AfterDawn: News

No internal HD-DVD for Xbox 360

The speculations started off by Toshiba's general manager Mark Whittard, who told the Australian press his personal opinion whether Microsoft will produce a Xbox 360 with an internal HD-DVD drive. Shortly after Whittard had expressed that he thinks it will happen eventually, the Internet was filled with rumors and speculations.

Microsoft quickly corrected, in its statement, that they have "no plans to release the Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD drive" and that they "feel that offering the drive externally is the best way to give consumers the ultimate choice to create their own high definition experiences."



Also Ceaser Mendez, community manager of MS, added his snappy message to his own blog saying, "Saw a few stories online about an Xbox 360 with a built-in HD DVD drive: not true. We have no plans to release an Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD. What we showcased at E3 was an external HD DVD drive, and we're sticking with that."

As the HD-DVD vs Blu-ray war is closing in, the fact that Xbox 360 users are able to choose HD or not, is a step closer to winning it, or is it? Will the future determine whether gamers have the choice of not choosing high definition?

Source:
ComputerAndVideoGames.com

Join the Xbox 360 - General discussion and other topics in our forums.

Written by: Matti Robinson @ 3 Jul 2006 4:47

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• 15 comments

• Wanpa-Kun

  It seems to me that Microsoft is playing it safe. The probability of HD losing to Blue-Ray is very high. If Microsoft were to begin manufacturing the 360 with an internal HD Drive then they would be risking their livelihood. I will not be surprised when the 360 offers an external blue ray drive as an option in the near future.
  

  3.7.2006 05:10 #1

• ZippyDSM

  Mmmm it could happen but for the sot part its going to be modders palyign with frimware to get a HD drive in the 360 at least untill HD DVD is the confrimed winner in teh format wars,going with a external HD DVD device is thier best bet.
  
  I kinda wish the Sony did the PS3 in a upgradeable format
  
  PS3 base unit
  Multi AV output
  Mem stick
  4 USB
  Ethernet
  $240
  ----------------
  HDs
  
  20GB HD $40
  60GB HD $80
  120 HD $120
  ----------------
  Extras
  HDMI (HD TV) $20
  ==========
  Multi Card port (flash,SD,ect,) $40
  ==========
  Wi-Fi (No wi fi no PSP conectivity) $20-50 (have at least 2 versions)
  ==========
  BLuetooth $20-50 (have at least 2 versions)
  
  Ithink the wireless devies should be sold in 2 strengths the cheapest you can make that has a 8 foot range and then the best you can make and sale at 50$
  ---------------
  Sony realy got to full of themselfs altho I see it selling decently I just wont be getting one anytime soon....if they did it like this in a upgradeabel format god they could battle on all fronts and bring in game revinues like mad...
  
  Sure yu can find better deals on HDs but not all HDs will be useable on the PS3,so to a simpe selection that works marked up alittle is reasonable
  
  
  right now I am more intressted in the Wii than the poumpus PS3 and 360 but I'd rather get a Xbox and my DS fixed frist *L* hell if I could tag a PSP under 150 I'd get one to *L*

  3.7.2006 05:33 #2

• MrToast

  I agree, Sony seems arrogant to a fault. If it were not for MGS4 I would not even be thinking of buying one. I think Microsoft is smarter to offer an outboard unit because not many of us have a TV set that will make a dirrerence anyway. I dont think people understand that with a normal TV you will not be able to tell DVD from BR from HDDVD anyway, you would need a TV that is at the very least 2000.00 to "start" to notice it. I think that Sony is betting on people being misinformed about the technology, they have done it before. I hate the way the CEO of Sony came out and said that he thinks people will work overtime just to have the PS3! What an asshole, first the Japanese shun nearly everything American, release Japanese only colors, damn near boycott the Xbox, and now expect us to bust our asses to be "worthy" enought to buy their overpriced crap like idiots? I would love to see the PS3 and BR crash and burn... Although I would like to see Nintendo do the best this time out with the Xbox neck and neck.

  3.7.2006 06:06 #3

• ZippyDSM

  MrToast
  Ture but the 360 is limited for high end sht and the ps3 has no imit altho I dout you could tell the diffreance on a TV under 2G.
  the 360 is still in shambles as far as I am concered,the only reason in my mind the PS3 is 1 point beter is becuse of the game lineup but that dose mean I will shell out ore than 300 for it *L*.
  

  3.7.2006 06:38 #4

• DamonDash

  I just dont understand when PS2 came out people rip them to no end because they sold everything in pieces..EX.HD,Internet hookup,Etc.But this time around they did not take this path and people still crying about it having the Blu-ray inside the system.But on the other hand Microsoft took PS2 path and people not ripping them for this saying they have a choice.I think this is just people hating on Sony not because they are really concern.

