Microsoft Xbox 360 HD-DVD Addon a Beast?

[Spartan_X]

"Studios will go where the money is..."

The money is where there's greatest installbase of Blu-ray or HD-DVD players.

6 million Blu-ray players, not including standalone players, by March 2007 - that's quite attractive.

How about this article as an answer from the Hollywood's point of view? :p

Black and Blu-ray

By Paul Sweeting -- Video Business, 5/12/2006

LOS ANGELES??People can have any color Model T they want,? Henry Ford once famously declared, ?so long as it?s black.?

It was a policy that worked well, at least as far as Model Ts are concerned.

With few other choices available to consumers, Ford?s line of uniformly black automobiles was an epoch-making success that transformed the art of industrial mass production and ushered in the era of mass-market luxuries.

Whether the same imperious approach to market segmentation is likely to work as well in today?s videogame console business is the question facing Sony as it gets ready to roll out its keenly anticipated new game platform, PlayStation 3.

At the 12th annual E3 conference here last week, Sony unveiled two versions of the PS3: a $499 model equipped with a 20GB hard drive and a $599 version with a 60GB drive.

While that?s one more flavor than Ford offered in Model Ts, the ?choice? Sony is offering PS3 buyers still bears the stamp of a strategy designed as much with Sony?s needs in mind as with consumers?.

At $499, even Sony?s lowest priced model will cost $100 more than the most expensive version of Microsoft?s Xbox 360 and at least $200 more than Nintendo?s Wii.

Sony officials argue the price premium is justified because, in PlayStation, consumers are getting much more than just a game console.

Both versions of PS3 include a Blu-ray Disc drive capable of playing back movies in the new high-definition format, in keeping with Sony?s strategy of positioning PS3 as the hub of a home-entertainment network.

All the more curious, then, that the 20GB model would not come equipped with an HDMI connection.

Without a secure digital output, the Blu-ray player in the low-end PS3 could be forced to down-convert high-def movies to something closer to standard definition should the studios choose to invoke their right under the AACS license agreement governing copy-protection issues for Blu-ray and its rival, HD DVD.

Even if the studios don?t force a down-conversion, the AACS license does not permit a full 1080p high-def signal to pass over analog connections under any circumstances. That puts the 20GB PS3 console at odds with the broader Blu-ray promotional strategy of emphasizing BD devices? support for 1080p from the beginning.

By itself, the HDMI connection on the high-end version does not account for the $100 price difference.

The more likely explanation is that, in deference to its Blu-ray hardware partners, as well as its own consumer electronics division, Sony Computer Entertainment hopes to steer those looking to the PS3 primarily for the Blu-ray drive toward the high-end model.

Once retailers bundle in a couple of games and an accessory or two, the real price for a fully functional PS3 Blu-ray player is likely to come out fairly close to stand-alone players, which start at $1,000.

If you?re going to force avid Blu-ray buyers to pony up for the more expensive model anyway, however, why shackle low-end buyers with the added cost of a Blu-ray drive?

Equipping the 20GB model with a standard DVD drive could easily knock $100 off the retail price, making PS3 more competitive with the Xbox.

But that would put Sony at odds with its Blu-ray studio partners, who have been promised a flood of low-priced Blu-ray devices to create demand for their movies and help drive down the cost of replication.

?The next generation doesn?t start until we say it starts,? SCE America president Kazuo Hirai said at E3, sounding like a latter-day Henry Ford.

But the Model T faced little competition at the time, a luxury neither PS3 nor Blu-ray enjoys.

By insisting consumers buy both, Sony has left itself precious little room to mSource:t the competition for either.

Source: Video Business

[magik]

^ Well said.

[Bhav]

I don't understand the relevance...it bull****s about 1080p over analogue, and gets it wrong. You can watch movies in 1080p over component, until movie studios implement ICT (which is a part of AACS). And ICT is not due to be implemented till 2010/2012.

The fact still remains that if 6 million people have got a Blu-ray player, there is a big market for Blu-ray movies.

[Sheppard]

Yes but Sony shouldnt force the format onto the market. I shouldnt have to pay the extra ?10-20 for a film when i can get better quality from HD-DVD with a cheaper player and cheaper movies.

