• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

MS Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player: Who's getting it?

I purchased this today at Circuit City using the $40 off coupon :) I couldn't turn this down for $159.99! Now it's time to join Netflix.
 
3rdman said:
Hayami said:
what better material to try out your new HD player than a movie from the Stone Ages. I bet that mono audio sounds awesome on your Dolby 7.1, too.
Ingrid Bergman >>(insert a ridiculous number of "greater than" signs here)>>you

That looks like Casablanca...am I right...I didn't know that they were already releasing classics in the new format...good news if thats the case.
It is Casablanca, and it look and sound stellar.
There are quite a few classics released on HD-DVD already, Errol Flynn’s Adventure of Robin Hood looks amazing.
Spartacus on the other hand is not that great of a transfer, it’s still a great movie, but I’ll wait for a better version.

p.s.
Oh, and you’re missing some '>'s there.
Ridiculous doesn’t even start to cover it.
 
7 Performance

The only HD-DVD drive currently available capable of outputting full 1080p. Lack of HDMI causes incompatibility and cabling hassle.

8.5 Build Quality

A small Xbox 360 styled drive case seems well constructed.

8.5 Value

The $199.99 drive coupled with a $300 or $400 Xbox 360 puts the combination in relative competition with stand alone HD-DVD players.

7.5 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
http://gear.ign.com/articles/746/746074p2.html
 
Got the player, hooked it up to my 1280x720 native res. Sony A10....very, very happy.

The Amazon deal for HD-DVDs is awesome (not sure if it it has been mentioned, so to sum it up: buy any 3 HD-DVDs or BDs and get 1.) 10% off your purchase, as well as 2.) 10% off of any HD movie purchase for the next year.)

I ordered Batman Begins, Serenity, and Corpse Bride...$54 and change for the lot, should be here shortly (yay Amazon Prime 2nd day shipping!).

So far, the only flick I own is KK...looks great. Watching at 720p via component right now, but my VGA cable just arrived (now the 360 replaces my upscaling DVD player, while freeing up my single HDMI port for a ps3).

Question: Has anyone tested the Harmony 360 remote with the add-on? That could be my next purchase, if it works properly (xbox button calling down menu, etc etc etc).

edit: forgot to mention, the prices at Amazon for HD-DVDs are pretty much the best I could find (matching Target at $19.95 a pop), and with the 10% off, you end up spending around $18 a movie...better than a lot of non-sale standard DVDs.
 
8.5 Value

The $199.99 drive coupled with a $300 or $400 Xbox 360 puts the combination in relative competition with stand alone HD-DVD players.
Doesn't that value proposition also include a"free" next gen game console? As would a review of the PS3 as a Blu Ray player?
 
Stinkles said:
Doesn't that value proposition also include a"free" next gen game console? As would a review of the PS3 as a Blu Ray player?

As well as a blockbuster HD-DVD movie to try it out on...this review is questionable, IMHO.

for the price of a stand-alone player you get a player, a console, and a movie.

The lack of an HDMI port is unfortunate for the few who have 1080p TVs, but for anyone with a 720p or 1080i setup (much more common, I would think) this drive works very, very well as a way to jump right into HD movie watching.
 
Any word on if the Superman Returns HD DvD will be the two disc or one disc?

One disc, Two sided Combo.

Standard def (dual layer DVD 9) DVD version on one side (identical to standard DVD release, minus the extras)

HD-DVD dual layer 30GB on the other side (1080p with Dolby Digital+ and Dolby True HD lossless audio) with the film, and supposedly 3 hours of extras on the HD-DVD side (some extras in 1080p, some extras in 480p)

Should be quite a nice disc.
 
rc213 said:
Anyone purchased Full Metal Jacket? How is it in HD? =P
Certainly not the best HD-DVD out there (from PQ standpoint).
Far from it even.
But still, it’s the best version available to an absolute masterpiece.
 
racerx77 said:
I just upgraded my reciever..HTR-6090
http://http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=451765&CTID=5000400
1,000 dollar reciver for a mere 200 bones. :D
26374955_640.jpg

How? Where? I want.
 
