CES: Microsoft announces external HD-DVD drive for Xbox 360
Well well well, the next gen format wars just got interesting. Do you think this is a good move, or will
Microsoft fragment a fledgling Xbox 360 user base?"Building on Xbox 360 leadership in high-definition experiences, the company announced plans to deliver a new Xbox 360 external HD DVD drive in 2006. The new drive will offer millions of Xbox 360 owners the ability to easily enjoy HD DVD movies and will provide consumers with even more choices for experiencing high-definition content, in either physical or digital form."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bobby G @ Jan 5th 2006 7:53AM
From watching the keynote last night with them demoing Toshiba's HD DVD drive, I say it is a great move for everyone personally. If the system is $300 - $400 now, cost is still an issue if it were built-in. Game system first, media hub second is cool with me. Options from a business point are excellent. For customers who don't care about HD DVD, then don't buy it! I will though...
Josh @ Jan 5th 2006 9:46AM
If the XBox 360 doesn't have an HDCP compliant output such as HDMI or DVI, then that leaves an enormous "analog hole." I don't understand how they could release this and not get the MPAA in a tizzy.
Speculation:
They could include the HDMI port on the HD-DVD drive itself and daisy-chain the video output of the 360 into the HD-DVD drive, converting the RGB video from the 360 into HDMI compatible on the fly. But that would preclude the use of the XBox 360's capable hardware from decoding the HD-DVD. In this case, the drive would be no different (or cheaper) than a standalone player.
travis @ Jan 5th 2006 9:46AM
I think a lot will depend on how much they charge for the drive...if they can offer it at a decent price, say under $200, I think they could get a good following, especially if they intend to release games on the format. I think the real question now will be what will the PS3 debut price be (if it drops anytime near expectations)...if the PS3 can debut lower then a premium 360 with an HD-DVD drive (assuming M$ lowers the price), I think that could be a key factor in the next-gen format wars...
freestufftimes.com @ Jan 5th 2006 10:07AM
" If the XBox 360 doesn't have an HDCP compliant output such as HDMI or DVI, then that leaves an enormous "analog hole." I don't understand how they could release this and not get the MPAA in a tizzy."
So all blu ray and hd-dvd players cannot have a component output? That would be kind of dumb, as a lot of older hdtvs don't even have a dvi/hdmi connection..
MadcapMagician @ Jan 5th 2006 10:33AM
I have a great interest in this because I already own a 360. I have a nasty feeling that this "accessory" is going to come in at $200 or higher, without having read any of the news releases.
What I would imagine is that the player will connect via USB, and that it would also come standard with a new cable to replace the standard analog or component cable that came with the 360. Because the 360 has a propietary and flexible port for video out, they have the ability to just make that HDMI cable. I'm sure that the copy protection capability is already existent on the 360.
For me, the biggest question of this whole thing is price. It would make a lot of sense for me to be able to eBay my Samsung DVD player, and pick the HD-DVD adapter for the 360, but only for the right price, of course... (I'd say $100 is where it would make sense for me)
phit @ Jan 5th 2006 10:37AM
Does any see the absurdity in having 2 separate optical drives for a console gaming system? Before, the console attatchments were at least complementary like cartridge + CD media.
Josh @ Jan 5th 2006 11:04AM
"So all blu ray and hd-dvd players cannot have a component output? That would be kind of dumb, as a lot of older hdtvs don't even have a dvi/hdmi connection.."
Yes, pretty much:
http://www.dvdtown.com/messageboard/topic/10/1851/
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=237832&perpage=30&display=&pagenumber=1
badbob001 @ Jan 5th 2006 12:02PM
Since it appears that HD-DVD only allows digital output, I can only conclude that a digital output dongle will be announced for the xbox360 shortly. Makes sense to announce new but hidden features on a static product to refresh its image. Kind of why people love to linux everything to get more features.
Matt Gerlach @ Jan 11th 2006 1:06PM
I have to find it, but an ATI spokesman (past summer)said the graphics card inside the 360 is not limited to the component/VGA output, and that HDMI is a possibility.