CNET Editor's rating: 7.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Matthew Moskovciak
Review date: 12/06/06
Release date: 11/14/06
The good: Excellent image quality on HD DVDs; decent upscaling on film-based DVDs; HDMI output when used with Xbox 360 Elite or newer Premiums; relatively inexpensive compared with standalone models; can access advanced multimedia features, just like standalone players; includes remote; adds extra USB port to 360.
The bad: Can't decode or pass advanced Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, or DTS-HD soundtracks; no analog multichannel outputs; more expensive than a standalone HD player if you don't already own an Xbox 360; adds more bulk and cables to your 360 setup.
The bottom line: The Xbox 360 HD DVD player is an inexpensive way for 360 owners to get high-def movies, but nonowners and audiophiles should stick with standalone HD players.
One of the big selling points of the Sony PlayStation 3 is its integrated Blu-ray player. Microsoft, by contrast, opts to omit an HD disc player from its console, guaranteeing a lower sticker price. But the company does offer an HD disc solution in the form of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player, a $200 external optical drive that adds HD DVD compatibility to the gaming multimedia rig. It connects to any of the Xbox 360 models via the included USB cable and, like the 360 itself, you can either stand the drive upright or lay it down horizontally. Whichever way you go, the whole outboard concept is a little kludgey compared with the nicely integrated PS3. Moreover, while the affordable $200 price tag may be hard to resist for those who already have a 360, the plummeting price of standalone HD DVD players makes the 360 add-on less of a compelling deal than when it first appeared. Still, Microsoft sweetens the deal by including an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote and (for the time being) Peter Jackson's King Kong--an HD DVD exclusive title that demonstrates just how great movies can look in high-definition. The value of the HD DVD add-on drive is largely dependent on whether or not you have an Xbox 360 already. If you already have one and don't mind missing out on high-resolution audio, it's a relatively cheap way to get into the format and offers excellent video quality. But if you have to buy both the 360 and the HD DVD add-on drive--or you're an audiophile looking for the best possible sound--you're probably better off with a relatively cheap standalone player instead.
Design
Like most other Xbox 360 accessories, the setup phase of the HD DVD Player is a breeze. Before connecting the HD DVD player to your Xbox 360, you have to insert the included software disc into your Xbox 360. You should also make sure that you've updated your Xbox 360 with the latest system software, which is available for download via Xbox Live. Once you've loaded the HD DVD drivers, you're ready to plug in. Of course, to get the true video quality benefits of HD DVD, you'll need an HDTV with your Xbox 360 connected to it via component video, the optional VGA adapter, or--for newer Xbox 360 Premiums and the Xbox 360 Elite--HDMI. If you're not going to make a high-def connection to your TV, there's really no reason to buy the drive.
The rear of the HD DVD drive (inset) adds two USB ports and features a dedicated area where you can mount the 360 Wi-Fi adapter.
The drive has its own external power supply, which means you'll need an extra outlet. It's not as big as the 360's giant power brick, but it's not exactly tiny either. Since the 360 has only a single USB port on its rear panel, you'll need to remove any USB devices you have connected to that port. However, the good news is the HD DVD player has two extra USB ports, so you'll be able to connect, say, your Wi-Fi adapter and your Xbox Live Vision Camera to the back of the drive--rather than to the front USB ports of the 360--and keep those cables hidden behind the console. The rear of the HD DVD drive even has a snap-on mount for the wireless adapter.
Features
The Xbox 360 HD DVD player offered most of the features we expect from standalone HD DVD players, such as bookmarking and a zoom function. It can output HD DVD in 1080p format using either a VGA or HDMI connection, while the component video output is limited to 1080i--just as on other HD DVD players. The output resolution is set in the Xbox 360 Dashboard, so whatever output resolution you use for games will be used for HD DVDs.
On the other hand, the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on is limited in regard to the new high-resolution audio formats. It cannot output the full resolution of Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus, so if you want these high-resolution audio formats, you'll be better off with a standalone HD DVD player, as they all offer onboard decoding for these formats. Additionally, as with all current HD DVD and Blu-ray players, there is no support for DTS-HD Master Audio. Also, unlike Toshiba's upcoming third-generation HD DVD players, the add-on drive and an HDMI-equipped Xbox 360 is currently not capable of outputting these high-resolution soundtracks in bit-stream format to be decoded by an AV receiver with onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio decoding--and Microsoft hasn't announced any plans to enable this via firmware. To be clear, you'll still have surround audio: Dolby Digital is the base soundtrack on all HD DVD movies, so you should always get a solid surround soundtrack instead of dead air. It just won't be the next-gen super-high-resolution version that you can get on competing players when they're connected to a compatible AV receiver.
