I currently have an Samsung HD-860 upconverter, but plan on upgrading to the XBOX 360 HD-DVD drive once I get an XBOX 360(which will probably by the time Halo 3 comes out). Is it any different from the regular HD-DVD players in terms of image quality? Some screenshots would be really nice.

I have the drive and am very happy with it, but if youn are planning on buying a 360 sometime this fall just get a regular stand-alone as they will most likely be a lot cheaper by then.

Also regular Stand-alones have HDMI out for the best possible PQ while the 360 can only do VGA out currently.

Without question!!! I have never had a problem with mine what so ever! (Knocking on wood!) i'm not sure what your setup is but I can tell you that I have a simple entertainment system with a nice 58" Samsung LCD projection. I watch all my movies in 1080i and the picture quality is PHENOMENAL!!!

There is a rumor floating around there is going to be a 360v2 that may include a built in HD DVD drive. Don't know if it's true but we should hear something soon.

I wonder if MS would do that, and what impact a $500 xbox with HD DVD and HDMI would have. Who knows.

Also regular Stand-alones have HDMI out for the best possible PQ while the 360 can only do VGA out currently.

..... even though there is no definitive proof that HDMI gives you better picture quality than VGA. Or even component for that matter, at 720p.

If its cheap enough. Just know what you are missing out on before buying

1) Digital video(bigger deal for LCD/plasma/DLP TVs etc)
2) advanced lossless audio
3) DTS output =(
4) Clean looks - not a big deal for most

advantages
1) portable
2) I heard it works for PC. Thats sweet.

I am considering getting one if I can find it for $100 or so. I dont have an xbox 360

Of course it is worth it. You can play HD DVDs on it... :)

I currently have an Samsung HD-860 upconverter, but plan on upgrading to the XBOX 360 HD-DVD drive once I get an XBOX 360(which will probably by the time Halo 3 comes out). Is it any different from the regular HD-DVD players in terms of image quality? Some screenshots would be really nice.


Hell Yes! :cool:

Bought it at Walmart and added it to my existing PC after upgrading the CPU.
It came with King Kong and a X-box remote, which I have no use for.
I've started to enjoy watching films again.
Infact, I'm reluctant to rent a regular DVD.
That little player is becoming the best part of my theater right now.

I have one too, but I'd say no, considering the prices ********************* is selling the toshibas for. No HDMI, not at all quiet, and requires you to eject Xbox game discs before playing (I always forget that part) are the not-so-good 'features' of the 360 drive. I have considered selling mine and upgrading to an XA2.

its good for me, since i'm a "poor college kid" who wanted to watch movies in high definition. i don't have a fancy surround sound system, so the lack of support doesn't bother me, and my tv doesn't do 1080p, so the lack of HDMI isn't really a biggie for me either. the picture through component looks amazing enough for me.

I dont regret it at all. If you already have an xbox 360, 200 bucks is a cheap price to enter the HD DVD wars (err, enjoy High def content). If you do not have an XBOX 360, that means you arent really into gaming, so I would stear you towards a stand-alone player.

I have one too, but I'd say no, considering the prices ********************* is selling the toshibas for. No HDMI, not at all quiet, and requires you to eject Xbox game discs before playing (I always forget that part) are the not-so-good 'features' of the 360 drive. I have considered selling mine and upgrading to an XA2.

You don't need to eject game discs before playing. If you have the 360 set on default it will boot up the game when you turn on the system but you can change it to just go to the dashboard. You could also just hit the guide button to go back if the game boots up.

I love my 360 HD DVD drive. I wouldn't have early adopted without it. Movies look great. For the cost it can't be beat. $200 with King Kong and a remote is a great deal, and you can often find coupons that bring it down. I got mine for $160 from circuit city.

to me the video upgrade from standard DVD's is tremendous. I understand a lack of HDMI, loseless audio, and junk, but unlike most forum posters I have yet to upgrade my TV to something that even accepts HDMI and displays 1080P. I'm probably like the other 95% of regular people out there that dont even post here and have a CRT TV. The plus of my crt is that it is widescreen, but can only display 1080i. And you know what... I absolutley love it! I can't go back to standard DVD's so I've stopped purchasing them outright. I have so far chosen to side with HD-DVD and love my 20 movies on that format. I know I will someday (maybe by the end of this year) upgrade my TV to just about a 50in LCD or Plasma display, but right now for 200 bucks I very much like the richness of the colors, the sharpness of all the little details, and ,to me, the upgraded audio field (5.1, hey its new to me).
I'm fortunate that I can devote some funds to have bought myself the HD-DVD add-on and I dont regret it. I say go with your gut feeling. If you enjoy movies and the selection currently available on HD-DVD go ahead and buy it. If you have an upgraded TV with HDMI and all that jazz and can afford a stand-alone player go ahead and get that. If you prefer the current selection on BluRay (we gotta be open-minded here) go ahead and get that format. In about 2-3 years time HD-DVD or BluRay for that matter, may turn into the losing format, but by then I'm 95% positive that Dual Format players will be available at a reasonable price and your movie collection will still be enjoyed!

