Question about HD DVD player.

[bruser_inc]

I just picked up the HD DVD unit today, and just got finished watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (doubt I will watch King Kong, didn't really like it when I rented it).

 

When I went into my system memory it has a spot for the HD DVD unit, and it says 192 MB free, when you click this it gives: Unknown Title HD DVD Content, 425 bytes.

 

So the question I have it what is the 360 (or HD DVD unit) saving? Or is this just part of the system update that it had to do when I first put in the disc?

 

Whatever the case, off to Amazon to buy a few titles.

[Hyper_Eye]

I am not sure why that free space shows up. But, I can tell you that you need to put King Kong in simply to see the quality. Many consider it the reference HD-DVD because the quality is simply stunning. Unfortunately not all titles I have seen look that good. Get a look at what HD-DVD can do and pop it in.

[+Cobra Kai]

Thats probably space reserved for firmware updates.

 

Also you have to watch King Kong, it's absolutely amazing in HD, a true showpiece. Also pick up Fearless, MI:3, Seabiscuit, Swordfish, The Bourne Supremacy, Apollo 13 and Van Helsing to really push your setup.

[Mendon]

If you want to know which HD-DVD's have the best quality and show off the features, check this site:

 

AVS Site

 

They are pretty accurate and it helps to know whether the $30 (give or take a few $$$) price tag for a HD/Blu-Ray movie is worth it or if you might as well just buy it on $15 DVD.

 

 

Mendon

Edited January 29, 2007 by Mendon

[MCHufnagel]

I've been reading up on HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players. Some people say that the X360 HD-DVD player has some of the worst graphics of any Hi-Def unit out there. Can someone confirm this? I know it is "only $200", but is it worth it to spend the extra money?

[moycon]

I've been reading up on HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players. Some people say that the X360 HD-DVD player has some of the worst graphics of any Hi-Def unit out there. Can someone confirm this? I know it is "only $200", but is it worth it to spend the extra money?

 

That's pretty much what I have heard also.

I have seen it, my friend played King Kong on it and it looked fine.

Personally tho I don't think I have what it takes to be a connoisseur of HD-TV, I think my old DVDs looked just fine.

I've yet to stop a DVD (That wasnt damaged) because the quality was so terrible.

You could spend twice as much for a HD-DVD player that looks better than the 360 one I'm sure.

For me it's not even worth $200 to improve the quality over regular DVDs. If I find a 360 HD on a good sale I'll pick one up. I guess it all depends on how picky you are.

[MCHufnagel]

I don't feel that I'm ready for a Hi-Def player either. I was at a friends house last night and he played Cars on a upscaling DVD player through his 42" 1080p LCD HDTV. It looked fantastic. And while I don't have an upscaling DVD player, I play DVDs through my Media Center PC through my 37" 720p LCD HDTV and many movies (mostly newer) look great also.

 

My PC's graphic card is a Nividia 7950GT and outputs in HD. Does it also upscale DVD's?

[+Cobra Kai]

I've been reading up on HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players. Some people say that the X360 HD-DVD player has some of the worst graphics of any Hi-Def unit out there. Can someone confirm this? I know it is "only $200", but is it worth it to spend the extra money?

 

I don't think I understand your comment about 'worst graphics'. It's not like the HD DVD drive is a game itself. If you're trying to say that it has issues with the quality of signal it outputs, then I can understand what you're getting at.

 

Someone who tells you that the 360 add-on delivers a poor picture due to a degraded signal are ignorant though, because the unit itself is rather brainless, and it uses the Component outuput of the X360 to deliver its signal to your HDTV. You can either recieve a 1080i signal through component, or 1080p if you use the VGA cable.

 

Reports I've read are actually favorable to the X360 HD DVD drive over the first generation standalone players that hit the market. Since the X360 unit can deliver 1080p, it has an advantage over a unit like the Toshiba A1 unit that was only capable of 1080i. The 360 drive also boasts a faster loading time than the A1. The one thing that is truly lacking from the 360 unit is the True HD audio I believe, but I'm not an audiophile so this part doesn't bother me at all. I can see how that would affect someone's purchasing decision, that's a legitimate complaint.

 

The X360 HD DVD drive is definitely worth the $200 considering it comes with King Kong and the universal remote, effectively making the drive roughly $140. The next option is a minimum of $400 for a standalone player.

