Xbox 360 HD DVD player auto-updated

by Christopher Grant { May 15th 2007 at 7:55PM }

Those of you with Xbox 360 HD DVD drives may have noticed a quick auto-update was available for the unit as of early this morning. Don't watch high definition movies before you go to work in the morning you say? Your priorities are all messed up, we say.

To be honest, the update was quite esoteric, improving title compatibility (for CAT1 and CAT2 titles?), adding audio codec transcoding (WMA Pro is the VC1 of audio codecs?), improving network support (there was network support?), and the requisite bug squashing and performance improvements. The wonks at AVS Forums are busy poring over the update, debating the relative merits of this audio codec to that audio codec, so head over there if you're so inclined. We just hope our copies of The Matrix Trilogy -- well, the first one at least -- play flawlessly when they drop later this month.

[Via X3F]

Read - Andy Pennel's Blog
Read - AVS Forums HD DVD update feedback

Tags: HDDVD, HDMI

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

DeltaOps101 @ May 15th 2007 8:27PM

Does it make the title of the movie show up in the dashboard, like games do now?

Allister Howe @ May 15th 2007 8:33PM

No movie titles appearing on the dashboard, but The Matador loaded up without any hassle now. I think this update fixed all the Weinstein discs (They liked to only boot up half the time before on the add on).

Plus the ability to downmix Dolby TrueHD and output it as DTS is amazing. The sound on the movies I have with Dolby TrueHD tracks is very impressive now.

Fatima @ May 15th 2007 8:46PM

Why would you waste your money on Matrix Trilogy for HD-DVD wait for Blu-Ray versions.

Lee @ May 15th 2007 9:03PM

Why would you waste your money on the Matrix trilogy.
?

Ian Von Porter @ May 15th 2007 9:07PM

VC1 and WMApro are MS formats and will die quickly after HD-DVD dies... HD-DVD was the only chance MS had of making money off those formats. They will still use it for their own intiatives.. but, meh.

And, check out the latest HD camcorders.. all of the non-tape unit use AVC (mp4) .. and not just sony units, but, those from canon, panny, and jvc... none use VC1 cause its sh!t. And, check the latest editing software.. all AVC, none with VC1.

Allister Howe @ May 15th 2007 9:16PM

"Why would you waste your money on Matrix Trilogy for HD-DVD wait for Blu-Ray versions."

Because the HD DVD version will look exactly the same as Blu-Ray?

Seriously, Warner uses the exact same VC1 transfers on both formats for the same movie. Even though the Blu-Ray disc has more space, it uses the exact same encode of a movie, down to the megabyte, as the HD DVD counterpart.

They just announced in a Press Release today that 300 is coming on July 31st, and that the HD DVD version has all the same features as the Blu-Ray, plus an exclusive picture in picture commentary and an exclusive game.

So why wait for Blu-Ray, when Warner's HD DVDs are the same or better?

GJM @ May 15th 2007 9:22PM

How much trolling can one possibly do before getting banned?! I mean bagging on VC1?! LOL. Give me a break!

Anonim @ May 15th 2007 9:27PM

Here's what the HD DVD audio update will include on May 15th:

- Fix DD being stuck in "Night Mode" which is essentially Dynamic Range Compression leading to the sound sounding very flat

- Option to output ALL HD DVD audio as DTS 1.5Mbps (list includes DD+, TrueHD, DTS, and any other audio option offered on HD DVD discs I may have missed)

- Option to output ALL HD DVD audio as DD 640Kbps, (which it currently does, but will be fixed from the Night Mode bug), list includes DD+, TrueHD, DTS, and any other audio option offered on HD DVD discs that I may have missed.

- Option to output ALL HD DVD audio as WMAPro 1.5Mbps, (list includes DD+, TrueHD, DTS, and any other audio option offered on HD DVD discs I may have missed) for those receivers that support WMA.

- Option to enable/disable Night Mode (with the default set to off)

- Fix a number of disc incompatibilities (including DVD Essentials) as well as a number of Lip Sync issues.

why not the LS2/LS7? @ May 15th 2007 10:19PM

Honestly, the big deal here is finally getting the 360 out of "night mode".

Having your dynamic range compressed for you (without a choice) was completely bogus and pretty much made any argument that 360 w/HD-DVD brings a true high-quality experience home a complete joke.

It somehow didn't keep MS from selling a hell of a lot of them though.

Anyway, that's in the past now. With this fix, the 360 can output audio to the highest quality that most people's receivers (which only take AC3, DTS and DTS-ES anyway) can reproduce. Yeah, it still can't really do TrueHD, DTS-MA, etc. (even on Elite), but for now that isn't the only factor keeping people from using those higher quality modes.