HD DVD truck makes a pit stop at Microsoft

Nice segment. I'm trying to get my hands on an add-on for the xbox 360 right now.

Too bad the no HDMI is such a big issue for so many people. I know my TV can only output 1080i without HDMI, so I'll get next-to-best from the player...

~ddv

Yeah, the no HDMI is kind of a bummer. I don't think it's THAT big of a deal, but I would've preferred it.

The video links seem to have been confused.. Tina.

WMV = 2Mb while WMV(High) = 500Kb

I was like: 'That's an interesting goof up, making the (High) video look like crap that is trying hype a supposedly HD video disk...'

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Also Tina try using a higher audio bitrate on the 2Mb file.. 128Kb is too poor. You get that characteristic WMA underwater effect.. and VBR could also keep some of the quality of the original file without the file being too large.

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The drive though will only be impressive at this point for VIsta once game developers start putting games on HDDVD, like EA (Crysis, Sims 3, Simcity 5), EPIC (Unreal Tournament 2007, Gears of War [A proper definitive bug-free edition for VIsta] or Gears 2 for 360 and VIsta, and of course Halo 3*) etc.

*should be on HDDVD without question even if it has to be bloated with high resolution textures and extra multiplayer maps to justify being the first 360 HDDVD disk you know people will upgrade to buy it.

Cause without games for 360 having need for HDDVD it's kinda pointless to sell the drive for use as just-another-dvd player... that's what PS3 is for.

Well, Blu-ray certainly has some competition, but since HD-DVDs are cheaper to manufacture and less expensive than Blu-ray, I think for a while, HD-DVDs will out-sell Blu-ray (and standard DVDs, for now, will out-sell both).

Blu-ray is superior in capacity, sure, but the cost is what will keep me away from purchasing a Blu-ray player (and that includes, a PS3!).

The video/audio quality of HD-DVD and Blu-ray appears to be about the same, so that won't really be a BIG factor, when it's time for someone to choose one over the other. Also, I think 25GB-50GB of storage on a (Blu-ray) disc is a little too much...heck, isn't 15GB for a one layer HD-DVD enough?

That's something I've been wondering about the storage capacity of PS3 games...are developers ever going to use-up the whole storage capacity for one game?

I recommend checking out the Blu-ray and HD-DVD pages at Wikipedia for some interesting info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_DVD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc

Quote from HD-DVD page at Wikipedia:

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Xbox 360 Accessory

Microsoft has also released an add-on HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360 for $199.99^[13] which attaches to the console via USB 2.0 cable. The Xbox 360 outputs 1080p for games and movies through component and VGA cables[1]. The Xbox 360 does not currently offer a HDMI or any other digital-video output. Many TVs do not accept 1080p through their component inputs, and only a few accept the signal through the VGA/PC input. But, a number of new TVs, such as the new Samsung LCD and DLP models, support 1080p over component. According to Microsoft, the Xbox 360 will not include an internal HD DVD drive in future releases.^[14] However, the Taiwan optical disk drive industry reports that Microsoft is selecting manufacturers to build an internal HD DVD drive for a new generation of Xbox 360s.^[15] There is also a device driver and UDF 2.5 Reader Software available from Toshiba to use the external Xbox 360 HD DVD drive on their Windows XP based computer through USB, and Windows Vista contains native drivers and UDF 2.5 Reader for it, allowing the PC to use the HD-DVD drive as a normal disk drive. A software player (like WinDVD or PowerDVD) is required to playback HD DVD Video on a PC. [2] The HD-DVD addon will also be released in Australia for $250 a release date at this stage is unknown but Microsoft promises an early 2007 release.

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If I buy a HD-DVD player, it might be the Xbox360 HD-DVD drive, but I think I'll wait a while to pick one up (However, $199 is not a bad price =)

Now if they get Office Space on HD-DVD (if they already haven't)...yeah, that would be terrific.

Thanks for posting the video, T-Dub. Nice weather we are having lately, huh? My electricity won't be back on, until...possibly, Thurs. Arggh!

P.S.-IMPORTANT message to Tina (Please read):

Tina,

When you get the chance, please respond back (either, through here or on XBL). I tried to send you a Friend Request about a week ago and it still says it is "Pending". I sent you an XBL voice message, but you haven't replied.

I really don't want to cancel the Friend Request, as I'd really like to add you to my Friends List, but if you don't want to accept it, please let me know and I'll cancel it. For now, I'll leave the Friend Request as "Pending."

If you ever accept my Friend Request, I promise that I won't heckle you. I just want to play XBL matches with ya (Gears of War co-op?).

Thanks.

-"SC Vigilante360" (gamertag)

Most of us were without power for days and some still don't have it.  It's been crazy. 

Thanks for your concern.

Yeah, I'm going freak'in CRAZY!!!!

No beer and no TV/Xbox 360 make Vigilante360 go something, something...