MS announces an external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360
01-04-06, 09:50 PM
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So... there are no plans to simply replace the the current drive in a year? I bet there are going to, depending on 360 sales performance of course...
Last edited by jeffdsmith; 01-04-06 at 10:37 PM.
01-04-06, 09:52 PM
#4
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Meh. Blu-ray has more studio support and will be included in the PS3,while one will have to pay $300-400 for the X-box and however much more for this external drive.
And I agree they should have made the internal drive swappable, as the external is just another thing to try to cram into already croweded ht/gaming setups.
And I agree they should have made the internal drive swappable, as the external is just another thing to try to cram into already croweded ht/gaming setups.
01-04-06, 10:38 PM
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01-04-06, 10:43 PM
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Originally Posted by BeanDip0001
It is notable that he specified "movies" and not gaming. If they offered two tiers of games, DVD9 and HD DVD, it would alienate the consumers who do not own the external drive and aggravate developers whose next-gen development budgets will be stretched as it is, without multiple console variations.
01-04-06, 10:57 PM
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It'll need to be $50 or they'll have to bundle it into a Halo package next year. I dunno, not really excited about this, but BluRay doesn't excite me all that much either. Damn you HDCP.
01-04-06, 11:23 PM
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As nice a machine the XBox 360 is, I think the PS3 is going to win as well. Blu-Ray just seems to be the right combination. Backwards compatibility, the fact the PS3 will more-than-likely be the same price as the XBox, it will allow Blu-Ray to penetrate the market way faster than HD-DVD, which will require people to purchase either this external hard drive, or an expensive, unstable, first-generation HD-DVD players.
01-04-06, 11:39 PM
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As I understand it, HD-DVD must go through HDMI in order to get the higher output resolutions. 360 doesn't have a HDMI output. Does this mean that the "add-on" will have it own HDMI output?
01-04-06, 11:57 PM
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Originally Posted by joshd2012
As I understand it, HD-DVD must go through HDMI in order to get the higher output resolutions. 360 doesn't have a HDMI output. Does this mean that the "add-on" will have it own HDMI output?
Last edited by Apollo; 01-04-06 at 11:59 PM.
01-05-06, 12:04 AM
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Pioneer announced their first Blu Ray player will be released in June. It's only $1800. 
Link
With stand alone Blu Ray players being that expensive at launch, depending on the cost of the add on drive for the 360, I might spring for it. Especially if it will also work on my PC, which I think may be likely considering it's going to be USB 2.0.
That wasn't announced. I would imagine it will come with one. If not, it will display HD over component.
LinkWith stand alone Blu Ray players being that expensive at launch, depending on the cost of the add on drive for the 360, I might spring for it. Especially if it will also work on my PC, which I think may be likely considering it's going to be USB 2.0.
Originally Posted by joshd2012
As I understand it, HD-DVD must go through HDMI in order to get the higher output resolutions. 360 doesn't have a HDMI output. Does this mean that the "add-on" will have it own HDMI output?
01-05-06, 12:13 AM
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I'm willing to bet it will display it by using the component cables already on the 360. Otherwise, you're basically just buying an HD-DVD player that requires a 360 as its power source. But can component display 1080p, or will it only be 1080i?
01-05-06, 12:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Suprmallet
I'm willing to bet it will display it by using the component cables already on the 360. Otherwise, you're basically just buying an HD-DVD player that requires a 360 as its power source. But can component display 1080p, or will it only be 1080i?
I'm fairly sure component has the bandwidth to display 1080p, but I don't think there are any tv's that support a 1080p signal via a component input. There's a few that can display it via VGA cables and around 5 that will take it via HDMI, but I've yet to hear of one that can accept a 1080p signal over component.
99% of all 1080p tvs on the market right now won't accept a 1080p signal at all. They scale everything up to 1080p.
01-05-06, 01:27 AM
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Crutchfield already has a Toshiba player up for preorder and they're saying it won't allow HD over component. If that's correct we can only assume that's true for all other HD DVD players.
01-05-06, 02:06 AM
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Heres my take on this.
Ive read the specs on the Xbox 360 many, many times. And they specifically dont list 1080p, while the ps3 does. Obviously, this will be a factor. With this announcment, MS is just releasing the addon so that their system becomes more attractive to the average consumer (why spend 500 on a stand alone HD-DVD player when you can get a xbox 360 + the HD-DVD player for it for a total of 600). However, they specifically are doing it for movies only and not for the games themselves. And they'd be foolish to modify the future systems to include it inside, as they'd be backstabbing so many first-gen xbox 360 owners.
