I just got my Xbox hd-drive in the mail yesterday and have been iching to test it out. Unfortunately, my fast motherboard is still waiting for the video card but I figured I could at least get started using a slower computer. In order to gain experience I am attemting to connect it up to my lower htpc even though it is only a p3 [with xp and sp1]. I figure that lack of speed should be no problem just for the install by itself simply looking at contents and folders. To this end I refer to Dokworms instructions (from a previous thread):


It isn't that hard to setup.

1. Make sure you have a real purchased copy of PowerDVD 6.5 or 7.1
2. Install the XBOX HD-DVD drive *before* you install PDVD
3. Let windows update install the HD-DVD drive for you
4. Go to 'My computer' and see if you can view the contents of the HD-DVD in your drive - if you can't then download the toshiba drivers, right click on them and then choose 'install'
5. Restart the PC
6. Install PDVD
7. You must use analogue all the way (not DVI) *OR* have a HDCP compliant card and monitor.
8. Don't use Vista
9. Use a fast PC (Core2 Duo is ideal)
10. Use an ATI card
11. You may have to turn off your card's video acceleration features if they cause havoc, and if an Nvidia card you may have to go back to a slightly older version, the latest drivers seem a bit buggy.

I have gotten to step 3 and here is where windows is recognizing a new xbox drive but when it looks automatically for software it comes up not able to find a suitable driver. Dokworm, can you tell me what is meant by toshiba drivers that you mention in step 4? Where are those found? I do have an xbox install disc (came inside the drive box) but surely that is not the software needed here?

Appreciate any help you may give me Dokworm. Or anyone else who here who has mastered the technology of the xbox drive.

http://snipurl.com/1b0p0

Oh yeah, you should know that PowerDVD Ultra installs the BD copy by default. If you want to prevent it from doing that, you can rename the BD file to .old, then rename the HD DVD file to the original BD file name and PowerDVD Ultra will install the HD DVD version by default *thinking* its putting the BD version in...
You don't have to have any HD DVD compliant stuff in the computer if you install PowerDVD Ultra this way, btw. I've installed it on a computer that is an old socket 478 P4 2.26 slug without even H.264 capability because PowerDVD Ultra is a very robust media player...

Thanks very much none74, thats exactly what I was looking for. I'll see tonight when I get home from work what happens.

Much appreciated.

None74 beat me to it.

Ok, I downloaded the Toshiba driver referenced above but windows doesn't seem to like that either. At present my device manager is reporting a TOSHIBA X807616USB drive which according to windows is a best fit driver assigned by windows. I also show a 360 HD dvd memory unit below that which is in yellow alarm and also show 360 HD dvd in alarm in other devices. Still can not see any folders in the drive. Windows tells me it is an unrecognizable format when I try to explore the drive.

This computer only capable of usb1 not usb2, could it possibly be that that might be relevant to this?

Could I also clarify what exactly is meant by right clicking on the .inf and seeing install? I never see install, just the usual (copy, cut, paste, delete, select all) which is usually expected from windows anytime you do right click on a file. I just feel like I am missing something or not understanding that procedure correctly.

What do you guys (who have this running good) show in your device mangaer?

Appreciate any further help.

That Toshiba file is so that WinXP can recognize the file system of the contents of the discs that are IN the HD DVD ROM. The drive itself should be automatically installed by WinXP as any other optical drive. If it doesn't, is your WinXP up to date ? Is your USB port a version 2.0 ?
The 360 HD DVD add on drive should be recognized by WinXP as an optical drive.
Did you read through the "Read Me" text document ?
Did you extract all the files to the same place on your hdd before you tried right clicking on the .inf file ? I'm fairly sure the .sys and .inf file must be extracted to the same location.
Did you reboot your system after installing the UDF2.5 file system ?
Did you do this BEFORE you connected the HD DVD add on drive to your computer ?
One other way to get the UDF2.5 file system recognition is to install the complete Daemon Tools suite. It is free, and provides the ability to mount "virtual" optical drives if you ever want to in the future. Part of the install package is the UDF2.5 file system. I'm not sure if I had to use this to get recognition of the contents of HD DVD discs on one of my older boxes or not, but I have installed it on a couple of them in the last few weeks. Check here to download the Daemon Tools suite: http://www.daemon-tools.cc/dtcc/download.php?mode=ViewCategory&catid=5

This computer only capable of usb1 not usb2, could it possibly be that that might be relevant to this?


Yes, this is why you cannot see the drive properly. Also, USB1.1 is not fast enough to even transfer the data from an HD DVD drive to your computer so you can WATCH an HD DVD.
You need, at least, a USB2.0 PCI card. Available from ebay any day of the week for about $5. if you look. Get one that uses NEC chipset, NOT VIA CHIPSET. There is a huge bug in WinXP that doesn't allow VIA chipset USB2.0 to run at 2.0 speed(I found this out the hard way...).
This is the USB2.0 card you need: http://snipurl.com/1b7vh
After you get it, just turn your computer off, install it, turn it on and it will be installed automatically. Wait till its finished its intstall, reboot again, just to be sure, THEN connect your add on HD DVD drive, THEN install the UDF2.5 file system(although I'm not sure you need to do it in this order, it won't hurt). Reboot again after the file system is installed. If you choose to install the Daemon Tools suite, it will call for a reboot during installation which is when the UDF2.5 file system is being installed for use by that program....

I hope I'm making sense with all this, I just got home from a 12 hour night shift...

Oh yeah, I should mention you need Power DVD ULTRA 7.1 to play back HD DVD's, don't waste your time on the buggy 6.5 it was a BETA release never intended for commercial consumption...

I'm supposed to get my video card tomorrow which means I can give it a go with a much more up to date usb2 capable dual core motherboard. Thanks to your help I feel confident this is going to work.

I know this thread is pretty old now but I ended up having other priorities before I could finally get the new computer installed in my rack. Anyway it is up and running now 1.8gig core dual with Nvidia 7600 card, I have both pdvd 7.2 and 7.3 ultra on it.

I have got to the point where I can see the contents of the hd-dvd movie fine but still can not play it with either versions of pdvd. Was wondering if none74 (or anyone else who might know) could better explain what I have to do to convert pdvd off of blue ray?

In particular this is what I don't get:Oh yeah, you should know that PowerDVD Ultra installs the BD copy by default. If you want to prevent it from doing that, you can rename the BD file to .old, then rename the HD DVD file to the original BD file name and PowerDVD Ultra will install the HD DVD version by default *thinking* its putting the BD version in...


Appreciate any and all comments.