Microsoft has no plans to release a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360 and is instead backing digital delivery, the head of Xbox in the UK has said. Microsoft stopped production of its HD-DVD player following the decision by Toshiba, the format's creator, to concede victory to rival Blu-ray. Microsoft's Neil Thompson said physical media would give way to downloads in the next two to three years.
"We have always said online is the way to go," he said. He denied that Microsoft had abandoned customers who had purchased the HD-DVD add-on for their Xbox 360 consoles. "We said to people they had the choice; we didn't force it on them as we didn't put it in the box," he said. He said Microsoft had always planned to shift its focus to digital distribution of content.
Link: Forum thread for comments
"We have always said online is the way to go," he said. He denied that Microsoft had abandoned customers who had purchased the HD-DVD add-on for their Xbox 360 consoles. "We said to people they had the choice; we didn't force it on them as we didn't put it in the box," he said. He said Microsoft had always planned to shift its focus to digital distribution of content.
Link: Forum thread for comments
Microsoft need to make the 360 an obstacle to Sony's plans for Blu-Ray and the PS3, and fast.
Also their comments about downloads being the way of the future is bogus... ISPs here in the UK are throttling bandwidth left, right and centre. The current internet infrastructure just isn't up to the job of delivering multiple gigabytes of HD video, and the Xbox 360 hard drive isn't up to the job of storing peoples HD video content. I for one don't want to have to wait hours for it to download when I have a craving to watch Fantastic Four, or some other such movie. I want to grab the Blu-Ray disc off the shelf and play it instantly.
Microsoft need to make the 360 an obstacle to Sony's plans for Blu-Ray and the PS3, and fast.
Also their comments about downloads being the way of the future is bogus... ISPs here in the UK are throttling bandwidth left, right and centre. The current internet infrastructure just isn't up to the job of delivering multiple gigabytes of HD video, and the Xbox 360 hard drive isn't up to the job of storing peoples HD video content. I for one don't want to have to wait hours for it to download when I have a craving to watch Fantastic Four, or some other such movie. I want to grab the Blu-Ray disc off the shelf and play it instantly.
Agreed
And I think you spelt that wrong
And I think you spelt that wrong
Nope, I copied it directly from Wikipedia so I wouldn't
And I think you spelt that wrong
Spelled what wrong? déjà vu? What's wrong with it?
that's the beauty of the ps3 may not be $200 but at least it now supports BD 2.0 with the last firmware update
The internet (let alone people's connection to it) just isn't capable of that whopping increase in traffic, at least not until Spam is eliminated and those many gigabits of bandwidth is freed up.
The internet (let alone people's connection to it) just isn't capable of that whopping increase in traffic, at least not until Spam is eliminated and those many gigabits of bandwidth is freed up.
seen some rip's that are about 40gig uncompressed
I seriously think Microsoft need to realise defeat here, and ultimately realise that their users want blu-ray - after all, isn't that who counts?
then we'd know for sure just how crazy this digital-only strategy will be.
I seriously think Microsoft need to realise defeat here, and ultimately realise that their users want blu-ray - after all, isn't that who counts?
Not everyone wants Blu-ray. I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm genuinely unimpressed with HDTV. I've seen them - my brother has a nice one - and I just don't see what the fuss is. It's not worth the expense to buy an HDTV when my big-screen looks fine to me. So I'll stick with what works for now. When Blu-Ray is actually inexpensive and prolific enough to be a viable alternative to DVD, and I have the equipment to take advantage of the modest resolution increase (I know I'll have to upgrade eventually), then I'll go for it. Unless the majority of consumers are like me & decide regular DVD is good enough.
I kinda agree with you...
The thing is, since this is a tech site, and the majority of people here, are clued up on HDtv. But MOST of the regular folks (my friends and family included) have no idea what HDTV blu ray, or hd dvd is. They are satisfied with dvd at the moment. I think it will take a lot of time for blu ray to become mainstream.
I guess I will also hold out till its WAY WAY cheaper, and a viable alternative to dvd...
Just a thought...Whatever happened to a console being for games only? Damn, I miss my genesis...
Does he have a Vizio, or a Polaroid or one of those obscure brands? Does he have an HD source? Don't laugh. Something like 40% of people with HDTVs don't watch HD channels (they think merely having a HDTV makes it HD).
Modest resolution increase???
Try 6 TIMES the resolution.
720x480 = 345k pixels
1920x1080 = 2 MILLION pixels.
It's like saying AM radio is good enough. Why bother with CDs?
I've downloaded several HD clips of some Japanese concerts. Anyone that can't see the difference or dismisses the quality increase as negligible is an idiot. There is such a dramatic difference in the quality between HD content and SD content it's not even funny. Even with just a big screen TV upscaling or whatever, the amount of detail you gain with HD is tremendous and makes video much more enjoyable to watch.
I seriously think Microsoft need to realise defeat here, and ultimately realise that their users want blu-ray - after all, isn't that who counts?[/quote]
And also by the time our bandwidth does allow for such downloads, HD films may be a thing of the past with some new crazy medium on the horizon. You just cant win nowadays.
They just want to either not tip their hand, such as BD *is* in the works and they're denying it, just as they denied the Elite was coming right up until it was announced as coming to retail....
...or they are waiting to see if either BD or what they hope, downloads, takes off.
Imagine if XBOX and the PS2 had come out around the same time. I'd bet MS would have put a high density CD drive (like on Dreamcast) instead of DVD since Sony put one in their PS2.
1) DRASTICALLY reduce the price of the 120GB HDD. Cheep ass Toshiba SATA 3.0 HDD on newegg is ~$63 compared to the $180 one from MS. I literally **** a brick when Sony let you swap out the HDD with basically any HDD (so untypical for Sony to let you do something like this).
2) Like I said above about Sony, sell a case and let people put in whatever HDD they want.
3) Slack off the DRM or make consoles that don't have a 30% failure rate. I know two friends that lost games and files because they had to send their system back for repair breaking the DRM on the files they backed up.
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