Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

[dagger55]

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8590/M...D-DVD-Players/

looks like Microsoft will be butting heads with Sony right here, as they jump into the High Def DVD market to try and battle Sony's Blu Ray DVD

[23]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Can't wait until Kutaragi begins to call this some kind of inferior idea compared to what Sony's grand scheme is.

[dagger55]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Can't wait until Kutaragi begins to call this some kind of inferior idea compared to what Sony's grand scheme is.

should be intresting. i know i saw a quote over on the teamxbox board that said "when microsoft backs a product, it usually becomes industry standard."

we'll see what happens

[shaolinmonkey]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

should be intresting. i know i saw a quote over on the teamxbox board that said "when microsoft backs a product, it usually becomes industry standard."

we'll see what happens

Microsoft doesnt make Tvs and DVD Players until they do they are not to be taken seriously.

[Stu]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Microsoft doesnt make Tvs and DVD Players until they do they are not to be taken seriously.

Yah, I was gonna say, I'm not sure how a Microsoft backed product could be industry standard when they're not even in the industry.

[mgoblue]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Yah, I was gonna say, I'm not sure how a Microsoft backed product could be industry standard when they're not even in the industry.

understand your point...but computers use DVD players too, just keep that in mind

[SportsorDeath]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Can't wait until Kutaragi begins to call this some kind of inferior idea compared to what Sony's grand scheme is.

Well, in all honesty, HD-DVD is in fact an inferior product to BluRay based on storage size alone. In reality, it doesn't mean much, though, because we all know that Betamax was technically superior to VHS and it lost out, and SACD and DVD-Audio are both far superior to standard CD's but have yet to gain acceptance as well.

I don't see this as all that big a deal, to be honest. Microsoft throwing their support behind HD-DVD is nice just because it gives the HD-DVD camp one more big backer, but it isn't like Microsoft is using the format for the xbox 360, like Sony is doing with BluRay for the PS3. Had that been the case, it would likely have much more impact than it is going to.

All of that being said, I still won't be surprised in the slightest if HD-DVD ends up winning the format war. BluRay has more backing and is picking up more steam, but there is a lot to be said about the fact that HD-DVD's can already be mass produced using existing technology, and on top of that, HD-DVD is a much more consumer friendly name than "BluRay". Never underestimate the ability of Joe Six Pack to be easily confused, and confusion usually equals no purchase.

[Murph]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Agreed that it's too bad the timing wasn't better so that MS could've actually included an HD-DVD drive in 360.

[dagger55]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8591/X...-HD-DVD-Drive/

well this announcement may actually have a little bit more meaning to it....

it appears that early shipments of the 360 will feature a standard DVD drive.

however later shipments would come with a HD-DVD drive.

[Victory]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8591/X...-HD-DVD-Drive/

well this announcement may actually have a little bit more meaning to it....

it appears that early shipments of the 360 will feature a standard DVD drive.

however later shipments would come with a HD-DVD drive.

It won't mean anything for gaming at that point. All it will do is allow you to watch HD movies. Just buy a player at that point so you can use both at once....

I think Microsoft wants to do everything it can to make sure BluRay doesn't win out so its "bundling" a HD-DVD movie player in its gaming console. I don't like the way the next gen hardware situation is shaping up. I think we will be paying for hardware that is rarely going to be used up to its full potential because the companies are including it with other things in mind other than the gaming experience.

[Flawless]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Gates said they're still neutral on this. I don't think that was a very good choice of words that Gates used though, it's basically telling people wait for the superior version of the Xbox 360. I would like to hear J. Allard or Robbie Bach comment on this, as they've had to correct Gates before with his Halo 3 comments.

Steve Ballmer did say they would be flexible enough to add a HD optical drive, and it would be kinda stupid for them to go in the "HD Era" without one, but a decision needed to be made before August. You know Toshiba is just itching to get in the Xbox 360, and they may offer a deal to Microsoft that they just can't refuse.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[Boltman]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Well, in all honesty, HD-DVD is in fact an inferior product to BluRay based on storage size alone. In reality, it doesn't mean much, though, because we all know that Betamax was technically superior to VHS and it lost out, and SACD and DVD-Audio are both far superior to standard CD's but have yet to gain acceptance as well.

I don't see this as all that big a deal, to be honest. Microsoft throwing their support behind HD-DVD is nice just because it gives the HD-DVD camp one more big backer, but it isn't like Microsoft is using the format for the xbox 360, like Sony is doing with BluRay for the PS3. Had that been the case, it would likely have much more impact than it is going to.

