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MS to work with Toshiba on HDDVD
- Thread starter bloke
- Start date
Myoclonic Jerk
Member
Sony = Blue-ray
MS = HD DVD
interesting
now all they need is to include HD DVD on X360
MS = HD DVD
interesting
now all they need is to include HD DVD on X360
monkeymagic
Banned
almokla said:
Sony = Blu-Ray
SCEI = Blu-Ray
Microsoft PC = HD-DVD
Microsoft Home Entertainment = DVD
Sub $1000 HD-DVD players are scheduled for Q4 2005/Q1 2006, too late and too expensive for X360 especially considering MS won't be able to obtain the optical pick-ups and licences at a cost effective price (since they have no manufacturing capability and little to no share of the HD-DVD IP)
Pudding Tame
Member
monkeymagic said:
Yeah, I'm still shocked the the HD-DVD group aren't basically giving them away to Microsoft to counter-act the Sony BRD install advantage they'll have with the PS3.
Myoclonic Jerk
Member
there's always the possibility of an Xthreesixty
monkeymagic
Banned
Pudding Tame said:
Having read comments from both Allard and Balmer, it appears MS just don't consider next generation DVD to be important to consumers (for movies or games) within the lifetime of X360.
Don't forget X360 already supports WMVHD on DVD-9 which is essentially Microsoft's own HD disc format.
DCharlie
And even i am moderately surprised
yes, and 6 months later, Bluray is going to be perfectly affordable for PS3...
Cost Effective? Microsoft? err... do they even care?
It certainly doesn't seem to bother Sony, why would it bother MS?
(although i'm playing devils advocate here, i don't expect to see HDDVD in the X360)
Myoclonic Jerk
Member
I really want to see HD-DVD on X360
VictimOfGrief
Banned
HD X360. *Drool*
monkeymagic
Banned
DCharlie said:
Since when do MS care about cost effectiveness? Silly (rhetorical) question
No need to play Devil's Advocate in this case since it's a useless debate - HD-DVD won't be in X360.
Myoclonic Jerk
Member
I think MS should atleast leave an option to upgrade the X360 with a newer drive that reads HD-DVD or Blue-ray
Xbox 360 Might Incorporate HD DVD Drive:
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8591/Xbox-360-Might-Incorporate-HD-DVD-Drive/
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8591/Xbox-360-Might-Incorporate-HD-DVD-Drive/
Hiro_Kunimi_80
Member
a "multimedia version" one year later with bigger hd, full tivo function, HDdrive and similar.. not too impossibilehadareud said:
The only way they'll do that is if next-gen dvd becomes a reasonably significant factor in consumer decision making with regard to next gen consoles. It'd be very reactionary, would have no impact on games, and AFAIK you wouldn't be able to upgrade previous X360 buyers, so I think it's something they're hoping won't happen.
sonycowboy
Member
hadareud said:
Thus reinforcing Microsoft's agenda of gaming on a "reference" platform. There is a minimum set configuration, but after that, it can be customized to a particular target group. XNA is the reference for the software of course,
Does anyone remember how Microsoft tried to come up with a "rating" scheme for Windows Gaming compatability. A '1' was the bare minimum, a '5' was a "good" system, and a '10' was the "blazing" system. (NOTE: The numbers are most assuredly off).
This way a software publisher could state that the game required a minimum of a '7' system to play as opposed to listing the CPU, GPU, memory, controller, Windows OS version, etc that was required. I don't think that actually went anywhere.
----------------------
Back on topic, though, we've known FOREVER that Microsoft would be supported the HD-DVD "OS" software, but no big deal was really made about it. Blu-Ray will use a Linux / Java platform.
MS isn't going to champion HD-DVD or BRD. They'll make $$$ on both and watch the chips fall where they fall.
why is it so difficult to understand the obvious...
in 2005/2006 dvd is mainstream, WIDELY popular, cost-effective, etc... a no brainer unless you have a vested interest in BRD or HD-DVD.
xbox360 mandates 720p or 1080i games delivered via DVD-9
in a couple of years when the "holy format wars" end and consumer choices are plentiful, MS releases another xbox360 revision - one that PLAYS HD-DVD (or BRD) while GAMES STILL appear on DVD-9. Maybe it will have a new HDCP-enabled HDMI v2 port - or whatever new flavor of the day. Media Center connectivity enhancements.