HD DVD currently also has some discs with impressive extras, such as the ability to show video commentary in a picture-in-picture window and even download content from the Web--features Blu-ray won't be adding until later. Luckily, the HD DVD add-on drive is capable of handling these features, as we had no problem accessing the downloadable "Map of Conflict" extra from the Blood Diamond HD DVD. It also was able to play the "In-Movie Experience" video commentary track over the movie, in a picture-in-picture setup. While both of these features worked perfectly well, they did seem a bit more sluggish on the HD DVD add-on drive than on the Toshiba HD-A20--downloads seemed slower and the video commentary didn't seem to play back as quickly. But these are nitpicks, as most people only rarely look at the extra features and they still work perfectly fine.
One final note: while Microsoft doesn't market the Xbox 360 HD DVD player to work with PCs, nor does it officially support PC connectivity, it appears that you can indeed hack the player to work with a PC. However, on top of a set of Windows drivers, you'll also need a copy of DVD playback software, such as WinDVD8, that supports playback of HD DVD discs.
Performance
We originally tested the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player in December 2006, soon after it was released. At the time, we compared the picture quality of the Xbox 360 HD DVD player with that of our reference video player (at the time), the Toshiba HD-A1, which we also connected to the component-video output at 1080i. We then sent their respective signals to three HDTVs we had on hand: the 1,366x768 Panasonic TH-50PH9UK as well as the 1080p Sony KDS-R60XBR2 and Pioneer PRO-FHD1. In short, the Xbox 360 looked just as sharp as the Toshiba, and the picture was essentially identical in every way--which is to say, it looked great. We compared the incredibly sharp Swordfish disc, and all of the tiny details came across equally well on both players. We could see every hair on the heads of Hugh Jackman and John Travolta, for example, as they conversed in the coffee shop, and we noticed how their stubble went in and out of focus slightly as they turned their faces. Details in the fabric of the cop's suit as he surveys the villains looked equally crisp on both players, and we could read the fine writing on the computer screens as well as pick out the weave of the chair in which Halle Berry was sitting.
Now, with the Xbox 360 Elite available, along with the newest Xbox 360 Premiums having HDMI output, we took a second look at performance--specifically 1080p performance. Overall, 1080p performance over HDMI was pretty good, although not without its faults. For example, it failed a few of the tests on Silicon Optix's HQV test suite on HD DVD, which revealed that its 1080i deinterlacing isn't flawless. On the other hand, when we looked at actual program material, like Mission: Impossible III, the HD DVD player fared much better, showing far fewer artifacts than the Toshiba HD-A20 in 1080p mode. So while it doesn't offer 1080p output comparable with Toshiba's flagship HD-XA2, its performance is certainly commendable, especially considering the price difference.
We also took a look at standard definition DVD performance using the HD DVD add-on driver and the HDMI output at 1080p. Overall, it performed nearly identically to the built-in DVD player on the Xbox 360. We started off using Silicon Optix's HQV suite on DVD, and it passed the initial resolution test easily. Moving onto video-based jaggies tests, the HD DVD player struggled, with many jaggies present in tests consisting of a waving flag, three pivoting white lines, and a rotating white line. We were also disappointed to see that the HD DVD player failed the 2:3 pulldown test, with it never kicking into film mode and moire being present in the stands.
We also took a look at actual program material, and the HD DVD add-on drive fared better. On Seabiscuit, it was free of jaggies during the introduction, which is impressive as many players struggle with this disc. It also had no problem rendering the smooth lines in the introduction to Star Trek: Insurrection, proving its 2:3 pulldown process on actual film-based discs. The Xbox 360 HD DVD player certainly isn't as skilled as high-end upscalers like the Oppo DV-981HD and the Toshiba HD-XA2, and even the PlayStation 3 has a slight edge--but for noncritical viewers it will do a decent job.
