XBOX 360 HD DVD drive: $199.99 for the US

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: RichUK
To be fair, i should have thought before posting. Because that is the perfect answer. I also read the article which stated that too.

I own a HDTV, so it would have been nice if my 360 supported this from the beginning, I just don?t like the idea of the add on. On the other hand I don?t think I would have been too partial to the extra hike in cost.

But there's a choice. If you want it, you can get it. If you don't, let it be. Not everyone buys a console to watch movies. I don't know many people that have a PS2 and use it as a DVD player.

I thought one of the major benefits with HD-DVD was the extra disk capacity it could offer games. Remember that GTA SA used a dual layer DVD, if the PS2 didn?t offer DVD support, this game wouldn't have been possible on one DVD disk.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: intogamer
$399 + $199 = $598

Holy crap he can add!

zOMG

so its going to be around the same price as the PS3 if you opt a HD Drive

thats greatg. but i don't need another dvd player.

not to mention if i am spending $200 on a DVD HD i will wait until one is cheap enough for my main center.

 

[Goosemaster]

Now I heard that the hd-dvd drive will supprot 1080p like everyone else, but I also heard, probably incorrectly, that the xbox 360 will make some 1080p games...any truth to that?

 

[swtethan]

Originally posted by: RichUK

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: RichUK
To be fair, i should have thought before posting. Because that is the perfect answer. I also read the article which stated that too.

I own a HDTV, so it would have been nice if my 360 supported this from the beginning, I just don?t like the idea of the add on. On the other hand I don?t think I would have been too partial to the extra hike in cost.

But there's a choice. If you want it, you can get it. If you don't, let it be. Not everyone buys a console to watch movies. I don't know many people that have a PS2 and use it as a DVD player.

I thought one of the major benefits with HD-DVD was the extra disk capacity it could offer games. Remember that GTA SA used a dual layer DVD, if the PS2 didn?t offer DVD support, this game wouldn't have been possible on one DVD disk.

i remember when GTA was on 2 disks!

 

[swtethan]

Originally posted by: RichUK

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: RichUK
To be fair, i should have thought before posting. Because that is the perfect answer. I also read the article which stated that too.

I own a HDTV, so it would have been nice if my 360 supported this from the beginning, I just don?t like the idea of the add on. On the other hand I don?t think I would have been too partial to the extra hike in cost.

But there's a choice. If you want it, you can get it. If you don't, let it be. Not everyone buys a console to watch movies. I don't know many people that have a PS2 and use it as a DVD player.

I thought one of the major benefits with HD-DVD was the extra disk capacity it could offer games. Remember that GTA SA used a dual layer DVD, if the PS2 didn?t offer DVD support, this game wouldn't have been possible on one DVD disk.

i remember when GTA was on 2 disks!

 

[RichUK]

nm

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: RichUK

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: RichUK
To be fair, i should have thought before posting. Because that is the perfect answer. I also read the article which stated that too.

I own a HDTV, so it would have been nice if my 360 supported this from the beginning, I just don?t like the idea of the add on. On the other hand I don?t think I would have been too partial to the extra hike in cost.

But there's a choice. If you want it, you can get it. If you don't, let it be. Not everyone buys a console to watch movies. I don't know many people that have a PS2 and use it as a DVD player.

I thought one of the major benefits with HD-DVD was the extra disk capacity it could offer games. Remember that GTA SA used a dual layer DVD, if the PS2 didn?t offer DVD support, this game wouldn't have been possible on one DVD disk.

That's a tossup between cost and benefits... the extra disc space would mostly be used for FMV. Most games will easily fit on a DVD-9 without oodles of FMV. For the few that need more than 9 GB, multiple discs is an option.

Look at the GameCube - it had 1.5 GB discs and still only had a few multi-disc games.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
Now I heard that the hd-dvd drive will supprot 1080p like everyone else, but I also heard, probably incorrectly, that the xbox 360 will make some 1080p games...any truth to that?