Not very complicated or big a deal.
why is it so difficult to understand the obvious...
in 2005/2006 dvd is mainstream, WIDELY popular, cost-effective, etc... a no brainer unless you have a vested interest in BRD or HD-DVD.
xbox360 mandates 720p or 1080i games delivered via DVD-9
in a couple of years when the "holy format wars" end and consumer choices are plentiful, MS releases another xbox360 revision - one that PLAYS HD-DVD (or BRD) while GAMES STILL appear on DVD-9. Maybe it will have a new HDCP-enabled HDMI v2 port - or whatever new flavor of the day. Media Center connectivity enhancements.
Not very complicated or big a deal.
Source
Couldn't see it posted elsewhere, seems Toshiba have "Confirmed" that the Xbox 360 will have HD-DVD from the off?
It'll be interesting over the coming days to see if this turns out to be true, as opposed to the Gates comment of "future iterations of 360 might have HD-DVD".
Related news as well, a load of HD-DVD's have been announced for release in the fall:
http://www.dvdtown.com/article/hd-dvdupdateandlistoftitles/1582/
I imagine something like Batman Begins and the Matrix trilogy would look a bit special. Not sure how older films will fare with the jump up. Whether I want to rebuy my favorites on HD-DVD is another matter as well, not to mention (I presume) they can't be used anywhere else, i.e. non HD-DVD players.
I'd like to think that MS will include HD-DVD, if it doesn't effect their intended selling point, it's a win/win for the consumer in that they have something extra, and don't lose any original functionality. On the other hand it'd be a dead cert hardcore format war...
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
I bet Microsoft makes this jump, if Toshiba can supply enough, I think it'll be a go
This makes perfect sense for MS. The only reason they even got into the console race was to stop Sony from becoming an all in one household entertainment hub which PS3 seems to quantify. If they let Sony have the only console that supports Hi-Def DVD playback the PS3 will be purchased in droves as a cheap HDMP just like the PS2 was for its DVD capabilities. If MS doesn't meet sony head-on in being the standard HD-Movie device in the home then they might as well except PS3 as the number 1 home multimedia device which is the last thing they want to happen.
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
Hotsuma said:
Could have already been in the plans, *shrugs*
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
Shaheed79 said:
Basics, HD-DVD is going to be showing up in a big way this year, this will be the trojan horse and Toshiba needs something to hitch on. This seems like a perfect marriage
Hotsuma said:
Yeah but if they have to they need to push back the release of 360 to include HD-MP. A six month head-start on Sony will not even matter if PS3 is considered to have High-Def graphics technology AND high-def movie playback. Most people will just wait to get the most bang for their buck because lets face Sony will have the games no matter what. The only thing holding PS3 back from totally dominating next-gen if 360 occludes HDMP is the lack of a internal massive storage device.
Doom_Bringer
Banned
What don't they want to use Blu-Ray? So if they go ahead and use Hd-dvd the two consoles will be fighting the format wars for the next five years and some movies will be offered in blu-ray and others in hd-dvd. This would be really bad for the consumers.
couldn't ms manufacture and sell xbox 360 boards to third parties at "cost"? Then Toshiba, Samsung etc. could rebrand it and add whatever extra functionality they want (probably using some sort of Xbox 360 "plugin" API and release at a premium cost? MS would still make money back from licensing , live etc. through these machines. Something to think about..
It would be stupid to make an add on HD DVD drive for xbox 360, it would fail hard and be out too late. Plus MS couldn't exactly decide to suddenly make HD-DVD games screwing over all the current Xbox 360 owners. On the other hand it is very ironic for MS to spout Xbox 360 as a HD machine but not put in a next generation HD disc format. I doubt they wanna have a Sony BRD drive in their machine and HD-DVD is the only choice left at that. As stupid of a format war it's gonna be at this point HD-DVD needs MS more then MS needs it. I really just want a clear cut winner between HD-DVD and BRD and want it quick or they will just piss off the consumers and neither will win. As of right now it looks like it will be BRD, unless MS pulls a fast one this close to launch and has HD-DVD. At this point that's pretty much a no, I believe they already shut down Xbox plants and are gearing them up for Xbox 360 production.
"Isn't it too late to make such a change to the console and still make their holiday 05 launch?"
They haven't yet started production of the final hardware so no. They're just now getting out beta kits, but I just don't see it happening. They seem keen on not taking the same amount of losses on hardware this time around, and putting HD-DVD in the 360, with all the other things they have in it, would just put them back to square one.
"It would be stupid to make an add on HD DVD drive for xbox 360, it would fail hard and be out too late. Plus MS couldn't exactly decide to suddenly make HD-DVD games screwing over all the current Xbox 360 owners."
