X360 HD-DVD Addon $200 (digitimes.com)

[Titanio]

Those Taiwanese developers are speaking out on the issue again with Digitimes - this time on their disappointment that the HD-DVD drive won't be useable for games.

http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20060822A8045.html

Taiwan-based game developers think blue-laser support for games is key for the Xbox 360 to be competitive with the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) which will have a built-in Blu-ray Disc (BD) drive, the sources pointed out. These developers are disappointed that the external drive will not support games and feel unwelcomed by the HD-DVD interest group, the sources indicated.

While the Xbox 360 itself enables game software to attain high-resolution video performance, the external HD-DVD drive does not support games because such support may increase costs and decrease the stability of game software, Microsoft Taiwan noted.

 

[Mmmkay]

Gamevideos.com has a feature showing off the accessories that Microsoft will be releasing this Fall, including the HD-DVD drive. Not too much of interest, but there was one thing that caught my eye. The current revision looks to require an external PSU, and now includes a fan:

http://gamevideos.com/video/id/5201

They did mention that it wasn't the final final version of the drive so there's still hope I guess. But an interesting development nonetheless.

 

[J_Saint]

It was mentioned somewhere back around E3 that 360 HD DVD add-on would require its own PSU. From my understanding USB2.0 doesn't have enough power for an optical drive, etc. and additional USB components.

 

[Mmmkay]

It was mentioned somewhere back around E3 that 360 HD DVD add-on would require its own PSU. From my understanding USB2.0 doesn't have enough power for an optical drive, etc. and additional USB components.

The previous back plate had a 2 pin AC connector, which implied the PSU was internal.

 

[scooby_dooby]

It was mentioned somewhere back around E3 that 360 HD DVD add-on would require its own PSU. From my understanding USB2.0 doesn't have enough power for an optical drive, etc. and additional USB components.

But we thought it was internal. I'd rather they make it external if it means they can reduce the size and make it a little more attractive, it should be more 'wii-sized'

 

[J_Saint]

Gotcha, I see what you meant. Aren't I just Captain Obvious.

 

[Guden Oden]

That thing seriously reminds me of the C1941 disk drive for the good ol C64...

Anyway, MS can just go screw themselves if they think I'm gonna buy that huge clunky fucker and then plug a wall wart into it as well, when there's plenty space to stick in an internal PSU. And ANOTHER fan? Christ, they GOT to be kidding! The system already has three of 'em for crying out loud!

I didn't mind the size when I was convinced it'd be an internal supply, but if this is indeed the final design... Screw that. Not buying.

 

[J_Saint]

Amir over at AVS has stated that the 360 add-on will decode Dolby TrueHD 5.1. At the very least it should offer some form of 6 channel analog out via cables or a dongle of some kind if HDMI is not supported.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8214978#post8214978

 

[Mmmkay]

Amir over at AVS has stated that the 360 add-on will decode Dolby TrueHD 5.1. At the very least it should offer some form of 6 channel analog out via cables or a dongle of some kind if HDMI is not supported.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8214978#post8214978

It's mandatory that all HD-DVD players be able to 'decode' Dolby TrueHD. That doesn't mean it can output it natively or via analog terminals. He was very coy in his follow up answers when people asked whether it could actually output TrueHD audio.

 

[expletive]

It's mandatory that all HD-DVD players be able to 'decode' Dolby TrueHD. That doesn't mean it can output it natively or via analog terminals. He was very coy in his follow up answers when people asked whether it could actually output TrueHD audio.

Another poster on that thread makes a good point though, why bother going through the trouble of decoding 5.1 DTHD if youre only planning on outputting 2 channels? The toshiba player currently only supports 2.0 so clearly players can ship with only 2.0 DTHD support.

The only scenario that would work in this case would be if the player decodes DTHD 5.1 only to re-encode it as 1.5MB DTS, that doesnt make much sense though, does it?

 

[J_Saint]

The only scenario that would work in this case would be if the player decodes DTHD 5.1 only to re-encode it as 1.5MB DTS, that doesnt make much sense though, does it?

Thats how DD+ is currently handled by the Toshiba HD-A1 over optical/coaxial.

 

[Mmmkay]

Another poster on that thread makes a good point though, why bother going through the trouble of decoding 5.1 DTHD if youre only planning on outputting 2 channels? The toshiba player currently only supports 2.0 so clearly players can ship with only 2.0 DTHD support.

The only scenario that would work in this case would be if the player decodes DTHD 5.1 only to re-encode it as 1.5MB DTS, that doesnt make much sense though, does it?