Well, I think I'm gonna take the plunge on this. I guess Best Buy is telling everyone they can't sell it till 11/19? I saw some in their little video game "back room" this evening...curses! If they put 'em out Sunday I can still use the Reward Zone coupons I got in the mail that are good this weekend... The local Target also had 2-3 of 'em.

And I pre-ordered the three Superman HD DVDs that come out on the 28th at Amazon for the deal on an extra 10% off HD/Blu-Ray releases. I figure I'll have a PS3 at some point next year so that discount will come in handy.
 
Chichikov said:
Certainly not the best HD-DVD out there (from PQ standpoint).
Far from it even.
But still, it’s the best version available to an absolute masterpiece.


How is the audio on it? The DVD I have has horrible sound, very very low.
 
rc213 said:
How is the audio on it? The DVD I have has horrible sound, very very low.
The Collectors Edition (regular DVD) had one of the worst sound I’ve ever heard.
The HD-DVD is quite better, nothing spectacular, and yes, it is also pretty low.

Again, from a technical perspective it’s a pretty weak title.
 
Chichikov said:
The Collectors Edition (regular DVD) had one of the worst sound I’ve ever heard.
The HD-DVD is quite better, nothing spectacular, and yes, it is also pretty low.

Again, from a technical perspective it’s a pretty weak title.

Damn that's disappointing to hear, I was hoping they would do that movie right in HD. Maybe a double-dip will be coming down the pipe years down the line.
 
Chichikov said:
It is Casablanca, and it look and sound stellar.
There are quite a few classics released on HD-DVD already, Errol Flynn’s Adventure of Robin Hood looks amazing.
Spartacus on the other hand is not that great of a transfer, it’s still a great movie, but I’ll wait for a better version.

p.s.
Oh, and you’re missing some '>'s there.
Ridiculous doesn’t even start to cover it.


The Searchers is also a really amazing transfer for the age of the movie. My Casablanca shipped yesterday. all I need now is the player..... Rumoured to be delayed until Dec 1st in Europe now :/
 
Anyone have Goodfellas? I read somewhere that the PQ is just a marginal improvement over the 2DVD SE released last year.
 
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8901020&&#post8901020

Today BANDAI VISUAL announced the agreement with Memory-tech and Microsoft that they will use VC-1's to release animation in HD DVD worldwide.
Quote from Bandai Visual VP 前田明雄
“We are very happy to be a pioneer in the HD optical market and will team work with Microsoft and Memory-Tech to find the best compression technique for transfer. We hope the animation fans worldwide will enjoy the high quality content from us."


http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/d...61115/hddvd.htm
http://www.bandaivisual.co.jp/pdf/2006/pr061115.pdf

nice, finally some confirmation that anime is headed over...
 
It makes me happy that (as mentioned in the IGN review) MS acknowledged the issues with Sony TVs like my a2000, and are pursuing a 1080p solution. I don't know how much better native 1080p will look than scaled on the TV, but I'll welcome some new interface that allows DVD up-conversion as well.

Y'think MS will put out some sort of analog audio output that will allow us to send TrueHD to our receivers?
 
Apparently Amazon germany have cancelled all HD-DVD pre-orders, saying they won`t have any this year.

Europe FTL AGAIN!

(Please don`t cancel the Uk ones :( )
 
I skimmed the article early this morning, so I might have missed a couple things..

Did IGN just post a review of a player they couldn't get working propery? I realize it's not there fault it doesn't work, but why didn't they wait until they could properly test it. Did they mention the new audio formats? (or the lack there of in this case)
 
ChrisAllenFiz said:
Apparently Amazon germany have cancelled all HD-DVD pre-orders, saying they won`t have any this year.

Europe FTL AGAIN!

(Please don`t cancel the Uk ones :( )
I KNEW IT
****ING ****ERS
 
The coupon for $40 off does make thisx almost a no-brainer for me but the lack of ability to play DTS tracks without having them convert to Dolby Digital does concern me a great deal.
 