All of that being said, I still won't be surprised in the slightest if HD-DVD ends up winning the format war. BluRay has more backing and is picking up more steam, but there is a lot to be said about the fact that HD-DVD's can already be mass produced using existing technology, and on top of that, HD-DVD is a much more consumer friendly name than "BluRay". Never underestimate the ability of Joe Six Pack to be easily confused, and confusion usually equals no purchase.

Reading all that makes me remember the old Beta max vs. VHS war, supposedly VHS was way inferior to the Beta.


But who won out in the long run?

[luv_mist]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Microsoft doesnt make Tvs and DVD Players until they do they are not to be taken seriously.

Yet, the stuff that Sony usually puts out is inferior in market I hear. Panasonic seems to be better I hear in televisions. Sony laptops are crappy from what I hear. Basically, Sony isn't keeping up with the quality as much as they are trying to get money.

By the way, who said the HD-DVD won't be included into the XBOX 360? I heard nothing against this. I thought it was still a possiblity?

[dagger55]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

Yet, the stuff that Sony usually puts out is inferior in market I hear. Panasonic seems to be better I hear in televisions. Sony laptops are crappy from what I hear. Basically, Sony isn't keeping up with the quality as much as they are trying to get money.

By the way, who said the HD-DVD won't be included into the XBOX 360? I heard nothing against this. I thought it was still a possiblity?

heres the scoop.

e3 allard says only standard DVD in the 360, because thay had to make the final hardware specs, and since thier isnt a clear cut winning in next gen DVD's, microsoft did not want to include a drive that possible may be useless in few years, and that useless drive would also jack the system price up.

now, since sony is putting a blu ray in the ps3, that is a HUGE advantage right there, because the winner of the next gen DVD will be the company who is able to get the most DVD players into homes. by including one in the ps3, that puts sony out way ahead right from the start. now, microsoft doesnt like sony, and toshiba backs HD- DVD. i garuntee toshiba is the one that pushed this deal, and i wouldnt be surprised if toshiba was going to just give away the dvd players to MS for free, just to get those players into homes. Because after all, sony and toshiba arent going to make money off dvd players in the next gen. they make all the money from royalties each time a dvd is pressed for their technology. i beleive the 360 will in fact include a HD-dvd player, because as someone said earlier, they will give MS a deal they cant refuse....

[SportsorDeath]

Re: Microsoft to help produce HD-DVD players...

It won't mean anything for gaming at that point. All it will do is allow you to watch HD movies. Just buy a player at that point so you can use both at once....

I think Microsoft wants to do everything it can to make sure BluRay doesn't win out so its "bundling" a HD-DVD movie player in its gaming console. I don't like the way the next gen hardware situation is shaping up. I think we will be paying for hardware that is rarely going to be used up to its full potential because the companies are including it with other things in mind other than the gaming experience.

That is beside the point. Neither XBox 360 or PS3 really need to have an HD-DVD or BluRay drive. Games for both systems would fit on standard DVD's. In fact, I imagine that all PS3 games will initially be on DVD's just as early PS2 games were all on regular CD-Roms. Until the cost of BluRay media comes way down, there is no need for Sony to cut into their profit margin, especially when all that extra space isn't even needed.

I do, however, think that Sony and game publishers are going to see a lot of potential to use all that extra disc space for marketing purposes. Game makers could easily fill the disc with game trailers and demos, movie and dvd trailers, extra bonus features for the game itself, and even music demos and/or soundtracks. We are seeing more and more of that stuff already in games, so with more disc space at their disposal, it will just increase tenfold once the cost per unit becomes acceptable to them.

Back on topic, the reason for Sony putting BluRay drives in PS3 has nothing to do with games. It is simply about them gaining market penetration. BluRay is their proprietary format, so they have every incentive to get players into as many homes as possible. That way, they can get a huge head start on HD-DVD, and eventually strong arm all the movie studios into backing their format instead of HD-DVD and winning out. It looks pretty convincing when they can go to these studios and say "hey, we already have a user installed base of 10 million, while there have only been 500,000 or less HD-DVD players sold to date". Microsoft is not the creator of HD-DVD, so they have no incentive to increase their manufacturing cost (as well as retail cost) of their consoles to get the players into homes. Toshiba (HD-DVD proprietor), however, would love to get their drives into the 360, as it will give them a chance against Sony, so it will be real interesting to watch
this whole thing unfold.