We also tested the load times on the HD DVD add-on drive, and they are comparable with standalone players. With the Xbox 360 Elite on, we were able to load a disc in about 30 seconds. Starting with the Xbox 360 Elite off, we were able to get the movie playing in about 50 seconds. These times are faster than the first-generation Toshiba HD-A1, but about the same as the newest Toshiba players.
The other way: VGA
Of course, only the most recent Xbox 360 models have HDMI output. Those with older 360s (or older HDTVs) can opt to use the HD DVD drive with the 360's VGA adapter, a $40 optional accessory. It's worth noting that your mileage may vary depending on the capabilities of your television's VGA input. Many big-screen, 1080p rear projectors in particular don't perform well via VGA. The Sony KDL-R60XBR2's VGA input, for example, doesn't allow 1080p sources--including the Xbox 360--to fill the screen, placing about a 6-inch black border around the image. The DVI input of the Mitsubishi WD-65831 (which can accept VGA signals with a simple dongle) caused the image from the HD DVD drive to be overscanned by about 10 percent on all sides, cutting off about half of the black bars above and below the picture as well as a good deal of the right and left sides of the image. JVC's HD-56FN97, for its part, was unable to accept a 1080p signal via VGA; we've detailed the performance of these and other televisions' VGA inputs in our reviews, and they generally perform the same way with the 360's VGA output. On the other hand, most 1080p flat-panel LCDs with VGA inputs handle 1080p VGA sources fairly well. The Sony KDL-40XBR2, the Samsung LN-S4096D, and the Westinghouse LVM-47W1 are good examples of this breed of TV.
We watched a bit of the Swordfish HD DVD on the Westinghouse, the VGA input of which behaves very well, and the results were mostly identical to the picture quality we witnessed via component video. However, we did perceive a difference in one instance. In Chapter 16, there's a close-up of a laptop monitor used in the surveillance of Travolta and Jackman in the coffee shop. We noticed some slight crawl and jagged edges on the monitor's oblique diagonal lines when watching the scene in 1080i mode via component-video on all three of the monitors mentioned above. On the Westinghouse, which was displaying the VGA output's video at 1080p, the lines were solid. Other aspects of picture quality were the same as far as we could tell; the VGA input delivered all of the detail between white and black, and colors were well-saturated, not washed out as we've seen reported in a few online venues. That said, since there are discrepancies between VGA inputs on various HDTVs, you should make sure your HDTV supports 1080p via component video and that it performs to your liking. In other words, before you invest in the 360's VGA adapter, you should try to make sure it'll actually work. Hooking up a PC and setting the resolution to 1,920x1,080 should do the trick; if you get an image from the PC at that resolution, it will likely look the same via the 360's VGA output at 1080p.
Conclusion
Despite its soundtrack drawbacks, the Xbox 360 HD DVD player makes a perfectly suitable means of watching HD DVDs, and it's a good way for Xbox 360 owners to get in on the next-generation DVD action without investing too much. Of course, adding $200 to the cost of the Xbox 360 puts the total cost of the console at the same price as the PlayStation 3 and its integrated Blu-ray drive. Apples to apples, if next-generation DVD is what you're looking for, the PS3 is going to be the better overall solution from a design standpoint and it offers Dolby TrueHD playback. Of course, the Xbox 360 Video Marketplace offers downloadable movie "rentals" that are in high-def as well--pretty much obviating the need for an add-on disc player, if you're not a collector. In other words, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is just one of several possible ways to get your high-def video fix on a gaming console.
Assistant Editor David Rudden contributed to this review.
Intro:
The Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is a single-disc, mainstream DVD player.Compared to other mainstream DVD players on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $65.
Noteworthy Features:
Noted as having multi-brand compatibility, this player's remote can control other A/V gear.
Weaker Features:
This player lacks DTS output capability, so it will not play back DTS soundtracks.
Suitability:
Ideal for watching movies and/ or listening to music.
Value:
Given its very inexpensive price, this DVD player has great features for the money.
Suggestions:
(1) For a comprehensive understanding of cable types, please see CNET's Connector Type Chart.(2) To enjoy the clearest picture, look for DVD players with either component video or HDMI cables.Check out this video on connector cables to learn more.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular I was afraid of being disappointed but was pleasantly surprised.
I have been following the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 war and also the HD DVD/Blu-Ray war for a while, ...
