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MS shows off HD-DVD

DCharlie

DCharlie

Banned
but without a HDMI output on the 360.....why would you even wanna watch HDDVDs on the 360 in the first place???? "HD-ERA" am cry????
Click to expand...

there is very little difference between watching HD content over HDMI and regular component... well, according to sony anyways.
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
koam said:
Because this is inconvenient to the max. You have to have the 360 running and hooked up to it and possibly have to go through the dashboard to play the movie. Also, does the 360 have an HDMI port? I didn't think it did so you're screwed when movie studios add encryption to their movies.

Who the hell uses a console to play movies anyway?
Click to expand...

if its as smooth as the HDDVD guys on Major Nelson's podcast were saying, it shouldn't be any more difficult than playing a DVD. Press the eject button on the HDDVD drive, everything powers up, stick the disc in, close the tray - done.
 
A

Agent Icebeezy

Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
monkeymagic said:
How well will Xenos be able to decode 1080p VC-1 video which by all accounts is no small feat?

Any benchmarks out there?
Click to expand...

ATI is putting a decoder in the HD-DVD attachment
 
M

Mmmkay

Member
Agent Icebeezy said:
ATI is putting a decoder in the HD-DVD attachment
Click to expand...
ATI is putting a software decoder in the HD-DVD attachment. The software based playback utilitses ATI's AVIVO codec which features Xenos based hardware acceleration.
 
S

Shogmaster

Member
monkeymagic said:
How well will Xenos be able to decode 1080p VC-1 video which by all accounts is no small feat?

Any benchmarks out there?
Click to expand...

Just a single core of Xenon should do more than fine of replacing the 2.4GHz P4 in Toshiba boxes. The hardware decoder will be harder to replace with software solution, but 2 remaining cores of Xenon and the highly programmable nature of the unified architecture on the Xenos should mean no real problems for the task.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
Why the hell did they design it so it's all fubar'd (slot-loaded from the top!?!?) when stood vertical??

:lol

Did they even look at the logistics of the 360 design - or simply look at it's color and shape?

Seriously, that is stupid.
 
B

Big Takeover

Member
Onix said:
Why the hell did they design it so it's all fubar'd (slot-loaded from the top!?!?) when stood vertical??

:lol

Did they even look at the logistics of the 360 design - or simply look at it's color and shape?

Seriously, that is stupid.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I see what you're on about. Can you elaborate?
 
O

Outcast2004

Banned
Onix said:
Why the hell did they design it so it's all fubar'd (slot-loaded from the top!?!?) when stood vertical??

:lol

Did they even look at the logistics of the 360 design - or simply look at it's color and shape?

Seriously, that is stupid.
Click to expand...


Um..what the hell are you talking about?
It's not a slot loading device.... not in ANY way.
 
O

OldJadedGamer

Banned
KTallguy said:
This reminds me of when you had to buy an extra remote to watch DVDs on the original Xbox. Except this is bigger and more expensive.
Click to expand...

The PS2 launch units in Japan couldn't play DVD's out of the box either... what's your point?
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
BCD2 said:
I'm not sure I see what you're on about. Can you elaborate?
Click to expand...

Okay … look at the pic below.

xbox231_550x413.jpg


Unless I’m hallucinating the part with the silver horizontal stripe is the ‘front’ of the unit (that is the actual tray).

Now look at the sides – one is concave, while the other is convex – so you can’t set it on either of those sides.

So doesn’t that mean if you want to stand it vertically (along side your 360), you’d end up with the drive tray on the top? Basically, ejecting the drive would end up with the tray actually moving straight up?



Basically, it appears like it's designed to only be horizontal?



Outcast2004 said:
Um..what the hell are you talking about?
It's not a slot loading device.... not in ANY way.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant tray - which in this case is far worse.
 
B

Big Takeover

Member
Onix said:
Okay … look at the pic below.

Unless I’m hallucinating the part with the silver horizontal stripe is the ‘front’ of the unit (that is the actual tray).

Now look at the sides – one is concave, while the other is convex – so you can’t set it on either of those sides.

So doesn’t that mean if you want to stand it vertically (along side your 360), you’d end up with the drive tray on the top? Basically, ejecting the drive would end up with the tray actually moving straight up?

Basically, it appears like it's designed to only be horizontal?

Sorry, I meant tray.
Click to expand...
I'm just going to show you a picture, and I'll let you figure out the problem with standing it on it's end.
hddvd2.jpg

Flat or concave side down are your two choices of arrangement.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
So the I/O is on the bottom?

