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[GhaleonEB]

He asked if Mister Chief was in Barcelona...

you know what he meant! :lol

 

[Arsenal]

Do we have any word on how many of these things are shipping?

 

[Baker]

only via VGA.

It seriously only upconverts dvds over vga? That is ****ing ridiculous. So even if we did give in and buy this thing, we'd still have to keep our upconverting dvd players on the shelf?

Lame.

 

[borghe]

eh, I really think you upconverting guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill. No upconverting player I've ever seen, including denon's mammoth beast, looked anywhere near as amazing as most of you guys would lead one to believe, IMHO of course. At the end of the day it is still just resized 480p.

I could see no 1080p being a deal breaker, but no DVD upconversion.. blah.. give me something real to complain about.

 

[Arsenal]

It seriously only upconverts dvds over vga? That is ****ing ridiculous. So even if we did give in and buy this thing, we'd still have to keep our upconverting dvd players on the shelf?

Lame.

Its simply not allowed to upconvert over component (its a DRM restriction, not a technical one) and it doesn't have HDMI.

Edit: MS has hinted that they will be able to get around these restrictions somehow, but they were pretty vague about it and its probably just BS. VGA of course upconverts to 1080p because of the PC loophole.

 

[sangreal]

It seriously only upconverts dvds over vga? That is ****ing ridiculous. So even if we did give in and buy this thing, we'd still have to keep our upconverting dvd players on the shelf?

Lame.

Like every other unmodified DVD player out there...

(With the exception of very few DVD players with outdated firmware)

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

I'll most definitely be picking one up in Nov. Life is going to be good come Nov.

 

[Baker]

eh, I really think you upconverting guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill. No upconverting player I've ever seen, including denon's mammoth beast, looked anywhere near as amazing as most of you guys would lead one to believe, IMHO of course. At the end of the day it is still just resized 480p.

I could see no 1080p being a deal breaker, but no DVD upconversion.. blah.. give me something real to complain about.

Like every other unmodified DVD player out there...

(With the exception of very few DVD players with outdated firmware)

I really disagree. I have a POS Samsung upconverting dvd player through HDMI and I can see a noticeable difference in quality compared to "standard" dvd players.

As for the mountain (and I think this is directed at sangreal too, but I really don't know wtf he's trying to say), I think it's justified.

My $100 dvd player upconverts to 720p. All the Toshiba hddvd players upconvert to 720p. It's lame that the 360 one does not. I understand that it's just physically not possible to do it over component, but it still sucks anyways.

I wanted just to use the 360 hddvd as an interim product until I got a 1080p tv. So I guess the options are

1) 360 hddvd and keep the upconverting dvd player
2) get an HD-A2 next month

I dunno. I 100% understand that I'm bitching for no real reason. It's hard to be on the "forefront of technology" or whatever and still want to horde the 300+ dvds I've amassed over the years.

So I guess a real question now would be this:

What is going to be the visual difference between playing 720p/1080i hddvds on the 360 component and the HD-A2 hdmi?

 

[AgentOtaku]

I really disagree. I have a POS Samsung upconverting dvd player through HDMI and I can see a noticeable difference in quality compared to "standard" dvd players.

As for the mountain (and I think this is directed at sangreal too, but I really don't know wtf he's trying to say), I think it's justified.

My $100 dvd player upconverts to 720p. All the Toshiba hddvd players upconvert to 720p. It's lame that the 360 one does not. I understand that it's just physically not possible to do it over component, but it still sucks anyways.

I wanted just to use the 360 hddvd as an interim product until I got a 1080p tv. So I guess the options are

1) 360 hddvd and keep the upconverting dvd player
2) get an HD-A2 next month

I dunno. I 100% understand that I'm bitching for no real reason. It's hard to be on the "forefront of technology" or whatever and still want to horde the 300+ dvds I've amassed over the years.

So I guess a real question now would be this:

What is going to be the visual difference between playing 720p/1080i hddvds on the 360 component and the HD-A2 hdmi?

...do some searching on the net, but you can hack some dvd players to run upconverted dvds over 720p component...

just like you can hack a player to be region free

 

[Odysseus]

you know what he meant! :lol

Well, I was hoping Mister Chief could have a vacation. Go out and see the world.

 

[gkryhewy]

I really disagree. I have a POS Samsung upconverting dvd player through HDMI and I can see a noticeable difference in quality compared to "standard" dvd players.

FWIW, I had a 'POS' Samsung (HD850) connected via HDMI, which I ebay'ed when I realized I was getting a better picture from my 360 at 480p after the firmware update that enhanced playback quality. Namely, the 360 actually passes BTB, and I saw zero extra clarity from the samsung after a series of anal-retentive back to back comparisons.

 

[Baker]

FWIW, I had a 'POS' Samsung (HD850) connected via HDMI, which I ebay'ed when I realized I was getting a better picture from my 360 at 480p after the firmware update that enhanced playback quality. Namely, the 360 actually passes BTB, and I saw zero extra clarity from the samsung after a series of anal-retentive back to back comparisons.