I have been following the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 war and also the HD DVD/Blu-Ray war for a while, and it has been quite interesting. I?m very happy with the Xbox 360 as a gaming console/multimedia center and I have also been leaning toward HD DVD format over Blu-Ray. I have noticed that Sony has lost their consumer market touch for quite a while now...As an example, when Blu-Ray was introduced it did sound very good as a project?on paper...maybe too good to be true...And now a couple of years later we notice the very shaky position that Sony is in: from the bad movie transfers and somewhat inferior picture quality, to expensive players and the PS3s constant and consistent delays...For now we only have words, words, words... On the other hand Microsoft has been surgically precise with their marketing strategy. A year head start, great possibility of personalization (with the core system all add-ons are optional ? you decide what to buy according to what you need), tons of games (I think there are at least a hundred of them now), amazing Xbox Live experience (well I think they have about 4 years head start to Sony on that), making the Xbox to be not only a gaming system but also a multimedia center, which as far as I know is the best and the easiest to use on the market right now. And a couple of weeks before the PS3's release date, Microsoft released their HD DVD add-on player for the Xbox 360. This release had provoked a lot of forum battles - the cons, the pros, who's better - Xbox or PS, Microsoft or Sony - the usual stuff, just more fierce... Now that I've had the player for a couple of days and watched a couple of movies on it I feel it's time for a first look at this product. I want to first address the HDMI issue, which supposedly seems to be the biggest con for a lot of people. To me the difference in the picture quality between HDMI and Component inputs is non-existent. There is no way that someone would guess what connection is used just by looking at the picture quality. Especially if you don't have two of the same sources, two of the same TVs, next to each other, one hooked through HDMI and the other through component for A/B comparison. I refuse to believe that without A/B comparison someone would really know the difference. And the same, for that matter, is with the HD resolutions (i.e. which one is sharper, which one has more detail, which one is better). For example watching a 26? TV at 720p from 15 feet will look actually better than any 1080p TV seen from two feet. It?s just funny when you hear someone saying: ?I have a 1080p TV at home and, believe me, the difference over 1080i is huge.? Yeah, and how so? They have the same amount of pixels. How did you notice it? You put a second TV like yours next to it, fed it with the same signal and then noticed less flickering on the ?p? versus the ?i?? Or maybe watching an action movie would cause a drastic blur at 1080i compared to the 1080p. It?s all just talk; believe me. Not that it?s not cool to have it, don?t get me wrong, but 1080p is still more of an ego booster with the friends than a huge picture quality leap. It is more like knowing it?s one of your TV features that really matters. Let?s get back to the review. The thought I had before buying the player was: ?The player costs $200 ($208 w/tax) of which $50-$70 is going towards the King Kong movie and the remote control which are both included. The lack of HDMI could potentially be a problem if the movie studios decide to restrict (and downgrade) HD content over any non-HDCP compliant connection. But on second thought we know that that will not happen (if ever) at least for the next couple of years (I have read speculations about 2012). So if you do some math $200 - $50 (the movie and the remote would still be usable) / 24 months = $6.25 a month. Even if in two years I have to throw it away, with a cost of $6.25 per month during that time, it is fine w/me. Plus I?d expect more 1080p capable and inexpensive TV sets to appear on the market (and a lot of them would be 1080p compatible through the component inputs) for the next 2 years. And it?s not like the player is $1000. So bottom line is that HDMI is great, but I?m perfectly fine without it. Now, to be honest, I didn't like the picture quality of the built-in DVD drive in the Xbox 360 and I have used it only once for movies, back when I bought the console, almost a year ago. I also hadn?t read any reviews (professional or consumer) on the new drive and I felt scared that it was going to be the same poor quality, just in HD. Last Friday, however, I spontaneously called Strawberries store in Downtown Boston, MA and they had it in stock. I quickly went to the store and bought it on my lunch break. Set-up later on the same day went really smooth. USB cable connects the HD DVD player to the back of the console where the wireless is and a separate power cord goes in to your outlet. If you have a wireless on the back of the console, you detach it from there, mount it on to the player, which comes w/ two USB ports in the back, and you plug it in one of them. With the player you gain a USB port. There is an installation disc that you install - very easy and fast procedure. You just put it in the console, connect the player to it and it's all set. It is important to REBOOT THE CONSOLE AFTER THE