News: Microsoft Chooses ATI's H.264 Decoder for

ATI Technologies today announced that Microsoft Corp. has chosen ATI's H.264 decoder for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player, bringing users sharper, more true-to-life visuals and smoother playback of high-definition content. HD DVDs encoded using one of three approved codecs deliver up to six times the resolution of traditional DVDs all on a single disc. Built on ATI's Avivo technology, the decoder used for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player brings to bear ATI's considerable multimedia know-how to ensure gamers, home theatre buffs, and casual viewers alike get a more perfect picture from the H.264 format.

[Ru]

I was going to get one of these but who knows which format will win the HDDVD wars! So im going to buy one of those ones that will play bolth. I wish microsoft would do that!

[Marriot VP]

I know MS employees monitor big sites like these so I'll make it simple.

If you want to be the laughing stock of consoles don't price this add on more than 150. Considering you'll drop your 360 price down at least 50 bucks it would in the end match 500 PS3 for a premium and hd-dvd drive.

If your at all serious about winning the next gen format you have to sacrifice money to gain market share.

[Islandkiwi]

This is precisely why MS didn't put one in the console. I'm not buying a next-gen dvd player until one of them dies or they agree to a hybrid.

Yes, it will be a lot cheaper than a standalone player...but if it doesn't get the support then it's money you might as well flush.

[SDS Overfiend]

149$ is my story and im sticking to it.
by then 50$ should be dropped off of 360's original price so that adding this accessory is a luxury.

[Marriot VP]

that's exactly what I said...

[Nodoze]

Does this mean that he HD-DVD add on will recognize content on a standard dvd encoded with h.264? If so this would be mega cool!

[TheMART]

HD-DVD will be winning. The image is better, the price is lower. Stand alone HD-DVD players give better quality then the BR players.

HD-DVD is in for a win

[STICKzophrenic]

I was at Best Buy and they had the HD-DVD set up on a main aisle endcap, and the picture wasn't impressive. For whatever reason, it was pixelated. Then down a little ways and around the corner, kind of hidden, they had the Blu-Ray setup, and that picture was flawless.

Maybe they used different TVs, or the settings on the HD-DVD weren't properly configured, but HD-DVD looked terrible.

[TheMART]

I think it was a wrong setup. Multiple stories about comparing have turned up HD-DVD have the better image by far.

[shotty]

I saw HD-DVD set-up at Best buy and it looked flawless. It was set-up so you can compare HD-DVD to normal DVD. I guess the best buy you went to probably was paid by sony to sabotage the HD-DVD display so blu-ray looks better I wouldn't put it past sony to do that. :)

[FadeToBlack]

I found that samsung has their bluray player hooked up to one of thier new 1080p lcd flatpanel tv's while the HD-DVD player is hooked up to some random cheap hdtv. Which in my opinion the bluray in thatsetup was the best HD picture i have ever seen. This is probably due to the hookup in the store but alot of people wont realize that. I will be willing to invest in a player for $250 either side. If it goes down then oh well i lost my $250, such is life.

[dikturbo]

And the player remains a worthless peripheral w/o the addition of an HDMI port.

[Marriot VP]

lol, your hopeless. HDMI isn't need at all. Sony just introduced, and claims its necessary, however when asked about the difference between the two they said it wasn't noticable unless you had a huge big screen like 50+ inches. And even then the difference was almost non-existant.

[Marty8370]

yep X360 has no digital out.

[shotty]

The only reason the ps3 has HDMI is because Blu-ray is standard, even then you don't need it which is why the premium model has it. Knowing sony the ps3 blu-ray player is going to be crap. Atleast with MS we have an option of buying a high quality HD-DVD drive.

[Nodoze]

In this case the HDMI is not needed! The same output levels can be achieved through component. The HDMI enforcement will not take place until 2011, and by that time my fridge will play hi def movies!

[THELANDSOFSAND]

i have read MS are going to address the HDMI issue before HD-DVD launch...

[omansteveo]

In the sony leaked article that was posted a week ago they were asked the question about the lesser PS3 model not havin HDMI and the reply was that it didnt matter it would still output 1080p so why do we need HDM...im really confused

[Marriot VP]

you don't, it's another hype method of theirs. Don't be confused.

[shotty]

1080p can be done over component. I know the xbox 360 could do 1080p since it already takes in 1080p from media center, MS just needs to unlock it.

[NJ1307RS]

Blu-ray will be winning. The image is better, its included with the PS3. Stand alone Blu-ray players give better quality then the HD-DVD players.

Blu-ray is in for a win.

[TheMART]

You're only lying so just stop posting. And don't agree with yourself, that's dull

[ironwolf]

I've now seen them both playing side by side, and the HDDVD had a slight edge in picture quality.

[THELANDSOFSAND]

lol

blu ray looks like sh1t, costs too much and has a shortage of diodes and players.

and NJ, fu(k off back to your KKK meetings you racist b1tch. people are sick of your lies and post censoring.

[PS360PCROCKS]

What does this story exactly mean, I am lost and Sony fans, go back to your side, your just flaming

[FadeToBlack]

Toshiba should spend some money to have stores hookup their player to a specific TV. Because to be honest i was very disapointed with the HD-DVD quality but i know it most likely was the sht tv it was connected to. But the bluray picture quality on the 1080p tv i saw it on was amazing, I'm sorry if people want to say it sucks or whatever. I am a fan of HD-DVD because its cheaper but i have to admit the way they have it setup is going to impress people. This was at Bestbuy stores by the way

[Nodoze]

HDMI is a digital connection that can transport both digital picture, and sound through a single cable. The main reason why this connection (and the short lived DVI before it) is for copy protection. The studios don't want flawless copies of their vaults showing up online....(give it time they will). So in essence we have a connection that was created to ensure digital rights management and enforce copy prevention of digital signals. To be honest all of this is moot due to the fact that the enforcement of these restrictions will not take place until 2011. This is the reason why at present and for the forseeable future it is NOT needed.

In respect to BlurRay looking better than HD-DVD um sorry but that is simply not going to happen until Sony changes from MPEG2, and gets dual layer discs....which at present seems like a LOOOOOONG way off! Do not bother to respond with BlurRay is better comments. Take the time to educate yourself, read through the AV forums and really get a sense for what the 'experts' feel. Every single write up thus far has NOT been kind to BlurRay.

[TheMART]

Mods and readers, these are NJ's extra logins so he could be in disguise... Or reporting a normal post he just isn't happy with because it's the truth and he doesn't like it, or voting lame on 360 articles or cool on PS Items. Get him, delete him, ban him

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