Xbox 360 HD DVD via USB, confirmed
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ May 8th 2006 at 11:00AM }
Microsoft has officially revealed connectivity details about the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on. The accessory will connect via a USB cable, utilizing the Xbox 360's high definition video output and digital surround sound support. Microsoft did not reveal a price, instead opting for the ole' marketing spiel: "With HD DVD, it is now becoming evident that the entire ecosystem ... is more economical than Blu-ray." Ecosystem? Word?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
justin @ May 8th 2006 11:05AM
yes, i can see it in the way the birds sing and the way the ozone layer skips across the atmosphere that the HD-DVD people outbid Blu-Ray for the x360 development.
Babylonian @ May 8th 2006 11:06AM
I could've sworn this was already officially announced at either TGS or GDC last year.
Doom127 @ May 8th 2006 11:07AM
Where's HDMI? Where's 1080p?
Doc P @ May 8th 2006 11:08AM
I hope it attaches in a nifty way like the wireless adapter
Scythe @ May 8th 2006 11:08AM
with E3 and the PS3 up at bat the MS boys are going to be pulling out any and every sneaky trick in the book. They are going to do everything they can to sway people away from Sony but the funny thing is it's not going to work, then fans they have now is all they are pretty much going to get, by now it's split 4 ways either your a Sony, MS, Nintendo, or undecided fanboy.
Sony's fans are sitting in wait and MS thinks that some flashy words and a few cheap tricks and add-ons will do for pulling us to their side. Sorry MS it's not going to work.
Don Dada @ May 8th 2006 11:09AM
THis thing will sell if its cheap. YOu just know they will relase a PC driver for it. Maybe not till Vista though. With HD-DVD titles on the shelves this summer and a player you can use on your Xbox AND pc, this add-on will help Xbox and HD-DVD.
I don't know anyone planning to det a HD player until the PS3 comes out and that might be a long time. With this, if you already have a 360 and the thing costs like $150-200 buck why not?
PS3 Enthusiast @ May 8th 2006 11:10AM
Damn! Damn!! Damn!!! If this device is going to plug into the rear USB port, where are wireless users suppose to plug the WiFi adapter into? The front? Yeah right. The instructions w/ the WiFi adapter specifically states that its not suppose to be used through a hub. I'm thinking MS is also planning a X360 specfic powered hub to accomodate these scenarios.
Armin @ May 8th 2006 11:12AM
Xbox360 should have shipped with HD-DVD in the first place, it's almost a trademark of every new generation.
And HD-DVD is cheaper and much more reliable than Blu-ray in any case. Let's wait and see the PS3 price.
iMark @ May 8th 2006 11:13AM
Unless Microsoft decide to make the HD-DVD drive standard across all 360's rather than an add-on I don't see this having much effect.
Add-on drives like this have always fared poorly in the marketplace (sega-cd and nintendo's dd) and I can't see anything that makes this different.
James @ May 8th 2006 11:13AM
Anyone care to take wagers on how badly MS wants to steal the bang at E3 away from the PS3 and Wii?
But really, with the XBox260 making its big bang last year, what's there for MS to do at this E3 other than showcase "addons," hopeful games, and "Hey, we're still here. We haven't even released our badboy games yet!"?
I'm not putting down the XBox 360, I'm just saying that can they help but be overshadowed by the other two horses in the race? It would be a complete coup if they can steal the spotlight.
Antec @ May 8th 2006 11:14AM
how can a hd-dvd drive me more eco-friendly than blu-ray? MS please explainnn.
liteweight @ May 8th 2006 11:14AM
If games are required to use this, it could be the worst decision MS has made with the XBOX
JAS @ May 8th 2006 11:20AM
HA HA HA...
o its priceless, another add on that dosent come with the system that youll have to fork out your hard earned MS fanboy dollars for, man Microsoft are really clutching at straws now, why didnt they design the console properly instead of rushing it out in a panic.
apoc06 @ May 8th 2006 11:22AM
it bothers me slightly that the revolution/ wii needs an external drive to play dvds, and the x360 needs an external drive to play hidef movies. it ruins the point of having the console if you need to attach another peripheral to it.
why didnt nintendo just bite the bullet and pay the patent fees to have dvds playable internally on the built in drive? if the wii is so cheap, a lil extra fee shouldnt matter, right? as for an external hd drive for the x360, it looks like that external drive will require an external powersupply as well. not a pretty site at all. if they knew that they would upgrade the drive at a later point, why didnt they just come out and make the drive removable from the console like most laptop drives?
