Microsoft Could Consider Blu-ray Support For Xbox

Warner Bros defection a "bummer"

Posted by Staff
Microsoft Could Consider Blu-ray Support For Xbox
In a shockingly frank admission, Microsoft's senior group marketing manager, Albert Penello, has said that the company could consider Blu-ray support for Xbox hardware.

Asked whether Microsoft would consider Blu-ray support in Xboxes if the HD-DVD format failed, Penello said, "It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's something we'll have to consider."

Penello doesn't believe, however, that Warner Bros' defection to the Blu-ray camp will affect 360 sales. "I fundamentally don't think ... this has a significant impact on Xbox 360 versus PlayStation 3", he said. He doesn't feel that movie format is as important to the console wars as is sometimes indicated. "With the PlayStation 2, DVD was a big part in the beginning, but over time, people were not buying it as a DVD player after first year or two" he opined.

"You can't say it's not a bummer, not a setback, but I've seen this battle declared over so many times", he said of Warner's decision. "I want consumers to have a voice in this and I think there are a lot of consumers who bought HD-DVD who are going to have a say in how this shakes out."

Microsoft could, of course, release a Blu-ray peripheral tomorrow if it so chose. All it would have to do is re-tool its HD-DVD peripheral, release a firmware update and... license the technology from the Blu-ray camp. That shouldn't be a problem, however. Sony's executive vice president of advanced technologies, Don Eklund, has already said that Sony "would love to have Toshiba and Microsoft on board" with Blu-ray.

This isn't the first time that Microsoft has hinted that it could support Blu-ray. Back in March, Neil Thompson, head of Xbox in the UK, said of the HD war, “Whatever format wins it is highly likely we will offer a solution.” Of course, that was promptly followed by an e-mailed statement to SPOnG backtracking on Thompson's comments. Perhaps someone should have told Penello...

In addition to Warner Bros' defection to the Blu-ray camp, it has also been suggested that Paramount has a get-out clause that would allow the company to jump from the HD-DVD bandwagon.

Whatever the final outcome of the Hi-Def DVD war may be, Microsoft publicly admitting that it could support Blu-ray certainly doesn't bode well for HD-DVD.

Source: Reuters
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Comments

SuperSaiyan4 9 Jan 2008 10:47
1/12
Well we all know that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use the same laser but different codecs, IF Microsoft can release an update IF they decide to back Blu-Ray then we will see, but my add-on will always say HD-DVD lol.

Perhaps a multi drive is best suited?

I like being logged into Xbox Live whilst watching my movies I just love being online and on Live another reason for me to favour my HD-DVD add-on oh and its faster loading a movie and skipping parts etc than a stand alone.

Its not over yet so lets see what happens, hell even Samsung said HD-DVD still has a chance, shame Samsung dont want to make a HD-DVD player.
Rutabaga 9 Jan 2008 11:26
2/12
You are the Comical Ali of HD-DVD (& 360)

"They're not even within 100 miles of Baghdad. They are not in any place. They hold no place in Iraq. This is an illusion... they are trying to sell to the others an illusion."

[Slight murmer of Blu-Ray gunfire in the background]
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SuperSaiyan4 9 Jan 2008 11:59
3/12
WTF? Lay off the crack dude.
deleted 9 Jan 2008 12:10
4/12
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
Well we all know that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use the same laser but different codecs, IF Microsoft can release an update IF they decide to back Blu-Ray then we will see, but my add-on will always say HD-DVD lol.

Perhaps a multi drive is best suited?

I like being logged into Xbox Live whilst watching my movies I just love being online and on Live another reason for me to favour my HD-DVD add-on oh and its faster loading a movie and skipping parts etc than a stand alone.

Its not over yet so lets see what happens, hell even Samsung said HD-DVD still has a chance, shame Samsung dont want to make a HD-DVD player.


Once again Saiyan showing complete ignorance for what you are talking about, Blue ray is called so becuase it uses a Blue laser, HD DVD uses a Red laser still, over the last 3 days you have made at least 5 stupid comments about stuff you reckon you know about but dont, we all get it `you love HD DVD` and are pissed at the decision that its losing support fast, in the end who ever wins its better now that someone does than 2 years later when we all have collections on one format or another, but check your facts before you comment, like these great ones

1. HD DVD & Blu-Ray Use same laser
2. HD DVD will have a double sided triple layer discs holding 102GB!
3. Toshiba has confirmed to you (but no one else in the world) that a firmware will enable triple layer discs to work on exsiting models.

and so on.....
SuperSaiyan4 9 Jan 2008 12:18
5/12
Nope HD-DVD uses a blue laser

http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.5846&changeNav=9362

www.dvdexploder.com/BlurayvsHDDVD.htm

Plenty more sites.

