So if microsoft made a blue ray add on would you buy it? I think i would if it had true hd 5.1!

considering I own the add-on I'd suggest if they do release a new addon it should be a hybrid drive for both formats.

I personally think the HD downloads should be the format going forward.

I'd buy it if Fox and Disney got off their derrieres and started releasing real worthwhile movies, sure. Especially if I could get it to work on my PC, as I can with the HD-DVD add-on.

I certainly wouldn't buy it.

Nope. Doesn't matter to me. I don't watch many movies and DVDs are just fine with me.

I'd consider buying one if it is $179 or less. Puts a big sting on the PS3 and other BD players too, good for prices all around. It would be nice if they actually can find a way to put TrueHD or PCM throughput in it though.

I personally think the HD downloads should be the format going forward.
The HD downloads are 720p, HD-DVD and BD are 1080p. So no I wouldn't take that switch.

I own the HD-DVD add-on, and I would buy the BD add-on in a heartbeat.

Hell, the only reason I'm hoping for a $399 PS3 is for BD. Just too many movies on both formats I want.

I figure if I have a shitload of movies on both, I'll only be half as pissed when one dies (and still have the ability to play it)

They would have to make a whole new 360 design for that to work not to mention develop a different software package that would cost them a heap of money. Everything done for the HD-DVD add-on is done via software decoding and it pushes the limits of the CPU as it is. Given that Blu-Poo has a much higher bitrate (the current content might work since it's low-end stuff but the stuff coming out down the line would be too much), it would not work with the current hardware which uses USB. They would have to put in an external SATA port, better memory, and a more powerful CPU. Of course this may happen down the line but right now it isn't possible. That being said, no I wouldn't buy it since stand-alone players would be much cheaper by the time Microsoft is able bring such a device to the market and it would require a new, more expensive 360 for me and anyone else who wanted the add-on.

They would have to make a whole new 360 design for that to work not to mention develop a different software package that would cost them a heap of money. Everything done for the HD-DVD add-on is done via software decoding and it pushes the limits of the CPU as it is. Given that Blu-Poo has a much higher bitrate (the current content might work since it's low-end stuff but the stuff coming out down the line would be too much), it would not work with the current hardware which uses USB. They would have to put in an external SATA port, better memory, and a more powerful CPU. Of course this may happen down the line but right now it isn't possible. That being said, no I wouldn't buy it since stand-alone players would be much cheaper by the time Microsoft is able bring such a device to the market and it would require a new, more expensive 360 for me and anyone else who wanted the add-on.

USB 2.0 has more than enough bandwidth to handle the video. Audio might become a probme but 360 doesn't support a lot fo the very high end audio formats anyways.

The HD downloads are 720p, HD-DVD and BD are 1080p. So no I wouldn't take that switch.

I own the HD-DVD add-on, and I would buy the BD add-on in a heartbeat.

Hell, the only reason I'm hoping for a $399 PS3 is for BD. Just too many movies on both formats I want.

I figure if I have a shitload of movies on both, I'll only be half as pissed when one dies (and still have the ability to play it)


not only that, but the HD movies MS offers are compressed to about 5-7 GB of data. That could be released on a regular DVD(dual layer)...nothing compared to the 15GB/30GB HD DVD or 25/50 GB Blu-Ray...

so the image quality on these titles are probably compressed too much and lose a lot of quality compared to a 720p disc.

IMO HD DVD looks a lot better than the downloable HD content through 360. Even watching the discs at 720p.

HD downloads have value but so do archived discs with features that add even more value to replaying the movie.

Generally speaking, MS isn't a CE Company. The put out the HD DVD player for a specific purpose.

Actually why would they even do it. They are offering the same movies on Marketplace which is their actual goal.

I suspect a prototype for such a device already exists. It will be interesting to watch this going forward. If I were MS, I wouldn't wait too long.

Actually, Microsoft putting out a Blu-Ray add on drive wouldnt hurt the PS3 or other Blu-Ray drives, it would only help them. The more machines out there the better. Plus most people would want a stand alone player over an add on device anytime, that is, when they can afford to. But yeah I would buy one, it might buy
my XBox 360 alittle more time under my roof once I finish Halo3 and Bioshock.

i wouldnt. becasue my PS3 plays BD's :)

and the PS3 will turn off HDMI audio in favor of optical audio. maiing it less of a PITA to use than teh xbox

i wouldnt. becasue my PS3 plays BD's :)

and the PS3 will turn off HDMI audio in favor of optical audio. maiing it less of a PITA to use than teh xbox

Ya, the 360 just doesnt cut it for me when it comes to high quality video playing. As a video game system its fantastic (besides the loud noise and build quality). But for high quality video, the DVD drive sound, fan sound, audio capabilities, and lack of HDMI (I dont want to buy a new 360) just dont cut it.

garbage statement.... hddvd@1080p over VGA looks better than any BD disc i've seen to date. also the add-on is near silent, and unless you're listening through the tv speakers from 3 feet away, you shouldnt hear the console fans.