Scott @ May 8th 2006 11:22AM
If the price is right, this may not be such a bad thing. Think about it: This is just a drive. There is no audio or video out. This could be a lot cheaper than buying a standalone HDDVD player. While I agree that Micro$oft should have included this internally from day 1, this could be an upgrade path for the early adopters, and maybe Micro$oft will be smart and include this in a future hardware revision. I would say that if they got the drive to $100 (it's only a ROM, not a writable) and if the PS3 costs $500, this may be a winner; by a nose, but still a winner.
Sjohn @ May 8th 2006 11:23AM
It's better for the ecosystem because they can make "Dual Disks" which will work on standard dvd players and also HD-DVD players, this is 1 less disk that they assume people would buy, thus being better for the ecosystem. They think that people would buy both blu-ray and dvd so that they could play the movie on either type of player in the house, just a sentence thought up by some marketing goons.
Tom @ May 8th 2006 11:24AM
"I'm not putting down the XBox 360, I'm just saying that can they help but be overshadowed by the other two horses in the race? It would be a complete coup if they can steal the spotlight."
Don't throw Microsoft out the mix yet. I absolutely agree with you in the sense that, yeah, I'm mega rainbow ninja psyched about what Nintendo and Sony, in that order, have up their sleeve, a lot more than Microsoft, who unfortunately has to spring up after both of these guys have take up residency in our waking hours and dreams. But Microsoft, as you said, still has its "badboy games" that are going to be used for the very reason of keeping some spotlight on themselves ala Halo, Fable, Ninja Gaiden, whatever else (all prospects of course, I have no idea if any of these are going to be there). And on top of that Microsoft has had a lot of really lame E3's (have all of theirs been lame?), but still, they'll have Too Human, Wind Walker games, Viva La Pinta, and probably something else, right, right?
Ugh, I think in that last paragraph I might have argued myself into agreeing with you. And no, on average nobody likes addons for their systems, as has been shown over, and over, and over again, but this just a blip anyways, not some huge product on their part.
jay @ May 8th 2006 11:24AM
I don't see how this is going to work. Can you really stream 1080i/p video via USB? It just seems a wrong choice. Firewire on the other hand can handle a single stream better.
Better still MS should have just stuck a HD-DVD drive in the original system. Not doing so was such a huge mistake. Ho hum.
jaemz @ May 8th 2006 11:24AM
Interesting article (from Microsoft), and by interesting I mean skewed and not very informative.
The only things that matter to me, when it comes to buying an HD-DVD second drive... is will it have HDMI (DVI)?
Which format will have Starwars and LOTR?
Will I be able to use the media player features and stream HD video back to my PC (bonus if while gaming).
oh, and price...
Dave @ May 8th 2006 11:24AM
"9. how can a hd-dvd drive me more eco-friendly than blu-ray? MS please explainnn."
What are you talking about? "eco-friendly"? There's no mention, anywhere, about "eco-friendly".
"10. If games are required to use this, it could be the worst decision MS has made with the XBOX"
No games are going to be required. It's an add-on to play HD-DVD's only. This is an old, old, fact.
"7. Unless Microsoft decide to make the HD-DVD drive standard across all 360's rather than an add-on I don't see this having much effect."
The point is to take away a bullet from the Sony gun. We can play high Def movies! Oh yeah, so can we! I've been an HD TV owner since 2001, yet I've had no interest in HD-DVD or Blu-Ray to date. With a $100 HD-DVD addon for my 360, I'll be jumping-in just because I can. I love it for that reason alone. This is great for consumers. Want a 360, don't care about HD-DVD? Perfect, buy the console. Want the 360 and HD-DVD? Perfect, here's an inexpensive add-on. Want a PS3 but don't care about HD movies? Uhhh, sorry, you're paying for a Blu-Ray drive regardless.
PS3 Enthusiast @ May 8th 2006 11:25AM
Wii is shipping w/ a standard DVD-drive. True, its aimed @ a different market, but it still doesn't matter. Eventually games on the X360 will become too large to fit on a standard DVD and will span multiple discs, but that didn't impact the gameplay in anyway in the past. What is the big deal now?
Some ppl can make the biggest deal out of nothing. A new disc format does not define a new generation. Thats just stupid to believe that.
Steven @ May 8th 2006 11:25AM
"With HD-DVD titles on the shelves this summer.."
Yeah, have you seen the price for these HD-DVD titles?
I saw in the BestBuy ad this week that only 3 HD-DVDs were out and they're $30 each.
