Xbox 360 as HD DVD Player: One and Only thread Here - Page 11

Originally Posted by amirm

No, he is exaggerating on the start up time on the stand-alone players. But HD DVD on 360 is faster as it uses a newer generation drive (as does the new Toshiba players to come out soon).

Originally Posted by lymzy

Thanks for the good work. This is mine. There should be no supply shortage for the add-on, I suppose?

Originally Posted by captainjy

1080p over component.

Originally Posted by captainjy

I have been jumping around through all of the threads and am still not sure what they bottom line is here- what should I expect from the HD-DVD add-on for the 360 over component? Has it been confirmed that there is no HDMI? I initially heard that MS is releasing a fall update that will allow 1080p over component. Is this even possible?

Originally Posted by amirm
Since there is no HDMI on the 360, the only option you have here is to buy the Toshiba player. We do decode TrueHD per my earlier post but we can't get it out in a lossless manner.

Originally Posted by lymzy

1080p is only allowed via VGA by AACS. 1080i60 for component.
But for movie, 1080i60 and 1080p60 actually transfer the same 1080p24 information. No difference/loss here.
Also, not many display accept 1080p60 over component.

Originally Posted by amirm

If you want more independent data on the quality of HD DVD playback on the 360, you may want to ask the people who came to our Seattle AVS Forum insider meet (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=731080). We had an issue with getting the Toshiba/Pioneer Elite/prototype Runco 1080p projector to using the same color space so wound up using the 360 for most of the movies we played back. I think everyone was very impressed with the picture quality, coming out of the 360 at 1080p.

I hope to also bring a 360 to our future meetings (with the one coming up in NY this coming week) so that you can judge for youself.

Given the flexible software deocoding architecture in the 360, we can fine tune its performane over time (if needed).

Originally Posted by WilliamR

Actually, I think you can transfer 1080p over component for movies. I am pretty sure it was already posted on here by Microsoft that the standard allows companies to enforce it or not enforce it and according to Microsoft, no studio has yet to enforce this limitation.


Here is the post I was referring to, so does this mean we can do 1080p over component for now?:

Right now there is a big question of HDMI connectivity -- an alternative to component connections it's an all-digital audio/video interface capable of transmitting uncompressed streams -- Microsoft said they have nothing to announce, but are considering the possibility.

We pressed this issue and asked if Microsoft is concerned about the fact that the Image Constraint Toke (ICT) component of HDCP/AACS copy-protection won't work over component video connections, which could make the X360 HD-DVD drive useless sometime in the future if the copy-protection scheme is fully implemented in HD-DVDs.

Microsoft replied via email:

"The image constraint token feature of AACS is an optional flag for the [motion picture] studios and several have publicly stated they have no plans to invoke [the copy-protection flags]. Therefore, the copy protection scheme is fully implemented in both HD DVD and Blu-ray today.

"We [Microsoft Corporation] do not see the absence of HDMI/HDCP as an issue over the lifetime of this generation of [the X360] console. HDMI/HDCP is still a very new interface and until it is supported broadly across the CE and PC industries and by consumers on a wide enough scale to be considered a standard, we don't expect anyone to impede content flow over non-HDMI devices (re: invoke the ICT)."

One Microsoft rep told us that "Let us [Microsoft] worry about that. The consumer shouldn't have to worry about that!"

Originally Posted by captainjy

720p/1080i sounds a hell of a lot better than 480p upscaling. Of course, I am no AV buff, but what about "crippled audio" for those who are using optical audio already?

Originally Posted by amirm
Since there is no HDMI on the 360, the only option you have here is to buy the Toshiba player. We do decode TrueHD per my earlier post but we can't get it out in a lossless manner.

Originally Posted by WilliamR

Actually, I think you can transfer 1080p over component

but what about "crippled audio" for those who are using optical audio already?

Originally Posted by briankmonkey

Thanks for the link



Is this true for the Toshiba and Samsung? 4-6 minutes is a very long time.

edit: Should have read the rest..?




Where does this guy get his info from

Good review on the HD-DVD add-on if it's all true (I don't see why it wouldn't be), but it's hard for me to take him seriously.

Originally Posted by bkilian

Toshiba startup times:
From cold start (power on) to first video: 105s (About as long as a normal Advert break in network TV)
Warm start (Player already on, just insert disc) to first video: 76s (still a bloody long time)

20 seconds is a substantially shorter time, and perceptually, is almost instantaneous. (since it's going to take you 15 seconds or so to get back to your seat and get comfy. Essentially, when you're ready to watch, the addon will have started playback.) With the Toshiba, you still have at least a minute to wait after settling down, which perceptually, is even longer, because you're not doing anything else except watching the second hand tick... t i c k . . . t i c k . . .