INSTALLATION, as I've heard that it causes stability issues; it?s also recommended in the manual. My TV at home is a 34" Sony, Model Number 34XBR960N. It?s a great CRT HDTV with amazing black levels, great contrast, and wonderful picture quality. I would put it up against any plasma or LCD on the market in a heartbeat; I get true cinematic experience from it. Until the moment I used it with two DVD players: my older player is Cambridge Audio Azur 520D, hooked up w/ component cable to the TV (never ended up selling this dvd player since my girlfriend loves its styling) and set-up to 480p. My newer player is a Denon 1920, hooked up through the only HDMI port I have and set up to up-convert to 720p. For sound, due to space restrictions, I can't really have a full Home Theater solution set up, so I have a 5.1 set of active speakers-Logitech Z-5500, which can accommodate my 2 DVD players and the Xbox 360 through its analog output. It sounds pretty good for what it is and it was a great value. After the installation I rebooted the console and popped in the King Kong movie. To compare the picture I have a number of 720p trailers from Xbox Live and my cable. It's a feast for the eyes! Contrary to my fear, it?s definitely better than the built-in drive and it?s comparable to Toshiba's HD DVD players picture quality. It looks more vibrant than the trailers (I tried MI-III, Narnia, The Wicker Man, The X-Men etc) and had the same depth and crispness as ESPN (without the macro blocking), even though one is a sport channel and the other one is a movie. It definitely looks better than any of the cable movie channels that are at 720p or 1080i. I have set up the player through the Xbox menu to 1080i, although, as we said above, it doesn't really matter that much, unless you sit really, really close and count the pixels. The King Kong movie looks great - there are a couple of sunset shots with King Kong and the girl on the top of the mountain that are outstanding. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has great stylistics as a movie and the colors are great. It just comes out of the screen and it's alive! Overall I don't miss the HDMI at all. The player is hooked up through the Xbox?s component cable. I hear that a number of people used the VGA connection to obtain 1080p and had some stability issues. I also hear that Microsoft is aware of the issues and is preparing a fix. Can?t talk about that since I don?t have VGA and thus haven?t tried it. I'd recommend sticking with component, even if your set doesn't support 1080p through component. The difference in the PQ is only on paper, unless you have a 65"+ TV and sit pretty close, seriously. Sound wise I don't feel comfortable to judge, since my speaker set is not that great but it did sound more open and created better soundstage, sounding a little bit more 3D and a little bit clearer. In conclusion I think this is a great product. Hopefully I won?t have any hardware issues, and I would definitely recommend it to anybody who is an early adopter and is ready to choose one of the HD formats. Plus, since it's not that expensive, even a mistake is forgiven (not so much w/ a $1000 Blu-Ray player. And if you still can?t decide, wait until Microsoft puts HD and SD movies and TV shows on the Xbox live. If that suits you better, just stick with it, save $200 and take your girl out to a fancy restaurant. I will try to update over time with any new info - good or bad. And maybe sometime next year when I buy PS3 I will be able to write a review of the built-in Blu-Ray player and even compare it with this one. I apologize for the long review; I hope it?ll help some people to make a decision.
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by haliotis_lamellosa (see profile) -
November 13, 2006
4 out of 10 - Mediocre This "Lemon" delivers an exceptional picture - when it works.
It's tough not to be intrigued by the $200 price point of an HD-DVD player in today's market. ...
It's tough not to be intrigued by the $200 price point of an HD-DVD player in today's market. Having never compared HD-DVD or Blu-Ray against the quality of a standard DVD I was set to return this unit if I wasn't impressed by the picture.
Well, needless to say, I returned 2 defective units hoping that my third Xbox 360 HD-DVD player lasts more than a couple of showing because there IS a difference especially with movies filmed in high definition.
The Xbox 360 HD-DVD player is easy to set-up, possesses a relatively small footprint when on its side and delivers an exceptional picture. Honestly, I am not schooled in the difference between 1080i vs. 1080p but comparing King Kong in DVD and HD-DVD - well, let's just say that my wife, who could care less about a high definition picture, noticed a significant difference in favor of HD-DVD.
However, as I stated in my 'con', this is my third player. The first player had an issue with the drive door opening and closing uncontrollably on only my second use. The second drive refused to read a disk, regardless of the format, again on its second use. A little more than a tap on the top of the unit got it started - but I should expect more from a $200 piece of hardware - so I returned it for a third. If that breaks - I am done with this unit - but SOLD on HD-DVD or Blu-Ray if I can get my hands on a PS3 at some point in the next few months.