There's NO WAY I would spend that much for a movie, even if it is "better quality."
DarkSol @ May 8th 2006 11:26AM
Armin: Can you explain exactly how HD-DVD is cheaper and more reliable than Blu-Ray? Do you have access to both formats and have done many tests? Can't say I've seen HD-DVD discs to purchase like Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray has the DURABIS coating which makes it scratch and mark resistant. Does HD-DVD have something comparable? Please, come up with some better sounding FUD before you open your mouth.
dave @ May 8th 2006 11:27AM
Armin, in what way is HD-DVD more reliable than Blu-ray? You've extensively tested both formats yourself, right? And you have conclusions that you're willing to share with everyone here on the web?
Format wars are good for no one, but don't make it worse by making stuff up.
David @ May 8th 2006 11:29AM
No HDMI?? They do realize the movie studios have the option of down rez'ing hd-dvd movies to 540p, effectively cutting the resolution by about half, over component right? Sure right now they haven't said they will restrict the resolution, but a lot of people are speculating that once they become more popular they could effectively start doing this.
jay @ May 8th 2006 11:29AM
Well your just poor Steven. in the UK we're paying the equivalent to $30 for DVD's. at least in the high street, and not Music Zone.
Dave @ May 8th 2006 11:29AM
"12. HA HA HA...
o its priceless, another add on that dosent come with the system that youll have to fork out your hard earned MS fanboy dollars for, man Microsoft are really clutching at straws now, why didnt they design the console properly instead of rushing it out in a panic."
This coming from an apparent Sony fan. How did that PS2, the failure that it is, work again? Oh yeah - need to buy an accessory for more than two controllers, an external HDD, an external network adapter, and on and on.
and if this ignorance is coming from a Nintendo fan, you may want to look at how the Wii is goiong to handle DVD movie playback.
Sense @ May 8th 2006 11:32AM
I really don't care about either format. Resolution makes a big difference in games, but I really don't see the benefit for movies. It's not like it will a bad movie any better.
I'm usually a pretty big technophile, I was all over DVDs when they came out and I bought an HDTV specifically for my original Xbox, but I really don't see the leap in quality with HD-DVD/Blu-Ray. Until someone shows me some real tangible benefits of these new discs, I think I'll sit this one out.
Dave @ May 8th 2006 11:32AM
"Eventually games on the X360 will become too large to fit on a standard DVD and will span multiple discs, but that didn't impact the gameplay in anyway in the past. What is the big deal now?"
That's far from a certainty. No GAMES come close to filling a standard, dual layer DVD. throw in all kinds of pre-rendered video, sure, a DVD-9 can't cope. But GAMES are far from filling a DVD.
The Mole @ May 8th 2006 11:33AM
Ok, so it connects via USB. As long as the 360 doesn't decide to screw customers by requiring HDMI for content protected HD-DVD's then this will be awesome. I think it's possible since the 360 is all about the component outputs and up until this point Microsoft has been very vocal about how the vast majority of HDTV owners have component inputs and only a minority has HDCP-HDMI inputs.
Personally, as of right now myself and many other informed HDTV owners are going to sit out the whole HD-DVD thing since my tv doesn't support HDMI. I don't want to drop a couple hundred bucks on HD-DVD only to have the movies that come out in a year downrez horribly. IF the 360 can deliver the content protected HD-DVD's in 1080i/720p over component, then I'll be first in line to buy.
fygar @ May 8th 2006 11:35AM
If Microsoft released a souped-up 360 with the HD-DVD drive, bigger hard drive, and slimmer form factor at the same time Sony released the PS3, that would give Sony a run for its money. Having some clunky-assed add-on will just look ridiculuous and no one in their right mind will want to buy it and it would make the PS3 look even more appealing. Hopefully Microsoft will come to their senses!
Dave @ May 8th 2006 11:36AM
"27. I really don't care about either format. Resolution makes a big difference in games, but I really don't see the benefit for movies. It's not like it will a bad movie any better.
I'm usually a pretty big technophile, I was all over DVDs when they came out and I bought an HDTV specifically for my original Xbox, but I really don't see the leap in quality with HD-DVD/Blu-Ray. Until someone shows me some real tangible benefits of these new discs, I think I'll sit this one out."