Gotta love teh ps3 fanbois coming to the Blu Ray defense.

Personally, i dont care which format wins so long as its cheaper than what everything is now. I'm holding out for fear of buying the Betamax of the two.

if blu ray does win the war, I fully expect to see a blu ray addon for the 360. I don't think MS cares either which way, it was just way too early back in the 360 developement to take a chance with either camp and when people started crying for HD DVD they gave it to them.

So if microsoft made a blue ray add on would you buy it? I think i would if it had true hd 5.1!
Never* happen simply because MS is firmly in the HD-DVD camp.

*OK, never is a strong word. If the BD format proves to be the more popular of the two and a future 360 SKU has the hardware to support the specs then MS could conceivably do it. But would they? I can't see MS paying Sony licensing fees.

Getting back to your original hypothesis. Yes, I would buy it if it was a good player and reasonably priced (just like the HD-DVD add on).

Microsoft only went with HD-DVD because it was "more economical" those are their words not mine. Moore even stated "If the format war ended right now and Blu-Ray was the winner than we would support that, but HD-DVD seems like the more economical and better choice for our consumers"....

I would welcome one, I like HD-DVD because they are a huge supporter in terms of back catalog titles unlike Blu-Ray but both have their perks although I am an avid HD-DVD supporter after owning and viewing titles from both it just seems like a better format. Not in terms of a physical medium because Blu-Ray is a beast when it comes to specs like that but in terms of content and technology used HD-DVD is ahead of Blu-Ray and its quite obvious by the "blu-ray will be obsolete with the next update" in regards to their old players being left behind with new features that were known would be available from the start. Just seems lazy coming for a format entrenched in a bitter war.

Besides that Blu-Ray just doesnt seem to be interested in doing any justice in their hardware by trying to lower their prices.

But if MSFT released one heck yeah I would buy it, although I already own a ps3 it would be put in the bedroom instead of in the living room thats for sure.

Can you imagine, back when MS made the HD DVD addon, if they chose Blu ray instead, can you imagine how much it would have cost? A blu ray addon for the 360??? lol. Sony would laugh all the way to the bank on that one. So make no wonder MS said it was more "Economical"

I would buy a BluRay add-on to have a universal player.

I don't see Microsoft embracing Blu-Ray anytime soon. They definitely have a stake in seeing HD-DVD succeed. They developed the HDi software which is used for the interactive menus on HD-DVDs and they developed the VC-1 video encoder which is used extensively with HD-DVD. Some studios make use of VC-1 for Blu-Ray, but AVC and MPEG-2 seem to be more popular.

MS doesnt want either format to succeed.

They want to push digital downloads and HD movie downloads.

MS doesnt want either format to succeed.

They want to push digital downloads and HD movie downloads.


Nothing wrong with that because eventually it will lead to that since their is no physical medium and would cut costs drastically. But the issues with that is:

A. Download speeds are not up to par to handle the format correctly

B. In order to meet the speed of internet users and keep the downloads at an acceptable download time the quality suffers.

I wont embrace it until they correct that issue and give us the vc-1 quality hd-dvd/blu-ray video quality.

Anyone that jumps on digital downloads as the way of the future isn't thinking very much about the consumer. I pay $5 for a movie that I can only have for 24 hours max? Screw that.

Anyone that jumps on digital downloads as the way of the future isn't thinking very much about the consumer. I pay $5 for a movie that I can only have for 24 hours max? Screw that.

Not to mention the fact that this inevitably leads to lots and lots of compression. I dont see how you can be on Audio/Video Science forum and support lower quality (both video and audio) downloads over HD-DVD or Bluray at this time. In the future? Sure, but we need a media option at this time as well.

Anyone that jumps on digital downloads as the way of the future isn't thinking very much about the consumer. I pay $5 for a movie that I can only have for 24 hours max? Screw that.

I agree! I want my disk that I can pop in anytime I want. I don't even want to think how much it would cost me if I had to download and pay for Elmo every friggin time my kid wanted to watch it!

I would probably buy the add-on if it played both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. I do not want multiple machines to play basically the same thing. Since I already have the HD-DVD add-on and HD-DVD Disks, the only way for me to start using Blu-Ray is with a combo player.

I guess we should all stop buying DVD's then too. regardless, downloads aren't what is hindering hddvd/blu ray adoption right now.

I personally think the HD downloads should be the format going forward.

I see the future being downloads to own, but not quite yet.