Also, I feel obligated to point out a sound issue. Not of the hardware itself ? in fact, it is whisper quiet, but one should know that the USB connection will cause you to crank up the volume of your TV or Surround Sound system. I have my Xbox 360 connected to my 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound system via an optical connection. The 360 ROCKS on a moderately low volume setting. I must crank it up to almost twice the volume to get the same volume of sound. The issue is, of course, going back to the Xbox 360 Main Menu which is now incredibly loud. Also, when you turn off the Xbox 360 or return to the Xbox Main Menu while watching a film you do not possess the ability to pick up where you left off.
I?ll be sure to update all of you if I have another issue with the player.
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by theSman (see profile) -
December 2, 2006
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Excellent picture quality...very fast load times
Just picked this up from GameStop. Watched King Kong...look great. Excellent picture quality. HD-DVD has many visual improvements besides ...
Just picked this up from GameStop. Watched King Kong...look great. Excellent picture quality. HD-DVD has many visual improvements besides resolution...Color saturation is far superior to DVD and Contrast gives you deep blacks and great hightlights. Everything looks clear and crisp...unlike upconverted DVD's that look grainy and desaturated in comparison.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Razor sharp pictures. Easy setup. Great price.
Xbox360's HDDVD unit gets 10's across the board when it comes to style, ease of set up, picture ...
Xbox360's HDDVD unit gets 10's across the board when it comes to style, ease of set up, picture quality, load speed, and price. I had to give it a 9 though, simply b/c it lacked an HDMI out. I know that MS & cnet have said that you still get 1080p from it via VGA (and via component pending firmware update), but in today's high tech world, HDMI would have made it just perfect. Still the best bang for the buck for trueHD playback, however. 9/10 Spectacular!
Updated Right out of the box, with King Kong, I timed the unit from closing the tray to seeing the Universal logo come up to 41 seconds. About 24 seconds faster than c/net's review. I wonder if ones being sold today are faster than ones made in the beginning. You might check yours to see if it too is faster than the one reviewed.
Picture quality is out of this world. You don't need a 1080p to see the improvement this makes over standard playback. 1080p is just icing on the cake.
One more thing. Considering you get an HD movie (30$) and the media remote ($30), your actual cost of the HD DVD player is only 139.95 if you think about it. And if you were lucky enough to clip out Circuit City's $40 off coupon good for anything 199.95 and above this month, you would actually only be paying $99.95 for your HD DVD add-on.
6 out of 10 - Good Great picture quality...poor sound :(
I was very excited about this add-on and was not let down, for the most part. However, the sound output ...
I was very excited about this add-on and was not let down, for the most part. However, the sound output from this thing is terrible. I have to turn up my surround sound up to almost max just to hear anything when watching movies. Another annoying little thing about this device is the fact that if you turn it off in the middle of a movie then try playing the movie again later, it does not resume where you left off. All in all, this is a good product. Hopefully Microsoft will remedy these deficiencies with some kind of firmware/software update.
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by mcrouch (see profile) -
December 6, 2006
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great for now...but HDMI for XBOX360 ASAP!
MS says HDMI isn't necessary...but it's digital not analog and supports full 1080p res. The KINGKONG disc ...
MS says HDMI isn't necessary...but it's digital not analog and supports full 1080p res. The KINGKONG disc says 1080p right on it and it's frustrating to know that the 360 can't do it. As far as I know the 360 is fully capable of outputting digital 1080p but just lacks a DVI or HDMI connection. Currently I only have a 720p HDTV so I'm good for now but I'd like the 360 to be future-proof. I'm also a videophile and I want the BEST picture available for gaming and movies. If MS makes an true HDMI adapter that is HDCP compliant everyone will buy it...then the 360 is on equal footing with the PS3. Question: Why send digital audio through HDMI when anyone with a decent home theatre is going to need the digital audio going into the receiver? What good is digital audio coming out of your stock TV speakers? OK, I'm done.
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by Fluid Inferno (see profile) -
December 8, 2006
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great entry into HD-Video for current Xbox 360 owners
I purchased the HD-DVD stand alone unit after reading several reviews. I must say the reviews have been accurate. The ...