The 360 now upscales dvd's to 1080p, not sure about games. Microsoft has said time and time ago that games are only coming on DVD though, HD-DVD drive is purely for movies

edit: 1080p are now supported-
http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/s...talks-360-1080p-game-output-201816.php

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Yup.
HDTV penetration is apparently 15% in the US (according to an interview with the US head of Nintendo on ABC).
Seems really stupid to make people in the other 85% pay for for a console which has a feature they can't use (HD-DVD playback), and 1 year ago it wasn't such an obvious move to make, since there is what, 1 or 2 of each type of player (HD-DVD and BluRay) on the market now, so a year ago when there were 1 or 0, adding an HD-DVD drive to the 360 wouldn't have been helpful, and might have delayed it, as well as adding even more cost (since MS would have been an early adopter and paid even more at the start than Sony will do 1 year on when they launch the PS3)

HD adoption is ramping up exponetially. It's on pace with the DVD in terms of growth.

Everybody wants HD now. Probably another smart move by microsoft. They want to be THE entertainment machine.

 

[arod]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: RichUK
Why couldn't MS just incorporate this into the 360 from the beginning. :disgust:

Um, maybe because the system would have cost a lot more money, and now the consumers have the choice of whether or not they want to pay for it?

The real reason is the console wouldnt have had its year start and microsoft was VERY smart getting to market a year earlier and getting an installed base of 5 mil as of this summer and nearly 10 mil by the time wii/ps3 launch. Blue Lasers are the reason the ps3 has been delayed as long as it has been and it would be just as bad had they included it in the system.

 

[NFS4]

n/t

 

[0roo0roo]

atleast you get a remote. using a gamepad is just lame. or does sony include a remote. i kinda doubt it. how much do u think they would charge for one...30?

and well, its the choice. most people don't want either for now. so the only way to save money is to go 360

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
Now I heard that the hd-dvd drive will supprot 1080p like everyone else, but I also heard, probably incorrectly, that the xbox 360 will make some 1080p games...any truth to that?

yup, upconvert to 1080p like how the old xbox did 720p? same thing sony is doing with the ps3 apparently.

Originally posted by: arod

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: RichUK
Why couldn't MS just incorporate this into the 360 from the beginning. :disgust:

Um, maybe because the system would have cost a lot more money, and now the consumers have the choice of whether or not they want to pay for it?

The real reason is the console wouldnt have had its year start and microsoft was VERY smart getting to market a year earlier and getting an installed base of 5 mil as of this summer and nearly 10 mil by the time wii/ps3 launch. Blue Lasers are the reason the ps3 has been delayed as long as it has been and it would be just as bad had they included it in the system.

yea they certainly weren't taking so long because of some uber graphics power chip or whatever. it was all their bluray nonsense.
look at the low res textures and other ickyness in these screenshots
http://ruliweb.dreamwiz.com/data/rulinews/read.htm?page=&num=14981&find=&ftext=

 

[Powermoloch]

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: intogamer
$399 + $199 = $598

Holy crap he can add!

zOMG

so its going to be around the same price as the PS3 if you opt a HD Drive

Or you have an option to have a HD-DVD drive.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: intogamer
But then when you want to upgrade to HD DVD.... your DL DVDs won't be as good as HD DVD games

The HD-DVD drive is not being used for games. Movies only.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
atleast you get a remote. using a gamepad is just lame. or does sony include a remote. i kinda doubt it. how much do u think they would charge for one...30?

and well, its the choice. most people don't want either for now. so the only way to save money is to go 360

Probably. The remote that is being bundled with the HD-DVD drive is $30. Throw in another $25-$30 or so for the HD-DVD version of King Kong.

 

[yllus]

Choice is always a safe strategy; Microsoft did good on making this an optional component.

I'll probably opt in and get the drive in a little while. Going to see how the HD-DVD library of titles firms up first. According to Microsoft, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers and Studio Canale are in the HD-DVD camp. Warner put out 50% of the top movies of the last year. They should be ready to rock.

 

[Staples]

The $500 PS3 is still a better value.

But I have an Xbox 360 so I'd be more inclined to buy one of these if I were to buy next gen video player.

