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Microsoft nixes HD DVD drive for Xbox 360

Posted by Erica Ogg
February 24, 2008 - 12:25 PM PST

Microsoft will end production of the external HD DVD drive for its Xbox 360 video game console, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The company said it would, however, continue to offer warranty support for the peripheral.

"HD DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers and we will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room, along with playback of the DVD movies they already own," Blair Westlake, a corporate vice president of Microsoft's media and entertainment group, said in a statement.

The drive, which currently costs about $130, was intended as Microsoft's answer to Sony's PlayStation 3 console, which contained an integrated Blu-ray Disc drive.

Microsoft is just the latest top-tier tech company to abandon the failed high-definition disc format. Along with Toshiba, Intel, and NEC, Microsoft was one of the most prominent supporters of the standard. Toshiba said last week it would no longer make HD DVD players. Wal-Mart Stores, Best Buy, and all the major movie studios have all now said they will exclusively support Blu-ray.

The biggest proponent of Blu-ray, Sony, now stands poised to become the standard bearer of HD video mostly because of its strategy in including Blu-ray playback capability into the PS3. It's unclear if Microsoft now plans to make an attachable Blu-ray player for the Xbox 360.

On one hand I feel sorry for everyone who invested in HD DVD, especially those who purchased only HD DVD items and ignored Blu-ray, but on the other hand how stupid to start buying anything in either format when only one was going to make it.

I wish henz would've thought of that :clap:

He bought one and several HD DVD movies - which is all rather pointless now - and has finally settled for a PS3. No wonder we can't afford our electricity bill :lol2:

But good riddance, Microsoft. I always thought that NOT integrating the HD DVD drive in the original machine was really bad customer service. I never doubted that Blu-ray was going to win, partly because Sony put a drive in their console.

EXCUSE ME.

There is a REASON I supported HD DVD. I did it because they're region free, something I think EVERYTHING should be. This meant that I could buy them cheap off eBay and stuff like that. Blu Ray discs are so fucking expensive here in Denmark, they're £30 EACH. Fucking hell. And the fact that they're not region free means I HAVE to buy them here.

I am a little gutted about HD not wining as I got the xbox for christmas with the external HD player and its pretty pointless now seeing as they have stopped making them. O well fingers crossed the DVD's will be cheap.

I do agree though O think that not having the player intergrated into the xbox is such a shit idea.....

i too am gutted. its the mini disc all over again.

Well maybe Microsoft did it on purpose. Everyone knows that Microsoft's vision is that everything in the future will be online, not physical. Which is also why many people claim that Blu-ray is a stillborn concept since people some years from now wanna download movies, games etc rather than getting physical copies. At least it wont reach the heights of popularity and sales which DVD did back in the days.

Blu-ray will replace DVD the same way DVD replaced VHS.

People don't want to download visual media. Even with TV episodes, paid downloads of them have already peaked and are on the decline. It didn't catch on.

Besides, you're never going to get even DVD quality film on a digital download file, let alone Blu-ray quality.

I've downloaded HD quality files several times.

But what about for mass download?

What do you mean about mass download? If 500,000 people download a specific file before I do, it will still have the same quality when I download it.

I hate the idea of downloading everything. It's just not the same as having a physical copy of the movie or album.

There is NO WAY people are going to be downloading Blu Ray quality movies in the near future, though. They're like 20-40 GB each. For the normal consumer, that's going to take DAYS to download.

As always technology progresses faster than we can imagine.

As always you're pulling shit out of your ass :)

As always you're the one eating it.

This is what I meant by mass downloading.

The files would just be too big.

There is no market for downloading visual media and there never will be.

People forget that to experience music you just buy the record and then take it home with you to begin with.

With TV you WATCH it first and then buy it if you get that in to the show and with film, going to the theater is a pass time and will never dissapear.

Buying visual media for your own repeated use comes afterwards. It doesn't compare to music, thus downloads are not going to affect home video.