RUMOUR: HD-DVD-equipped Xbox 360 due in early 2007?

[tomato]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24978548

"...reports of a HD-DVD-equipped 360 were back in the news, thanks to the Digitimes article. "Microsoft has started designing a new generation of Xbox 360s equipped with an internal HD-DVD drive and is selecting manufacturers in Taiwan to build the drive, according to sources in Taiwan's optical disc drive (ODD) industry," the publication claims. "If the process of selecting partner makers and subsequent certification goes smoothly, Microsoft may launch the Xbox 360 equipped with the built-in HD-DVD drive in the first half of 2007 at the soonest, the sources noted."

I don't that this will happen any time soon, at least until the latest HD-DVD VS Blu-Ray format war declares a victor.

[Kougar]

I saw DailyTech ran a peice on this, but didn't read it. However if the source article was Digitimes, then I'm willing to believe it.

MS announced ages ago it was already going to upgrade it's Xbox 360's with a downsized, much cooler CPU, from 90nm to 65nm starting (I think it was January?) of next year. Throwing a internal HD-DVD player into the mix sounds like a quick marketing ploy to use...

[tomato]

I agree with everything you said about a "new" XBox360. Still, I can't see M$ shelling out the $$ to include HD-DVD out of the box when both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray have yet to prove themselves to the consumer. Perhaps once the format war is over and the dust has settled (which may be in 1 year or 5 years).

...although, as M$ is backing HD-DVD, I guess this would get more people into the HD-DVD camp VS the Blu-Ray camp for PS3 owners, and hope to even up the score :?

[Kougar]

I did hear someone criticize the 360 for not providing HD player support, considering the console is designed from the ground up to be plugged into a HDTV, so somehow including one makes sense.

I thought MS was already carrying out plans to release an external HD-DVD player though... I thought it was strange they would be doing both.

You bring up a good point though, bundling HD-DVD into the console would really kick up the already "in the red" production costs per unit, so I could only see HD-DVD really kicking up that price tag!

[DragonMaster]

There have been LOTS of rumors of separate HD-DVD players since the 360's release. Maybe they could just provide an internal upgrade for the current ones or have the choice to use an external one too.

[tomato]

There is NO HDMI port in the XBox 360 HD-DVD player!!!! How can they do this?! Now any HD-DVD played on this unit will automatically be downgraded to MAX 480p, which is equal to standard DVD resolution!!! OMG, M$ dropped the ball on this...
(but they probably have an all-in-one unit ready for the after x-mas crowd :()

Sorry, but I can't seem to find the link to the original article :P