[+Cobra Kai]

I don't feel that I'm ready for a Hi-Def player either. I was at a friends house last night and he played Cars on a upscaling DVD player through his 42" 1080p LCD HDTV. It looked fantastic. And while I don't have an upscaling DVD player, I play DVDs through my Media Center PC through my 37" 720p LCD HDTV and many movies (mostly newer) look great also.

 

My PC's graphic card is a Nividia 7950GT and outputs in HD. Does it also upscale DVD's?

 

First, Cars is a complete digital animated movie and animation already looks pretty good, thus isn't really a good gauge. Where you're going to see the difference is in live action movies. Upscaling technology is kinda nifty and it's neat that you can sort of breathe a tiny bit of life into your old DVDs, but upconversion still doesn't compare to HD DVD/Bluray.

 

Upconversion is kinda like S-VHS, a stop gap technology to hold interest and fool people into thinking that it's good enough. Only thing is, like S-VHS, upconversion came into the market at reasonable prices too late, and there's really no point in buying a dedicated upconverting DVD player when all the HD DVD players out there have upconversion technology built in. Although I don't think the X360 add-on has upconversion, but it's not needed because the X360 standard DVD drive has upconversion (if you use the VGA cable).

[+Cobra Kai]

 

 

 

You could spend twice as much for a HD-DVD player that looks better than the 360 one I'm sure.

 

 

I don't really see how this is possible, I mean if it's in 1080p, then it's in 1080p. The difference in quality that can possibly be between the add-on and a standalone player should be negligible. The X360 HD DVD drive is made by Toshiba, the manufacturer of the mainstream standalone HD DVD players out there. I haven't seen an HDA1 or HDA2 in action, but I would guess the picture quality is identical to the X360 unit, considering it's all made by the same company.

[Hyper_Eye]

It looks great to on my setup. The only problems I have heard of are with video/audio sync on some titles. If you want to know how the player stacks up check http://www.avsforum.com. I would take the word of the general consensus in that forum over anyone elses.

[MCHufnagel]

 

 

 

You could spend twice as much for a HD-DVD player that looks better than the 360 one I'm sure.

 

 

I don't really see how this is possible, I mean if it's in 1080p, then it's in 1080p. The difference in quality that can possibly be between the add-on and a standalone player should be negligible. The X360 HD DVD drive is made by Toshiba, the manufacturer of the mainstream standalone HD DVD players out there. I haven't seen an HDA1 or HDA2 in action, but I would guess the picture quality is identical to the X360 unit, considering it's all made by the same company.

Well CDs are a digital medium, yet some players sound a lot better than others. Why would digital video be any different? The quality of drives and lasers do make a difference. I'm not saying that the X360 HD add on is cheaply made, but such differences are possible.

[moycon]

I don't really see how this is possible, I mean if it's in 1080p, then it's in 1080p. The difference in quality that can possibly be between the add-on and a standalone player should be negligible. The X360 HD DVD drive is made by Toshiba, the manufacturer of the mainstream standalone HD DVD players out there. I haven't seen an HDA1 or HDA2 in action, but I would guess the picture quality is identical to the X360 unit, considering it's all made by the same company.

 

Well like I said I don't know much about HD-DVD or care, but I am telling you this, most reviews of this drive over others drives doesn't have the 360 on top....other than the fact it's a great bargin. Folks that only have the 360 drive seem 100% satisfied and blown away, but people that have actually compared it to other players say otherwise. My guess is you have not. Is that correct? You imply that all HD-DVD drives look exactly the same, I say BS. The biggest complaint is the lack of HDMI/DVI connections. People that actually have set up a 360 Player and other HD-DVD Players side by side have noticed that they do not in fact look the same and have even posted pictures of both so folks can see for themselves (Ain't the internet great?) That said, only a real media geek (With multiple HD-DVD drives set up side by side) would probably even notice. I like this little blurb off a site reviewing the 360 HD-DVD

 

"Additionally, movie studios can program discs to display at lower resolution when displayed via component-video outputs, which could render the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive almost useless for many consumers."

 

You might not even be getting better quality with the 360 HD-DVD. Think about that. My thought is, if you want a bargin HD-DVD player the 360 Drive is the way to go 100%. If you want the best picture quality, you're going to look elsewhere, because not all drives are created equal in spite of what you might think. You'd just have to be a real vidiot to realize the slight differences I think. I remember a dude posting pics of Independence Day from the 360 drive and another drive, He was listing how the 360 version was worse. Personally both images looked fine to me.

 

For me and probably most people, the HD-DVD is going to be great. You can bet as soon as I get a good deal on one, I'll snatch it up.

