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Gadgets XBOX 360 HD-DVD Up Close and Personal
Sven Olsen (Blog) - May 10, 2006 10:34 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 68 comment(s) - last by smilingcrow.. on May 13 at 8:55 AM

Spy shot of the XBOX 360 HD-DVD - Image courtesy Engadget
Microsoft's upcoming accessory gets a sneak peak

Our friends at Engadget got a sneak peak at the USB HD-DVD add-on unit at an E3 Microsoft party.  The 5.25" HD-DVD drive appears to be nothing more than an external casing for an off the shelf PC HD-DVD player with a few extra USB ports.  Ryan Block reports:

Now that you've collected yourself after that bit of hysteria, we can tell you the (non-functional) drive itself had only a power plug (which looked to be of the variety that runs to the wall, no adapter required), a mini USB host port for connecting to the 360, two full USB ports for the device to otherwise act as a USB hub, and a spot for your 360 WiFi adapter to latch on the back since it could possibly be displaced by the use of the rear USB port to get this thing running on the console.

Unfortunately, other details about the 360 HD-DVD are fairly light.  The device will not function as a stand alone unit, and almost certainly Microsoft will make sure it only functions with XBOX 360 and not any old PC.  Considering the WiFi adaptor for the 360 runs upwards of $100 when a USB WiFi dongle can be had for less than $40, don't expect the 360 HD-DVD upgrade to be much of a bargain when it is released either.

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not a fan
By Quiksel on 5/10/2006 11:20:17 AM , Rating: 2
ok, so it's a HD-DVD player. An expensive one. It's external (of course).

and yet, I'm curious at the same time. What's the big deal here?




RE: not a fan
By SunAngel on 5/10/06, Rating: -1
RE: not a fan
By IsDanReally on 5/10/2006 12:01:11 PM , Rating: 1
The big idea, is that you don't seem to know what you are talking about. The HD-DVD is for watching movies, not for playing games. 360 has had HD gaming from the start.


RE: not a fan
By Practice on 5/10/2006 4:22:54 PM , Rating: 2
Why buy an Xbox 360 HD-DVD player that only works with an Xbox 360 when you can just buy a regular HD-DVD player with no need to tie-up your Xbox 360 to watch a movie? Unless of course the external HD-DVD drive is much cheaper than a regular HD-DVD player.


RE: not a fan
By MrSmurf on 5/10/2006 6:48:34 PM , Rating: 2
Well I'm sure it will be a little cheaper since it should be using the Xbox to decode but let's face it... the only two reasons MS is doing this is 1) take away Sony's advantage of having a next-gen disc drive and 2) increase the HD-DVD's install base.

I will be surprised if this thing is ever released. It looks silly and isn't practical. I do see MS releasing an updated 360 model with HD-DVD player but not in the near future.


RE: not a fan
By Zoomer on 5/11/2006 9:55:40 AM , Rating: 2
$299 console + $200 HD DVD player = $499

Suddenly, the ps3 doesn't seem to be that bad of a deal.


RE: not a fan
By Locutus465 on 5/10/2006 12:45:56 PM , Rating: 2
In what context are you making this statement? X-Box as a DVD-Player? I never used my original X-Box as a DVD-Player to begin with, thus there is no difference there. When I do buy a 360 I'll probably pass on the HD-DVD, it's just something I would never use.

If you're some how implying that the 360 requires an HD-DVD drive for next-gen gaming to work then you are way off base. There are already several games which demonstrate the power of the 360 as a next-gen console, all of which ship on plain old DVD's. There will probably be no need for an HD-DVD game for quite some time. That kind of storage still does not seem to be required (hey, oblivion ships on a single dvd!!!)


RE: not a fan
By Houdani on 5/10/2006 12:47:35 PM , Rating: 2
Wow, your hatred of MS has clouded reality, and consequently is causing you to spread outright wrong information in your wake.

IsDanReally's post is riddled with truth.
Yours? Eh ... not so much.