I say it is worth buying if you're going to get a 360.

True, the stand alone players are going to give you better options for HD-DVD viewing, like TrueHD sound, or analog pass through, but buying a stand alone and a 360 is going to be a bit more pricey.

Figure this:
$400 for the 360 console
$500 for an HD-DVD stand alone player
--------
$900 total

Since you're getting the 360 anyway, the cheapest solution to get into HD-DVD is to get the addon for $200 ($600 total).

yes

Definitely worth it. Plus if you decide to get a stand-alone later you can alway use it on a computer with a little tweaking.

There is a rumor floating around there is going to be a 360v2 that may include a built in HD DVD drive. Don't know if it's true but we should hear something soon.
I've certainly heard the rumors about larger hard drives, HDMI support, new color options, etc. - but I haven't heard anything I'd call credible about including an HD DVD drive. In fact several Microsoft representatives have gone on record saying the the Xbox 360 will NEVER include an HD DVD drive, which seems pretty definitive.

Among other reasons, I'd imagine Microsoft is doing everything they can to drive down the cost of producing units.

ps: I have the HD DVD add-on and I'm generally very pleased with it. I'm anxiously awaiting the spring firmware update which should give us the option of encoding audio using DTS.

Get it!! So far because I'm broke I'm just using Blockbuster online to rent HD-DVDs and I love the picture quality on my Sony Rear Projection CRT 51" widescreen TV. 1080i is beautiful!!

It's worth it if you don't have a 1080p set and/or Home theater surround sound.
I have mine connected to an older Mitsubishi 60' HDTV 1080i and it is awesome!
Most people won't be able to tell if it's displayed in 1080i or 1080p.
I'm still waiting on that update that will fix the sound issues. Other than that, my HD-DVD library has grown quite a bit because of this little Add-on.

Here (http://cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131096) is a link on how to get $40 off at CC (like I did).

At $160 I think it's a no-brainer. HDMI is very over rated unless you have a $10k audio system that you hope you will hear a difference with lossless audio with.

If you allready own an xbox360 you can't go wrong with the add-on.The picture is sweet even through component.Generally the image quality the xbox360 gives both in games and HDDVDs through component is phenomenal,IMO.You won't miss HDMI(apart from the 1080p thing,but VGA is there to solve that problem).

Also the drive is fast,unlike the first gen. toshiba player.For the price of admission,i think it is a very nice way to introduce yourself to the world of high-def movies.

I would say yes too.

With a good deinterlacer, 1080i over component is not really a problem. I display on the Sony Pearl, and it works just fine with 1080p as a result.

I currently have an Samsung HD-860 upconverter, but plan on upgrading to the XBOX 360 HD-DVD drive once I get an XBOX 360(which will probably by the time Halo 3 comes out). Is it any different from the regular HD-DVD players in terms of image quality? Some screenshots would be really nice.
I would love to see some screenshot comparisons as well but I doubt one person has both the add on and a stand alone player.

For the price, the add on cannot be beat (MSRP $199 and some paid $159.99). I highly recommend it. I have a 720p DLP and the PQ is awesome. The audio issues are well documented but I don't have a DTS receiver, so it's not an issue for me.

I requires you to eject Xbox game discs before playing (I always forget that part) are the not-so-good 'features' of the 360 drive.

This is not true. If you set your XBOX to boot to the dashboard then there is no need for that nonsense. Rookie :cool:

The only issue is sound on the add-on. It depends on the user how much of an issue that would be. There is a rumored 360 patch coming that fixes this and that should now be soon’ish, but there are no guarantees. In terms of PQ/ease of use/consistency. It's been great in those three areas.

i am very happy with my HD DVD player. I even got it for 160 when the circuit city coupon was floating around. Can't beat that.