Edited January 30, 2007 by moycon

[+Cobra Kai]

I don't really see how this is possible, I mean if it's in 1080p, then it's in 1080p. The difference in quality that can possibly be between the add-on and a standalone player should be negligible. The X360 HD DVD drive is made by Toshiba, the manufacturer of the mainstream standalone HD DVD players out there. I haven't seen an HDA1 or HDA2 in action, but I would guess the picture quality is identical to the X360 unit, considering it's all made by the same company.

 

Well like I said I don't know much about HD-DVD or care, but I am telling you this, most reviews of this drive over others drives doesn't have the 360 on top....other than the fact it's a great bargin. Folks that only have the 360 drive seem 100% satisfied and blown away, but people that have actually compared it to other players say otherwise. My guess is you have not. Is that correct? You imply that all HD-DVD drives look exactly the same, I say BS. The biggest complaint is the lack of HDMI/DVI connections. People that actually have set up a 360 Player and other HD-DVD Players side by side have noticed that they do not in fact look the same and have even posted pictures of both so folks can see for themselves (Ain't the internet great?) That said, only a real media geek (With multiple HD-DVD drives set up side by side) would probably even notice. I like this little blurb off a site reviewing the 360 HD-DVD

 

Consider two things. A person who buys the expensive $500+ dedicated player is going to have a reason to say why its better than the bargain player. He's going to want to justify to himself that the more expensive unit is better. Second, you have to consider again that both the mainstream standalones, and the 360 add-on are made by the same company.

 

"Additionally, movie studios can program discs to display at lower resolution when displayed via component-video outputs, which could render the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive almost useless for many consumers."

 

Ok, if you can't see the BS here I'm sorry. You're taking that quote seriously? Honestly that is some Sony fanboy material right there, I think its obvious. ALL HD DVD discs are 1080p capable. Any player using Component output will be displayed at max 1080i, which is slightly lower quality only noticable on bigger TV's. Actually, that quote is ignorant as hell, especially since the X360 can do 1080p with the VGA cable. Also, according to that quote 1080i is useless to consumers? HAHA you gotta love the internet.

 

You might not even be getting better quality with the 360 HD-DVD. Think about that. My thought is, if you want a bargin HD-DVD player the 360 Drive is the way to go 100%. If you want the best picture quality, you're going to look elsewhere, because not all drives are created equal in spite of what you might think. You'd just have to be a real vidiot to realize the slight differences I think. I remember a dude posting pics of Independence Day from the 360 drive and another drive, He was listing how the 360 version was worse. Personally both images looked fine to me.

 

Er, Independence Day isn't even an HD DVD. The X360 HD DVD drive does not upconvert standard dvd. What you probably saw was a comparison between an sd dvd being played on the 360 HD add-on vs. an upconverting player. Believe it or not there are people out there dedicated to making HD DVD look like a complete failure. You've clearly bought into this kind of stuff, I think you need to spend some time researching it better. I suggest this website:

 

http://www.highdefdigest.com/

Edited January 30, 2007 by Gunstarhero

[moycon]

Consider two things. A person who buys the expensive $500+ dedicated player is going to have a reason to say why its better than the bargain player. He's going to want to justify to himself that the more expensive unit is better. Second, you have to consider again that both the mainstream standalones, and the 360 add-on are made by the same company.

 

"Additionally, movie studios can program discs to display at lower resolution when displayed via component-video outputs, which could render the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive almost useless for many consumers."

 

Ok, if you can't see the BS here I'm sorry. You're taking that quote seriously? Honestly that is some Sony fanboy material right there, I think its obvious. ALL HD DVD discs are 1080p capable. Any player using Component output will be displayed at max 1080i, which is slightly lower quality only noticable on bigger TV's. Actually, that quote is ignorant as hell, especially since the X360 can do 1080p with the VGA cable. Also, according to that quote 1080i is useless to consumers? HAHA you gotta love the internet.

 

That quote wasn't from a fanboy...or a person that spent $500, I also doubt they were dedicated to making HD-DVD look bad at all. They gave the drive a pretty high rating if you ask me. 7.6

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/Microsoft_Xbox_360...7-32068855.html

 

And that was just one example.

That website link you posted had (and I counted) zero reviews of the Xbox Hd-DVD. In fact if you want to see some fan boys...read the forum on that site. They seem to know who won the Blu-Ray HD-DVD war already. Gotta love the internet indeed.