Well that's pretty much what does happen over optical [for all players] because it doesn't have any content protection. It's not like the 360 will be limited to 2 channels, just that the stuff over optical gets re-encoded to a lower bitrate.

There is a very good reason to decode 5.1DTHD though, and that's PiP. When you have multiple audio streams, they need mixing onboard the player before they are exported. In that scenario, it's going to get re-encoded anyway, but it's best to have the optimal source material to work with. HDMI still provides an advantage though as it allows for either native streams if no PiP, or higher bitrate re-encodes if you are using PiP. Analog 5.1 output (which it looks like no console will have) is the preferred solution at the moment since there are no HDMI 1.3 compliant AVR's to take in the high resolution audio yet and because of the aforementioned PiP stuff.

[edit]Also, decoding onboard means that if your receiver can support 6 channel LPCM over HDMI then you don't need to rely on HDMI1.3.

 

[expletive]

There is a very good reason to decode 5.1DTHD though, and that's PiP. When you have multiple audio streams, they need mixing onboard the player before they are exported. In that scenario, it's going to get re-encoded anyway, but it's best to have the optimal source material to work with. HDMI still provides an advantage though as it allows for either native streams if no PiP, or higher bitrate re-encodes if you are using PiP. Analog 5.1 output (which it looks like no console will have) is the preferred solution at the moment since there are no HDMI 1.3 compliant AVR's to take in the high resolution audio yet and because of the aforementioned PiP stuff.

Sure but the HD-A1 doesnt do this so i'm not sure why they would find it important for a game console to do it. (There is a small chance the HD-A1 will do it in a firmware upgrade though...) I think this means we'll probably see a version of the 360 that supports HDMI, either a new SKU or a cable.

 

[Mmmkay]

Sure but the HD-A1 doesnt do this so i'm not sure why they would find it important for a game console to do it. (There is a small chance the HD-A1 will do it in a firmware upgrade though...)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8268562&&#post8268562
Apparently a new firmware update has adds TrueHD 5.1 for the HD-A1 amongst other things.

 

[expletive]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8268562&&#post8268562
Apparently a new firmware update has adds TrueHD 5.1 for the HD-A1 amongst other things.

Yay! Thanks!

EDIT: Seems like it came out today, just in time to ruin my point!

 

[J_Saint]

Yay! Thanks!

EDIT: Seems like it came out today, just in time to ruin my point!

Not really. Someone created a new user ID and posted a Rapidshare link to a Nero Image file of the new firmware. It looks legit but nothing official as far as Toshiba is concerned. A few people have burned the disc and updated their players with success. I downloaded the file when I came home from lunch so it should be ready to burn when I get home.

 

[expletive]

Not really. Someone created a new user ID and posted a Rapidshare link to a Nero Image file of the new firmware. It looks legit but nothing official as far as Toshiba is concerned. A few people have burned the disc and updated their players with success. I downloaded the file when I came home from lunch so it should be ready to burn when I get home.

Let me know how it works out (in PM probably ), i'm having some friends over to watch an HD-DVD over the weekend so i'm not sure i can take the risk of an unsanctioned firmware...

Sorry folks, what were we talking about again?

 

[RobertR1]

Seriously, forget the HD DVD add-on, get yourself a HD-A1. It can be had for $360ish. You're getting the best SD upconverting player out there and the bonus is that it plays HD DVD's and does all the advanced sound decoding within so you don't have to update your receiver.

 

[J_Saint]

A few interesting tidbits came out today...

Lite-On IT Corp. is reported to begin shipping Microsoft stand-alone high-density digital versatile disc (HD DVD) players for Xbox360 game consoles in the first quarter of 2007, Lite-On's another big windfall after landing orders to supply DVD-ROM players for Xbox360s.

Microsoft has until now contracted Toshiba to make the game machine's stand-alone HD DVD players. But industry insiders pointed out that Toshiba has intensively solicited support from Lite-On for its HD DVD format in hopes of combing its specialization in slim optical-disc players with Lite-On's profession in half-height DVD players to speed up prevalence of HD DVD format.

http://english.www.gov.tw/TaiwanHeadlines/index.jsp?categid=9&recordid=98716

And while off topic I thought this was worth noting further down in the article...

Hewlett-Packard (HP) plans to roll out HD DVD players in September and has chosen Toshiba to make the machines for it. Toshiba will likely delegate the orders to Lite-On to pare down production costs.

Some much needed help on the hardware front for HD DVD if they release this in September.

 

[Arty]

From Digitimes

Microsoft plans to launch external HD-DVD drives for Xbox 360 consoles in North America, around the end of this year, but the drive will be not be made available in Asia, according to Microsoft Taiwan.