Seattle Times speculates new Xbox 360 with HD DVD

[Skitals]

This rumor doesn't want to die, and has recently been given new life. Not only is a new 360 SKU with HD DVD built-in a possibility (likely replacing the Elite, which mysteriously isn't available at most retailers anymore), but the Seattle Times also speculates Microsoft could license the Xbox platform to third party CEs. In particular, Toshiba. Toshiba could make a 360/HD DVD player that would not only attract HT enthusiasts, but also the elusive Japanese market.

Read here.

[chipvideo]

Originally Posted by Skitals

This rumor doesn't want to die, and has recently been given new life. Not only is a new 360 SKU with HD DVD built-in a possibility (likely replacing the Elite, which mysteriously isn't available at most retailers anymore), but the Seattle Times also speculates Microsoft could license the Xbox platform to third party CEs. In particular, Toshiba. Toshiba could make a 360/HD DVD player that would not only attract HT enthusiasts, but also the elusive Japanese market.

Read here.

I hope they make it look look like a non gaming unit. Something that looks like a piece that could fit in a rack system. Needs ventilation pulling out the back of the unit.

Hope they make a tivo like unit with two way cablecard.

[Beta-guy]

Originally Posted by Skitals

This rumor doesn't want to die, and has recently been given new life. Not only is a new 360 SKU with HD DVD built-in a possibility (likely replacing the Elite, which mysteriously isn't available at most retailers anymore), but the Seattle Times also speculates Microsoft could license the Xbox platform to third party CEs. In particular, Toshiba. Toshiba could make a 360/HD DVD player that would not only attract HT enthusiasts, but also the elusive Japanese market.

Read here.

both Microsoft http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/tags/show/Microsoft and Toshiba http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/14900/...-HD-DVD-Rumor/ have denied it, unless you guys are saying a denial doesn't mean it not going to happen... http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/12/13...which-is-nice/

I couldn't resist

[Htown-D]

[quote=Skitals;577850]This rumor doesn't want to die, and has recently been given new life. Not only is a new 360 SKU with HD DVD built-in a possibility (likely replacing the Elite, which mysteriously isn't available at most retailers anymore), but the Seattle Times also speculates Microsoft could license the Xbox platform to third party CEs. In particular, Toshiba. Toshiba could make a 360/HD DVD player that would not only attract HT enthusiasts, but also the elusive Japanese market.


Last I heard the Japanese market was 95% pro blu. And since the rest of the world doesn't matter in the format war, why go after the Japanese market? Now after all the talk about how a videogame system isn't going to win the war now that M$ is rumored to put a hd dvd drive in the xbox, this is ok?

Originally Posted by chipvideo

I hope they make it look look like a non gaming unit. Something that looks like a piece that could fit in a rack system. Needs ventilation pulling out the back of the unit.

Hope they make a tivo like unit with two way cablecard.

And put in better cooling or your player stands a high chance of becoming a non functioning player with the RROD.

For the record, I've never had a problem with either of my xboxes, but I keep them off the ground and well ventilated.

[Qbfinest83]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/21423304

Companies:Sony Corp, SNE | Microsoft Corp

CNBC.com
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Sources I'm talking to at the company suggest that an announcement could come soon that Microsoft Microsoft CorpMSFT
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[MSFT 35.6 --- UNCH (0%) ] will unveil a new version of Xbox 360 featuring a built-in HD-DVD player and HD tuner. The device might be officially unveiled during Bill Gates' keynote at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in January, which could be a bummer since it misses this upcominhg holiday shopping season.

It's true you can already play HD-DVD's through the Xbox but you need another device to plug in. Microsoft sells that player for $179, but it's not clear that the new Xbox360HD will simply be $179 more than the current Xbox 360 without it. Consumers might be getting a break if they buy the all-in-one unit.

I haven't heard pricing yet: details to come. But the blogs are all over this. Several analyst firms I talked with this morning say an HD version of Xbox wasn't expected until mid-to late 2008, so anything earlier would be a surprise.

All the hub-bub began with a story in the Australian publication, "Smarthouse," after comments it had gotten from an executive at Toshiba. But The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says no new Xbox is coming after what sound like pretty definitive comments it had gotten from Microsoft; that maybe Microsoft will license its technology to Toshiba for a new kind of all-in-one player/recorder/game-player/HD thingy. Intriguing.

We've placed several calls into the company seeking official comment. Some folks are looking into it; others haven't returned the calls yet. But the folks I'm talking to off-the-record say an announcement is coming.

This could be a big deal for both Microsoft and the HD-DVD movement. Microsoft has already seen a significant pop in Xbox console sales in the wake of the Halo 3 release. In fact, some market research suggests that sales have tripled normal volume. That makes sense since as we've reported there are about 2.5 million Xboxers still playing the game on older consoles, who have not traded up to the new 360. Halo 3 was widely expected to get them to do so.

At the same time, back at the Digital Life Expo, we detailed how HD-DVD was outselling Blu-Ray on laptops by better than 8-1. It stands to reason that laptop users who have onboard HD-DVD would also want that same format at home.