DTS should be converted to 640kbps Dolby Digital- the maximum rate. I agree though, I'd prefer to have native DTS support and an 5.1 or 6.1 analog out dongle for my receiver. Max rate for DTS is 1500kbps. However, Dolby claims that their algorithms are more efficient than DTS's.
 
dream said:
Anyone have Goodfellas? I read somewhere that the PQ is just a marginal improvement over the 2DVD SE released last year.


yep I agree with this... I was disappointed with GF.

Popped in batman Begins and all was right with the world again though.

One question...

anyone else getting any interference over the stock X360 Component cables? MY DVR HDMI connection is flawless but I have subtle wavy lines in the static bright areas of the screen with tthe HD DVD player over component.

I have moved the cables away from other power sources with little improvement and wonder if it's a waste to buy Monster 360 cable? Damned shame MS didn't make the component cables freely connecting to add your own cables to the multi-out. Could also be my TV's connectors I suppose.
 
ChrisAllenFiz said:
Apparently Amazon germany have cancelled all HD-DVD pre-orders, saying they won`t have any this year.

Europe FTL AGAIN!

(Please don`t cancel the Uk ones :( )

aargh! My preorder is with amazon UK. Too late for GAME etc.

Please let me have a bloody HDDVD player this year. I have about 20 discs to watch
 
Damn, this is in stock right now at my local Future Shop for $199 Canadian! However, I keep telling myself: "What's the point? I will eventually get a PS3 too."

I really hate dualing formats!
 
Klocker said:
dream said:
Anyone have Goodfellas? I read somewhere that the PQ is just a marginal improvement over the 2DVD SE released last year.
yep I agree with this... I was disappointed with GF.

Popped in batman Begins and all was right with the world again though.
I disagree.
It’s a solid transfer.
Sure, a movie like Goodfellas is not a prime candidate for the role of an extra crisp super detailed high-def showpiece like the CG crapfests of Superman’s ilk.
But it’s not its style.
 
Chichikov said:
I disagree.
It’s a solid transfer.
Sure, a movie like Goodfellas is not a prime candidate for the role of an extra crisp super detailed high-def showpiece like the CG crapfests of Superman’s ilk.
But it’s not its style.

I'll give it another look-see.... it is one of my favorite movies of all time anyway. :D


BTW... anybody else getting analog interference on the component inputs?
 
Klocker said:
BTW... anybody else getting analog interference on the component inputs?
Oh sorry, missed that part (talking about Scorsese >> talking about cables).
You’re saying you’re getting interference only when playing HD-DVDs?
That is pretty weird.
I didn’t do any EMI testing on the drive, but I’ll be extremely surprised if it’s something out of the range of what you can expect from your receiver, tv or console.
and anyway, unless you have a really crappy cables, they should be able to shield the signal well enough.
Make sure your cables (especially the connectors) are not damaged.

p.s.
Monster Cable is always a waste.
 
thanks Chichikov

AFAICT it's only noticeable in movies inc ertain scenes with little/no action.

I do not appear to be able to see it in games but it is visible in some menus when there is no motion on screen so maybe it's there from the 360 all the time? I'm using standard X360 component pack in cables so they are what they are. Is there any other way to use my own shielded cables? (besides Monster)

Ends are not damaged and tried both component inputs on my tv with exact same result even tried moving power connections to different surge suppressors.

It is a very faint wavy-ness that is not present on my TV from my DVR over HDMI.
 
Ordered mine last week from CircuitCity.com. It was supposed to be my Christmas present from my wife and 2 year old. I told them they could wrap it up and give it to me Christmas.

It arrived today and I was the only one home all day so I decided to open it and watch King Kong then repackage it before everyone got home.

As soon as I put the movie in, it was stuttering terribly. I went to scene selection and the menus were moving at like 2 fps, very slow and chugging along. I shut it off, rebooted, and it did the same thing. People at IGN suggested I clear my cache and try a regular DVD. I did that and put in Star Wars Episode III and it loaded up to the title screen and it played fine for about 20 seconds. Then I heard a click and then a bunch of red, blue, and green, squiggly lines appeared all over the screen and the unit powered down.... forever. Yep, it was a dud.