WTF are they thinking?



Earlier pics implied it could be vertical, next to your 360. Why the hell did they go horizonal-only?


Or do you actually stand it on the concave side? That's just wacky. So it looks like a 360 tipped over?


Weird.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
lol - I just editted before you posted.



I didn't realize it was designed for the concave edge - I wonder if it is stable?

I really don't care (as long as it can be vertical) ... I just think it's weird that it then looks like a tipped-over 360. I understand they wanted to keep it small, so that's why it's deeper than it's tall, but the design just seems odd to me.

It looks like a mini-360, but tipped over. For some reason, it just kind of reminds me of when a 3rd party peripheral comes out that kind of matches the system it's intended for - but doesn't really.

Oh well, no biggie - I just think it looks hoaky.
 
T

TheWolf

Banned
Onix said:
Okay … look at the pic below.

xbox231_550x413.jpg


Unless I’m hallucinating the part with the silver horizontal stripe is the ‘front’ of the unit (that is the actual tray).

Now look at the sides – one is concave, while the other is convex – so you can’t set it on either of those sides.

So doesn’t that mean if you want to stand it vertically (along side your 360), you’d end up with the drive tray on the top? Basically, ejecting the drive would end up with the tray actually moving straight up?



Basically, it appears like it's designed to only be horizontal?

Sorry, I meant tray - which in this case is far worse.
Click to expand...

wtf, it's that ****ing huge? :lol
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
bill0527 said:
Another one that's never seen the Toshiba HD-DVD or Sammy stand-alone players.

This thing is at least half the size of those monstrosoties.
Click to expand...

That's cause this thing is missing the rest of the PC that's in the Toshiba players :lol
 
B

Beer Monkey

Member
Unless they include a liquid cooling system to quiet down the 360, I wouldn't consider paying $200. I don't mind a noisy system during gameplay but fan and drive noise is unacceptable during movie watching.
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
The Samsung BluRay player, while big, is significantly smaller than the Toshiba HD-DVD units.


One of the A/V mags showed a picture of them in the same rack - the Toshiba is a freaking monster! :lol
 
R

Raistlin

Post Count: 9999
beermonkey@tehbias said:
Unless they include a liquid cooling system to quiet down the 360, I wouldn't consider paying $200. I don't mind a noisy system during gameplay but fan and drive noise is unacceptable during movie watching.
Click to expand...

That's a good question. I would hope the drive noise is modest - but who knows, this could simply be a PC HD-DVD drive. Still, it shouldn't be anywhere near as loud as the 360 DVD drive, as it spins much slower.

Not much can be done about the 360 fans though ... unless you don't mind some system surgery.
 
B

bill0527

Member
Onix said:
The Samsung BluRay player, while big, is significantly smaller than the Toshiba HD-DVD units.


One of the A/V mags showed a picture of them in the same rack - the Toshiba is a freaking monster! :lol
Click to expand...


Uhhhh.... have you actually went into Best Buy or Circuit City to look at these players side-by-side? The blu-ray player is not anywhere near "significantly" smaller than the HD-DVD player. Both are huge and the only thing that really stands out as the difference in size is the depth is bigger on the HD-DVD and its not by much, maybe an inch or so.

Here are the dimensions taken from BestBuy.com

Sammy Blu-Ray:

Product Height 3-1/10"
Product Width 16-9/10"
Product Depth 12-4/5"


Toshiba HD-DVD:

Product Height 4"
Product Width 17"
Product Depth 14"
 
K

KeithFranklin

Banned
shidoshi said:
Except they left out a few things. HDMI 1.3 is supposed to bring better picture and color quality, but the big one is HDCP. For now, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray is allowed to send the full HD signal over both HDMI and component until 2010 or so. (It's 2010 for Blu-Ray, not sure exactly about HD-DVD.) However, if all companies will stick to that is unknown, and what happens in four years when 2010 rolls around is unknown.

What this means is, if you aren't using HDMI, at any time it can be decided that full resolution HD is no longer allowed over component, and thus you'll be watching all of your lovely HD-DVD movies at a forced lower resolution because HDMI isn't available.
Click to expand...

By 2010 if Blu-Ray or HD-DVD our successfull the players will be dirt cheap. So simply get a new dedicated stand alone player then.

I still think MS will sell this cheap at a loss, because they dont expect it to sell well. It's only reason for existance is to take away a PS3 selling point.
 
