E3 2006: Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive info

360 News | Details of HD-DVD add on released on xbox.com.

Microsoft have updated the Xbox website with some info on how the HD-DVD add on for the Xbox 360 will work. they also use the article to outline why they have chosen HD-DVD over Blu-Ray, and why they think the format is the better one. While previously Microsoft have hinted at somehow allowing an HDMI interface (even though the 360 console does not have the connection itself), it seems from the article that this idea may have been dropped. The drive will connect to the Xbox 360 console via USB, and according to the article uses the existing outputs of the 360 for picture and sound. It didn't rule out HDMI either, so we'll have to hear Microsoft's word on it at their pre-E3 press conference for confirmation of the technical details.

What may be of most interest to consumers though, is the hint that the add on will be quite cheap - and with HD-DVD players costing US$500+ at the moment (and Blu-ray rumoured to start at US$1000), and Xbox 360 with the add on may soon be the cheapest way to get HD movies onto your HDTV. More on this story in about 24 hours, when Microsoft will spill the beans (probably making an awful mess).

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6 Comments

k1dcharm

6 years ago

Add-on never sell well for consoles. Besides, 360 + HD-DVD may cost just as much as PS3 20GB or maybe sightly more.

admeister

6 years ago

Maybe, why don't they like Blu-Ray?

ObsoletE

6 years ago

because it's a sony.

and because neither have been accepted totally by the film industry (afaik), so they basically hedged their bets and waited to see what the wider community would use.

Sony, of course, did their own thing. just like they did with Memory Sticks, UMD.

Jellyfish

6 years ago

^ Because it's pretty much a rip-off for consumers.

Xbox.com wrote

Xbox.com">HD DVD also offers new "twin discs" that have an HD DVD version and a DVD version on the same disc. This gives consumers an easy and affordable way to build their movie collection that will take full advantage of every TV in the house—whether it's the HDTV and new HD DVD player in the living room, or standard def TV and DVD player in another room, car, or even PCs and laptops.

Blu-ray's option is to require consumers to buy two discs at full price, an HD version and the standard DVD version separately.

Counting in the cost of Blu-Ray discs PS3 games can be $150 per basic game, and considering that Sony are in money troubles they're going to want as my money from royalities as possible.

Jag

6 years ago

hell no im not paying 150 bucks for a game damm. o dont mind if for a while they have hig prices too cover expenses and then have a price collaspe for the games and the concsole its slef

ZNMS

6 years ago

When it came to purchasing my own Xbox, it was all about playing Halo, listening to music and watching DVD movies. Sure, having to buy the Xbox DVD remote didn't seem right at the time. But, the add-on was easy to setup, worked instantly and never created any problems.

If this add-on is quite similar to the previous in the past, then there shouldn't be much trouble.

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