256 replies to this topic 1 votes

[compl3x]

Sony and, I think, MS especially want us to use their game systems not only to play games but as media device which stream content and play our physical media. I was just wondering if people thought Microsoft would include a blu-ray player in the next xbox?

I know some people would think it is out of the question, but if Microsoft really wants to sell this point about being a true part of the home entertainment system, is it entirely unlikely they'd include one? Also, will the amount of content in the next gen of games make DVD as a medium obsolete in favour of the larger capacity blu-ray discs.

Just wondering.

[+Crisp]

Blu-ray is just as dead as DVD.

Digital / Cloud is the way forward.

[+Lingwo]

I think really MS will have to go with Blu-ray or include a hard drive with every console. I don't see them creating their own media for the next console.
I would be very surprised if they went completely digital for the next generation as i think it is too soon. Not everyone has a fast enough connection or the bandwidth to use these services. Saying that it will probably be late 2013 when we see. So things might have changed by then.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Crisps, on 12 June 2012 - 13:41, said:

Blu-ray is just as dead as DVD.

Digital / Cloud is the way forward.

No that completely screws the huge amount of people that don't care about Live or don't have internet hooked up to it altogether. Very very bad decision if they took away physical media.

I'm sure they will either license Blu-ray, or they will create their own proprietary high density format. I'm thinking the latter is more likely.

[giantpotato]

Crisps, on 12 June 2012 - 13:41, said:

Blu-ray is just as dead as DVD.

Digital / Cloud is the way forward.

Not anytime soon with the bandwidth limitations and caps currently in place is most of the world. If I didn't pay for extra usage, just downloading Max Payne 3 would use more than half my monthly cap.

I don't think MS has any other choice than to go with Blu-Ray in their next xbox.

[threetonesun]

DVD is definitely out if games are in the 30 - 60 GB range. Downloads are out for a lot of people at that rate too.

That said, I think MS will stay away from Bluray, and try to push their downloadable entertainment options, as it gets them more gold subscribers. So who knows how we'll get games. I still think some sort of flash memory cards would be best.

[+articuno1au]

I'd be amazed if Blu-Ray was in new XBox.

Microsoft will likely continue with their proprietary format. Digital downloads/streams will be very much encouraged, but not mandated >.<

[nik louch]

Quote

Blu-ray is just as dead as DVD.

Digital / Cloud is the way forward.

I personally do not agree with you yet. But I think MS do

[compl3x]

Crisps, on 12 June 2012 - 13:41, said:

Blu-ray is just as dead as DVD.

Digital / Cloud is the way forward.

Not everyone in the world has access to internet infrastructure to take advantage of digital/streaming services.

Are there any streaming services which can provide blu-ray quality video?

Astra.Xtreme, on 12 June 2012 - 13:45, said:

No that completely screws the huge amount of people that don't care about Live or don't have internet hooked up to it altogether. Very very bad decision if they took away physical media.

I'm sure they will either license Blu-ray, or they will create their own proprietary high density format. I'm thinking the latter is more likely.

If they create thier own format they won't be able to sell their product as a home ent. unit because it'll lack blu-ray playback. Would they be willing to sacrifice that? Seems at odds with their intent to encourage us to use their devices for that purpose.

[threetonesun]

compl3x, on 12 June 2012 - 13:48, said:

Are there any streaming services which can provide blu-ray quality video?

There are services which stream at 1080p, which is good enough for most people. I think the "it must be of ultimate visual quality, 20.1 channel audio" crowd is pretty small these days.

[ahhell]

Zero chance.

[giantpotato]

threetonesun, on 12 June 2012 - 13:47, said:

DVD is definitely out if games are in the 30 - 60 GB range. Downloads are out for a lot of people at that rate too.

That said, I think MS will stay away from Bluray, and try to push their downloadable entertainment options, as it gets them more gold subscribers. So who knows how we'll get games. I still think some sort of flash memory cards would be best.

Flash is incredibly expensive compared to optical discs. It costs a few pennies to press a disc, it costs several dollars for flash memory. Even with the royalties for Blu-Ray is would be way cheaper than flash. I don't think Microsoft would want to lose out on all that profit considering games are where they make their money.

[+Daedroth]

Weren't Microsoft pioneering HD-DVD in the HD-DVD vs Bluray war before HD exploded in the way it did?

Dependancy on online/cloud/streaming technologies would destroy the Xbox's appeal in many places around the world.

Take me for instance. I'm on a 4Mb/s internet connection with a 10GB month limit. That doesn't give me much for streaming.

[+LightEco]

It's unlikely that the next Xbox will have a bluray drive. With Microsoft's push to digital media and even in Windows 8 providing no native DVD support, I highly doubt they would pay for the costs to get a bluray drive and decoder in there.

[M_Lyons10]

Astra.Xtreme, on 12 June 2012 - 13:45, said:

No that completely screws the huge amount of people that don't care about Live or don't have internet hooked up to it altogether. Very very bad decision if they took away physical media.

I'm sure they will either license Blu-ray, or they will create their own proprietary high density format. I'm thinking the latter is more likely.

Proprietary media really isn't Microsoft's thing. I just can't imagine them doing that. Particularly considering they want this to be an entertainment device, and in order to be that, it would need to be able to play Blurays... Doing so on a proprietary drive would be unnecessarily complex when they could just go with Bluray (And take advantage of all of the R&D that has already gone into that format)...

I really don't see a way around Microsoft having a Bluray drive in the next XBox. They didn't have a Bluray drive in the 360 because they were betting on HDDVD. Bluray won. Now that's the format that they are just going to need to support. Not to mention they have pushed the XBox as an HD experience. To do so they need to support HD Movies (Bluray). They are pushing it as an entertainment device that they want in the living room. To do that they need to be able to play movies in the currently used format (Bluray). They are going to need more space for games, something Bluray would provide at a much more economical cost to developing a proprietary format. Disc creation would be much more economical if Bluray was used as opposed to something they whipped up as well... All roads lead to Bluray... LOL