Might be just me, but my Samsung definitely gives a better picture than the 360. It could be just because I have my dvd player and hdmi source calibrated for movies and not the 360.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Might be just me, but my Samsung definitely gives a better picture than the 360. It could be just because I have my dvd player and hdmi source calibrated for movies and not the 360.

I have the samsung hd850 model also (though hacked it to be region free).....much better quality running hdmi 720p than 480p x360

 

[Reilly]

Where's the huge part?

joke post?

 

[RumFore]

joke post?

I dont see how thats huge also. The thing is a little bigger than a your PC cd rom. Unless your a small person or have no space at all...then yeah maybe.

 

[sangreal]

the size doesn't bother me, but I find it rather ugly.

 

[gkryhewy]

I have the samsung hd850 model also (though hacked it to be region free).....much better quality running hdmi 720p than 480p x360

If you say so! The loss in black ranges pretty much killed it for me, and the 360 dash update made the DVD quality MUCH better (much better than it was previously, not much better than the Samsung - it was still only marginally better than the samsung). BTW my TV (DLP) is 720p native, and I had the HD850 outputting 720p (tried 1080i also).

 

[Variable]

I highly doubt you'll be able to put a 360 game in the hd drive and play it off there. Doesn't really make any sense as to why anyone would want that option anyway.

The biggest thing in this thread is the 10 second bootup, the AD1 is reported around 30 seconds? (correct me if wrong)

Anything to make my 360 not sound like a jet taking off while im playing a game with quiet moments is a plus for me.

 

[Raistlin]

Good to hear the unit is quiet, and boots quick.

Assuming the video quality is up to snuff, this could be a nice little unit.



Has the US price been confirmed yet?

 

[Geoff9920]

Good to hear the unit is quiet, and boots quick.

Assuming the video quality is up to snuff, this could be a nice little unit.



Has the US price been confirmed yet?

Yup, $199.

 

[Stinkles]

Good to hear the unit is quiet, and boots quick.

Assuming the video quality is up to snuff, this could be a nice little unit.



Has the US price been confirmed yet?

Hey Onix, I know you know your Audio, but believe me, I know my video. The IQ was up to snuff. Hard to judge properly without comparative stuff to look at, but it sang. Black blacks, smooth, natural film motion and lovely colors. The demo was running on a 42 inch Samsung at 720p - so I didn't see it running at 1080p.

 

[K_S]

if ms released a 360 with built-in hd dvd i might buy it but no way im buying an add-on

 

[Mrbob]

Hey Onix, I know you know your Audio, but believe me, I know my video. The IQ was up to snuff. Hard to judge properly without comparative stuff to look at, but it sang. Black blacks, smooth, natural film motion and lovely colors. The demo was running on a 42 inch Samsung at 720p - so I didn't see it running at 1080p.

Spoiler

Also, don't forget that HD DVD has a much better selection of movies at the moment than Blu Ray. I can't believe it tbh, and now I think I shall need to buy this add on in November

 

[jarosh]

ok guys can someone clear up the hd-dvd situation in europe for me or provide a link? i mean, we've got NO movies so far and no nothing...

 

[C4Lukins]

The player is pretty huge man. If you combine the 360, power supply ad the hddvd player you've got yourself a HUGE BITCH!

Luckily it will be replacing my dvd player which is two and a half times the size, and will free up enough space for my Wii. This is assuming that it gets some solid impressions, but if it turns out to be a great piece of hardware, it is actually freeing up some space on my entertainment center. Plus I will finally get to move my decent DVD player into my bedroom, and I will be able to replace the shitty Samsung DVD player that we got free with our cable box 3 years ago.

 

[black_13]

well this pretty much takes out the price point argument. Both consoles are going to be the same price.
Sure 360 owners might say this drive ain't necessary but just as you see in this thread that they will slowly open up their wallet.
Brilliant planning from M$. It's like buy half the console now and buy the other half later as opposed to the Sony way which is buy the whole thing all at once or don't buy it at all.

Sheesh, both of them will empty my wallet at the same rate. So once again it's coming down to the games for my decision.

 

[SnakeXs]

well this pretty much takes out the price point argument. Both consoles are going to be the same price.
Sure 360 owners might say this drive ain't necessary but just as you see in this thread that they will slowly open up their wallet.
Brilliant planning from M$. It's like buy half the console now and buy the other half later as opposed to the Sony way which is buy the whole thing all at once or don't buy it at all.

Sheesh, both of them will empty my wallet at the same rate. So once again it's coming down to the games for my decision.

This is so ****ing wrong it hurts. There's a HUGE, INSANE difference between leaving an option of choice for the consumer, and forcing something on the consumer. Until EVERY 360 owner NEEDS an HD-DVD drive, or hell games period are released on HD-DVD your comment holds no ground.

 

[StevieP]

see. i don't get this. AT ALL. i want hd-movies. i have a 360. the hd-dvd add-on is by far the cheapest solution. it's not an afterthought at all. it's not even up to discussion. if you want to watch hd-dvd movies and you have a 360 - this is the way to go. why should we NOT be interested?