My DVD player at home takes 10-15 seconds to start up and I really don't notice it. The addon will be similar, it's startup time is low enough that it won't be an issue.

Originally Posted by Dahlsim

Crippled is a bit misleading since over digital optical users will get audio that is superior to standard dvd along with superior video over component.

I think the intended point is that no one will get the full capability of the audio tracks. It should be better sound quality but downrezzed from it fullest capability.

It would be nice for MS to provide 1.5 DTS on a future software update.

Originally Posted by briankmonkey

Being downrezzed/impaired is what does make it crippled. It certainly isn't misleading to call it for what it is.

How the audio sounds in comparison to DVD has nothing to do with the fact that it can't be output as intended on the HD-DVD add-on. My car could be crippled with 2 flat tires and still go faster than a bike, making it a superior method for traveling.

Originally Posted by briankmonkey

Being downrezzed/impaired is what does make it crippled. It certainly isn't misleading to call it for what it is.

How the audio sounds in comparison to DVD has nothing to do with the fact that it can't be output as intended on the HD-DVD add-on. My car could be crippled with 2 flat tires and still go faster than a bike, making it a superior method for traveling.

Originally Posted by briankmonkey

Being downrezzed/impaired is what does make it crippled. It certainly isn't misleading to call it for what it is.

How the audio sounds in comparison to DVD has nothing to do with the fact that it can't be output as intended on the HD-DVD add-on. My car could be crippled with 2 flat tires and still go faster than a bike, making it a superior method for traveling.

Originally Posted by Dahlsim

Semantically I'm just sure about any word could be justfied when anything less than the maximum benefit is discussed. One could say the audio is butchered for instance if they choose to frame it that way.

I simply say it's a bit misleading for most users since the word 'crippled' doesn't leave one with the impression that something may be an improvement over their current audio.

In point of fact many users won't have either the connections or audio equipment to get the most out of some of the hd audio encodes on these movies and in many cases need entire new receivers to max out the benefit or be left with a 'crippled' experience. So in fact anything less than the full audio setup might be said to be 'crippled' but again I think it doesn't accurately convey the reality of an improving audio or video experience.

At any rate I'm sure you conveyed what you meant to in using your terminology, as did I in mine

Originally Posted by efjay

Here's an interview on the HD-DVD addon

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.p...pe=wmv&pl=game

Originally Posted by micah3sixty

My hopes for the quality of the HD-DVD add-on just increased as I just tested my XBOX 360 PQ with Avia DVD test resolutions against my Sony progresive scan DVD player which I previously thought was much better but I was proven wrong. The resolution screens were much sharper with the DVD player in the 360. Both the 360 and the Sony were feeding my Panasonic AE900 projector via component through my Onkyo TX-SR603x and then a 25" Component cable.

Originally Posted by micah3sixty

My hopes for the quality of the HD-DVD add-on just increased as I just tested my XBOX 360 PQ with Avia DVD test resolutions against my Sony progresive scan DVD player which I previously thought was much better but I was proven wrong. The resolution screens were much sharper with the DVD player in the 360. Both the 360 and the Sony were feeding my Panasonic AE900 projector via component through my Onkyo TX-SR603x and then a 25" Component cable.

I also tested the 360 with the VGA cable to my projector but PQ was only slightly increased. The detail/sharpness going from the Sony to the 360 via component was much more noticable than going from the 360 at 480p via component to the 360 via VGA at 720p.

I may start using my 360 as a DVD player more often and definately plan on getting the HD-DVD add on when it's out (maybe not at launch). If I calibrate my panny ae900 with Avia on my 360, I am sure I could get it to match the color and contrast of the Sony as well. Leaves me wondering how poor the PQ will be in the PS3.

Originally Posted by TimothyB

This may have been asked many many times, but what would happen if this add-on drive, being usb, was connected to a PC, any chance of it detecting it? Or could the drive be removed from the external case and put in a computer, like how I think many have done with the NEC drives from HD-A1 players?

Originally Posted by TimothyB

Or could the drive be removed from the external case and put in a computer, like how I think many have done with the NEC drives from HD-A1 players?

Originally Posted by nataraj

I doubt the interface will be IDE ...