  3.7.2006 07:11 #5

• ZippyDSM

  DamonDash
  I dont have anythign aginst the PS2 sure soem of the revistions were suxy the HD underused but even at the retail launch price of 300 it was ok,but a lunch price of 600 for the real thing...thats pushing it...as much as I dislike MS at least the only thing bad they did was release it to fast without checkign the hardware qauilty fully...altho in MS's defence who chacks thier hardware qauilty anymore? hel I had a hell of a time this and last eyar getting soemnew mobos for me a acouple friends Abit,Gigabye and another brand had to send the abit borads back TWICE...and the Gigabyte one back once...and I had one Abit board I had to 3 times .....this is what happens when you try and save pennies here and thier by haveing stuff made in china and with sub qauilty shit...if you dont put effort into testing it ...blah......
  
  damn rant took me off track...my point is at least with choice you can deside what you need insted of saying it has everythign for a grand ><

  3.7.2006 07:57 #6

• hot_ice

  Another way to overcharge the customer, bravo microsoft.

  4.7.2006 10:07 #7

• neo1000

  Not now,but i`m sure a couple of years down the road and if HD-DVD catches on there will be an Xbox 360 version with an internal HD-DVD drive.

  4.7.2006 10:46 #8

• ZippyDSM

  hot_ice
  MS at least tried,300ish for the core,100 more for core with HD,and you can get a HD cheaper than 100,and 150-200 more for a HD DVD palyer.

  5.7.2006 09:26 #9

• erroneous

  Not to sound "pro-MS" however I would do the same thing. One or both of these formats is doomed a la the consumer BetaMax (which always was and still is better video quality than VHS), the Minidisc, consumer DAt tape,and DVD audio /SACD.
  Most people dont know the difference and dont care to learn. Which is most convenient will prevail. Hopefuly they will both survive but I would not bet on it.

  5.7.2006 16:59 #10

• ZippyDSM

  erroneous
  its not such a bad tactic they can always make a BR drive if HD DVD fails *L*

  5.7.2006 18:06 #11

• kevin1024

  You guys fail to see the genious behind what sony is doing with releasing the BR drive in the PS3. They know that consumers will clamor to snatch these things up at launch and likely for months after. Moreoever the PS3 will be the first either BR or HD-DVD player most of us will have. Thus if you shelled out for the PS3 then next time you go to a store to buy a would be DVD/BR-DVD/HD-dvd then if you have a BR player (PS3) and if the BR disk is only a few bucks more (who knows $10 more) than the DVD and about on par with the HD-DVD you are more likely to buy an BR version of the movie. Then in a few more years when BR players come down in price (along with HD-DVD players) well you already have some BR movies, so why would you buy an HD-DVD and then buy those movies over again? you wouldnt, youd buy the BR player and more BR movies.
  
  I'm not saying its whats best for consumers in the short run...but it certainly is a great business decision for Sony and i would have done the exact same thing.
  
  Moreoever, they can truely say we are dominant in all the home game counsil wars (save content because that is subjective to the individual players) on both graphics/performance/and so on.
  
  Will i buy a PS3, certainly! I am an avid PS man, eventhough i know the Xbox was technically superior to the PS2. I also know that the PS3 is far superior to the 360. I also know that BR is only semi superior (as long as price difference is minor) to HD-DVD.
  
  Don't expect to see a clear winner between between the Br and HD-DVD any time soon. It likely will be many years and i wouldnt be surprised if there ever will be a clear winner. But if there is a winner, i predict that it will be BR and a huge part due to the PS3. Both companies invested many millions and likley billions of $$$ into their formats. Thats why they couldnt compromise on a single format in the first place. Neither company was willing to "give up."

  6.7.2006 11:43 #12

• ZippyDSM

  kevin1024
  anyone with half brain can see its a double edged sword what sony is doing,but one side is dull we wont wont know whitch untill the luanch and either the scrapeing by or thier sucsess...
  
  As for BR and HD DVD its going to take a minuim of 3 years after the lunch for a clear winner to come out.
  
  the way things have worked out so far the PS3 is a hairs width above the 360 whitch is kinda sad..

  6.7.2006 21:00 #13

• ninjapath

  i think it stupid of ms to released this now, when they should've released it when it first console came out. I hatred xbox360 thinking it can win just cause they came out early. If you think about it, there had been many problems with the xbox 360, such as overheating, game freezes. They even sell things like the intercooler just so it wouldn't die out. And now when i saw this i was like the wth? they wanted us to buy a external HD DVD? so how about those who already had a premium xbox 360 without it? and those who doesn't want to spend any more money on the 360. from what i think, they should give the external HD DVD drive for free.

  15.7.2006 04:40 #14

• ZippyDSM

  meh the 360 aint my thing,but they did rush the lauch and had alot of hardware issues.
  
  1.hardware issues.
  2.lack of good BWC
  3.lack of games
  
  all add up to me no wanting to fool with it,altho I ike MS's add on idea a bit more than sonys all or nnothing apporach,look at sony the main diffreance in the PS3 is HDMI and WI FI and the card reader and whats the point in gettign the low end PS3 for 500?? I dotn think so...

  15.7.2006 16:46 #15