I guess I have to fess up to my wife now that I opened it this afternoon :D
 
Klocker said:
thanks Chichikov

AFAICT it's only noticeable in movies inc ertain scenes with little/no action.

I do not appear to be able to see it in games but it is visible in some menus when there is no motion on screen so maybe it's there from the 360 all the time? I'm using standard X360 component pack in cables so they are what they are. Is there any other way to use my own shielded cables? (besides Monster)

Ends are not damaged and tried both component inputs on my tv with exact same result even tried moving power connections to different surge suppressors.

It is a very faint wavy-ness that is not present on my TV from my DVR over HDMI.
From my experience the standard 360 component cables are good enough.
But I also experience no such problems.
 
mrklaw said:
my superman shipped today :)

Still no player until at least December 1st :(

Your Superman shipped? returns? Doesnt it hit Nov 28th.
 
I disagree.
It’s a solid transfer.
Sure, a movie like Goodfellas is not a prime candidate for the role of an extra crisp super detailed high-def showpiece like the CG crapfests of Superman’s ilk.

Would you say it's a marked improvement over the remastered DVD that came out last year, though?
 
what's going on in europe? somebody please think of europe!


SOME MS REP... ANSWER PLEASE. WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE 360 HD-DVD PLAYER IN EUROPE? PLEASE :(
 
dream said:
Would you say it's a marked improvement over the remastered DVD that came out last year, though?
Of course.
Even though the regular DVD version was great and AFAIK they used the same prints as source, there is no mistaking the two.
 
penguini said:
I purchased this today at Circuit City using the $40 off coupon :) I couldn't turn this down for $159.99! Now it's time to join Netflix.

I did the same thing today. Just too damn good of a deal to pass up.
Sold my PSP and picked this up instead.

Also got Batman Begins and V for Vendetta for $20 each. Good start for a new collection. Next up? Superman Returns.

Just a HELL of a deal. For $159 you get a $30 remote, a $30 movie (MSRP)... you end up getting a HD-DVD player for about $100.
 
For those of you curious about the HD-DVD directors cut of Miami Vice some details have started to surface. It's got 28 and 1/2 more footage than what was shown in the theaters. The Director Michael Mann apparently has highly tweaked the movie. The movie was shot with digital HD cameras.


From "Hollywood Elsewhere".


""For those who had issues with Michael Mann's Miami Vice, or who so loved the fumes of it (like me) that it felt like perfecly calibrated adult escapism by way of a bad-ass drug-dealing movie, there's an Unrated Director's Cut coming on 12/5/06 that definitely a different deal than what played last summer in theatres.

How is it different exactly? I talked about it with a couple of Univeral Home Video publicists today and it's a little hard to describe, but I'll give it a shot. What it boils down to is that 7 minutes of never-before-seen extra footage have been added. Or maybe 9 minutes. It depends how you define the word "minutes." But a lot of stuff has also been re-edited and/or shortened or recalculated -- about 19 minutes worth, the publicists said. So if you add it up it's got about 28 and 1/2 minutes of fresh stuff...in a sense. Or, if you want to be a hard-ass about it, 7 minutes worth with some editorial reshuffling thrown in.

Put it this way: Mann obviously knew that the theatrical vesion didn't work all that well with Average Joes, or not well enough, so he gave it another shot and what came out is a different movie, to some extent. It starts with a boat chase instead of a nightclub scene, for one thing. I was hoping there'd be more footage of Gong Li naked, but the publicists disabused me of that dream. Thanks, Michael...thanks a lot. ""

Link to Hollywood Elsewhere
 
Got mine yesterday and can't wait to get home to try it. Used the wonderful CC coupon and the great Amazon deal to snag BB, Corpse Bride and V for V. Now I can't wait to see Miami Vice and Superman Returns. Am I right in thinking it's just Paramount, Universal and Warner at this point? I would have thought they would have done Elf along with Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation.

Also I do recall the Kill Bills being shown earlier this year when they were debuting the two formats. Anyone remember if it was for BR or HD?
 
Top Bottom