The difference is really only valuable to the big screen crowd - say 50 inches and up. I appreciate the difference in quality a HD movie provides over DVD quality, but not enough to be terribly interested in either of the HD formats. I can get the occasional HD movie from Comcast on-Demand today (and for quite a few months now), and this eventually be the way it all goes. For $100 I'd buy the 360 HD-DVD accessory just because it's there, but wouldn't be the least bit interested in the HD format battle otherwise.
pr0cs @ May 8th 2006 11:37AM
They may have a hit on their hands if this addon is cheap, like REALLY cheap. Really there is no reason for the addon not to be inexpensive if they really want to use the 360 for the display, the addon only needs to be a HD-DVD drive with USB connection.
But with a number of other Microsoft addons (wireless network for example) they overprice things so I'm not holding my breath that they'll make this addon dirt cheap.
E.P. @ May 8th 2006 11:40AM
"it bothers me slightly that the revolution/ wii needs an external drive to play dvds"
"why didnt nintendo just bite the bullet and pay the patent fees to have dvds playable internally on the built in drive?"
Why do we need another DVD player? I'm sure everyone has like 5 DVD players in their house. Nintendo is smart. It keeps the price down. And that makes me happy.
Rishard @ May 8th 2006 11:41AM
Hmmm. Just thought about something. If this thing is an external USB drive, whats to stop me from plugging it into my pc and using it?
Dave @ May 8th 2006 11:41AM
"17. I don't see how this is going to work. Can you really stream 1080i/p video via USB? It just seems a wrong choice. Firewire on the other hand can handle a single stream better."
USB 2.0 - which is what the 360 USB ports are - have a higher bandwidth than IEEE 1394 (original FireWire) at 480Mbit/s vs. 400Mbit/s. Either of these are much, much more than capable of handling an HD video stream.
Art Guy @ May 8th 2006 11:43AM
? The HD-DVD is in no way similar to the SEGA CD, 32X or even the PSP UMD drive. The closest peripheral to the HD-DVD drive are the DVD dongles that the original Xbox had, and the Wii is rumored to use. The failed add-ons were all devices that had media that wasn't usable anywhere else but on that hardware. The HD-DVD media has a user base outside of the Xbox 360 and is not a proprietary format strictly limited to the 360 hardware.
? No games will use the HD-DVD drive. This has been reported innumerable times.
SuicideNinja @ May 8th 2006 11:44AM
Looks like Microsoft pulled a Sony blunder.
"Blu-ray's option is to require consumers to buy two discs at full price, an HD version and the standard DVD version separately."
Actually, JVC made Bluray/DVD combo discs as well (hit the news in 2004). However, is Sony not going to commercialize that? That would seem somewhat dumb at this point.
In any case, keep that HD-DVD and Bluray crap out of my gaming consoles. Take your proprietary DRM-infected crap somewhere else guys.
dave @ May 8th 2006 11:44AM
I might add that USB 2.0's mighty 480Mbit/sec isn't really sustainable. It can do 480Mbit/sec in bursts, whereas FW400 can do 400Mbit/sec sustained.
glitched @ May 8th 2006 11:44AM
28 "No GAMES come close to filling a standard, dual layer DVD. throw in all kinds of pre-rendered video, sure, a DVD-9 can't cope. But GAMES are far from filling a DVD."
Just thought I would point out that there was at least one game that could fill a DVD-9 -- Gran Turismo 4
jsn @ May 8th 2006 11:45AM
1. Games, even on the PS3, DO NOT NEED HD SUPPORT. Game companies can barely afford to develop content to fill a current generation DVD. Very few, if any, have the budgets to develop content to fill a disc that is 3-5x bigger.
2. Microsoft is not releasing this add-on for games. It is entirely for movie support.
3. 1080p is nothing more than marketing hype. The vast majority of sets that do support 1080p, won't support it via the PS3's HDMI connection. Do you really think that the 10-15% of the market that is currently "hd capable" is going to rush out to buy a new set just to get 1080P? The answer is no.
4. The mass public is not a fanboy. They are not sony fans, or nintendo fans or xbox fans. They are average consumers and they will purchase what works (both formats), what is cheaper (currently hd-dvd) and what offers the most/best movies.
I have two HD sets in my home, one about 2 years old and one that is less than a year old. Neither support 1080p. I also DO NOT own an Xbox 360 and WILL NOT be purchasing a PS3 or Xbox360 until they drop to $300 or less. I also will not purchase an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player until they drop below $300. You will find that the vast majority of consumers will respond exactly the same way.
Dave @ May 8th 2006 11:45AM
Well, it's a known fact that HD-DVDs are cheaper to produce. Media prices announced for Blu-Ray are significantly higher. Of course, Blu-Ray media holds more information and is less susceptible to wear. In my opinion, Blu-Ray is the superior format. That does not, however, mean that it will win the format wars. HD-DVD is first to market, both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are capable of displaying video at 1080p, HD-DVD players can be produced more cheaply, HD-DVD media is cheaper, and the name, "HD-DVD", is far more likely to appeal to uninformed consumers.