I have the drive and am very happy with it, but if youn are planning on buying a 360 sometime this fall just get a regular stand-alone as they will most likely be a lot cheaper by then.

well he wants a 360

so the 360 will most likely drop in price to the $300 range for the premium .

The hd-dvd add on will most likely drop to the $150 range

A hd dvd player will most likely be $300ish .

So to get xbox 360 + hddvd he can spend $450 or $600

That extra $150 will buy alot of movies

well he wants a 360

so the 360 will most likely drop in price to the $300 range for the premium .

The hd-dvd add on will most likely drop to the $150 range

A hd dvd player will most likely be $300ish .

So to get xbox 360 + hddvd he can spend $450 or $600

That extra $150 will buy alot of movies
True. I completely didn't think about the 360 dropping in price, as it most certainly will. Well played...

The 360 is overdue for a price drop. I bet one will occur right before the summer months in order to boost sales over the summer season which tends to be slow.

i just bought my HD-DVD add-on at BB yesterday for 199.99 and 29.99 for the 2 year replacement plan...will have it hooked up to my 46D92U as soon as it gets here on Monday

I consider buying the XBOX 360 HD-DVD drive to use it with my HTPC. I heard that Vista will support the drive with existing drivers.

I have couple questions:
1. Will I need additional software on a Vista PC to playback HD DVD movies on this drive (smth like WinDVD (HD) software...)? Will Media Center in Vista natively play the HD DVDs?
2. I have already an HDCP video card in the HTPC, with DVI and HDMI output. So, I assume, the disadvantage about not being able to get the HDMI output is only when the drive is used with an XBOX, not with a PC. Right?
3. Can this HD-DVD drive also playback standard DVDs or do I need to have another drive for that?

Thanks!

If you have a 1080p TV or plan on getting one in the near future, I would recommend getting a standalone like the XA2 if you decide on going the HD-DVD route. The Xbox 360 can theoretically output 1080p, but only through a VGA connection which very few 1080p sets actually accept. Even some of them that have VGA inputs don't work right with a 1080p signal coming from the 360.

I consider buying the XBOX 360 HD-DVD drive to use it with my HTPC. I heard that Vista will support the drive with existing drivers.

I have couple questions:
1. Will I need additional software on a Vista PC to playback HD DVD movies on this drive (smth like WinDVD (HD) software...)? Will Media Center in Vista natively play the HD DVDs?
2. I have already an HDCP video card in the HTPC, with DVI and HDMI output. So, I assume, the disadvantage about not being able to get the HDMI output is only when the drive is used with an XBOX, not with a PC. Right?
3. Can this HD-DVD drive also playback standard DVDs or do I need to have another drive for that?

Thanks!

1) You will need Power DVD v7 Ultra to play the movies and maybe AnyDVD HD if your PC is not fully HDCP compliant. I use this in my PC to play HD-DVD movies with an ATI1600 DVI graphics card.

2) yes (but not for the reason you stated)

3) Yes, but without AnyDVD the SD player will be region locked.

You will also need a dual core processor of 2.4 gig or better to play HD-DVD.

3) Yes, but without AnyDVD the SD player will be region locked.

This is not accurate. Amir with MS confirmed the region locking is in the console, not the HD DVD drive. I have read of Europeans importing the US drive and it working fine for SD.

Recently, switched from optical to 2 channel on my X360 and in that mode all audio sounds fantastic, possibly lending credence to Amir's contention that it's the final encoding process and not the decoder itself that's fubar. However, the damn X360 is still too loud in movies during quieter scenes, that despite my having purchased a late 2006 build that is supposedly quieter than earlier builds.

Having said all that, if you have an X360 you can't beat the price. Probably the safest way to go until we get a better handle on the whole HD DVD/BR thing. Personally, I won't upgrade until one format wins out or a high quality dual format player with XA2 like DVD upconversion and straight 1080P/24 output is released.

This is not accurate. Amir with MS confirmed the region locking is in the console, not the HD DVD drive. I have read of Europeans importing the US drive and it working fine for SD.

Correct. The region lock is in the X360 hardware itself; the HD DVD drive has no relevance to this issue.

the xbox360 is **** so do not get it
get Ps3 :)

the xbox360 is **** so do not get it
get Ps3 :)


Why get a PS3 which has no games when a 360 can be purchased which actually has fun games?

The only issue is sound on the add-on. It depends on the user how much of an issue that would be. There is a rumored 360 patch coming that fixes this and that should now be soon’ish, but there are no guarantees.
It is not a rumor :). We have a significant improvement to audio quality even when outputting Dolby Digital and have added a DTS output option to boot.

