X360 HD-DVD to use USB

[Titanio]

Maybe they would if they plan on integrating a HD-DVD drive into the Xbox360 sooner or later anyway... Perhaps this add-on drive should be looked at, as a cunning move to simply make a presence and not let PS3 have any sort of advantage, even if the cost is an add-on that won't be usuable after a few years.

I think after all is said and done, it would be suicidal for the add-on to rely on no ICT adoption. The media, everyone, would pretty quickly pick up on the potential (functionally crippling) obsolescence of the add-on in the near future and simply avoid it like the plague. There's already trepidation out there among consumers, regarding HD and particularly the new disc formats, it wouldn't take much to scare them away altogether. I don't think it'd help HD-DVD at all, either.

I'm pretty sure they've come up with something smarter than that.

 

[Gubbi]

I'm guessing we'll never see ICT in action.

The PR fall-out af angering the, by now, huge contingent of people with HD-ready TV sets that lack HDCP enabled inputs would probably deter the studios.

Plus the risk of getting into a legal battle in the parts of the world that still has some remnants of consumer protection legislation in place (mostly here in Europe).

Cheers

 

[Titanio]

The PR fall-out af angering the, by now, huge contingent of people with HD-ready TV sets that lack HDCP enabled inputs would probably deter the studios.

If you're referring to the "HD Ready" initiative, I was sure that it required TVs carrying the label to be HDCP compliant..?

 

[London Geezer]

If you're referring to the "HD Ready" initiative, I was sure that it required TVs carrying the label to be HDCP compliant..?

In Europe/UK, HD-Ready means the TV comes with HDMI or at least DVI-HDCP.

It's the US that's the problem. There, HDTVs have been sold for years without HDMI or DVI-HDCP, and they're in the millions now.

 

[Titanio]

In Europe/UK, HD-Ready means the TV comes with HDMI or at least DVI-HDCP.

It's the US that's the problem. There, HDTVs have been sold for years without HDMI or DVI-HDCP, and they're in the millions now.

True, but that's old news so to speak..

 

[NavNucST3]

Really? Is there are a story on that somewhere?

I know many studios had talked about not using it, immediately at least, but HD-DVD's biggest supporters, Warner & Universal, have or had been the most ardent proponents of ICT.

Either way, 2009 isn't very long away..it'd be ridiculous to release something that could only guarantee to offer HD-out until then.

I'm curious now to see how it'll work, though. I don't think MS would rely on uncertain adoption of ICT.

Actually, I believe our dates in the states are until 2010. Whether it works or not after that might be irrelevant seeing as its an add-on for a game console. I'm not sure what MSFT plans on the shelf life of the 360 being, but that would still put the optional ICT inclusion at the end of the products life or near its EOL. At which point the "better" stand-alones should be ultra cheap and should actually implement all of the HD-DVD features we have heard about.

Also, IIRC only TW was interested in implementing ICT.

 

[Gubbi]

If you're referring to the "HD Ready" initiative, I was sure that it required TVs carrying the label to be HDCP compliant..?

That may be. But tonnes of sets are still sold with HD specs that don't have HDMI or HDCP capability. Penalising consumers for not knowing that their set lacked a particular input port when they bought it is not going to go over well with consumers... Or legislators.

Cheers

 

[one]

Maybe they upscale it to 720p with the upscaler.

 

[Titanio]

That may be. But tonnes of sets are still sold with HD specs that don't have HDMI or HDCP capability. Penalising consumers for not knowing that their set lacked a particular input port when they bought it is not going to go over well with consumers... Or legislators.

They can still claim they're providing higher definition to such consumers, though..

I don't want to get into an argument about ICT and its merits and demerits, except to say that I would hope MS would provide a more comprehensive solution. I think it'd be risky for them to do otherwise.

 

[Acert93]

They act as if the only thing Blu-Ray can tell you do to is buy 2 discs are 2x the price, which is not the only option. If BR discs are sold and studios and retailers feel DVD is important to make the BR sale, BR discs could be sold with a second DVD in the same jewel case for a small difference in price.

BIG difference.

Your idea: Give consumers 1 movie in 2 formats on 2 disks.

Their idea: Give consumers 1 movie in 2 formats on 1 disk.

With your idea everyone and their mom will be taking the second disk and giving it away as a gift, sell it on ebay, or whatnot. I don't think this would be a positive for sales. e.g. I buy whatever new crap movie the studios release this fall, I keep the Blu Ray version for myself and give my dad the DVD version so he can save $20. Seeing as DVDs are still the bread and butter this would be a negative.

 

[Gubbi]

They can still claim they're providing higher definition to such consumers, though..

