540°

Microsoft stands behind HD DVD player for Xbox 360

Microsoft's director of global marketing for the Xbox 360, Albert Penello, told BetaNews this morning that the company will continue to push an HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360, but acknowledged the external nature would enable it to ship a Blu-ray drive if Sony's format became the new high-definition standard.

Read Full Story >>
betanews.com
eLiNeS5950d ago (Edited 5950d ago )

There will be no reason to get a PS3 for Blu-Ray when you can have both formats right on your Xbox 360.

tethered5950d ago

I guess you can look at it that way.

Other than the fact that you are missing out on some really good games by not owning both systems.

Just saying.

actas1235950d ago

If they make a dual format player add on it'll probably be at least 300 dollars, Why would u pay that much for an add on, while you can get a ps3 for 99 dollars more, its not like Sony killed your parents and u have a revenge issues with them... think like a smart consumer not like a fanboy follower..

fenderputty5950d ago

Even if people do buy a few less PS3's and go witht he 360, Sony still benifits from this in some way or another. It's a win/win. Plus ... even if they did add Blu-Ray, the 360 plus the player will be more then the PS3. I highly doubt this would detract from sales. Keep dreaming though.

gamesR4fun5950d ago

lol unless you want to play killer games with free online that is...
why limit yourself?

unlimited5950d ago (Edited 5950d ago )

The dual format external player is going to be expensive and you going to be watching only Blu-ray movies on it.HDDVD will still be dead.Why even bother with it?? I suggest that you just get a stand alone Blu-Ray player and start your collection from there because it will be less expensive..

Edit- I would tell you to get a PS3 but it seem like you hate Sony..

tfur5950d ago

The 360 will not output uncompressed 5.1 PCM audio (or 7.1) over the HDMI port. The HDMI port on 360's do not even meet the full HDMI 1.0 spec...

HDMI 1.0

Released December 2002.

* Single-cable digital audio/video connection with a maximum bitrate of 4.9 Gbit/s. Supports up to 165 Mpixel/s video (1080p60 Hz or UXGA) and 8-channel/192 kHz/24-bit audio.

^^ Thats uncompressed PCM...

Not only do bluray movies use this (7.1 uncompressed PCM), but so do many of the games for PS3 (7.1 uncompressed PCM)...

WilliamRLBaker5950d ago

Wrong tfur its 1.2 and 1.3 not 1.0, the 1.2 spec for hdmi is capable of passthrough UPCM 5.1 and 7.1....it doesn't matter if the ps3 uses the 1.3 spec that allows for use of the UPCM the sound system has to support it regardless of full support or just passthrough.

1.2 spec allows for passthrough and decoding by the sound system it self, just like 1.3 still needs a sound system capable of UPCM 5.1 or 7.1

Learn your facts.
360 can and will support passthrough of UPCM 5.1 and 7.1 therefor if you have a sound system capable of it you can play movies with this sound format, and games...but guess what....
UPCM 5.1 and 7.1 are useless expendatures of money and disc space and processing power, they are no better sounding even to most videophiles then Dolby Digital plus.

Less then 1% of home sound systems owned by consumers to day are capable of UPCM.

tfur5950d ago

Baker...

The 360 cannot and will not pass 5.1 or 7.1 uncompressed PCM after decoding the PCM codec. This is an often sighted HARDWARE flaw of the HDMI port on the 360. It can do Dolby True HD... and then transcode it to output a 1.5mbps DTS 5.1 track.

The 360 cannot pass uncompressed PCM, period.

FYI...

Pass through is NOT a function of HDMI, it is a function of an HDMI receiver. The HDMI specs have nothing to do with pass through... Pass through is used when your device CANNOT output the audio.

WilliamRLBaker5949d ago (Edited 5949d ago )

Wrong passthrough is an aspect of the hdmi cable system and hook up being capable of passing the information through a system not capable of decoding it.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007...

""The Xbox 360 Elite will ship with HDMI version 1.2, as opposed to the latest version 1.3. What do you lose with such a monstrous degradation? HDMI 1.3 adds support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio streams; ***this can be accomplished in HDMI 1.2 if the player can decode these streams into uncompressed audio, but unfortunately neither the Xbox 360 nor HD DVD add-on support it***""

It does not support it because of software and not hardware, Passthrough is an ASPECT of the 1.2 hdmi hookup standard and the software abbility of the system useing it, it passes the information through the system to the decoder that can decode it, if microsoft released an firmware update for both the hd dvd addon, and the 360 it self it could preform passthrough.

True hd support-DTS 1.5 was added via an software update and so can this, the 360 is more then powerful enough.

deal with it.

tfur5949d ago (Edited 5949d ago )

I think you need to do a little more research on this topic.

1) Pass through is NOT an aspect of HDMI. Pass through is something that is done by an AV receiver to the HDMI signal. You do not pass through with the 360, but rather you send an HDMI signal to a receiver, and then it decides whether or not to pass through or not.

2) The only reason the 360 can to Dolby True HD, is because it is an optional part of the 1.3 spec. Being optional, allows for signal space to create new encoding/decoding methods in software.

3) The multi-channel uncompressed PCM is part of the 1.0 spec, and the 360 does not meet this spec. This is a HARDWARE limitation, that cannot be fixed via software. Its like trying to run a 1G network over CAT-3 cable. It just wont work. Think of the optional specs as protocols, these can be created/modified via software.

This has been known, and is common knowledge, and was why people were calling for delays on the release of the Elite.

3) The 360's HDMI cannot output multi-channel uncompressed PCM period.

4) I do not know why you are telling ME to "deal with it"... I do not have a gimped HDMI system.

5) These things are true. Do some research and find out for yourself.

