MS to release Xbox 360 with HD-DVD in 2006

[mckmas8808]

The interface that Vista will provide for users to access all this media cant be underestimated. If BR support is not integrated/supported into that UI, it will be at huge disadvantage in the PC space.

Oh it will be a HUGE disadvantage for Blu-ray no doubt. But I wonder if Blu-ray does become the victor will MS end up supporting it or will they only support HD-DVD independent of software and hardware sales. Hmmm... something to think about.

 

[expletive]

Oh it will be a HUGE disadvantage for Blu-ray no doubt. But I wonder if Blu-ray does become the victor will MS end up supporting it or will they only support HD-DVD independent of software and hardware sales. Hmmm... something to think about.

Yep its all possible. We have a lot more posturing and flexing and 'bleeding' to go before this one is settled.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

I don't have a problem with them adding HD-DVD to Vista. But what I do have a problem with is them trying to put HD-DVD into the 360 in 2006 and acting like they wanted to do that the whole time.

I'm pretty sure that the Blu-ray movie sales will better support its format than HD-DVD being ingrained into Vista.

And I don't have a problem with any of that, but it's a far cry from saying that MS must be scared of BR.

OMG! We're screwed! We'd better do something to try and compensate.

As opposed to, Hey! Let's throw our support behind the competing HD movie player to kill the format that our competitor has so much time and money invested in!

One is reactionary, the other is proactive. I found it interesting that you automatically assumed that MS, a company as vicious and savy as they are, would be taking a reactionary stance. It's just as likely, IMO, that they see an opportunity to go for the throat and are doing as such.

 

[one]

I think it'd be very tenuous argument, given that HD-DVD is not an MS product. Microsoft can still persuade other companies to do things and they can still pick technologies to focus on and they can still add things to their OS that may disadvantage a competitor in a different space. For example, the Xbox 360 can stream music, but only from PCs--Apple's OSX is not supported. Should MS be sued for this?

That's a strange argument. Xbox 360 is a Microsoft product, so they can do whatever to it. OTOH, forcing others to do anything is wrong.

 

[Sis]

OTOH, forcing others to do anything is wrong.

Agreed. But persuasion != force.

.Sis

 

[mckmas8808]

And I don't have a problem with any of that, but it's a far cry from saying that MS must be scared of BR.

OMG! We're screwed! We'd better do something to try and compensate.

Rancid the scared thing comes from MS (supposely) saying this...

Microsoft would concentrate all resources to react to the threat of the BD. We don't mind to delay the format standardization process and mess up next generation optical disc market".

If that is true (which I believe MS will or wanted to do) then yes they are scared. Messing up a next-gen movie format to screw up hundreds of companies just for your own benefit (as small as it may be) is being scared.

 

[expletive]

Rancid the scared thing comes from MS (supposely) saying this...



If that is true (which I believe MS will or wanted to do) then yes they are scared. Messing up a next-gen movie format to screw up hundreds of companies just for your own benefit (as small as it may be) is being scared.

[devils advocate]If the hundreds of companies were counting on the next gen HD optical format so much, they should have agreed on a single format instead of opting to go to 'war'. [/devils advocate]

 

[mckmas8808]

[devils advocate]If the hundreds of companies were counting on the next gen HD optical format so much, they should have agreed on a single format instead of opting to go to 'war'. [/devils advocate]

I like your devils advocate, but it doesn't flow with what MS is doing. MS by themselves shouldn't hurt ALL (i.e. 100%) of parties involve just to push their agenda. You, I, and every smart person on this board knows that something like that is wrong.

 

[Bobbler]

[devils advocate]If the hundreds of companies were counting on the next gen HD optical format so much, they should have agreed on a single format instead of opting to go to 'war'. [/devils advocate]

Well, most companies did agree on one format, its all those other companies that didn't that are the problem!

 

[mckmas8808]

Well, most companies did agree on one format, its all those other companies that didn't that are the problem!

I guess you are talking about the HD-DVD supports are the problem because they are the ones with less support. So you are right.

 

[Hardknock]

I guess you are talking about the HD-DVD supports are the problem because they are the ones with less support. So you are right.

No, HD-DVD is the format created and endorsed by the DVD consortium. It's Sony that went against the grain.

 

[mckmas8808]

No, HD-DVD is the format created and endorsed by the DVD consortium. It's Sony that went against the grain.

