What chances on XB360 removeable DVD?

[FireGoblin]

Guys,

Not sure if this has been asked before - haven't seen any mentions that I can see - but how difficult would it be for the DVD drive in the XB360 to be removeable?

Or more importantly, what are the chances that you will be able to upgrade the drive to a HD-DVD/BR unit in the future??

I'm no expert but, assuming they use the same bus interface and that the minimum specs are the same - transfer rate, seek etc - swapping one out for the other is limited only by the physical design of the case?

I have yet to see a photo of a XB360 unit without it's faceplate so maybe it's already a replaceable unit - pop off the faceplate, pull out the drive, slot in new one (Mmmm, extra revenue for MS) and suddenly you've got a HD drive!

Surley this would be the ultimate in flexibility & would negate the need for a MkII box?

Soz again if this has been asked before.

Rgds

 

[Qroach]

I've been asking the same thing lately. I'm curious if this is possible. if so it would be the best possible option for any console I could think of.

 

[Nicked]

0%

This is the latest conspiracy theory and quite frankly its stupid.

They haven't released shots without a face plate because it doesn't make as good PR images.
Microsoft won't want end-users tampering with the console, replacing a DVD drive. They went specifically out of their way to seal the consoles so they can't be opened. The DVD drives will definitely be screwed in and cabled and there is no way they would expect an end-user to deal with that.
Do you think they have some interesting slide mechanism sitting there for people to use?
Breakdown nightmare.

 

[Qroach]

stupid? no. likely to happen? no.

but you reason why it would work aren't exactly perfect.

1. you could still seal the inside of the console off even with a detachable drive.
2. You don't need to screw in a DVD drive, My PC has a screweless drive installation, and no there's no easy way to break the mechanism used for doing this.

3. If it's made to be simple any end user could do this and replace the drive if needed. it woudl save MS ton's of money on repairs.


will it happen? probably not, but it certainly wouldn't be stupid.

 

[FireGoblin]

From a manufacturing point of view, as Qroach says, removeable bays are a mature mechanism. If you've ever used a removeable media bay (think RAID units) you'll see they only need external access, are simple to use and, assuming you'll only ever change the drive a handful of times, not add much cost (in terms of MTBF engineering tolerance).

In fact, thinking about it, it would be just like the external harddrive - but scaled up to a 5.25" forward facing unit rather than a 2.5" sideways one.

If there is a technical limitation I would say it would be more likely to be because MS don't want to make it to easy to intercept bus communications if they are using CP protection within the hardware.

Whether they will or not is out of my hands, but I know I'd rather spend £100 to upgrade an XB360 to HD than another £300 to buy a new one.

Also, if MS played their PR cards right they could get good brownie points out of it - throw in a $20 rebate certificate for the HD-DVD unit for the first 'x' purchasers, release the drive when PS3 appears and everyones happy! Potential early adopters are encouraged to buy, MS can sell a box that is always $50 cheaper that the HD360/PS3 (assuming they ~ price) and consumers can't make the 'wrong' choice on HD technology.

 

[pipo]

Also...

One of the most important (and requested) features of the current X360 drive is the speed / seektime.

I'm not sure if they will be able to accomplish a speedyfast seektime with new technology.

 

[Wicked_Vengence]

As Firegoblin mentioned, it's pretty easy to manufacture removable technology. There are MORE than enough examples of this in the server world but you only need to look as far as laptops to see hot swappable optical drives. Easy and been done a million times over.

Otherwise, there is a video that was released on ourcolony.net in which MS was talking about the 360 and showed the wireless card behind the faceplate. They also had the cover off and it VERY specifically showed the DVD rom as loose from the chasis in the video (it was raised about the console at an angle) which says that it can certainly be removed.

 

[Bobbler]

It would be kind of nice to have a removable optical drive -- those are usually the first things that go bad on a console.

However when users are allowed to touch stuff and replace stuff on the console it becomes a customer service nightmare -- is it really worth it for the company?

 

[FireGoblin]

There are MORE than enough examples of this in the server world but you only need to look as far as laptops to see hot swappable optical drives.

Doh - the obvious examples are the best!!

 

[SanGreal]

its missing more than just the FP though

Here is one with the FP removed, no way the drive is removable:

 

[gurgi]

Microsoft won't want end-users tampering with the console, replacing a DVD drive. They went specifically out of their way to seal the consoles so they can't be opened.

The case could still be sealed, but allow the drive to be removed.

The DVD drives will definitely be screwed in and cabled and there is no way they would expect an end-user to deal with that.
Do you think they have some interesting slide mechanism sitting there for people to use?
Breakdown nightmare.

Umm, what is so hard to contemplate about that? Cords, cables, screws? Somebody never hot swapped a hdd before!

In fact, thinking about it, it would be just like the external harddrive - but scaled up to a 5.25" forward facing unit rather than a 2.5" sideways one.

That is a good point, the Xbox360 already has one drive with a similar setup.

 

[FireGoblin]

Here is one with the FP removed, no way the drive is removable:

Shame - I would imagine it would be a bit too late to redesign the case/inards now and I'm sure that they would have made it removable a long time ago had they wanted too.

Thanks for the screenshot.

 

[Wicked_Vengence]

Good pics, BUT it doesn't really disprove the removable aspect. Perhaps it's just me (and my poor eye site) but when I look at the top pic (which is EXACTLY what I was referring to, thanks for the pic) then it looks like the lower portion is just a metal tray that locks onto the body. I realize that it could be showing the entire drive or a laptop like drive with a frame attached. If it is the latter, then it could still be removable.

Personally, I would say that it is the entire drive assembly though...

 

[SanGreal]

That actually brings up a good point which is the ease of changing a laptop drive (which I see now you already brought up above). However, if it were a laptop-size drive what would you replace it with? Certainly notebook HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drives are a long ways away.

 

[gurgi]

Or maybe it is removed from the side? =P

 

[wco81]

To get full HD-DVD functionality, you need to do more than just replace the drive.

You need HDMI output as well as some kind of copy-protection hardware to comply with the AACS which HD-DVD will employ.

 

[Wicked_Vengence]

Another good point, wco81. However, MS has stated already that they may still do HDMI/DVI at some point, but were shipping with Component. The functionality is obviously there somewhere, otherwise they wouldn't be able to bring out a new adapter in the future.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Presumably that functionality will come as a hardware update (XB360+ or XBThreesixty) unless they have an expansion port system with access to the display.

 

[hey69]

why the hell would MS allow users to change the drive?

 

[wco81]

why the hell would MS allow users to change the drive?

Don't you know, MS caters to people who build their own PCs?

Just as they let them plug in keyboard and mice...

Oops, never mind.