 

Sorry I thought it was ID4?? I know there are only like 2 or 3 mega-budget sci-fi flicks, I should remember hu?

 

Here's some more legit reviews with the links so you know I'm not pulling the info outta my ass:

 

http://review.zdnet.com/Microsoft_Xbox_360...6-32138037.html

 

The HDMI issue

 

Our biggest complaint about the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive is the simple fact that you can't use it to watch discs via HDMI. That has a direct impact on picture quality, because HDMI almost always outperforms component video, especially on today's digital displays. Comparing the Toshiba's HDMI output vs. the Xbox 360's component signal, we saw that, on the Pioneer PRO-FHD1, for example, the image looked significantly sharper via HDMI .

 

Again they gave the unit a decent review, I don't feel they were slamming the unit at all.

 

Here's a review off IGN :

 

http://gear.ign.com/articles/746/746074p1.html

 

Regardless, the issue highlights exactly why the lack of HDMI connectivity will be an ongoing headache for those trying to work with the 360's new 1080p capabilities . Relying upon VGA also means that it becomes a hassle to run the 360 through an A/V receiver-amp, which requires users to hardwire the 360 to their display, which can make otherwise slick installations look messy. If and when Microsoft makes an HDMI wire available for the 360, our final score of the HD-DVD drive will increase. For 360 owners with HDTVs capable of accepting 1080p via Component or VGA , the HD-DVD drive is a viable option for entering the world of next-gen DVD.

 

Bottom line, It seems to be a great player for someone who isn't a media freak, but certainly, based on what appear to be legit and honest reviews from folks who have access to multiple units by different vendors, that they tried out...not the best player you can get, if you spend more, you will get a better performing player. Whether or not it's worth it to MCHufnagel, that I dunno. If I had to guess...No

 

I didn't notice did you ever answer if you have any actual experience with ANY of these players Gunstarhero?? A lot of what you posted (Like where I got my info from) seems to be based on assumption. I already admited that I wasn't geeky when it came to picture quality, but I'm confused why you think folks should just ignore all this info and listen to you that there is no difference between HD-DVD players???

[MCHufnagel]

Thanks moycon for actually providing reviews. I visited the two forums that were listed earlier in this thread and found no actual comparisons at all. It did slip my mind that my X360 can upscale DVD's via VGA. So I'll check that out tonight. And right now I really don't need a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player. I'll probably get one for next Christmas when I upgrade to a 1080p HDTV. By then prices for both 1080p HDTV's and HD players will be more reasonable.

 

Gunstarhero, upscaling DVD's may be a "stopgap measure", but there is a reason for that. HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players are too expensive. And while the X360 may be able to output 1080p via VGA, how many HDTV's can handle 1080p via VGA? 1080p is a mute point if you can't find a TV/monitor that can handle it.

[Lost Monkey]

Comparing upscaling DVDs to S-VHS is flawed simply for the fact that S-VHS was a different format. I have no problem with using an HTPC to upscale DVDs as there are tens of thousands of titles out there and they (mostly) look fantastic. This way I can enjoy just about any movie I want (and for the next couple of years) with a better than acceptable picture quality on my 50” plasma, while waiting for the selection for HD-DVD and BluRay discs to get populated.

[Lost Monkey]

Has anyone here tried running their 360 HD-DVD add-on through a PC? I am curious to see how it would perform using DVI -> HDMI via the PC.

[+Cobra Kai]

Consider two things. A person who buys the expensive $500+ dedicated player is going to have a reason to say why its better than the bargain player. He's going to want to justify to himself that the more expensive unit is better. Second, you have to consider again that both the mainstream standalones, and the 360 add-on are made by the same company.

 

"Additionally, movie studios can program discs to display at lower resolution when displayed via component-video outputs, which could render the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive almost useless for many consumers."

 

Ok, if you can't see the BS here I'm sorry. You're taking that quote seriously? Honestly that is some Sony fanboy material right there, I think its obvious. ALL HD DVD discs are 1080p capable. Any player using Component output will be displayed at max 1080i, which is slightly lower quality only noticable on bigger TV's. Actually, that quote is ignorant as hell, especially since the X360 can do 1080p with the VGA cable. Also, according to that quote 1080i is useless to consumers? HAHA you gotta love the internet.

 

That quote wasn't from a fanboy...or a person that spent $500, I also doubt they were dedicated to making HD-DVD look bad at all. They gave the drive a pretty high rating if you ask me. 7.6

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/Microsoft_Xbox_360...7-32068855.html

 

And that was just one example.