[ahhell]

@Bhav

YOU don't get it.

Studios will support whatever makes them a buck.

If they have to release movies on 2 formats, they will (unless the BluRay association or whatever forces them to sign an exclusivity agreement).

Hell, they still release the odd movie on VHS.

The only one that loses with multiiple formats is the consumer.

[Jesse Carlton]

Yes but Sony shouldnt force the format onto the market. I shouldnt have to pay the extra ?10-20 for a film when i can get better quality from HD-DVD with a cheaper player and cheaper movies.

that's what they did with the PS2, when it came out the cheapest dvd players were like $200 more than a ps2...and I think they did a pretty good job with that.....so......yeah

[bdsams Veteran]

I don't understand the relevance...it bull****s about 1080p over analogue, and gets it wrong. You can watch movies in 1080p over component, until movie studios implement ICT (which is a part of AACS). And ICT is not due to be implemented till 2010/2012.

The fact still remains that if 6 million people have got a Blu-ray player, there is a big market for Blu-ray movies.

except as the time stands we dont know if the ps3 will sell or not...the average american household parent will not buy a ps3 im betting. Also, what alot of people over look is that the ps3 $499 version can not do 1080P so it has no advantage over the xbox360 premium..

I can not see myself shelling out $499 for the console, then atleast 60$ to get a game, so there is $560 to get the console add some tax your looking at close to $600 dollars for tax, o wait you have two kids gotta get two controllers $630...then to me it seems like hmm a ps3 or a car payment+insurance....i think the shock will come at the counter when trying to buy it and parents realise how expensive it all comes out too.....

Im not sure how rich everyone is but im betting that for xmas there will be alot more Wii's than the PS3's and 360 will be nicely in the middle. I cant justify at this time spending at minimum to get the crap version that wont do 1080p for $630.00 thats no small chunk of change....

Not to mention that there will be either a price cut or some new bundles for the 360 which will put the parents at spending $400 for their console and game to keep their kids happy.

[Bhav]

Yes but Sony shouldnt force the format onto the market. I shouldnt have to pay the extra ?10-20 for a film when i can get better quality from HD-DVD with a cheaper player and cheaper movies.

But they're notforcing> it onto the market. They're bundling it with the PS3 and that's their prerogative. No onehas> to buy a PS3.

And you pulling numbers out your arse...have prices for either format been announced for the UK? :whistle::

@ahhell: Yes I know that studios will support whichever format will make them money, even if they have to support both - but if there are six million people with a Blu-ray player, why would a companynot> put movies on Blu-ray discs?

You're right, multiple formats only hurt the consumer. But the battle has already started and there's no going back - either both will co-exist (bad), or one will win (good).

And if Blu-ray doesn't win, then fine the PS3 will be a useless Blu-ray movie player. But it will stay play Blu-ray games. My point is that if there are six million PS3 owners, and therefore six million Blu-ray players in consumers' households, there's a big incentive for studios to sell their movies on Blu-ray (as well as HD-DVD, if that's the path they want to follow).

Betamax, minidisc, etc. didn't have PlayStation.

Edit:

@Netrack: Did you even read what I said? The $499 configcan> do 1080p.

[magik]

that's what they did with the PS2, when it came out the cheapest dvd players were like $200 more than a ps2...and I think they did a pretty good job with that.....so......yeah

I'm sorry, but maybe my memory has escaped me.... what format was DVD competing with? Oh.... that's right....

[Sheppard]

Indeed, the only reason they are bundling blu-ray is to try and push it as the next gen media format, sony doesnt care if it has enough space for games, they would stand to make more money off movies and licensing Blu-Ray tech and the royalties they would get than games.

[magik]

I think we're getting slightly off topic.

[bdsams Veteran]

But they're not forcing it onto the market. They're bundling it with the PS3 and that's their prerogative. No one has to buy a PS3.

@Netrack: Did you even read what I said? The $499 config can do 1080p.

and my car can go 200mph but the law doesnt allow it....sony isnt allowing the ps3 lower sku to out put to 1080p...it may not do 1080i i may be wrong on that

[WelshBluebird]

and my car can go 200mph but the law doesnt allow it....sony isnt allowing the ps3 lower sku to out put to 1080p...it may not do 1080i i may be wrong on that

link please? As I've never seen that before.

