Microsoft Shows Off 360 HD-DVD Drive

C|Net is reporting on a demo Microsoft put on, showing off their HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360. The unit, which is expected out for the Christmas season, is an external add-on for the company's next-gen console. From the article: "The device--about the size of a hardback book--played "The Phantom of the Opera" as Collins pulled up a menu bar to display a few of its navigation and interactive features that can be called up on screen while a movie is playing. Collins said Microsoft's HD DVD drive will be among the least expensive of the HD DVD players, but he declined to disclose the drive's retail price."

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[spyrochaete]

You can put HD content on ordinary DVDROMs but not on video DVDs. If you're playing a game there's no reason why they can't put HD video playback data on the DVD. It'll be a big file but how much video does there really need to be in a game?

However, maybe some devs will make alternative HD-DVD versions of some multi-DVD games. Switching discs mid-game is sooo Dreamcast. I don't think 360 owners will have to worry much about HD-DVD exclusive titles though. Sony is making a lower-tier PS3 as well and both companies have to be careful about alienating ground-level adopters.

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[Silverlancer]

Encoded in H.264/AVC, its quite possible with regular DVDs. And the Xbox 360 has more than enough processor power to decode it.

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[Potty Monster]

Cut scenes on the 360 are already in Hi-Def, just because the games are on standard dvd's doesn't mean the content can't be hi-def. The new blue ray disks just mean more storage (something that HD-DVD is currently winning) ...and has been said before, most in-game cut scenes are now done using the in game engine anyway. (also hi-def)

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[Anonymous Coward]

While I know posting as an anonymous coward generally gets ignored, you've modded wrong information as "Informative."

The HD-DVD drive for the X360 will have ZERO effect on gaming on the system. It will be a video player only. There will be no fragmenting of the X360 audience beyond whether or not you have a hard drive. This has been mentioned by Microsoft several times including at a recent Publisher event (MS Vision) held up in Seattle a couple weeks ago.

That is all.

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[MobileTatsu-NJG]

"You can put HD content on ordinary DVDROMs but not on video DVDs. If you're playing a game there's no reason why they can't put HD video playback data on the DVD. It'll be a big file but how much video does there really need to be in a game?"

This has already been done. You can buy a version of Terminator 2 that comes with an HD .WMF file.

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[Anonymous Coward]

bluray is currently only 1 layer, hence the size advantage for hd-dvd.

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[gabebear]

Blu-Ray R and RW discs are available in single and dual layer versions( here [jr.com], and here [mediasupply.com].

I couldn't find any dual layer HD-DVD media for sale.