That website link you posted had (and I counted) zero reviews of the Xbox Hd-DVD. In fact if you want to see some fan boys...read the forum on that site. They seem to know who won the Blu-Ray HD-DVD war already. Gotta love the internet indeed.

 

Sorry I thought it was ID4?? I know there are only like 2 or 3 mega-budget sci-fi flicks, I should remember hu?

 

Here's some more legit reviews with the links so you know I'm not pulling the info outta my ass:

 

http://review.zdnet.com/Microsoft_Xbox_360...6-32138037.html

 

The HDMI issue

 

Our biggest complaint about the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive is the simple fact that you can't use it to watch discs via HDMI. That has a direct impact on picture quality, because HDMI almost always outperforms component video, especially on today's digital displays. Comparing the Toshiba's HDMI output vs. the Xbox 360's component signal, we saw that, on the Pioneer PRO-FHD1, for example, the image looked significantly sharper via HDMI .

 

Again they gave the unit a decent review, I don't feel they were slamming the unit at all.

 

Here's a review off IGN :

 

http://gear.ign.com/articles/746/746074p1.html

 

Regardless, the issue highlights exactly why the lack of HDMI connectivity will be an ongoing headache for those trying to work with the 360's new 1080p capabilities . Relying upon VGA also means that it becomes a hassle to run the 360 through an A/V receiver-amp, which requires users to hardwire the 360 to their display, which can make otherwise slick installations look messy. If and when Microsoft makes an HDMI wire available for the 360, our final score of the HD-DVD drive will increase. For 360 owners with HDTVs capable of accepting 1080p via Component or VGA , the HD-DVD drive is a viable option for entering the world of next-gen DVD.

 

Bottom line, It seems to be a great player for someone who isn't a media freak, but certainly, based on what appear to be legit and honest reviews from folks who have access to multiple units by different vendors, that they tried out...not the best player you can get, if you spend more, you will get a better performing player. Whether or not it's worth it to MCHufnagel, that I dunno. If I had to guess...No

 

I didn't notice did you ever answer if you have any actual experience with ANY of these players Gunstarhero?? A lot of what you posted (Like where I got my info from) seems to be based on assumption. I already admited that I wasn't geeky when it came to picture quality, but I'm confused why you think folks should just ignore all this info and listen to you that there is no difference between HD-DVD players???

 

Ok, you didn't give any links at all in your previous posts, AFAIKnew you could have gotten them from anywhere, and I still stand behind my assertion that this:

"Additionally, movie studios can program discs to display at lower resolution when displayed via component-video outputs, which could render the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive almost useless for many consumers."

...is absurd, misleading and illinformed. It doesn't make any sense at all. To think that a movie publisher is going to 'program' an HD DVD disc to purposely run worse on a 360 drive is ludicrous. Anyway, getting away from that nonsense....

 

I really wish you'd quit stating that I'm somehow inexperienced with this. Unlike you I actually own the HD DVD drive in question and can atone for its quality personally and can certainly help the OP. The thread was a pretty simple question, and then the usual guys, you particularly show up with your "I have no interest in HD DVD but I'll join the conversation anyway" stuff. No, I have not witnessed an HDA1 in action but have read user reviews from people I trust that it's not so much better that you or I would see a difference in picture quality. TOSHIBA MADE BOTH MACHINES. From what I gather you haven't even seen any HD DVD movie in action?

 

The quotes you provided about the HDMI issue I can address. Of course HDMI looks better than component with HD DVD/BluRay. You know why? Because HDMI and VGA are the only way to get 1080p with these formats due to theAACS (Advanced Access Content System)

regulations. It is an agreed upon specification to not allow 1080p delivery without an HDMI cable (for HD DVD and Bluray). Therefore component is only good up to 1080i with these two formats. Can you tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p? I have seen both and I can't tell, but I've read repeatedly that to see obvious differences you need 50" and up screen sizes. Is that really so big a deal that it makes the bargain priced X360 add-on NOT worth $200? I don't think so, and from your posts I think you'd agree.

 

But...

Well like I said I don't know much about HD-DVD or care

...then why spend so much time in the HD threads?

 

I'm sorry you didn't find stuff about the 360 HD drive at highdefdigest.com. I only gave that link to read up on the formats, not specifically about the 360. That site is format nuetral with tons of fanboys for both sides, yes. Good site for info about both formats though, with reviews for just about everything HD.