Well, because unlike a standalone, it will be almost useless in 5-6 years (if it lasts that long)? ICT

If you're that hard-up for HD movies, subscribe to HD satelite or HD cable and wait for prices on decent standalone players (with HDMI) to come down and for a clear winner in this ridiculous format war to be crowned.

 

[ghostmind]

Well, because unlike a standalone, it will be almost useless in 5-6 years (if it lasts that long)? ICT

So $200 for 5 to 6 years usage?

 

[Hunter D]

well this pretty much takes out the price point argument. Both consoles are going to be the same price.
Sure 360 owners might say this drive ain't necessary but just as you see in this thread that they will slowly open up their wallet.
Brilliant planning from M$. It's like buy half the console now and buy the other half later as opposed to the Sony way which is buy the whole thing all at once or don't buy it at all.

Sheesh, both of them will empty my wallet at the same rate. So once again it's coming down to the games for my decision.

You do know the HDDVD drive is optional right?

 

[Odysseus]

You do know the HDDVD drive is optional right?

Not for Live users. They charge your credit card and then ship the unit straight to you. You pay for overnight shipping, too. It's just wrong.

 

[StevieP]

So $200 for 5 to 6 years usage?

If the 360 holds up that long (remember, it has to be tethered to it), that doesn't sound too bad... I don't know about you, but when I buy an expensive piece of equipment, I expect to be able to use it until it dies. And in the case of AV equipment, I'm still using my first JVC DVD player. Hell, all of the VCRs, save for the first one from the 80's, still work great. My NES still works with a bit of blowing, too - so why would I want to spend $200 on a piece of AV equipment that I know has a functional expiry date (unless you like 540p) thanks to copy protection? This is why if I even WANTED an HD player, I'd go standalone-only. Not a part of my game system.

 

[hadareud]

Not for Live users. They charge your credit card and then ship the unit straight to you. You pay for overnight shipping, too. It's just wrong.

i know, they shipped the ****ing thing to me already.

But it was to big to fit through the door, so luckily they took it back.

 

[Mrbob]

Can't speak about anyone else, but there is no way I would spend $500 on a dedicated HD DVD player. But at $200 I don't mind taking the plunge.

 

[hellfire]

If the 360 holds up that long (remember, it has to be tethered to it), that doesn't sound too bad... I don't know about you, but when I buy an expensive piece of equipment, I expect to be able to use it until it dies. And in the case of AV equipment, I'm still using my first JVC DVD player. Hell, all of the VCRs, save for the first one from the 80's, still work great. My NES still works with a bit of blowing, too - so why would I want to spend $200 on a piece of AV equipment that I know has a functional expiry date (unless you like 540p) thanks to copy protection? This is why if I even WANTED an HD player, I'd go standalone-only. Not a part of my game system.

the 600-700+ titles (assuming they go at the current rate) available between now and then will STILL work. it's not like ICT or DOT are magic wands that suddenly make the discs you own stop working.

by then, i'd guess you could use this drive on your htpc that can do hdmi out.

 

[rjcc]

I really disagree. I have a POS Samsung upconverting dvd player through HDMI and I can see a noticeable difference in quality compared to "standard" dvd players.

As for the mountain (and I think this is directed at sangreal too, but I really don't know wtf he's trying to say), I think it's justified.

My $100 dvd player upconverts to 720p. All the Toshiba hddvd players upconvert to 720p. It's lame that the 360 one does not. I understand that it's just physically not possible to do it over component, but it still sucks anyways.

I wanted just to use the 360 hddvd as an interim product until I got a 1080p tv. So I guess the options are

1) 360 hddvd and keep the upconverting dvd player
2) get an HD-A2 next month

I dunno. I 100% understand that I'm bitching for no real reason. It's hard to be on the "forefront of technology" or whatever and still want to horde the 300+ dvds I've amassed over the years.

So I guess a real question now would be this:

What is going to be the visual difference between playing 720p/1080i hddvds on the 360 component and the HD-A2 hdmi?

none of the toshiba hd dvd players upconvert beyond 480p via analog. they go to 1080i via hdmi. keeping your curent upconverting player doesn't seem like a horrible choice, buying th hd-a2 really only benefits you by giving you hdmi, they stripped the analog 5.1 outputs from -a1 which sucks, if you're going to buy a standalone, I'd wait for a price drop on the xa2

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

the 600-700+ titles (assuming they go at the current rate) available between now and then will STILL work. it's not like ICT or DOT are magic wands that suddenly make the discs you own stop working.

by then, i'd guess you could use this drive on your htpc that can do hdmi out.

Or buy another hd-dvd drive for 30 bucks or so.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Can't speak about anyone else, but there is no way I would spend $500 on a dedicated HD DVD player. But at $200 I don't mind taking the plunge.

Ditto.

Not for Live users. They charge your credit card and then ship the unit straight to you. You pay for overnight shipping, too. It's just wrong.

:lol

I can't even add to that. Brilliant.