Considering a not insignificant portion of the Xbox 360 owning audience has a now obsolete drive tethered to their 'box, we're unconvinced that the "Xbox experience" couldn't use a high-def optical format. Greenberg is quick to point out that Xbox 360 is "the only console offering digital distribution of entertainment content" which, to our continued great surprise (don't you own a movie studio, Sony?), is still true ... but for how long? We can't be sure of what makes sense to Microsoft bossman Ballmer, but we think just talking to the Blu-ray Association might be a good start.
[Via Engadget]
(Page 1) Reader Comments
Anyhoo, I don't see why MS wouldn't embrace Blu. I know MS is banking on digital distribution being the future standard, but no matter how hard they push it, consumers won't embrace the change until they are good and ready. And if MS's past DRM policies are any reflection of the future, I'll take my stacks and stacks of physical media, please.
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Original story:
"Sony was in talks with console rival Microsoft"
New story:
"Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony"
Like I said, it may be splitting hairs, but we may be talking about different negotiations/discussions between different company execs here.
And flamers can say what they will about how it doesn't matter because Microsoft offers HD downloads - if you think there isn't a dramatic quality improvement from heavily compressed 1-2mbit/s 720p video and 20-40mbit/s 1080p video, you probably don't need an HDTV anyway.
It seems to me that sony is all gung ho about this, but MS is still licking their wounds.
Because Sony has never put DRM on any of their stuff? Fanboys can be so forgetful sometimes. How about the DRM they put on a bunch of CDs back in 2005 which caused all kinds of system problems? What about their "unbreakable" BD+? Yeah, Sony is a much better company with their physical media.
Could someone with a degree in business or commerce or something PLEASE chime in here? It seems like no one gets this concept.
Also keep in mind, Xbox devision wouldn't be talking to PS3 devision, they'd be talking to BDA. Completely different set of suits. If you look at how Sony the company is structured, you'd see that Kaz would have very little say in the decision.
By getting Microsoft to make BluRay drives for the Xbox360 user-base, Sony stands to gain massive profits. Potentially overshadowing the manufacturing costs of PS3s.
Well, good news for we PS3 users.
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Sony != the BDA. They are a board member and part of the founding group of the Blu-ray Disc Association (along with 8 other companies), they are NOT 'the' Blu-ray Disc Association.
They cannot impose outlandish license fees any more than Pioneer, LG or Sharp (who are also founding members) can.
I am sure they don't want people to be flocking to the PS3 for their high-def fix.
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Me? HTPC with HD and BD.
Also yeah I agree, enough with the $. It does not make you look witty at all and makes you sound like a total tool.
They are ingenious when it comes to getting money out of people but dumb in terms of building positive business relationships. That monopoly will be gone someday and they won't have much left to stand on.
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There really would be no reason for a consumer w/o a PS3 or 360 to choose a 360 over the PS3 even if the thing had a Blu ray drive, since the price would probably put it beyond that of the PS3 (unless MS decided to lose more money)
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The only reason MS would be talking to Sony is to save some pennies. There is nothing stopping MS from talking to say....Samsung and asking them to make some drives for the 360. Unless every contract that Sony signed explained explicitly "you can not make BR for MS"
Oh, I forgot to do the cool thing and type M$. Cause they make so mcuh money you see, its just so darn funny. *giggle* /sarcasm
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I still firmly believe that it's blatant fanboyism that prevents Xbox fans from constantly saying $ony.
When someone says "M$" the first thought in my mind is usually something like "i wanted 2 buy a 360 but my friend's died so I went for PS3 'cause they had a cool commercial on TV and it's more powerful and i read that on wikipedia and black is a better color than white..."
*ramble ramble*
Bottom line: It's more immature than anything.
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So, unless Xbox is suddenly no longer a part of MS, or if MS is prone to making decisions like this without the input of the Xbox division, then it seems like this had everything to do with the Xbox and not the Vista drivers.
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Meh, whos complaining, as long as it does what it needs to, its a pain in the ass to take anywhere though, lol
Whether they do or don't nobody looses, if they do Sony makes more money, Micro gets attachment so 360 owners won't buy PS3 for blu-ray. If they don't Sony keeps exclusive license to blu-ray while Micro stays DD. Theres nothing stopping Sony going DD as it is, they already mentioned conjoining with SKY for UK users to get DD, and that would be incredible for UK people, that would give us everything we need, however, other regions get left out. Last time I checked, Sony had other departments :S
You should be able to buy Bravia TVs, Ericssons and all sorts of Sony stuff on the marketplace :S
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Why not LG, Samsung, or Panasonic? I thought Bluray wasn't "owned" by sony..
Personally I think its fully sony's format since sony was the major backer of it. Yes Bluray had a variety of supporters but none as big as sony...nor as evil.
Anyways this is an awkward place for MS to be in. I mean the format they kinda supported has died. And this generation of consoles while far from over is a getting into the middle stretch of things IMO. So do they really want to add another add on to the box or just wait a few more years and add it inside of the xbox 720?
Regardless of what they decide to do I'd opt to get a standalone before I got a 360 Bluray addon. For various reasons the least of which being the reliablity and my concern as to whether or not my 360 Elite would implode...
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Digital distribution - As in not a physical copy, right?
Entertainment content? - Like, in games?
Wii? VC??
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Digital distribution - As in not a physical copy, right?
Entertainment content? - Like, in games?
Wii? VC??
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Obsolescence is a hard cross to bear. Apparently victory is a harder one though, because BluRay player prices are going up, and the stand alone ones don't even support the features of the still incomplete 2nd BluRay spec (because they weren't designed to be auto updated). The thirty dollar movies won't be dropping in price any time soon either.
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With a typo your comment
Instead pwned yourself
My haiku.
The HD-DVD add-on had the same 1080i-1080p issues, but it was part of a battle in the format war, and therefore the development cost was justified. Now that the war is over, I think that MS would much rather focus on Digital Distribution with the 360 and evaluate a Blu ray integration as a possibility in their next generation of console.
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A similar deal would have to be worked out for a blu-ray drive.
I'm not sure that is correct. I thought the HD DVD player add-on was only able to do 1080p via HDMI. Perhaps you are thinking of the DVD player? It will only upscale over VGA or HDMI, not component.
http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/03/12/microsoft-confirms-official-support-of-blu-ray/
Microsoft will not INTEGRATE the Blu-Ray drive into the system. They WILL have an external Blu-Ray drive. (rolling eyes)
Please, learn English.
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http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Microsoft_Confirms_Going_with_Bluray/551-87585-581.html
Yet today:
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010315474
Balmer's quote was on one front, and it appears that Greenberg was clearing it up.