Eh? if all consumers get is upscaled 480p content when watching movies, then the studios can't possibly claim HD.

In particular when people can watch the World Cup (and what not) in HD through their set top box on the exact same set.

Cheers

 

[Titanio]

Eh? if all consumers get is upscaled 480p content when watching movies, then the studios can't possibly claim HD.

Not HD, but higher definition than SD. Constrained resolution would still be 50% more than regular DVD. You can still argue they're being penalised versus other consumers, though.

 

[London Geezer]

Not HD, but higher definition than SD. Constrained resolution would still be 50% more than regular DVD. You can still argue they're being penalised versus other consumers, though.

Well, buying a HDDVD drive to watch less than half the resolution of HDDVD doesn't sound to hot... Might as well stick to upscaling DVD players, like the one X360 has anyway.

 

[NavNucST3]

Not HD, but higher definition than SD. Constrained resolution would still be 50% more than regular DVD. You can still argue they're being penalised versus other consumers, though.

The issue is not about higher than SD, we are talking about consumers that HAVE HD sets yet only have analog inputs or non-HDCP, like my living room TV. So we already have ED from our DVD players, if ICT is implemented we either get the same 480p we already had or 960 x 540. But again, we have all been over this numerous times in numerous threads. I still don't think its a big deal if ICT is implemented in the last half year of the 360s existence, from a movie playing perspective. I'm sure one of the E3s will announce streaming HD DVD from your Vista media center box to the 360, if one is so inclined to do that.

 

[expletive]

SPIEGEL ONLINE: But the 360 doesn't have an HDMI-Interface -- so you won't actually be able to watch any HD DVD Movies on it because the obligatory copy protection mechanisms are missing.

Lewis: All I can say to you is -- there are interesting developments in the pipeline. We will make sure that the HD-DVD-peripheral device will meet all the requirements for consumers to enjoy high-definition DVD playback.

I wonder if he also means the HD audio portions of these discs. Without HDMI they would need to provide 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs. I cant see any way for them to get around this without HDMI.

In the end, you have to believe MS planned this solution WELL before they shipped the first 360 so i dont think they've painted themselves into a corner and are now trying to find the least onerous solution. This may be the most interesting bit of news tomorrow at their PC.

Well, buying a HDDVD drive to watch less than half the resolution of HDDVD doesn't sound to hot... Might as well stick to upscaling DVD players, like the one X360 has anyway.

The 360 does not upscale DVDs, it outputs at 480p.

 

[wco81]

In the end, you have to believe MS planned this solution WELL before they shipped the first 360 so i dont think they've painted themselves into a corner and are now trying to find the least onerous solution. This may be the most interesting bit of news tomorrow at their PC.

Actually, if they planned it well before, they would have at least stuck in HDMI ports.

They did paint themselves into a corner because they wanted to launch in 2005, not 2006.

Oh and because there are no HDMI ports, you can forget streaming from a Media Center PC equipped with an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drive to the X360.

 

[AlNom]

I wonder if he also means the HD audio portions of these discs. Without HDMI they would need to provide 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs. I cant see any way for them to get around this without HDMI.

What's wrong with just an optical output?

 

[expletive]

Actually, if they planned it well before, they would have at least stuck in HDMI ports.

They did paint themselves into a corner because they wanted to launch in 2005, not 2006.

Oh and because there are no HDMI ports, you can forget streaming from a Media Center PC equipped with an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drive to the X360.

HDMI 1.1 was available at the time of launch and is all that is required for HD-DVD video/audio playback. HDMI 1.1 is the spec used in the currently shipping Toshiba HD-DVD players.

An obvious reason why thye would not have included HDMI ports on every unit is because of the added cost of the hardware and licensing it would mean per box. If theyve found a way to make HDMI an 'ala carte' option, which is the only way HDMI would be possible at this point, they will have stayed the course on their strategy of getting the core unit to 149 ASAP.

What's wrong with just an optical output?

You can only get the old DD/DTS (or possibly a slightly improved version but definitely not the full HD audio formats) over optical. I dont recall if the limitation is bandwidth or copy protection (or both).

 

[Tars Tarkus]

From the xbox.com article:

whereas the expected starting price of Blu-ray players starts at $1,000 and rises rapidly after that.

It seems that either Microsoft expects the PS3 to launch at $1,000 or they don't consider the PS3 to be a Blu-Ray player.

 

[scooby_dooby]

From the xbox.com article:


It seems that either Microsoft expects the PS3 to launch at $1,000 or they don't consider the PS3 to be a Blu-Ray player.

Starting price. Which is scheduled to come on sale first, stand alone BR players, or PS3