At the moment, the HD downloads on Live are strictly "rentals". There are no owner rights. You pay for it...You watch it... it deletes itself.

For myself, I prefer to own discs. If a hard drive fails you'd lose the whole downloaded collection. If a disc gets ruined, you lose just that one movie.

I guess we should all stop buying DVD's then too. regardless, downloads aren't what is hindering hddvd/blu ray adoption right now.

Actually, I stopped buying DVDs a couple years ago when I heard of BLu-ray/HD-DVD. Of course, it wasn't to support the HD formats, it was simply not to double dip. ;)

I can't imagine the physical medium being conquered by the digital counterpart anytime soon. Most movie collectors like to see more than a filename in a folder on their desktop when they purchase a film, there's a kind of nostalgia associated with having something physical to represent a purchase, movies are no exception.

I have a feeling that in between resolving the compression and bandwidth issues that plague the idea of moving towards a download based movie industry, you're going to see flash become the medium that replaces the disc. Once they solve the issue of high capacity on compact flash, which they're well on their way to doing, it will be the fastest physical medium out there. I don't know if it will be in the next five or maybe ten years but it seems like a logical step forward.

Most movie collectors like to see more than a filename in a folder on their desktop when they purchase a film, there's a kind of nostalgia associated with having something physical to represent a purchase, movies are no exception.


Was there a nostalgia associated with buying audio CDs as well?

Most movie collectors like to see more than a filename in a folder on their desktop when they purchase a film, there's a kind of nostalgia associated with having something physical to represent a purchase, movies are no exception.

Yes, and still is. Despite piracy, which exists because it's easy, there's still demand for the physical medium in the form of CDs. Hell the White Stripes released their latest album on Vinyl and it sold out. They also released a limited amount of 512 USB drives with the full album in Apple Lossless, with two alternate takes of two of the songs.

And so it begins. Digital doesn't have to mean piracy. The industry has just been too slow in satisfying the demand for a digital medium, which is why iTunes is so successful.

Once more labels catch on two the idea of releasing albums on a physical medium, like flash drives, piracy will come to a crossroads, because it will either go down because music is more accessible or it will rise, because clean formats are coming straight from the source and into the hands of pirates.

If it increases, then you're going to see a reaction from the music industry, maybe even the artists because they can't continue to share their music without the support of the fans and inevitably there will exist some compromise. I prefer to remain optimistic however and hope that once consumers have a satisfying medium that belongs in the digital age, piracy will be limited to a minority.

Yes, and still is. Despite piracy, which exists because it's easy, there's still demand for the physical medium in the form of CDs. Hell the White Stripes released their latest album on Vinyl and it sold out. They also released a limited amount of 512 USB drives with the full album in Apple Lossless, with two alternate takes of two of the songs.

And so it begins. Digital doesn't have to mean piracy. The industry has just been too slow in satisfying the demand for a digital medium, which is why iTunes is so successful.

Once more labels catch on two the idea of releasing albums on a physical medium, like flash drives, piracy will come to a crossroads, because it will either go down because music is more accessible or it will rise, because clean formats are coming straight from the source and into the hands of pirates.

If it increases, then you're going to see a reaction from the music industry, maybe even the artists because they can't continue to share their music without the support of the fans and inevitably there will exist some compromise. I prefer to remain optimistic however and hope that once consumers have a satisfying medium that belongs in the digital age, piracy will be limited to a minority.

Digital doesnt have to mean piracy. I actually would like to see piracy go away, but I think its served an excellent purpose. People have sent a message to the record companies.
- They dont want to overpay for their music
- They dont want to be forced into buying an entire CD of crappy songs just for 1 or 2 songs

I think gaming piracy will continue (on PC), but will always be much smaller on consoles because of the controlled gaming environment.

Off topic, but I just got my hands on Hd Dvd 300!! Woot!!

I would buy a dual format drive, but that's all at this point.

I would buy a dual format drive, but that's all at this point.
Ooo! A dual format drive would be nice. Two great tastes that taste great together! ...tastes great and less filling!

I hope by the time hd-dvd and blu-ray had their fill, technology will have advanced enough to a point where my cable/satellite box are able to download HD movies like iTunes does music.

Swappable or external hard drives would be nice too. If they made it that convenient then people wouldn't care to pirate, as much anyway.

If MS offered a BR addon at $200 or less I would buy it. Just too many movies I would love to be watching in HD that are only available on BR.

I refuse to buy a PS3(for more reasons than I care to count) or any of the current standalone BR players that are too expensive.

I bought my HD-DVD addon for less than $200 which is my price point for either HD-DVD or BR.

If they put out a BD or hybrid player and the price was good then of course I'd buy one. The real question is whether MS is likely to do this and I suspect that they will not (unless HD-DVD completely loses the format war).