I purchased the HD-DVD stand alone unit after reading several reviews. I must say the reviews have been accurate. The picture quality is great and teh setup was a cinch. I hae compared King Kong on my Samsung upconverter DVD player to the HD-DVD player. The 360 player easily blows the Samsung away. You will not go wrong if you purchase this player. i have been a Playstation loyalist since the original PS; due to delays I decided to jump into the Next-Gen gaming market with the Xbox 360. The 360 has amazed me at every turn. I plan on buying the PS3 when it is readily available however I am much less inclined to rush and purchase it simply because Microsoft has put out a great product. I was previously sold on Blu-Ray format as supreme but after watching King Kong on my 61" DLP I am now torn between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray! It's a great time to be a consumer guys.
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by derrickfr (see profile) -
November 30, 2006
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Highly Recommended
I received my HD DVD unit from CC yesterday. The setup was quick and easy. King Kong was up and ...
I received my HD DVD unit from CC yesterday. The setup was quick and easy. King Kong was up and running within 10 minutes of opening the box.
My XBOX 360 is connected to my HDTV via component cables. The highest resolution on my HDTV is 1080i. My understanding is that 1080i is the highest resolution available via the component cable hookup. For 1080p, you need to hookup via VGA cables. No HDMI connection at this time.
I rented the regular DVD of King Kong and compared several scenes to the HD DVD version. I am not sure if the XBOX 360 upscales the regular DVD, but I have always been pleased with the picture quality of a regular DVD on my XBOX 360. Honestly, I expected the picture quality of the regular DVD and the HD DVD to be very similar and was planning to return the HD DVD player if the differences were not significant.
I rate the picture quality of a regular DVD on the XBOX 360 as a 7/8 out of 10. The picture quality of the HD DVD on the XBOX 360 is a 9/10 out of 10. The improvement in picture quality between the regular DVD and the HD DVD is more evolutionary than revolutionary. The difference is not as extreme as switching from a non-HD cable TV channel to a HD cable TV channel. However, the HD DVD picture is clearly better than the regular DVD picture. The HD DVD picture appears cleaner and crisper with more detail and clarity throughout the frame. The picture resolution with the HD DVD is clearly higher than the regular DVD and the difference shows. However, the biggest surprise to me was the difference in color. The HD DVD picture colors were much richer and deeper (more saturated and more contrast) than the colors on the regular DVD. I was impressed with the picture quality and will be keeping my HD DVD for the XBOX 360. The current package comes with King Kong (a $30 value) and the universal remote (a $30 valaue). Given the performance and the total package, the $199 price seems reasonable to me for entry into the next gen HD DVD world.
The HD DVD unit did not make any noise that I could hear; however, the noise/fan coming from the XBOX 360 is the same as it always is and may be covering it up.
I did not have my 5.1 stereo system hooked up to the HDTV, so I cannot address the sound quality.
At this point, I think the biggest con is the lack of movie titles available in HD DVD and the cost of the movies (generally ranging from $19.99 to $39.99). However, that is not the fault of the XBOX HD DVD player. I am looking forward to more movies being released on HD DVD (and to the ability to rent them from video rental stores). Any future movies that I purchase or rent will be on HD DVD.
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by TAFB (see profile) -
November 11, 2006
10 out of 10 - Perfect excellent excellent excellent
this is a great hd dvd player one of the best i have seen. the sound is great the picture ...
this is a great hd dvd player one of the best i have seen. the sound is great the picture quality is great. sound is even better with the bose companion 5 speakers. the best part of this machine is the price low price for what your getting when i got mine i got 5 free hd dvd movies with it now i believe they come with 7 free movies which made me buy it even more cant go wrong with it hd blows out blue ray. who wants to pay 35.00 for a blue ray disc when u can only use it in blue ray players unlike hd where u can by the combo format which lets you play it in both standard and hd drives.
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by sportcards555 (see profile) -
January 13, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Xbox 360 HD DVD for PC is an excellent choice
I noticed lots of comments on "Hacking the HD DVD" for PC. There is NO hacking. I am using it ...
I noticed lots of comments on "Hacking the HD DVD" for PC. There is NO hacking. I am using it on Windows Vista Ultimate x64 without any issues. My onlu additional purchase was Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra $99.US. The Xbox 360 HD-DVD is selling in Canada for $159CAD. That's a great price!
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by canuck7 (see profile) -
May 4, 2007
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