I truely beleive Sonys thought process on the matter is the way forward. I remember when the ps2 first came out, it was very pricey for the average consumer. But then DVD movies were becoming all the rage, and people bought a ps2 vs a stand alone DVD player since it was near the same price, and you got a full blown gaming system AND a dvd player in one. Well, with the ps3, you get all that + BR and PS3 games at the same time. You get to use ALL your old technology goodies along with ALL the new technology goodies all on the same system. People who have a HD system and who want a HD-quality DVD player will likely just buy a PS3, as they get the BR player + a game system for pretty much the same, if not less, then a stand alone system.
Ive been hearing a lot of people saying that with Blu-Ray, games will cost more since it costs more to fill up the discs. I feel that is non-sense, as movies will always cost what they cost, box sets of tv shows will always cost what they cost, and the same goes for video games. Companys like nintendo were charging 50 bux for SNES titles which costed them a lot (board + chips on it for each and every game) vs a DVD game now which is less then 10 cents each, and they still cost 50 bux.
I might be off target by now, but i see that sony will win this one for sure. People already know the Playstation brand and its huge lineup of exclusives, it will have a built in top of the line high end HD movie player and will be reasonably priced when compared to even just a stand alone Blu-Ray movie player or a game system. Not to mention how much more space is possible on the BR discs, and the fact that with the new protective layer, you can scratch the disc with sandpaper, and its still 100% playable.
p.s. - I own a ps2, xbox, gc, ps1, genesis, snes, nes, saturn, dreamcast and more. I am so not-biased its not even funny lol.
Ive read the specs on the Xbox 360 many, many times. And they specifically dont list 1080p, while the ps3 does. Obviously, this will be a factor. With this announcment, MS is just releasing the addon so that their system becomes more attractive to the average consumer (why spend 500 on a stand alone HD-DVD player when you can get a xbox 360 + the HD-DVD player for it for a total of 600). However, they specifically are doing it for movies only and not for the games themselves. And they'd be foolish to modify the future systems to include it inside, as they'd be backstabbing so many first-gen xbox 360 owners.
I truely beleive Sonys thought process on the matter is the way forward. I remember when the ps2 first came out, it was very pricey for the average consumer. But then DVD movies were becoming all the rage, and people bought a ps2 vs a stand alone DVD player since it was near the same price, and you got a full blown gaming system AND a dvd player in one. Well, with the ps3, you get all that + BR and PS3 games at the same time. You get to use ALL your old technology goodies along with ALL the new technology goodies all on the same system. People who have a HD system and who want a HD-quality DVD player will likely just buy a PS3, as they get the BR player + a game system for pretty much the same, if not less, then a stand alone system.
Ive been hearing a lot of people saying that with Blu-Ray, games will cost more since it costs more to fill up the discs. I feel that is non-sense, as movies will always cost what they cost, box sets of tv shows will always cost what they cost, and the same goes for video games. Companys like nintendo were charging 50 bux for SNES titles which costed them a lot (board + chips on it for each and every game) vs a DVD game now which is less then 10 cents each, and they still cost 50 bux.
I might be off target by now, but i see that sony will win this one for sure. People already know the Playstation brand and its huge lineup of exclusives, it will have a built in top of the line high end HD movie player and will be reasonably priced when compared to even just a stand alone Blu-Ray movie player or a game system. Not to mention how much more space is possible on the BR discs, and the fact that with the new protective layer, you can scratch the disc with sandpaper, and its still 100% playable.
p.s. - I own a ps2, xbox, gc, ps1, genesis, snes, nes, saturn, dreamcast and more. I am so not-biased its not even funny lol.
01-05-06, 02:39 AM
#21
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Originally Posted by Blitz6Speed
Heres my take on this.
Ive read the specs on the Xbox 360 many, many times. And they specifically dont list 1080p, while the ps3 does. Obviously, this will be a factor. With this announcment, MS is just releasing the addon so that their system becomes more attractive to the average consumer (why spend 500 on a stand alone HD-DVD player when you can get a xbox 360 + the HD-DVD player for it for a total of 600). However, they specifically are doing it for movies only and not for the games themselves. And they'd be foolish to modify the future systems to include it inside, as they'd be backstabbing so many first-gen xbox 360 owners.
I truely beleive Sonys thought process on the matter is the way forward. I remember when the ps2 first came out, it was very pricey for the average consumer. But then DVD movies were becoming all the rage, and people bought a ps2 vs a stand alone DVD player since it was near the same price, and you got a full blown gaming system AND a dvd player in one. Well, with the ps3, you get all that + BR and PS3 games at the same time. You get to use ALL your old technology goodies along with ALL the new technology goodies all on the same system. People who have a HD system and who want a HD-quality DVD player will likely just buy a PS3, as they get the BR player + a game system for pretty much the same, if not less, then a stand alone system.