Why would it be stupid? It's not like a game-system add on. It would just be for those folks who want to play HD-DVD's and not spend $1000 on a player. Besides they could also release a version of the 360 at a higher price with HD-DVD capabilities, instead of an add-on, and as long as games are still on DVD-9's it wouldn't be screwing over anybody.
That's like saying releasing Xbox Live for the Xbox is in add-on. Or releasing a light-gun. Or even better, the original Xbox remote. They're just extras or peripherals that are not required. They wouldn't be releasing HD-DVD for gaming, just for movies.
They haven't yet started production of the final hardware so no. They're just now getting out beta kits, but I just don't see it happening. They seem keen on not taking the same amount of losses on hardware this time around, and putting HD-DVD in the 360, with all the other things they have in it, would just put them back to square one.
"It would be stupid to make an add on HD DVD drive for xbox 360, it would fail hard and be out too late. Plus MS couldn't exactly decide to suddenly make HD-DVD games screwing over all the current Xbox 360 owners."
Why would it be stupid? It's not like a game-system add on. It would just be for those folks who want to play HD-DVD's and not spend $1000 on a player. Besides they could also release a version of the 360 at a higher price with HD-DVD capabilities, instead of an add-on, and as long as games are still on DVD-9's it wouldn't be screwing over anybody.
That's like saying releasing Xbox Live for the Xbox is in add-on. Or releasing a light-gun. Or even better, the original Xbox remote. They're just extras or peripherals that are not required. They wouldn't be releasing HD-DVD for gaming, just for movies.
jimbo said:
And it worked so well for the PSX and the upgraded Gamecube with DVD player? People want it built in the system at launch, they don't want to buy something more expensive or add on anything. The only way incorporating HD-DVD into the xbox 360 will help either MS or HD-DVD is if its built in at launch. Otherwise it will be pointless, especially with the competing format already built into the PS3.
AltogetherAndrews
Member
ATi vs nvidia, MS vs Sony, HDDVD vs Blu-Ray... suit up people, we'll be wading in PR feces for the next year.
How would they release an add-on? There is no way the drive could be changed, since you can't open the case, so there is no way to change drives. And I can't see them releasing an external drive...PG2G said:
I think its pretty obvious that there is no HD-format for at least the first shipment of x360s. Everything seems to indicate that they will see whos winning the format war and then they *might* incorporate it into x360. So we may end up with Blu-ray in x360.
They could always use a similar mechanism for the optical drive. I doubt they will though.How do you not see the possibility of an external drive? Really, what's so impossible about it? If they find that games aren't fitting on one or two DVDs and they need to move to a higher capacity disc to support new games, I really don't see what's so bad about packaging an HD drive add-on with a game like how Sony did the hard drive add-on with FFXI. Sure, the hard drive failed, but other thing's like the N64 rumble pack, for instance, have succeeded as add-ons.
And if the PS3 and Xbox are the same price, I can assure you that they will practically give away the HD-DVD add-on (or Blu-Ray for that matter), so I really don't think you'll hear people griping about how they have to pay for an expensive upgrade just to match another machine of the same price.
And if the PS3 and Xbox are the same price, I can assure you that they will practically give away the HD-DVD add-on (or Blu-Ray for that matter), so I really don't think you'll hear people griping about how they have to pay for an expensive upgrade just to match another machine of the same price.
jimbo said:
It could very well be possible that Toshiba is willing to absorb the additional cost in an effort to get their drives in something they expect to be a success, building demand for their drives in the future, and giving them a strong foothold to compete against Sony.
If Microsoft didn't have to bite the cost for the upgrade, obviously they'd not argue with including the drives.
open_mouth_
insert_foot_
It'd be awesome if Micrsoft and Toshiba found a way to get the HD drives in the Xbox 360 from the onset and keep the cost of the console at $349 or less. Microsoft should then try to recoup the extra costs by charging for an "unlocker" that opens up the HD drive to play HD movies for $40 or $50 bucks for those that want that kind of thing. For the movies to work, you would *have* to have the HDMI plugged in for security purposes.
For games, component or HDMI would work. This way, Microsoft would get back ~$389 or so for their console (minus distribution costs) and be able to include an HD drive for games and movies. If the HD drives were in the Xbox 360, it'd give Toshiba a HUGE advantage in the next-gen DVD wars since there's be millions of 360's out worldwide before the PS3 was even released.
For games, component or HDMI would work. This way, Microsoft would get back ~$389 or so for their console (minus distribution costs) and be able to include an HD drive for games and movies. If the HD drives were in the Xbox 360, it'd give Toshiba a HUGE advantage in the next-gen DVD wars since there's be millions of 360's out worldwide before the PS3 was even released.