Buffalo will be launching the HDV-ROM2.4FB at the end of this month. Officially this HD-DVD drive (OEMed by Toshiba) will be the world's first HD-DVD drive for PCs. Some high-end PCs already shipped with HD-DVD drives, but until now it was impossible to buy any ATAPI HD-DVD drives sold independently for PCs. Next to HD-DVD discs, the device will of course also read all previous formats: DVD±R/RW, DVD±R/R DL, DVD-ROM and CD-R/RW/ROM.
The device will retail for about 38850JPY, thats ~337usd/254eur. Seems a bit expensive considering the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Addon is already available right now for just 199usd and can be used in Windows Vista (natively) and Windows XP (with some special drivers) too. The only thing missing in the Xbox360 HD-DVD package is PC software to playback HD-DVD movies. The Buffalo drive comes with PowerDVD HD-DVD Edition.
View: Xbox-Scene Story
The device will retail for about 38850JPY, thats ~337usd/254eur. Seems a bit expensive considering the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Addon is already available right now for just 199usd and can be used in Windows Vista (natively) and Windows XP (with some special drivers) too. The only thing missing in the Xbox360 HD-DVD package is PC software to playback HD-DVD movies. The Buffalo drive comes with PowerDVD HD-DVD Edition.
View: Xbox-Scene Story
I think the reason the 360 unit is cheaper as MS got a deal plus it was only meant for the 360 from a marking point of view because Vista supports the drive natively. (Hidden agenda MS?)
I'm holding off on either format right now, too expensive for the players to be worth it.
I'm sure it comes with a power adapter.
Nope. I'm using the 360 HD-DVD in my system. It's working great.
They already have fortunes they don't know what to do with and the Bush tax cuts are the USG's extra gift from the middle class. At present pace, most people will soon no longer be able to afford anything but a bare bones machine. Given our society operates on computers, this is a bad sign. With Dell in free fall due to bad decision-making (One ex- off-shoring their entire consumer division-management and all). It was first a bad deal for consumer, but the problem has come hime to roost on Michael Dell's "cyber-ranch."
It is time the industries big guys to keep prices within reach of middle class families. While costs should be falling, I find it interesting that cost of a PC which can operate Vista for ex is rising. While costs of older hardware fell, speed and capacity became the watchword. In the process, the size of software packages have grown exponentially and hardware needed to run more complex apps is one of the underlying problem. Speed and size requires greater complexity and sophistication in the PC. It is a vicious circle and one which the industry and Congress need to address this matter soon. Just as soon as :net neutrality implemented. That could have been another apocalypse. Let's hope that together, the major actors can keep PC costs reasonable.
It's true that the PC industry hasn't been this eventful in some time, but this is just a result from concept shifting and the emerging of new technologies. RAM prices are driven up by the high demand of C2D and it's not hard to imagine when the manufacturers catches up. Price for processors have actually fallen but are expected to be even better when AMD comes out with the answer to C2D. Sure the cost of DX10 video cards are somewhat beyond reason, but there're only TWO offered by ONE company, and not to mention they're top of the line. HD-DVD and Bluray are just out of the labs and how could we forget the $1000 2X CD writers we used to have?
This is just the nature of any industry and market. Competition and supply readiness are often the results of "greed," but are mandatory for stability.
They cant make it to write yet or what? LOL
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