It is not a rumor :). We have a significant improvement to audio quality even when outputting Dolby Digital and have added a DTS output option to boot.

just bought an addon today and on my way to see how good it is but couldnt you please tell us when this will come out!? I love dts and having fullrate 1,5 Mbps on every movie is like my dream scenario.

I think if you already own a 360 and don't want to fully commit to a standalone player, then the add-on is a good, low-cost way of getting onto the HD pre-recorded media ladder. It has the limitations others have mentioned (no HDMI, no multi-channel PCM, currently only Dolby Digital audio output of newer codecs - though DTS 1.5Mbs is expected soon) - and it is certainly a lot louder when replaying movies than a standalone player.

I've got mine connected via VGA to a Bravia 40W2000 (European Full 1920x1080 40" Sony LCD) and the results are pretty good when running 1080/60p. Certainly worth the £129 inc VAT I paid (Yep - equivalent to around US$250... But normally we'd expect a 1:1 £:$ ratio - so most people aren't complaining... )

The main limitation to this set-up (and nothing specifically to do with the HD-DVD player) I've found so far is the poor support for 50Hz DVD replay. My TV is 50 and 60Hz capable at 1920x1080, yet the 360 doesn't switch display modes between 1080/50p and 1080/60p when replaying 50 and 60Hz discs - and instead does a pretty appalling 50->60Hz frame rate conversion, making it unusable for watching UK DVDs upscaled...

The MS HD-DVD drive is also the cheapest way of adding an HD-DVD drive to a PC as far as I can see...

It is not a rumor :). We have a significant improvement to audio quality even when outputting Dolby Digital and have added a DTS output option to boot.

Yeah I didn't really mean rumored but until it happens it hasn't happened, the date of release is rumored. I'm fully confident it's coming... Thanks for the clarification.

I have one too, but I'd say no, considering the prices ********************* is selling the toshibas for. No HDMI, not at all quiet, and requires you to eject Xbox game discs before playing (I always forget that part) are the not-so-good 'features' of the 360 drive. I have considered selling mine and upgrading to an XA2.


It absolutely does NOT require you to eject anything before playing. In the main screen, you have an option of playing HD-DVD or the game disk...

High quality, great add-on.

I bought the XBOX 360 HD-DVD drive for use on my computer. I found that I could not use it on my Macintosh because it lacked the UDF drivers to read the HD-DVD's filesystem. So I ordered ReadDVD! for Mac OS X from Software Architects.

At first they forgot to ship the drivers within the order window quoted by Amazon.com. Then, when they arrived, they were the Windows drivers, not Mac OS X. When requested to overnight ship the right CD, they did, and that was the best part of the whole ordeal.

However, installing ReadDVD! on my Mac OS X 10.4.10 system did not enable the ability to read the King Kong HD-DVD. I still get the alert, "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer." I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling. The only thing I can confirm as getting installed is a copy of the installer package SAI_udf.pkg in /Library/Receipts/, which I can't run apparently because it wants to install itself over itself.

The Japanese installer is just an alias pointing back to the English installer.

According to the ReadMe it is version 1.5.1. Their announcement for version 1.4 said it included HD-DVD and Blu-Ray support, but they aren't mentioned in the ReadMe or installer.

I don't know where else to look in this installation for any actually installed drivers or even where the standard Mac OS X UDF drivers are to be found in case I need to manually uninstall them to get this new driver to work.

My apologies if this is the wrong thread. I wasn't getting much useful search results mentioning Macintosh or Mac OS X and this software forum seemed most appropriate for discussion of the use of the drive on a computer.

Addendum: Ah, it apparently installed in /System/Library/Filesystems/SAI_udf.fs/, and I didn't notice it because it's Date Modified was Jul 25, 2007, not Today. (It also did not come up on a search of the filesystem.) I see udf.fs/ there too, presumably the standard driver. I'll try removing that to the Desktop and restarting now.

Edit: No joy. Even with udf.fs in the Trash, SAI_udf.fs isn't enabling reading HD-DVD media on an XBOX 360 HD-DVD USB drive.

Apparently more is needed to read HD-DVD disks from the XBOX 360 HD-DVD USB drive on a Macintosh than just the UDF drivers. I've found that I cannot even cat the device without getting an "Input/output error" with an HD-DVD disk loaded in it. DVDs and CDs mount fine though.