Now that Microsoft is making it even easier for consumers to use the format in such a popular game-player, this is more bad news for Blu-Ray, and of course its primary backer, Sony SONY CORPSNE
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[SNE 54.3 --- UNCH (0%) ] , which makes that competing platform available in PlayStation. All of this becomes much more important in Microsoft's grander plan of using the Xbox to invade the living room. A kind of Trojan Horse. An all-in-one digital entertainment hub masquerading as a game-player.

RUMOR:from Kotaku.com 12/31/07

Gates to Announce DVR 360 at CES?

Bill Gates might be making an Xbox 360 2.0 announcement at his CES keynote swan song, the Seattle Times' Brier Dudley predicts in a column today.

While I'm not totally on-board with his prediction for Gates' 360 announcements at CES this weekend, I agree with the main thrust. Dudley believes that after doing some inevitable crowing Gates will wow the crowds with an announcement that Microsoft is preparing to license the 360 platform to select consumer electronic companies.

In particular, Microsoft could work with Toshiba to develop a digital video recorder with a hard-drive, high-definition HD-DVD drive and Xbox gaming capabilities. They're already allied against Sony and other backers of the Blu-ray DVD format, and Toshiba could help Xbox finally penetrate the Japanese market.

Microsoft could also make a splash by announcing plans to give the Xbox 360 an internal HD-DVD drive, putting it on par with Sony's PlayStation 3 that has a built-in Blu-ray drive.

[LtLalue]

MS kept denying a 360 with HDMI output up until the release of the 360 elite...then they kept denying price drops....up until the day of the actual price drop...
anyone else see a pattern?
they won't come out and say anything right now...maybe because it's too early...and they want as much sales as they can. so releasing information about an HDDVD 360 w/ HDDVD playback built in...that's hitting stores in spring 08 - fall 08...will possibly make some consumers delay a january - February purchase of a normal 360.

[Skitals]

Toshiba and Microsoft denying things in the past means nothing. Every company does that right until the announcement. For Toshiba to confirm it could hurt their holiday standalone sales, for microsoft to confirm it would have hurt their holiday console sales.

[Skitals]

Originally Posted by LtLalue

MS kept denying a 360 with HDMI output up until the release of the 360 elite...then they kept denying price drops....up until the day of the actual price drop...
anyone else see a pattern?
they won't come out and say anything right now...maybe because it's too early...and they want as much sales as they can. so releasing information about an HDDVD 360 w/ HDDVD playback built in...that's hitting stores in spring 08 - fall 08...will possibly make some consumers delay a january - February purchase of a normal 360.

Exactly. Because if they said "HDMI is coming in 3 months" they would be stuck with 3 months worth of consoles w/o HDMI that didn't sell because people waited.

[LtLalue]

Originally Posted by Skitals

Exactly. Because if they said "HDMI is coming in 3 months" they would be stuck with 3 months worth of consoles w/o HDMI that didn't sell because people waited.

yeah, it's kinda sad that corporations would do that...that's misinforming the consumer...or not informing the consumer of a better product about to come out....

I just wonder if they'll keep the design of the original 360...
the noise...is fucking ridiculous during movie playback....and that's with a god damn add on...

[Htown-D]

Nice, M$ and the HD dvd group playing catchup to the PS3. I can't imagine this Tosh/M$ device selling, because everyone knows anything priced over $149 is just too much to pay for a hi def movie player.

[Arkadin]

I mean having an HD DVD player in the 360 would help HD DVD for sure, but IF Warner actually decides to back Blu it won't mean crap so let's find out about that shit first ok.

[hstewarth]

Originally Posted by Skitals

This rumor doesn't want to die, and has recently been given new life. Not only is a new 360 SKU with HD DVD built-in a possibility (likely replacing the Elite, which mysteriously isn't available at most retailers anymore), but the Seattle Times also speculates Microsoft could license the Xbox platform to third party CEs. In particular, Toshiba. Toshiba could make a 360/HD DVD player that would not only attract HT enthusiasts, but also the elusive Japanese market.

Read here.

What is funny about this is HD DVD fans complain about PS3 including Blu-ray but get excited over possible rumor of 360 including HD DVD. If Microsoft would have done this in the first place, it might be different now.

But Microsoft doesn't want HD DVD or Blu-ray to succeed. they desired XBox Live. I think it is more likely them to drop the HD DVD option complete before including it.

[hstewarth]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

I mean having an HD DVD player in the 360 would help HD DVD for sure, but IF Warner actually decides to back Blu it won't mean crap so let's find out about that shit first ok.

One more thing 360 games don't play on HD DVD drive - so Microsoft would never have this option. There game market is what sells 360 not the HD DVD's.

[Arkadin]

uhhhh Hasteworth I could actually care fucking less whether X-box gets an HD DVD player.
Just so you know.

also: regarding the games--that too

[michealo]

more importantly, will this new SKU be considered a "standalone" player?