Xbox 360 to get Blu-ray afterall?

[danrok]

Lite-On IT is developing built-in Blu-ray Disc-(BD) ROM drives for the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console, according to industry sources. Lite-On declined to comment, citing client confidentiality.

Source:
Lite-On developing BD-ROM drives for Xbox 360, sources say

[Daniel ~]

So they stopped sulking and figured out THEY HAD NO CHOICE! ":O}

[Áedán]

Why does Microsoft care about the presentation of the data (which is pretty much the real difference between HD-DVD and Bluray)? Bluray also supports the SMTPE VC-1 CODEC, which is based loosely around WMV.

[danrok]

My guess is that if they really are going to make a 360 with a built-in Blu-ray drive, then they'd sooner keep their intentions quiet, so as not to slow sales of the existing 360 stocks.

Some may prefer to wait for the Blu-ray version, should it be announced.

[cloasters]

Originally Posted by danrok

My guess is that if they really are going to make a 360 with a built-in Blu-ray drive, then they'd sooner keep their intentions quiet, so as not to slow sales of the existing 360 stocks.

Some may prefer to wait for the Blu-ray version, should it be announced.

Wouldn't one be foolish to lay out the dough for an olde HD-DVD version?

[danrok]

Originally Posted by cloasters

Wouldn't one be foolish to lay out the dough for an olde HD-DVD version?

Current 360s only have a standard DVD-ROM. The HD DVD drive is (was) an add-on external drive.

[cloasters]

Ah, so desu ka. But Blu-Ray is high-def, neh? Is there a non-high-def Blu-ray?

[danrok]

Blu-ray is just a type of disc or storage format, so they could put standard def video on there, if they wanted to. Has approx. 5 times the capacity of a DVD.

PS3 games are supplied on Blu-ray discs, and often include behind-the-scenes type movies.

[cloasters]

Thank you for the elucidation, danrok!

[Daniel ~]

I think we may just be seeing the very beginnings of Sony's victory here. Why would any one knowledgeable buy a Blue Ray player other than the PS3 for home Entertainment? Why would any one Pay out for a Game console that doesn't have one next year? I mean if you buy an X-Box without one, then you have to buy a fairly expensive Blue-Ray on top of that! Significantly adding to the cost of buying a X-Box (If you want both items.)

Who does MS have to pay lic. fees to? ...oh please say Sony! LOL

[danrok]

I think they would have to pay fees to the Blu-ray Disc Association.

Blu-ray Disc Association - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MS would probably have to sit in a corner by the door...

[Daniel ~]

I guess this is as close as I come to being a sports fan! LOL

[danrok]

As you would expect MS are denying this latest rumour/leak, they always do. They're continuing to push HD movie downloading is the future.

Dude, Just for the record, I haven’t had the problem with Customer Support like you have had but I will tell you that I’ve been trying to download teh HD version of V for Vendetta now for 2 days and it’s still chugging along. I have a dedicted 6Mbps DSL line coming into my home (avg. DL speed of 4.5 Mbps) and today i’m still only at 43% downloaded. I’m starting to realize that this server is going to absolutely SUCK unless they can get the speed issue worked out. Oh, and there isn’t an issue with my DSL, I can download other HUGE files much, MUCH faster on my PC than on the XBox.

2 days of downloading, and he's only got 43% of the movie!

Situation:Terminal » My Xbox Live HD Video Rental Nightmare

[danrok]

Also:

Then I notice that the file size is 6.1G!

6.1GB would seem too small for a HD movie, so are these HD movies compressed to hell?

[Pitch]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

I think we may just be seeing the very beginnings of Sony's victory here. Why would any one knowledgeable buy a Blue Ray player other than the PS3 for home Entertainment? Why would any one Pay out for a Game console that doesn't have one next year? I mean if you buy an X-Box without one, then you have to buy a fairly expensive Blue-Ray on top of that! Significantly adding to the cost of buying a X-Box (If you want both items.)

Who does MS have to pay lic. fees to? ...oh please say Sony! LOL

Depends. If I were buying a console to play Games on, I'd buy the 360. If I wanted a Blu-Ray player, I'd get a PS3. If I wanted a bit of both, I'd get a PS3.

I have both currently, but may sell one depending on what happens in the next 6 months. Although the PS3 is gaining ground, the Xbox has a better selection of games, and multiplatform launches are still better on the 360 on the whole. So damn sick of the damn PS3 Vaseline effect devs seem to love.

Oh, and if I was on the Blu Ray Commitee, I'd be welcoming MS with open arms. That's alot more 360's out there than PS3's.

[Áedán]

Originally Posted by danrok

I think they would have to pay fees to the Blu-ray Disc Association.

It's interesting, as Microsoft have some of their technology in Blu-ray anyhow (Actually, the same tech that was in HD-DVD). Either way around, Microsoft are one of the winners you see.

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by Pitch

Depends. If I were buying a console to play Games on, I'd buy the 360. If I wanted a Blu-Ray player, I'd get a PS3. If I wanted a bit of both, I'd get a PS3.

I have both currently, but may sell one depending on what happens in the next 6 months. Although the PS3 is gaining ground, the Xbox has a better selection of games, and multiplatform launches are still better on the 360 on the whole. So damn sick of the damn PS3 Vaseline effect devs seem to love.

Oh, and if I was on the Blu Ray Commitee, I'd be welcoming MS with open arms. That's alot more 360's out there than PS3's.

Ok then...Why would anyone less knowlegable than Pitch...":O}

[danrok]

Now it seems possible that there will be another version of the Xbox 360 with a built-in Blu-ray drive:
DailyTech - Report: Xbox 360 With Blu-ray Disc Underway from Asus Subsidiary