RE: not a fan
By tuteja1986 on 5/10/2006 12:09:09 PM , Rating: 2
I don't care :( thank god Microsoft didn't shove the HD DVD in the Xbox 360 or it would cost as much as PS3. Sony is in big trouble right now and they have ditched dual-HDMI support altogether, even from its high-end 60GB system. Also was the Blu-ray disc drive in the PS3 will run at 2X. People aren’t going to pay $599 just to play Blu-ray movie in high defi because the $499 doesn't HDMI and it doesn't support HDCP support. Sony also had the worst conference and only real gameplay demo shown that was worth getting excited about was the Heavenly sword. FF13 and MGS4 are good but they aren't coming out until late 2007 or even 2008. Sony needs to learn that shoving Blu-ray format down people throat :( equals = doomed format .


RE: not a fan
By MrSmurf on 5/10/2006 6:52:16 PM , Rating: 2
People will pay $600 for a console. I think it's smart of Sony to release the price so high at the start. Look at how many people were willing to spend $1000 on a 360!

However, how long will it be at $600? That is the question because the hardcore gamers will all have a PS3 and the rest won't be willing to spend so much. I really am expecting a price drop within 6 months and a shortage within that time. That will also give Blu-Ray a chance to become cheaper.


RE: not a fan
By ViperROhb34 on 5/10/2006 8:18:52 PM , Rating: 2
I know many people who won't buy the PS3 for 600 dollars - "The only one you'd want with a Blu ray player" because the other one without the other connections is a joke.

And the price is not going to go down as quickly on Blu Ray.
HD-DVD cost more now because its new technology, but its production cost are in reality little more then DVD.. thats why I think it'll win.. Blu Ray actually does cost alot more.. For companies to make those Blu-Ray Player/recorders.. they'll have to keep cost higher longer to recoup their expenses.. And then if they end up selling enough of them.. only then will the price go down considerably.

HD-DVD all the way.. but before it even matters.. the American cable industry needs to get their butts in gear and move up to HD cable.. else the HD-DVD recording ( or even BLu Ray recording ) at home is really worthless as a selling point for recording HD television - which has been a selling point - and which is a moot point for the avg american..


RE: not a fan
By Zoomer on 5/11/2006 9:58:30 AM , Rating: 2
Not really, being able to record tens of hours on a single disc is a boon.


RE: not a fan
By EidolWays on 5/10/2006 1:43:08 PM , Rating: 2
Quiksel is actually spot-on in asking, "What's the big deal?" To ask why an add-on matters is NOT bashing Microsoft.

There are two benefits to the add-on HD-DVD drive.

1) Support for HD-DVD movie discs. Whether or not the Xbox 360 will support the full resolution of HD-DVD movies, I don't know. I assume that would require HDMI or DVI support from the Xbox 360 (according to an interview with an MS higher-up, HDMI support CAN be added. Google "Xbox 360 HDMI" and look for the interview page on TeamXbox). It will support the media, at least. It's likely that most individuals, myself included, don't use their Xbox as a DVD player, but if the Xbox 360 DOES support the full resolution of HD-DVD, then this add-on could be a much better (read "cheaper") option than a separate HD-DVD player.

2) Expanded capacity. HD-DVD discs are able to hold more data, thus allowing for larger games on a single disc. There have supposedly been complaints about typical DVD's being restrictive, but as a previous poster here points out, game developers don't seem to have run out of room just yet on typical DVD's.

So both of the benefits are really rather iffy, and they don't actually add to the GAMING experience at all. That said, the HD-DVD player add-on is going to be the most "wait-and-see" add-on that Microsoft has yet released.

On the upside, the USB 2.0 interface ought to be able to handle the external player with aplomb since its theoretical maximum throughput is around 60 Megabytes per second (480 Mbps). I assume that's a total figure (meaning that communication to and from the Xbox 360 and the drive will be, in total, 60 MB/sec or less), but this should still be plenty of headroom. What does this mean to you? The drive will function as well as if it were inside the Xbox 360.


