Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive on Display

Oh my stars, that's effing huge! Let's hope the redesign the case somewhat - it's not very pleasant on the eye either (and it would kill them to cut it down in size a bit - I know it's new technology and they probably can't help some of the bulk but I get the strange feeling it's only that size because Microsoft wanted some perverse size ratio that matched the 360's width. And depth).

yeh it's big and fugly alright, but if it's the cheapest HD-DVD option on the market this Xmas I'll still be buying one, and hiding it away under the telly somewhere...

It's big and ugly alright. It must be a prototype!

From my understanding it simply plugs into the rear USB and contains a further two USB ports on the back giving effectively 4 free (which is nice).

Then there may be another transformer brick to hide away...

If you've got a telly that will hide that fscker, I wouldn't bother - sounds like you're still in the SD generation.

I'd be pretty surprises if it *didn't* have the power brick inside - it's reported to be just a HD-DVD drive, there's no decoder hardware as that's all done on-board the 360. That effing box looks twice the height of a bare optical drive!

It looks like a external hardrive that just ate a Wii... really... SMALLER IS BETTER WITH ELECTRONICS!!! bloody yanks... (woohoo more generalised yank bashing!)

being the cheapest HD-solution to date will help it sell though, not to any electronic consumer though. Also this has user-base split chapter 2 written all over it.

Well, they already said NO games will come on HD-DVD ages ago, so no problems there.

It's all handled by the 360, output in HD via the original component cable, and the E3 images showed it pulling power from the 360. It may be this has now changed due to it not getting enough, but who knows.

It's only as big as having a DVD player on top of or under your 360. What's the beef?

That's a big baby 360 add on. But as an entry into HD-DVD I'm sure many 360 owner will indulge in one.

You know something, it will be interesting to see how the future DVD market splits because of this and PS3, even before the mainstream players arrive, these could have the deciding factor in swaying many a buyer.

Guess the content support is also gonna be important.

look it a xbox version of the mega cd hope it sells better

Yeah sure...like the "promise" that ALL Xbox360 games will work even if you have no hard disk.

Enter FFXI and FM2007...whoops! 99 Nights is next up. MS can say what they want, if 1 HD-DVD is cheaper to print 2 DVD's...game will be printed on HD-DVD...that's the third party way of thinking.

What's the beef of the size? It's that it's ONLY a drive, it ONLY gives a videofeed, no processing...no whatever and still look likes it ate a Big Mac Wii for breakfast

They say that it'll be the among the cheapest HD-DVD players, but for that to be true, the add-on will have to be about $100. Based on cheap HD-DVD players being about $500, and a 360 costing $400 (do they still sell the core package).

On top of that, it's an add-on to something you can't easily stack. I can't see this being a roaring success.

Well, they said 360+HD-DVD drive equals less than £425. So, the max is £145. I'd bet on about £120, seeing as it is just a drive.

Does this point towards the theory HD-DVD native was scrapped at a late stage?

I'd probably say it points more towards the theory that Microsoft didn't want to add one in the first place (or worse, didn't even consider adding it as a native drive) and then regretting it.

they rushed the console because they wanted a strong hold in the market and thats why 360 has had all the problems with over heating and searching of the disks

What annoys me about it is the drive opening is on the grey side with the nice white curved side down the side... Think a second here M$, if you put the chrome drive opening on the curved white side it would sit nicely on top of the 360 and match it. Instead it looks like some dodgy 3rd party add on!

Then... why bother at all! You already have 2 different packages, how about adding a 3rd. A normal 360 but with the drive built in (maybe add hdmi but then your starting something in a different league). I own a premium, Id be a little pissed but not really and in a few year if HD-DVD wins then Ill just buy one of the newer 360s.

Just to defend it here... it only scratches the disk when you move the console whilst its reading, I think thats not really a problem more someones been an idiot. And overheating, well i know 4 other people aswell as myself who have a 360 and none of them suffer from overheating, even after an entire day of playing Oblivion! The 360 has actually had a lower fail rate from the beginning than the PS2. And I dont want to comment on what the PS3 is going to be like (cell + bluray). This is one place Nintendo wins again!