No Sony and http://www.blu-ray.com/images/ifa2005/bda_06.jpg went against the grain for the better. That's competition. What's MS is said to be doing is illegal. (The illegal part is messing up next-gen movie media if they can't get their way)


Also

Pioneer today announced the BDR-101A, one of the industry's first Blu-ray Disc computer drives. The drive will primarily be targeted to professional users and serious enthusiasts, generally the first to adopt new technology. In particular, content creators will depend on Blu-ray Disc writers to test and evaluate high definition consumer Blu-ray Disc titles during the authoring process before replication. The half-height BD/DVD writer supports recording of BD-R/BD-RE at 2x speed, DVD±R at 8x speed and DVD±RW at 4x speed. The drive also reads BD-ROM discs at 2x speed and DVD-ROM discs at 12x speed. The drive, which will come equipped with a data recording application to transfer digital files to Blu-ray Discs, is expected to begin shipping in the first quarter of 2006.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/press/release/detail/0,,2076_4313_291704979,00.html

I take that as 1/01/06 -3/31/06 right?

 

[Bad_Boy]

Yeah, I think I heard they will be shipping them out at the end of January. But will announce official details at CES06. I'll try to find it.

edit:

Pioneer has announced that they will start to ship their ATAPI Blu-ray drive for PC at the end of January of 2006. Since this is facing the OEM channel, the price is not revealed yet.

http://ps3.qj.net/2005/12/pioneer-shipping-blu-ray-drive-for-pc.html
I guess we will see.

 

[London Geezer]

No, HD-DVD is the format created and endorsed by the DVD consortium. It's Sony that went against the grain.

Uhm... Matsushita (Panasonic) and Philips were as much "going against the grain" as Sony. Only Sony is the only one out of all of them with the opportunity to make Bluray successful, by putting it into PS3. Without PS3, the HDDVD/Bluray war would have been much more on the same grounds, with each faction having their different players and fighting it out like that. PS3 tipped the scale, and in the end it's much better for the end user to have just one format. Now because of PS3, Bluray has 100% of hollywood behind it, and HDDVD has half.

For the end user, it's a Good Thing to have only one format.

Then again, Samsung will probably come out with a hybrid player quite soon... They have had DVD players that can read both DVD-Audio and Super-Audio-CD for years now, which have always been a either-or kind of ordeal, with Sony and supporters' players only reading SACD and Panasonic and friends only reading DVD-A...

I still have to find a good reason to support HDDVD, and a good reason to justify MS's actions even this time around, if not for a stupid personal hate in Sony.

 

[Nicked]

No, HD-DVD is the format created and endorsed by the DVD consortium. It's Sony that went against the grain.

That doesn't matter at all. He referenced which one which has (more) limited support that won't agree, that is HD-DVD.
Indeed, the following is the steering committee for DVD:

1.	Hitachi, Ltd.*
2.	IBM Corporation^
3.	Industrial and Technology Research Institute
4.	Intel Corporation
5.	LG Electronics Inc.*
6.	Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.*
7.	Microsoft Corporation
8.	Mitsubishi Electric Corporation*
9.	NEC Corporation
10.	PIONEER CORPORATION*
11.	Royal Philips Electronics*
12.	SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.*
13.	SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.*
14.	SHARP CORPORATION*
15.	Sony Corporation*
16.	THOMSON*
17.	Time Warner Inc.*
18.	Toshiba Corporation
19.	Victor Company of Japan, Limited*
20.	Walt Disney Pictures and Television*

And the * indicates support for Blu-ray (some is mixed but the majority are Blu-ray only).
Basically every major CE manufacturer supports Blu-ray and I think every movie studio does. The best HD-DVD can try for is to disrupt Blu-ray, and thats what MS is abusing its OS monopoly to achieve.


^IBM has announced support for no one afaik.

 

[Sis]

I still have to find a good reason to support HDDVD, and a good reason to justify MS's actions even this time around, if not for a stupid personal hate in Sony.

What if we hate both HD disc formats?

.Sis

 

[London Geezer]

What if we hate both HD disc formats?

.Sis

Then you can keep your DVD player till we get easy HD movie downloads... (i don't think there will be an optical format after Bluray, or at least i don't expect content to be distributed in optical formats like we do today after Bluray)

 

[Sis]

Then you can keep your DVD player till we get easy HD movie downloads... (i don't think there will be an optical format after Bluray, or at least i don't expect content to be distributed in optical formats like we do today after Bluray)

Eh, I think you're right. I'm slowly losing my bad taste for a new format, but the first batch of movies for the PS3 better kick ass. Otherwise I'll just wait for the Internet 2.

.Sis

 

[London Geezer]

Eh, I think you're right. I'm slowly losing my bad taste for a new format, but the first batch of movies for the PS3 better kick ass. Otherwise I'll just wait for the Internet 2.

.Sis

I'll wait for the Intardent 3D Oral-B Plaque Control.

 

[expletive]

Eh, I think you're right. I'm slowly losing my bad taste for a new format, but the first batch of movies for the PS3 better kick ass. Otherwise I'll just wait for the Internet 2.

.Sis

Some of the newer scalers are actually doing quite a good job of scaling DVD to HD resolutions. If youre not too picky you might be able to survive with DVD until the Internet 2.