HD DVD 4th Quarter Article and X Box 360 HD DVD Add On (1 Viewer)

[AaronSCH]

Just in case you didn't check out the articles posted on the main page, this should put a smile on your face more or less HD DVD Backers Counting on Q4

Is this more bad news for the PS3 strategy? Microsoft Promises Xbox 360 HD DVD Add-on for Holidays

That's it guys keep that momentum going…

 

[Jerome Grate]

Both articles seem to push HD-DVD level that BD will have some difficulty catching up to. The one thing that would give HD-DVD a big jump if a few more manufacturers got on board.

 

[TravisR]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone think that the X-Box HD add on is going to be a big seller? To me, it seems like the group that wants to play HD-DVD but doesn't want to buy an HD player is pretty small (even with a $300 difference in price).

It can't hurt anything but it just doesn't seem like it will make a difference one way or the other.

 

[Tim Glover]

There's always spin...but no doubt they feel momentum and feel some confidence in their product.

 

[AaronSCH]

It basically gives someone entré into high definition that happens to already have an X Box 360 at a much lower price (once again) than the PS3. Its very smart of Microsoft. Owners of an X Box 360 don't have to purchase a whole new system to get the benefits of both... I think its a genius strategic move. If the economy begins to cool its heels in the 4th quarter, as predicted, things will not look good for Blu-Ray with an equal (and probably better) option at a much lower cost. Add to that an estimated 150 titles available on HD DVD by the end of the year and it keeps lookin' grim.

 

[Jose Martinez]

But the Xbox 360 only supports 720p or 1080i right? Therefore you won't really see the true potential of HD-DVD with an Xbox 360.

 

[Cees Alons]

Wrong.
Proper 1080i images (like from games or film) are exactly the same, and therefore as good PQ-wise, as proper 1080p.
However, there aren't as many 1080p TV sets as there are 1080i TV sets (or less than that) in the field.

Even PC monitors with 1980x1080 are scarce still (although they're slowly materializing now ).


Cees

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Cees, you can change your nickname to "1080i guy"!

 

[Cees Alons]

Here are two pictures, actually four. If they're not brilliant, that's because I had to convert them to .gif files to do this.

One of each is interlaced, the other progressive. Spot the differences:

(Of course there aren't any - once they're finished loading.)

(Photo's copyright and courtesy myself, November 2005)


Cees

 

[Tim Glover]

My eyes can't see any difference

 

[ChrisMatson]

Add-ons never sell well.
Any bets on who sells more:
Sony PS3 vs. Microsoft HD-DVD add-on

 

[Kong Chang]

Isn't the HD-DVD add-on for Xbox 360 only for the high end Xbox 360 and not the low end one? If so, then the combo price will end up being higher for those who want both an xbox and hd-dvd than the ps-3. If not, it can be priced as competitively with the ps-3 as a combo set.

But then, why would any xbox gamers want to add a hd-dvd add-on when there's no games for it? I've talked to my friends who own a Xbox360 and they could care less about HD-DVD if and when it comes out unless there's games supporting it. I do know that Japan has plans for ps-3 blu-ray games, and there is support in Japan for both hd-dvd and blu-ray (but mainly blu-ray as it's being advertised and plastered everywhere in Japan now).

 

[TravisR]

That sorta answers my question from before. I don't go to gamer message boards but to those that do, is there actually alot of interest in this HD add on there?

 

[Adam Portrais]

To watch HD DVDs. All 360 games are in HD now and most games can't fill a DVD-9 so Microsoft decided that DVD would be the best and most cost effective way to go for this generation. And of course there are a lot of people who want an HD DVD player and own an Xbox 360, so why not?

I think a lot of people would be shocked at how much Xbox 360 owners want an inexpensive HD DVD drive, if only to watch movies. And those who don't are glad that have the choice of picking one up or not and aren't being forced to "upgrade." The PS3 will have Blu-ray games but I seriously doubt that you'll be seeing any 1080p games anytime soon (and if you do, chances are they'll run like crap) and if they're in MPEG-2 then the whole 25GB is out the window yet again (I have so many reasons why the PS3 and thus Blu-ray will fail, if you want me to go into my hypothesis, just ask). If the HD DVD add on is cheap enough in price and high enough in quality, I will most likely be picking one up and using it in the bedroom and use a stand alone player in the HT. All I know is, by year end, one way or another I'll be sportin' HD DVD.

Until then, I'm just keep on doing what I'm doing and informing others about the true differences between HD DVD and Blu-ray.

Oh, and Cees I have to look for it a little but I can see the difference.

 

[BrianB]

Games don't "run" in a video encoding scheme. Videos in the game do, but the game itself doesn't. Games are just data on a disc.

 

[Ken Chui]

For those who haven't seen the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on, here's a pic from CNET:



Looks to be roughly 60-65% of the 360's dimensions; too bulky, IMO. Unless MS decides to offer a 360 unit with a third SKU (i.e. a 360 with a built-in HD-DVD drive instead of the 12x DVD-ROM drive it currently uses) or drop the DVD-ROM drive altogether and replace it with an HD-DVD instead, I'd rather have a full-featured, standalone HD-DVD player than purchase this.

 

[Adam Portrais]

True, but you kinda know what I mean. There are so many games today where I end up saying "I either just played a bad movie or watched a bad video game."

 

[BrianB]

No, I don't, which is why I posted to clarify your incorrect statement.

 

[Harminder]

Amir (HD-DVD insider) over at the AVS forum has confirmed that XBOX360 will decode Dolby TrueHD.

You can confirm it for yourself HERE.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I like the look of the add on HD-DVD player for the 360 but the tray should have been in the concave side like the 360 itself so the design would flow and the vents would match directions.

Is it gonna be a cool add-on? Looks like it.
Will I buy one? Nope. Reason being not only do I have an HD-A1 now, 2 weeks ago I sold my 360 and games because in the 7 months I have had the system, there have only been 3 games out of the entire lineup which are (IMO) even really worth playing: COD2, PGR3 and Oblivion. It seems to me that as next-gen gaming consoles evolve, the games devolve. They get prettier but less fun to play. It sucks that I waited so long to get a 360 only to turn around and sell it in disgust, but I made over $350 from the system and 2 games which helped to offset the cost of the HD-A1.

Back to topic, I know at least 3 people who are waiting for the HD-DVD add on so they won't have to drop $500 on an actual HD-DVD player.