I like how they are including a movie with it. That was a good move. I knew that it would be $200 but I was not expecting them to pack in a movie. I expected it to be nothing but the drive for $200 (which a rip off since Japan gets it for $160).

This thing outputs 1080p which is very cool too. The $600 is cheaper than a stand alone one that can output 1080p.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: yllus
Choice is always a safe strategy; Microsoft did good on making this an optional component.

I'll probably opt in and get the drive in a little while. Going to see how the HD-DVD library of titles firms up first. According to Microsoft, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers and Studio Canale are in the HD-DVD camp. Warner put out 50% of the top movies of the last year. They should be ready to rock.

I think there is something like 87 HD-DVD titles out now with 150 or so planned by the end of the year.

 

[destrekor]

Staples is right. With the $500 model of the PS3 now apparently having HDMI v1.3, it's a better value (well equal with the cheap model of x360, of which the cheap PS3 actually seems to tie if not beat in terms of feature value, since HDMI is present as is a 20gb HDD).
another thing... x360 will NOT support any movie that uses copy protection on their HD-DVD's, since only component out is available for high-def viewing. with HDMI, that's not an issue with PS3. Microsoft's defense is that most of the [first] movies from the major studios will NOT use the copy protection methods, thus allowing HD over component videos.

another thing: Microsoft never supported Blu-Ray, because currently Microsoft and Intel, at least for the last year, have openly supported and backed HD-DVD, especially since the codec currently being used for HD-DVD is based off the WMV9 HD format.

 

[intogamer]

Sony may possibly do more price drops? Nothing is final with them yet :roll:

Unless Xbox 360 drops the suspected $100 and a $99-$149 Drive would sound better

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: intogamer
$399 + $199 = $598

The fact is the 360 is a sunk cost and with the 360 you get to CHOOSE whether or not you want to be part of the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray battle.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Yup.
HDTV penetration is apparently 15% in the US (according to an interview with the US head of Nintendo on ABC).
Seems really stupid to make people in the other 85% pay for for a console which has a feature they can't use (HD-DVD playback), and 1 year ago it wasn't such an obvious move to make, since there is what, 1 or 2 of each type of player (HD-DVD and BluRay) on the market now, so a year ago when there were 1 or 0, adding an HD-DVD drive to the 360 wouldn't have been helpful, and might have delayed it, as well as adding even more cost (since MS would have been an early adopter and paid even more at the start than Sony will do 1 year on when they launch the PS3)

HD adoption is ramping up exponetially. It's on pace with the DVD in terms of growth.

Everybody wants HD now. Probably another smart move by microsoft. They want to be THE entertainment machine.

In 3 years I think HDTVs will be far more common, probably over 50%. But in 3 years Microsoft will be anouncing the Xbox 720.

When I can get a decent HDTV for $200-300 I'll buy one.

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
yup, upconvert to 1080p like how the old xbox did 720p? same thing sony is doing with the ps3 apparently.

I thought PS3 would do 1080p natively in games, no upconverting?

Originally posted by: Powermoloch

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: intogamer
$399 + $199 = $598

Holy crap he can add!

zOMG

so its going to be around the same price as the PS3 if you opt a HD Drive

Or you have an option to have a HD-DVD drive.

Yes, and you can get a 360 for below retail now. It'll be a while before you can get a PS3 for $600 without a great deal of luck.

Originally posted by: destrekor
x360 will NOT support any movie that uses copy protection on their HD-DVD's, since only component out is available for high-def viewing. with HDMI, that's not an issue with PS3. Microsoft's defense is that most of the [first] movies from the major studios will NOT use the copy protection methods, thus allowing HD over component videos.

But the HDCP flag will not be used until 2012, correct? By then nobody will be thinking about using their Xbox 360 as a HD-DVD player.
Edit 2010 at least.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: intogamer
Sony may possibly do more price drops? Nothing is final with them yet :roll:

Even the specs aren't final yet. Have they started making them even? I hope they fixed that overheating problem they had at the TGS.

 

[intogamer]

I'm just saying that it will be par to par with the Drive