RE: not a fan
By Furen on 5/10/2006 1:54:38 PM , Rating: 2
Microsoft has repeatedly stated that it HD-DVD WILL NOT be used for gaming at all, ever. After all, if developers run out of disc space they can always throw the games into two DVDs, this would be no problem and would probably still be cheaper than a single blueray disc. The problem with multi-disc releases during the PS1's life was that people were throwing their releases into 4+ discs, which is a pain in the ass to deal with.


RE: not a fan
By some1whoknows on 5/10/2006 3:19:45 PM , Rating: 2
EidolWays: You raise a good point about the data throughput of USB2 but I don't think your right about the speeds. The HD-DVD may need about 60Megabytes/s bandwidth but I'm pretty sure the bandwidth of USB2 is not 480Megabytes/s. Theoretical speed of 480Megabits/s maybe but sustained speed of 60MegaBytes? if it does it will be close to it's limit, Firewire would probably do it since it's sutainable speed is higher than USB2.


RE: not a fan
By LeftSide on 5/10/2006 5:32:28 PM , Rating: 2
Since when can a HD-DVD support sustained reads of 60 megabytes per second. I thought it was much lower like 25 megabites per second...


RE: not a fan
By some1whoknows on 5/11/2006 7:25:23 AM , Rating: 2
depending on compression (obviously) but Full HD 1080P, which HD-DVD does support, although the Xbox360 add-on drive may not, can be almost 60MB/s.


RE: not a fan
By Decaydence on 5/10/2006 4:17:26 PM , Rating: 2
It is shocking how many people have chimed in on this topic with no knowledge at all about any aspect of the issue being discussed. Why even try to comment on something is you don't understand the basics of what is going on?

1. HD-DVD drive has nothing to do with games.

2. HD-DVD drive has nothing to do with high definition games, this is supported already by the 360.

3. HD-DVD drive will play movies at the same resolutions the xbox 360 currently supports, which means no 1080p, sorry 1% of the population.

4. It has been widely reported that the PS3 won't deliver much better graphics, if any better at all.

5. All best guesses are NOT placing the price of the add-on as equal to the system price. These are clearly bad guesses and contrary to what has been clearly stated by the creators of the add-on. Guesses by the talking heads of the video game industry have this priced at around 100 dollars, which makes this add-on incredibly savvy on the part of MS. At that price, the add-on will be great for MS and the HD-dvd format.

6. Calling Sony the messiah of gaming requires a great deal of self-delusion. In the previous generation, it was clear that MS had the superior hardware. Sony had already been established and that is the only reason they continued to lead the market. The tables have turned my friend. MS has the advantage in its first-to-market status, its price-point, and its game library. It has recently equalized their position with developer support when they stole rockstar and Square exclusivity from Sony and now both developers will produce for both companies equally. Who of any quality only produces for Sony now? Yet MS's own studios produce great games, and they have Bungie and Bioware. The paradigm is shifting people.


RE: not a fan
By MrSmurf on 5/10/2006 6:54:05 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
2) Expanded capacity. HD-DVD discs are able to hold more data, thus allowing for larger games on a single disc. There have supposedly been complaints about typical DVD's being restrictive, but as a previous poster here points out, game developers don't seem to have run out of room just yet on typical DVD's.


lol, you're silly! What freaking game needs that much data? lol. Not to mention the obvious of spliting the install base. Take a look at how many PC games ship on DVD now days? Very few and those are usually collector's editions, lol.


WTF - by them both!
By smilingcrow on 5/13/2006 8:55:09 AM , Rating: 2
With Hollywood studios split between their support for DVD-HD and Blu-ray, if you want to be able to watch ALL HD film releases you are going to need both types of players. So, go out and buy a PS3 and an Xbox-360 and make sure that your HD TV has plenty of DVI/HDMI/Component connectors so you plug all that sh*t in.

Forget consoles for HD video, wait until someone releases a dual format HD video player. Someone has already announced they are working on the silicon to support this and a major CE company has also stated that they will bring out a dual format player.


Cost
By Visk on 5/10/2006 1:00:53 PM , Rating: 2
I really hope it doesn't end up costing as much as the Xbox 360