Ive been hearing a lot of people saying that with Blu-Ray, games will cost more since it costs more to fill up the discs. I feel that is non-sense, as movies will always cost what they cost, box sets of tv shows will always cost what they cost, and the same goes for video games. Companys like nintendo were charging 50 bux for SNES titles which costed them a lot (board + chips on it for each and every game) vs a DVD game now which is less then 10 cents each, and they still cost 50 bux.
I might be off target by now, but i see that sony will win this one for sure. People already know the Playstation brand and its huge lineup of exclusives, it will have a built in top of the line high end HD movie player and will be reasonably priced when compared to even just a stand alone Blu-Ray movie player or a game system. Not to mention how much more space is possible on the BR discs, and the fact that with the new protective layer, you can scratch the disc with sandpaper, and its still 100% playable.
p.s. - I own a ps2, xbox, gc, ps1, genesis, snes, nes, saturn, dreamcast and more. I am so not-biased its not even funny lol.
Ive read the specs on the Xbox 360 many, many times. And they specifically dont list 1080p, while the ps3 does. Obviously, this will be a factor. With this announcment, MS is just releasing the addon so that their system becomes more attractive to the average consumer (why spend 500 on a stand alone HD-DVD player when you can get a xbox 360 + the HD-DVD player for it for a total of 600). However, they specifically are doing it for movies only and not for the games themselves. And they'd be foolish to modify the future systems to include it inside, as they'd be backstabbing so many first-gen xbox 360 owners.
I truely beleive Sonys thought process on the matter is the way forward. I remember when the ps2 first came out, it was very pricey for the average consumer. But then DVD movies were becoming all the rage, and people bought a ps2 vs a stand alone DVD player since it was near the same price, and you got a full blown gaming system AND a dvd player in one. Well, with the ps3, you get all that + BR and PS3 games at the same time. You get to use ALL your old technology goodies along with ALL the new technology goodies all on the same system. People who have a HD system and who want a HD-quality DVD player will likely just buy a PS3, as they get the BR player + a game system for pretty much the same, if not less, then a stand alone system.
Ive been hearing a lot of people saying that with Blu-Ray, games will cost more since it costs more to fill up the discs. I feel that is non-sense, as movies will always cost what they cost, box sets of tv shows will always cost what they cost, and the same goes for video games. Companys like nintendo were charging 50 bux for SNES titles which costed them a lot (board + chips on it for each and every game) vs a DVD game now which is less then 10 cents each, and they still cost 50 bux.
I might be off target by now, but i see that sony will win this one for sure. People already know the Playstation brand and its huge lineup of exclusives, it will have a built in top of the line high end HD movie player and will be reasonably priced when compared to even just a stand alone Blu-Ray movie player or a game system. Not to mention how much more space is possible on the BR discs, and the fact that with the new protective layer, you can scratch the disc with sandpaper, and its still 100% playable.
p.s. - I own a ps2, xbox, gc, ps1, genesis, snes, nes, saturn, dreamcast and more. I am so not-biased its not even funny lol.
01-05-06, 07:21 AM
#22
DVD Talk Legend
I was going to post how much of a joke it was that this was annoucned just a month after launch.. but if it's just going to be for HD movies I guess it's not too horrible.
01-05-06, 07:34 AM
#24
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by DJ_Longfellow
What did the articel say, I'm at work...cannot access "game" sites
It is notable that he specified "movies" and not gaming. If they offered two tiers of games, DVD9 and HD DVD, it would alienate the consumers who do not own the external drive and aggravate developers whose next-gen development budgets will be stretched as it is, without multiple console variations. This external drive is Microsoft's response to Sony's relentless Blu-Ray marketing, an effort to remove this contention from the next-gen purchasing decision. Will a low priced, next-generation DVD player really help sell consoles? Microsoft still has to ensure that HD DVD wins the console war! Clearly there are plenty more battles left in this war.
01-05-06, 07:47 AM
#25
DVD Talk Godfather
Originally Posted by Blitz6Speed
I truely beleive Sonys thought process on the matter is the way forward. I remember when the ps2 first came out, it was very pricey for the average consumer. But then DVD movies were becoming all the rage, and people bought a ps2 vs a stand alone DVD player since it was near the same price, and you got a full blown gaming system AND a dvd player in one.
Anyway, this whole MS thing seems silly. No developer will ever support it from a gaming standpoint so it is just an excuse to sell a stand-alone player just to have an alternative to the PS3. Pretty lame.