DigitalFirefly @ May 8th 2006 11:46AM
It's possible that the USB connection is just to communicate with the Xbox. The HD DVD unit may have its own HDMI out then.
thrillho @ May 8th 2006 11:47AM
"35. "17. I don't see how this is going to work. Can you really stream 1080i/p video via USB? It just seems a wrong choice. Firewire on the other hand can handle a single stream better."
USB 2.0 - which is what the 360 USB ports are - have a higher bandwidth than IEEE 1394 (original FireWire) at 480Mbit/s vs. 400Mbit/s. Either of these are much, much more than capable of handling an HD video stream."
I was thinkin this now too, unless he is talking about firewire 800, but thats not on the system anyways...
JAS @ May 8th 2006 11:48AM
"This coming from an apparent Sony fan. How did that PS2, the failure that it is, work again? Oh yeah - need to buy an accessory for more than two controllers, an external HDD, an external network adapter, and on and on.
and if this ignorance is coming from a Nintendo fan, you may want to look at how the Wii is goiong to handle DVD movie playback."
Firstly regarding the PS2, one of the major factors in its success and the success of the DVD medium was the intergration of a DVD player, you didnt have to buy the DVD player seperatly and plug it into the side and have it take up more space under your TV, if you did then arguably it may not have been the success that it is.
Secondly I dont need to worry about the Wii handling dvd playback as i will have my PS3 to take care of that, ala Blu Ray, i will just be able to sit back and enjoy some true innovation on my Wii while you guys chat on your innovative Xbox Live.
Logan @ May 8th 2006 11:49AM
It sounds like a horrible rendition of the SegaCD to me.
Bring on the 32X!
Phranctoast @ May 8th 2006 11:56AM
Anyone who really believes this will anywhere near $100 is seriously mistaken. If a USB blu ray or HD dvd player came out for the PC it would be in the $300 range. What makes anyone believe it could be near $100....
Most external USB DVD RW's are still over that price. Even the xbox 360 HDD is $100, and thats only 20 gigs. (13 if you count the 7 gig that is preinstalled)
Besides the fact that add-ons never work.
ozymandias @ May 8th 2006 11:58AM
DarkSol:
here educate yourself
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/hd-dvd1.htm
you should also read this note found at the bottom of that page.
If you visit sites devoted to HD-DVD and Blu-ray, you might notice that something seems a little fishy with the supposed playback times. According to Toshiba, a 30 GB HD-DVD will hold 8 hours of HD video. According to the Blu-ray disc association, a 50 GB Blu-ray disc will hold 4.5 hours of HD video. So how could a disk that's twice as big hold about half as much information?
SuicideNinja @ May 8th 2006 12:01PM
It's good to see a lot of people still don't know what's going on. You have to love confusion.
"Xbox360 should have shipped with HD-DVD in the first place, it's almost a trademark of every new generation.
And HD-DVD is cheaper and much more reliable than Blu-ray in any case. Let's wait and see the PS3 price."
They couldn't release the 360 in the specified time frame with HD-DVD. Plus that would be be a bad move if HD-DVD doesn't win or blu-laser discs fail to catch on at all. If Sony's Bluray fails, then we'll see how bad it gets for the PS3. If HD-DVD fails, it's no skin off MS's back.
"Where's HDMI? Where's 1080p?"
Trust me, you don't want HDMI because it uses HDCP. DIE DRM. But if you care that much, the HDMI port could be on the HD-DVD drive, or on a different AV cable.
"Blu-Ray has the DURABIS coating which makes it scratch and mark resistant."
Actually, this is more because the data is so close to the actual surface of the disc. It's REQUIRED for Bluray, not just a nice addition to protect the disc from users. This isn't a concern for HD-DVD.
"A special hard coating must also be applied to Blu-ray discs, so their surface is sufficiently resilient enough to protect the data a mere 0.1mm beneath"
http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/19/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-state-of-the-s-union-s-division/
I'm not saying HD-DVD is better. I think we would still be better off ignoring both formats. DVD works fine, and can be upscaled just fine.
Griffon @ May 8th 2006 12:04PM
Seriously, stop kidding around people, where is the DVI/HDMI cable now :(, component is not going to cut it for a 1080 signal to my Westinghouse (which has bad component anyway).