360 to have Built in HD-DVD Drive

[H2OSilentCid]

Story taken from:
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/11748/Microsoft-to-Release-Xbox-360-with-BuiltIn-HD-DVD-Drive/

Digi-Times reports today that Microsoft is selecting manufacturers in Taiwan to provide an internal HD DVD drive that will be used in a forthcoming Xbox 360 edition designed to compete with Sony's PlayStation 3.

Microsoft will offer an external HD-DVD drive for its Xbox 360 at around the end of this year, in an attempt to compete with the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3), which will have a built-in Blu-ray Disc (BD) drive, the sources indicated. The external HD-DVD drive, however, can only play back movies, the sources noted.

The sources told Digi-Times that Microsoft plans to release this special Xbox 360 model in the first quarter of 2007. Wel'll have more on this new Xbox 360 as it develops.

[Rip]

It won't be used for games, just integrate a HD-DVD drive into the system, no real advantage other than for them its cheaper to produce than a system and a separate HD-DVD Drive. I don't see it in huge quantities, and personally quesiton the true value of it, it could just confuse the customer.

[PMS Saphira]

The stand-alone price seems too expensive to me, $199, especially if it's just for movies and not games. I'd get a stand-alone dvd player and more for that price.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4363

[asphix]

The stand-alone price seems too expensive to me, $199, especially if it's just for movies and not games. I'd get a stand-alone dvd player and more for that price.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4363



The value is found when compared to a $500-1,000 HD-DVD player or comparable Blu-Ray player.

If you arent interested in High Def movies, then it is by no means anywhere near a value to entice your hard earned cash away from you. However, if you're interested in being an early adopter and testing the waters, and by chance already own an x360, $199 sure sounds better than $499 for a ps3, $499 for a stand alone HD DVD player or $899-1000 for a stand alone blu-ray player.

I've no doubt in my mind a bunch of people will purchase one. I'm even tempted myself. The DVD format war has turned me off from going that route until a clear winner presents themselves.. however, I bought my x360 for the games. Now it turns out for $200 I can test the waters and see what high def movie playback is all about.. and at just $200 as opposed to $500+, it may tempt me into a purchase one dark night this winter when I'm bored and feel an itch to buy something on impulse.

How is that different from buying a ps3? Well, logically it isnt.. but since I bought my x360 in the past for the games.. and the addon is $200 now, for movies.. for some reason it feels different and more acceptable than dropping 500+ on a ps3 and using movie playback to justify the price. Not saying its logical but its the way I feel.

[PMS GibGirl]

How is that different from buying a ps3? Well, logically it isnt.. but since I bought my x360 in the past for the games.. and the addon is $200 now, for movies.. for some reason it feels different and more acceptable than dropping 500+ on a ps3 and using movie playback to justify the price. Not saying its logical but its the way I feel.

The point is that it's your choice. You're not stuck buying a console with a HD-DVD/Blu-Ray drive built in and paying for it from the beginning. You just bought a game console, now if you happen to want a HD-DVD drive, it's a lot cheaper to get the add-on instead of a separate player.

PS3 makes you buy the Blu-Ray drive, and pay for it from the beginning. That adds more onto the price, and it's not because they need to have one - this is Sony's way to try and win the format war. Few people even have the televisions to support high-def content, so there's not exactly a huge demand for Blu-Ray drives for movies - especially since Blu-Ray movies are looking worse than HD-DVD movies so far. And the claim that they need it for games is also bunk - only a small minority of games need more than a DVD's worth of space for content, and some of those that do are only needing it because they're not putting any effort in to organizing their content well. (Did you know that most games duplicate some of their content many times on a game disc?)

[SuperSaiyan4]

Story taken from:
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/11748/Microsoft-to-Release-Xbox-360-with-BuiltIn-HD-DVD-Drive/

Digi-Times reports today that Microsoft is selecting manufacturers in Taiwan to provide an internal HD DVD drive that will be used in a forthcoming Xbox 360 edition designed to compete with Sony's PlayStation 3.

Microsoft will offer an external HD-DVD drive for its Xbox 360 at around the end of this year, in an attempt to compete with the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3), which will have a built-in Blu-ray Disc (BD) drive, the sources indicated. The external HD-DVD drive, however, can only play back movies, the sources noted.

The sources told Digi-Times that Microsoft plans to release this special Xbox 360 model in the first quarter of 2007. Wel'll have more on this new Xbox 360 as it develops.

This is old news, Microsoft have confirmed countless times there will be NO internal HD-DVD drive.