Xbox 360 "AV"

So... HD DVD ftw? http://www.dropshots.com/photos/143791/20050817/b_204145.jpg

(SFW, It's just a poster ad...that I....er... found...by complete coincidence. er......Porn is evil. I hate porn. Down with porn. Porn is not with me. I am neutral to porn. )

edit: link changed..just in case.

 

That's the summer overhaul, though they plan to make it USB extensible.

 

Nice catch nelg.

 

To point out the obvious, both formats still play DVDs which just about EVERYONE has. Both will have a use despite where the format goes. DVD isnt going out the door THAT fast, jeez people come on. Problably take another 5-10 years after the format winner is announced for DVD to go the way of the dodo. Unless you think everyones going to rush to their local tech store and slap down a thousand or two for new tvs, new players, and new movie libraries once the winner is announced. Somehow i dont see the average joe giving a shit.

 

Um, yes, but the point was about the worth of these high-def drives should the format fail. Do you really want to spend an extra $200 on a console for an HD drive if there won't be any movies for it, and there won't be any games for it? If you buy an XB360 V E with HDDVD drive, and HDDVD fails, that's what you've got. Bet you wish you'd just bought a DVD drive based version and saved yourself a load of cash!

Whereas on PS3, if BRD fails as a movie platform, you'll still get your games on BRD using BRD, rather than playing DVD games on an overpriced DVD drive. PS3 still benefits as a console from it's HD format if it's movie functions drop by the wayside. XB360 VE doesn't gain any benefit in having an HD drive if HDDVD movies fail.

Also, if HDDVD fails, MS would lose the HDDVD drive version and stick with DVD, at no loss to their customers. Sony can't lose the BRD drive and replace it with a DVD drive, even if all games would fit onto DVDs, because it wouldn't allow BRD printed games to run on DVD-PS3s.

 

One way around this is for Sony to limit initial PS3 games to BD9. Technically, they can still claim all PS3 games ship on Blu Ray discs cause BD9's in the spec.

If the BD format doesn't find its legs by year two or three, this leaves Sony the option of quietly dropping the blue laser drive from the PS3 without any harm, since all the existing games will still read just fine on a red laser DVD drive.

Not that this will happen or anything, just saying this is a strategy they could use to spread out their risk should BD go south.

 

If that's the case they can release a PS3 which can read both BD and HD DVD. Quite plain and simple. If they had chosen 12x DVD drive they wouldn't have been able to escape the drive noise even in the next-next generation because of backward compatibility.

 

Agreed - I've argued this to be the best strategy Sony could use at this point. Especially so early in the game with many questioning what real potential ps3 sales exist at the current price/config. It gives them a very nice backdoor should the format fail and more importantly, should ps3 sales slow with BR keeping the price high. Aside from the obvious noise advantage (is noise really worth $200?) Perhaps to some but then they could always leave the current config as a high-end option to those who are sensative to noisy consoles.

This would be the smart move on Sony's part but honestly I'm hoping Sony stick to their current scheme as it leaves the door open to a much more even playing field this gen with MS and N having a real opportunity to gain equal share to Sony this gen.

 

Well, the belkin PR does add some creditablity to something HDMI-ish coming to the XBOX360..be it a new unit or a cable. So tahts useful info...not sure what it means

 

<quote>
This new accessory will connect to the Xbox 360 console with a USB cable, enabling it to harness the power of the Xbox 360 console for the HD video outputs and digital surround sound. As an accessory, it becomes another shining example of the flexibility of Xbox 360 designed into the console in order to grow and add new features. It's also just one of several new accessories being announced at E3.
<unquote>

This is a USB external HD-DVD drive. While every PS3 owner will have a BR drive, I am not sure how many Xbox 360 owners will buy this HD-DVD drive. People looking for a HD player will probably opt for a standalone HD-DVD player or a PS3, particularly if both the PS3 and the Toshiba player now retails at only $499. I don't think this product will make much difference either way.

 

Unless you prefer the (curently) superior picture of hd-dvd movies. But then that shouldn't sway those interested in hd movies as most of the early adopters don't much care for picture quality.

 

How many HD players are on sale at the moment? There are very early models of the Toshiba HD-DVD, and the Samsung Bluray. From what I have read, the Toshiba HD-DVD had poor quality output until a recent firmware fix. The Samsung Bluray player firmware/BR media/authoring software may not be representative of Bluray IQ.

Why would every major consumer electronic giant with the exception of Toshiba pick Bluray over HD-DVD? (Sanyo and NEC are big in electrical goods, not so big in consumer electronics). They are surely not all stupid. I prefer to wait until more players and finalised firmware and equivalent generation codecs (VC-1 and MPEG4 AVC (H264)) are demonstrated on Bluray before commenting.