Also, can people stop going on about HD-DVD discs being cheaper than Bluray discs.

Just a quick look at amazon.com shows the majority of both Bluray and HD-DVD's being sold at $20, with some Bluray discs at $27, and some HD-DVD's at $30. So going by amazon, HD-DVD's are more expensive.

[Sheppard]

link please? As I've never seen that before.

Without a secure digital output, the Blu-ray player in the low-end PS3 could be forced to down-convert high-def movies to something closer to standard definition should the studios choose to invoke their right under the AACS license agreement governing copy-protection issues for Blu-ray and its rival, HD DVD.

Even if the studios don’t force a down-conversion, the AACS license does not permit a full 1080p high-def signal to pass over analog connections under any circumstances. That puts the 20GB PS3 console at odds with the broader Blu-ray promotional strategy of emphasizing BD devices’ support for 1080p from the beginning.

By itself, the HDMI connection on the high-end version does not account for the $100 price difference.

Source: Video Business

There.

[Spartan_X]

BTW, perhaps the size is due to some RAM or iHD processing or something in there? I remember reading HD-DVD players run on 1GB of RAM...

there you go buddy! :happy: :)

http://geekswithblogs.net/lorint/archive/2...4/21/75795.aspx

[giga Veteran]

Bah, the second pic doesn't make it look so big. Not a slimline player, but I could care less if it's under $200.

[jb23fan]

:laugh: Yes "my obsolete console" :rofl:

Yep an obsolete piece of crap that costs...oh yea twice as much. Where do I preorder again? :x

[Spartan_X]

Bah, the second pic doesn't make it look so big. Not a slimline player, but I could care less if it's under $200.

+$100 - <=$200 :shiftyninja:

[AsciiSmoke]

Looks fine to me. My 360 in laid horizontal and I generally keep my pad on top, should be able to fit the drive on there next to it.

[The Teej]

Isn't that thing like..the size of a Wii?

o_O

[WelshBluebird]

There.

thanks. Never knew that.

Doesn't really bother me though, as I have no where near enough money (or room) for a decent sized 1080p TV lol.

[magik]

Also, can people stop going on about HD-DVD discs being cheaper than Bluray discs.

Just a quick look at amazon.com shows the majority of both Bluray and HD-DVD's being sold at $20, with some Bluray discs at $27, and some HD-DVD's at $30. So going by amazon, HD-DVD's are more expensive.

You are confused. The retail price of movies released on Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD (especially this early) has absolutely no indication of the cost of manufacturing Blu-Ray discs versus HD-DVD. The fact of the matter is that HD-DVDs are considerably cheaper to manufacture than Blu-Ray discs are. Ask anybody that has any clue and you'll have proof for yourself.

[eilegz]

i wonder if this add on would work out, i mean no console add on become a success, any indication that this would be, also if we think about this way how much its gonna cost me a HD-DVD add on 100 or 200? i mean adding this price with xbox360 retail price its gonna cost the same as ps3. so in the end its pointless, now if its cheaper then it would work.

Anyways tire of this HD era, my election will be Wii

[Bhav]

Bah, the second pic doesn't make it look so big. Not a slimline player, but I could care less if it's under $200.

Don't you mean you couldn't care less?

+$100 - <=$200 :shiftyninja:

Does anyone understand what this means?

[WelshBluebird]

You are confused. The retail price of movies released on Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD (especially this early) has absolutely no indication of the cost of manufacturing Blu-Ray discs versus HD-DVD. The fact of the matter is that HD-DVDs are considerably cheaper to manufacture than Blu-Ray discs are. Ask anybody that has any clue and you'll have proof for yourself.

Not arguing that. But people are still saying HD-DVD movies are cheaper to buy than Bluray movies, while, at least from amazon.com, thats not the case.

I was reffering to Sheppard's post where he said

shouldnt have to pay the extra ?10-20 for a film when i can get better quality from HD-DVD with a cheaper player and cheaper movies.

While he is correct that the HD-DVD players are cheaper, and atm (more than likely due to the faulty samsung players) HD-DVD does have a better quality, HD-DVD movies are not neccesarally cheaper than Bluray movies (and I doubt the difference ?10 anyway).