JoeyN Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Check it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickC Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Interesting, How will it attach to the system though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romier S Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 It will no doubt have some form of HDMI connection on it as well I'd imagine. Interesting move, and if folks are interested in it I'm sure they'll be pleased. I'll be sitting out the high definition format war until there is a clear winner personally so the add-on is of about the same interest to me as Blu-Ray's inclusion in the PS3. (i.e. none) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted January 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 They didnt mention anything about how it will connect. Has my intrest though Also Gates announced a partnership with Direct TV to have conent on PC, 360, and other devices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelley Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Usb 2.0 or the SerialATA HD connector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Also Gates announced a partnership with Direct TV to have conent on PC, 360, and other devices Aw shit. That'll be huge for me. I'm not too geeked about an external drive though for HD DVD. I just pray that it's not used for game media.... Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I'm not too geeked about an external drive though for HD DVD. I just pray that it's not used for game media.... Glen Over USB2.0? I sure hope not. Talk about load times and lack of streaming. I don't get this move. With a console cost of $400 plus this for, what - $200? $150? Sure it's cheaper than a standalone HD-DVD drive, but the obvious comparisons to the built-in BT drive on PS3 can't be ignored. Wasn't Dreamcast supposed to have a DVD drive come out to compete with PS2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan FB Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I'm not too geeked about an external drive though for HD DVD. I just pray that it's not used for game media....As far as they are saying right now, it will only be used for movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camp Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 As far as they are saying right now, it will only be used for movies. So, essentially, any HD-DVD player can be your "external" HD-DVD player. Dumb. I hope it goes the way of the Sega CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenMonkey Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I'll be sitting out the high definition format war until there is a clear winner personally so the add-on is of about the same interest to me as Blu-Ray's inclusion in the PS3. (i.e. none) :tu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainl Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I wonder how this sits with the studios' attempts to stop us having any kind of analogue HD signal, when there are no digital video outputs on the 360? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foogledricks Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 So is it correct to say that the only benefit of getting this drive will be because since it piggybacks on the 360, it doesn't require some hardware that a standalone player would require, and is therefore cheaper to producer, and thus cheaper for 360 owners to buy that way. Correct? If yes, then I think that is a useful purpose for those that don't want to buy a $500 player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted January 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 The digital HMDI output will probably be on the external HD-DVD. It will be intresting to see how they pull it off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry the Clown Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 The digital HMDI output will probably be on the external HD-DVD. It will be intresting to see how they pull it off The HD-DVD add on would have to incorporate internal decoding for all the various audio and video codecs like DTS HD, Dolby True HD, MPEG 4 and VC1 that are mandatory in the HD DVD spec so I'd imagine this will certainly mean the device has its own audio and video outputs.... at which point of course it essentially becomes a player in its own right, like any other, so what use is it as an add on device? It's most curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainl Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 The only answer I can come up with is that they're hoping to do all that decoding in software on the 360. Which may or may not actually be possible. But there doesn't appear to be a digital video output on the current machine at all, nor 6-channel analogue audio, so that much needs to be fed back to this theoretical external device. Which strikes me as a massive kludge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camp Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 A better answer is that future 360's will have HD-DVD drives built-in. By releasing a stand alone HD-DVD drive Microsoft can appear to be supporting us early adopters with DVD drive units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 A better answer is that future 360's will have HD-DVD drives built-in. By releasing a stand alone HD-DVD drive Microsoft can appear to be supporting us early adopters with DVD drive units. That is exactly why Microsoft would pull a move like this. This gives early adopters an "out" in getting new format support on their 360. Some likely perceived the fact Sony was pushing a new HD format inside their console as a pro over the 360. Now MS can say that all 360 owners will have a new HD format as well. Also, since they are selling it as an add-on they can take less of a loss on the hardware (both the 360 and the HD-DVD drive) until the costs of the internal drive drop enough to be included. It tells me that Microsoft likely wanted to launch with a hd-dvd included, but were never going to sacrifice their launch date for anything, whether it be supply shortages, HD-DVD drives not ready to go, the backwards compatability team finished more of the porting, more original content launch titles, etc. It's an agressive stance, but it might just be working given the number of people I know that want a 360, especially since I would classify most of those people as casual gamers at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 That is exactly why Microsoft would pull a move like this. This gives early adopters an "out" in getting new format support on their 360. Some likely perceived the fact Sony was pushing a new HD format inside their console as a pro over the 360. Now MS can say that all 360 owners will have a new HD format as well. Also' date=' since they are selling it as an add-on they can take less of a loss on the hardware (both the 360 and the HD-DVD drive) until the costs of the internal drive drop enough to be included. It tells me that Microsoft likely wanted to launch with a hd-dvd included, but were never going to sacrifice their launch date for anything, whether it be supply shortages, HD-DVD drives not ready to go, the backwards compatability team finished more of the porting, more original content launch titles, etc. It's an agressive stance, but it might just be working given the number of people I know that want a 360, especially since I would classify most of those people as casual gamers at best.