6) It is no reason to get rid of your HD DVD, or to be upset if you are satisfied with it.

7) I am done... good luck, good gaming...

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 5949d ago
Meus Renaissance5950d ago (Edited 5950d ago )

""Consumers are choosing HD DVD, but Hollywood isn't listening. While HD DVD has been trying to sell the format to consumers, Sony has focused on selling the Blu-ray brand and company." That strategy has proven very successful when it comes to dealing the movie studios and led to a perception of dominance in the marketplace"

Not according to the sales data good sir. So whose being buying the Blu-Ray movie and standalone players if not the consumers; penguins ordering them via Amazon.com?

mighty_douche5950d ago

i guess the average HD-DVD user is dumber than a penguin.

TheTwelve5950d ago

They actually said that, despite non-Ps3 Blu Ray players outselling HD-DVD stand-a-lones? Odd. I guess anything can be thought of as true if you ignore hard data.

Meanwhile, I was slow to believe that Microsoft would add an external Blu Ray player to their system, but now that somebody from Microsoft stated it, I suppose that is indeed what will happen.

12

WilliamRLBaker5950d ago

when the hd dvd addon was released microsoft stated officially if and when blu ray became dominate they could and would release an blu ray addon.
about a year and a half ago now?

hunter215950d ago (Edited 5950d ago )

well m$ really going to push it through cause if they go BD they going loose the game, sony won. too bad for m$ what for going to HD DVD if you have very limited movie to watch???

InYourMom5950d ago

MS made a HD-DVD add-on that is all.. Toshiba lost not MS.

Of course they want to continue to push the HD-DVD player because they want to make their money back on it. Unfortunately, it would be stupid to buy it at this point and I really think MS needs to back away from HD-DVD as quick as possible.

Still not buying any Blu-ray movies.. Free HD downloads FTW!

mighty_douche5950d ago

"free HD downloads"??? lol yeah ok......

hunter215950d ago

well no matter what you say i do still feel bad for m$,

IntelligentAj5950d ago

This makes more sense than just cutting the player off. There are still HD-DVD add-ons circulating. They should be able to sell those(for current 360 owner)getting a profit and not taking a write down for abandoning them. Also what other choice do they have?

Kyur4ThePain5950d ago

but what will consumers do with the drives once no movies are released on HD-DVD?

I think MS were the biggest cause for whatever hope there was for HD-DVD's future. As such, they should take the loss and just pull the remaining add-ons. Not need to sucker the few uninformed out of good money.

IntelligentAj5950d ago

I agree Kyur but unfortunately getting the uninformed for their money is business, lucrative business at that. They'll try to milk it for as long as they can, as it's in their best interest until DD becomes widespread.

dragonJP5950d ago

I'm going to keep my HD DVD Add-on for my 360, and I'm rubbing my hands greedily in expectation of the inevitable HD DVD fire-sales. Can you imagine HD DVDs going for $9.99? Can't wait. You say that I'm taking the death of HD DVD very well? Of course I am... I'm picking up the PS3 I've had on layaway for almost FOUR months on Thursday....

Show all comments (75)
80°

EKWB reportedly plagued with financial disarray many gaming pc's left without parts

EK Cooling allegedly has slipped itself into a hot soup of seemingly endless financial woes, where it has not paid its staff, suppliers, and contractors for many months as the company is facing liquidity problems and a surplus of inventory left unsold, stuck in the warehouse for a more extended period. Gamers Nexus investigated these claims made by former and current personnel, where he found trails of unpaid bills lasting as long as three to four months and unpaid raises that accumulated for almost a year.

EK Water Blocks has two entities—a Slovenian-based headquarters and a US-based subsidiary, EK Cooling Solutions. Steve narrated the series of events in detail, stating that the company was reportedly irresponsible and negligent regarding payment. Consequently, partners and employees are forced to share the burden of alleged mismanagement. It all begins with its extensive range of products, leading to a surplus of goods. EK has over 230 water blocks, 40 liquid cooling kits, 85 reservoirs, 40 pumps, 73 radiators, and 212 miscellaneous accessories.

Read Full Story >>
tomshardware.com
just_looken1d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

Yes this is not about video games directly but indirectly this will impact the pc gaming/workstation space hard.

This company is massive one of two in the water cool space so if it goes poof then thousands out there have no spare parts or half built computers.

SO yeah i know not about a video game but think of it as amd leaving the pc space but this is ekwb that could be leaving water cooling in the pc space

Jayz2cents a supporter of there products also has issues
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

80°

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - Coming Back for a New Generation

Originally launched in 2011, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is coming to Nintendo Switch, so It's time to look back at the original.

jznrpg3h ago

Still have my ps3 copies. Bought it at launch and another one when I found it cheap and in perfect condition about 10 years ago. I wouldn’t buy it on Switch but if they made a PS5 version I would. I still have one of my PS3 Fats hooked up so good to go either way.

darthv723h ago

Id play it again on the switch. I wished my 360 version was bc but this is still a good way to play.

130°

Fallout 3's Reveal Led To Death Threats And Bethesda's First Security Guard

The artist behind Fallout 4’s Deathclaw reveals just how bad things got back when Bethesda took over the series

anast5h ago

People are stupid I get it. No one should feel unsafe,

But I think they need to talk about why they cut so many corners during the development process and why none of their games ever look current. And why they think all of this is okay while they charge full price.

LucasRuinedChildhood4h ago

As much as Bethesda deserve criticism, that's not really relevant to the reveal of Fallout 3 in 2007.

VenomUK2h ago

The default angle Kotaku always go for is to highlight the worst in gaming.

I would’ve focused on the creative.

gold_drake46m ago

there is no "but". the hell lol
you dont send death threats, period.