put a bluray drive in though depending on which format wins, or dual format if prices are good, the way its looking today there might be some sony/samsung hardware in the 360s successor! ie every xbox 3 sold will make sony/samsung a bit o cash!

 

[MemoryInAGarden]

Are there any hddvd drives that read dvds at 16x yet?Just a thought as they would have to design a specific drive for the 360 if not, id like to see a 360 with a hddvd drive, id even pay the same price as a ps3 for one. I cant see it happening though untill the next gen when hd dvd drives are a lot cheaper, by then they might have to put a bluray drive in though depending on which format wins, or dual format if prices are good, the way its looking today there might be some sony/samsung hardware in the 360s successor! ie every xbox 3 sold will make sony/samsung a bit o cash!

Why that much for just the drive when you can get an entire PS3?

 

[RancidWAnnaRIot]

Why that much for just the drive when you can get an entire PS3?

he's saying.. he would buy a 360 that has an HD-DVD drive built in for the same price as a PS3...

 

[finalgt]

This would be fucking retarded for a number of reasons.

1. Remember when the iPhone dropped $200 bucks like 7 weeks after it was introduced, and people actually got pissed off instead of being happy? You're looking at the same thing here. By adding in functionality a couple of years into the lifecycle of a system, you're shafting the early adopters. You would think companies would learn this one but they never think of sales in terms of loyalists, it's always untapped demographics they go after.
2. The PS3 sold so well as for its Blu-Ray functionality because all of the other BR players were fucking ridiculously expensive. Toshiba now makes an HD-DVD player for less than $200 retail, which is probably half the price of what an HD-DVD equipped X360 would go for. You're not going to entice people to buy the system for its high-def video capability if there's something else that does all the consumer needs it to do for half the price. Also, the PS3 hasn't really had anything else to offer beyond its high-def capability yet. Like, you know...games.
3. Unless they know something we don't, HD-DVD drives are still not cheap. They're still selling the X360 at a loss. For how long are they planning to keep their Games Division in the red to eke out second place on Sony, since they're both way the fuck behind Nintendo at the moment and they don't even have high-def capability of any kind. Maybe Nintendo and Sony could learn something in that. But nah, that would probably require innovation. Better just keep increasing those vectro-scalar megapixmap numbers, that's the way to make a successful system.

 

[finalgt]

Are there any hddvd drives that read dvds at 16x yet?Just a thought as they would have to design a specific drive for the 360 if not, id like to see a 360 with a hddvd drive, id even pay the same price as a ps3 for one. I cant see it happening though untill the next gen when hd dvd drives are a lot cheaper, by then they might have to put a bluray drive in though depending on which format wins, or dual format if prices are good, the way its looking today there might be some sony/samsung hardware in the 360s successor! ie every xbox 3 sold will make sony/samsung a bit o cash!

Microsoft is a member of the tech consortium that promotes the adoption of HD-DVD. Putting Blu-Ray of any kind in the X360, even in a combo with HD-DVD, would be akin to Steve Ballmer jumping up on a chair in a press conference and telling everybody how awesome Leopard is.