[/quote'] The big difference, though, is that the 360 HD-DVD drive will only be used for movies, while the PS3 BR drive will be used for games as well. This results in a huge gain in storage capacity for gaming over standard DVD. This could be a big deal with HD games. Unless, of course, MS plans on releasing games in multiple formats and further splinter the usergroup as PC game publishers currently do with their CD and DVD versions of games. Of course, that won't (shouldn't) happen given the USB2.0 conduit and the fact that MS Japan has straight-up said that the HD-DVD drive would never be used for game storage. It's all very curious, and all very 32X. A better answer is that future 360's will have HD-DVD drives built-in. By releasing a stand alone HD-DVD drive Microsoft can appear to be supporting us early adopters with DVD drive units. One would think so, yes. One would expect an eventual Xbox 360 with HDD, HD-DVD, and wireless. Hey - isn't that what they promised us in the first place on MTV? Anyway, I have my doubts this would happen. At best you'll see ANOTHER bundle at the $399 price point as the other ones are able to drop below with increased production and lower hardware costs. That would be a ways off I would think, however. Seems a lot of this is designed to confused the consumer, and I don't like it in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris The Rock Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 A better answer is that future 360's will have HD-DVD drives built-in. By releasing a stand alone HD-DVD drive Microsoft can appear to be supporting us early adopters with DVD drive units. This goes against their current strategy of giving the customer only what they choose to purchase (evidenced by the sale of "core" units). It's all very curious, and all very 32X. I disagree. The 32X was released near the end of the Genesis' life cycle, and this HD-DVD drive idea has clearly been on the table for a long while, presumably since the inception of the Xbox360. And the 32X was released strictly for games, and the HD-DVD drive is made for using the X360 as a more full-featured media player. Count me in as one person (maybe the only person on this board) who thinks this is a good idea. I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't tell whether it will be a success, or even if I'll get one right away, but I like the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romier S Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 This goes against their current strategy of giving the customer only what they choose to purchase (evidenced by the sale of "core" units). I disagree. MS creates a new SKU that includes the HD-DVD drive, and has it replace the current Premium Pack down the line for 399.99, while still offering the Core. At the same time they release the external HD-DVD Drive allowing early adopters to purchase it and give them the choice to upgrade if they want. it falls completely in line with thier "modular" thinking and giving the consumer a supposed "choose" over what to buy. If anything it's an out for them in giving early adopters the ability to upgrade as noted without incurring too much of thier wrath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitice Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Count me in as another person that likes this idea. Especially if it is at a price point that is well below a stand-alone player. Would be a perfect way to invest in the format without risking too much in terms of acquiring the hardware. I doubt very much if the thing ever gets used for games. I am rather interested in how this thing is supposed to work using the 360 seeing that it does not have the adequate outputs to support the HD-DVD format properly. Unless there is something more with the A/V output ports spec that they do not want us to know yet... Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magness Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I'm personally going to wait out the whole Blu Ray/HD DVD thing but, I like having the option to buy the HD DVD drive if I want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris The Rock Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I disagree. MS creates a new SKU that includes the HD-DVD drive, and has it replace the current Premium Pack down the line for 399.99, while still offering the Core. At the same time they release the external HD-DVD Drive allowing early adopters to purchase it and give them the choice to upgrade if they want. it falls completely in line with thier "modular" thinking and giving the consumer a supposed "choose" over what to buy. I see where you're coming from, and it makes sense - but where does that leave the player who wants HD games (they need a premium pack) but doesn't want the HD-DVD drive? I see a gap between the core pack and the Top-of-the-Line pack (including the HD-DVD functions built in). It doesn't make sense to alienate your best customers (people who bought the $399 unit at launch) by giving them a the 'choice' of an external drive, when newer customers can just spend the same amount for a 360 with all the stuff built in. Yes, I know that's how the technology world works. And I can totally see this happening in 2-3 years. But MS is talking about delivering this HD-DVD drive this year. I just can't see a new 360 unit this year, that's all. Maybe you're not thinking that this happens this year anyway. All this is just silly speculation anyhow, since very few details are actually available. I still like the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romier S Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 but where does that leave the player who wants HD games (they need a premium pack) but doesn't want the HD-DVD drive? It doesn't matter. They'll get thier HD games, and a movie player regardless. I doubt anyone would say no to an HD Drive included with the premium pack if they are getting the same functionality they would normally get from the premium pack anyway (and that's assuming the HD-DVD drive doesn't drive up the price of the Premium Pack). I just can't see a new 360 unit this year, that's all. I agree. I don't see this happening immediately at all. Microsoft would be stupid to announce it as a built-in unit anytime soon as it would cannibalize production (a subject myself and Josh were just discussing on AIM). Josh and I simply see this happening as a natural eventuality, and I think there's a really good chance of it happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I agree. I don't see this happening immediately at all. Microsoft would be stupid to announce it as a built-in unit anytime soon as it would cannibalize production (a subject myself and Josh were just discussing on AIM). Josh and I simply see this happening as a natural eventuality, and I think there's a really good chance of it happening. I'm tempted to even say it will happen, but no one can know for sure. Consider, however, if they wait for PS3 release time, match the PS3 price, include the HD-DVD drive in it, AND release Halo 3 with some HD-DVD making-of limited edition thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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