[+Cobra Kai]

Thanks moycon for actually providing reviews. I visited the two forums that were listed earlier in this thread and found no actual comparisons at all. It did slip my mind that my X360 can upscale DVD's via VGA. So I'll check that out tonight. And right now I really don't need a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player. I'll probably get one for next Christmas when I upgrade to a 1080p HDTV. By then prices for both 1080p HDTV's and HD players will be more reasonable.

 

Gunstarhero, upscaling DVD's may be a "stopgap measure", but there is a reason for that. HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players are too expensive. And while the X360 may be able to output 1080p via VGA, how many HDTV's can handle 1080p via VGA? 1080p is a mute point if you can't find a TV/monitor that can handle it.

 

The fact that some people would have no use for the VGA cable doesn't negate in any way the fact that the X360 is capable of outputting 1080p.

 

At $400 for the Toshiba HDA2 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E1PTG...0918812-1528944

I think thats pretty reasonable. The first DVD player I bought was $300 in 1997. It's getting down to pretty good general consumer pricing. A little cheaper would always help of course.

 

Upscaling is overrated, it's only good enough until you've watched actual High Def movies for awhile, then even the upscaled stuff is obviously not comparable, no matter what some of you believe. Trust me I've been there, I was all about upscaling until I got into HD DVD. It's nice to have though, I mean I gladly use my upscale player for all my old DVD's that I still watch, I just think its overrated.

[Video]

I got a question about the HD for 360. The drive is just a USB drive, right? Can I buy one of these and hook it to my computer and use it? I was just wondering, cuase I wouldn't mind a HD drive, and this is cheap (if you exclude buying the 360 from the price, believe it or not, some of us don't have one) compared to most standalones. Plus, when I get a 360, I will already have it.

 

Also, yes, the 360 HD DVD can look like ass, if your 360 is still hooked up with typical AVS or Cable hookups (yeah, I know a few people around here that still have those, most in fact) You still have to pop for high res cables, and a high res tv to see the difference.

[+Cobra Kai]

I got a question about the HD for 360. The drive is just a USB drive, right? Can I buy one of these and hook it to my computer and use it? I was just wondering, cuase I wouldn't mind a HD drive, and this is cheap (if you exclude buying the 360 from the price, believe it or not, some of us don't have one) compared to most standalones. Plus, when I get a 360, I will already have it.

 

Also, yes, the 360 HD DVD can look like ass, if your 360 is still hooked up with typical AVS or Cable hookups (yeah, I know a few people around here that still have those, most in fact) You still have to pop for high res cables, and a high res tv to see the difference.

 

Yes it is possible to use the 360 add-on with your PC, no Xbox 360 required. It's not just plug n play, I think you have to install drivers and some WinDVD software to run it. There's alot of info in this thread:

 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread....age=1&pp=30

Edited January 30, 2007 by Gunstarhero

[moycon]

But...

Well like I said I don't know much about HD-DVD or care

...then why spend so much time in the HD threads?

 

It doesn't have anything to do with my love for HD-DVD, it has to do with your insistance that all HD-DVD player look the same. I'm just curious why I should disregard all the information about the 360 Player and listen to you.

 

I'm sorry you didn't find stuff about the 360 HD drive at highdefdigest.com. I only gave that link to read up on the formats, not specifically about the 360.

 

I don't care about HS-DVD players, take a quick look at the forum we're posting in. Microsoft Xbox 360 forum. The question was, is there a better HD-DVD Player you can get than the 360 HD-DVD. It was very simple question, and it's always had a very simple answer....yes.

[jsoper]

I'll just second that I love my HD-DVD add on. There may be players with slightly better quality, but it looks damn good to me. Most the time you're limited by the source material anyway, that is how good they do the transfer.

 

AVSforum got me fired up to buy one, especially that thread about printing out the $40 Circuit City coupon. The player, remote, and King Kong all for $160 was the bargain of the year IMHO.

 

Yes, component cables are kinda a drag, but now my empty HDMI jack is calling out for a PS3. Another adventure to get into next Xmas.

[moycon]

I'll just second that I love my HD-DVD add on. There may be players with slightly better quality, but it looks damn good to me.

 

That's my point, No one but a stickler is going to notice, or care about the differences.

 

This thread is actually getting me fired up about the 360 drive. I saw a web site comparing the 360 HD-DVD to a standard DVD player. Supposedly (based on the site), the picture is like 8x clearer. I may have double my efforts to find a bargin on one.

 

If I can snag a overstock.com 12% off coupon soon, I might have to pick one up. They already offer 1% off and no tax.