M

Mrbob

Member
KeithFranklin said:
By 2010 if Blu-Ray or HD-DVD our successfull the players will be dirt cheap. So simply get a new dedicated stand alone player then.

I still think MS will sell this cheap at a loss, because they dont expect it to sell well. It's only reason for existance is to take away a PS3 selling point.
Click to expand...

This is why I say it'll be $149.99 or less. MS should try to get the HD DVD drive down to $99.99 as soon as possible.

It's a bare drive. HD DVD drives cost < $100 to manufacture, so an external drive should not be retailing for $199.99. $149.99 or less ftw, preferably $99.99.
 
Q

quetz67

Banned
Mrbob said:
This is why I say it'll be $149.99 or less. MS should try to get the HD DVD drive down to $99.99 as soon as possible.

It's a bare drive. HD DVD drives cost < $100 to manufacture
Click to expand...
were did you get that (wrong) info from?
 
M

Mmmkay

Member
This didn't really need a new thread. The current revision of the HD-DVD addon does indeed look like it may require an external PSU:

hd360newbt4.jpg

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

Jane mentions that they were told the product isn't totally final yet "the proportions are all there, but the finish is slightly different", but I have a hard time seeing it magically becoming internal now.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Mmmkay said:
This didn't really need a new thread. The current revision of the HD-DVD addon does indeed look like it may require an external PSU:
.
Click to expand...

:lol

I'm scared to see Agent Icebreezy's setup after MS releases all their addons :lol
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
m0dus said:
Good god. I hope the people condemning this thing because it looks 'bulky' realize they sound as retarded as the people disparaging the PS3 because it's something like 11 lbs.
Click to expand...

Its not about the bulk but what seems to be the Lego type setup with various addons and configurations.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
m0dus said:
Right. Because that will completely ruin the experience of watching a movie on your video-game console?
Click to expand...

When did I say movies and video-games will be hindered by it? I'm talking purely on the aspect of someone having all the addons and how you might need an entertainment center for all the wires and plugs for the damn thing.
 
S

Shogmaster

Member
Mmmkay said:
This didn't really need a new thread. The current revision of the HD-DVD addon does indeed look like it may require an external PSU:

hd360newbt4.jpg

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

Jane mentions that they were told the product isn't totally final yet "the proportions are all there, but the finish is slightly different", but I have a hard time seeing it magically becoming internal now.
Click to expand...

Since the add on can't use the USB cable for power, I find the whole PSU debate for it rather moot. I mean, it's gonna have a power cable one way or another, who cares if there's a little brick at the end of it? It's not gonna be like a X360 sized power brick for cryin' out loud...
 
M

Mmmkay

Member
Shogmaster said:
Since the add on can't use the USB cable for power, I find the whole PSU debate for it rather moot. I mean, it's gonna have a power cable one way or another, who cares if there's a little brick at the end of it? It's not gonna be like a X360 sized power brick for cryin' out loud...
Click to expand...
Well it has caused enough of a ruckus in every HD-DVD addon thread we've had, so I thought people might just be a little bit interested. I agree it's not the end of the world, but it is another bit of bulk which you do have to cater for. Just a question of convenience that's all.
 
B

Big Takeover

Member
Mmmkay said:
This didn't really need a new thread. The current revision of the HD-DVD addon does indeed look like it may require an external PSU:

Jane mentions that they were told the product isn't totally final yet "the proportions are all there, but the finish is slightly different", but I have a hard time seeing it magically becoming internal now.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure. I would be more inclined to guess it has a detachable power cable with internal supply, for no other reason than the enclosure is so big.
 
M

Mmmkay

Member
BCD2 said:
I'm not so sure. I would be more inclined to guess it has a detachable power cable with internal supply, for no other reason than the enclosure is so big.
Click to expand...
Note the symbol above the power connector. It means the connection is DC.
 
S

Shogmaster

Member
Mmmkay said:
Well it has caused enough of a ruckus in every HD-DVD addon thread we've had, so I thought people might just be a little bit interested. I agree it's not the end of the world, but it is another bit of bulk which you do have to cater for. Just a question of convenience that's all.
Click to expand...

We're probably talking about something like these:

27-131-017-14.JPG

27-154-036-04.JPG

27-131-345-05.JPG


I don't see how they are such big convinience problems.
 
D

DenogginizerOS

BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
Tomorrow we will have pricing according to the video. Cool.

If HD-DVD wins, I will buy this.

I personally don't care about the power supply. All I care about is that HD video playback is an option.
 
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