HD-DVD 'COULD' have a double sided tripler layer who knows.

Yep Toshiba technical support did confirm to me it will be via firmware update, dont believe me? Ring them yourselves.

Oh and stop being a c**t.
Coxy 9 Jan 2008 13:37
6/12
"Microsoft could, of course, release a Blu-ray peripheral tomorrow if it so chose. All it would have to do is re-tool its HD-DVD peripheral, release a firmware update and... license the technology from the Blu-ray camp."

That would be great, but will it actually happen? and will it still allow the drive to play HD-DVDs?

If it does happen then it would certainly soften the blow for those who bought into HD-DVD should it fail.

Great idea SPOnG!
deleted 9 Jan 2008 14:06
7/12
haritori wrote:
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
Well we all know that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use the same laser but different codecs, IF Microsoft can release an update IF they decide to back Blu-Ray then we will see, but my add-on will always say HD-DVD lol.

Perhaps a multi drive is best suited?

I like being logged into Xbox Live whilst watching my movies I just love being online and on Live another reason for me to favour my HD-DVD add-on oh and its faster loading a movie and skipping parts etc than a stand alone.

Its not over yet so lets see what happens, hell even Samsung said HD-DVD still has a chance, shame Samsung dont want to make a HD-DVD player.


Once again Saiyan showing complete ignorance for what you are talking about, Blue ray is called so becuase it uses a Blue laser, HD DVD uses a Red laser still, over the last 3 days you have made at least 5 stupid comments about stuff you reckon you know about but dont, we all get it `you love HD DVD` and are pissed at the decision that its losing support fast, in the end who ever wins its better now that someone does than 2 years later when we all have collections on one format or another, but check your facts before you comment, like these great ones

1. HD DVD & Blu-Ray Use same laser
2. HD DVD will have a double sided triple layer discs holding 102GB!
3. Toshiba has confirmed to you (but no one else in the world) that a firmware will enable triple layer discs to work on exsiting models.

and so on.....


sorry both do use a blue laser (undermined myself there :(, ) but its the technical diffrences that cant allow a firmware to support both bluray and HD-DVD
tyrion 9 Jan 2008 14:20
8/12
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
Well we all know that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use the same laser but different codecs,

As far as I understand it, both systems use the same frequency laser, but have different optics to focus the laser on different depths below the surface of the disc.

Also, they both use the same codecs as far as video and audio compression go, but they do have different file system structures on the discs. That's what would require the firmware update on the 360 since the file system drivers are not on the HD-DVD drive, otherwise it would read HD-DVD discs when plugged into a PS3. It doesn't, I've tried it, it won't even read DVDs when plugged into a PS3.
alexh2o 9 Jan 2008 15:36
9/12
Its impossible to just get an HD DVD drive to read a Blu-ray disc. Yes they use the same 405nm wavelength blue optical laser, but as already stated, focus differently to read the disc. That requires some major changes to the optics. That ignores that HD DVD, like DVD, relies on a constant angular velocity, as opposed to Blu-ray which relies on a constant linear velocity. In other words, HD DVD always spins the same speed, meaning data can be read faster from the outside than the inside of the disc, where as Blu-ray's speed up or slow down to compensate and maintain a constant read speed. (There are advantages to both systems and neither is better than the other... in before this starts a new 'flame on') So that means possible changes to the drive mechanism. Then finally there is the whole licensing issue which requires a Blu-ray logo or else its not allowed. All in all thats some costly modifications needed... buying a whole new drive would be more viable.

As for 360 Blu-ray support... why not? Blu-ray can use Microsoft's VC1 encoding. So the only real investment they have in HD DVD is their HDi interactive layer. Not a huge loss to Microsoft if they wasted their time on it. (Thats excluding the obvious bonuses HD DVD winning would have had re the PS3 etc.)
SuperSaiyan4 10 Jan 2008 12:34
10/12
Who knows what will happen, I guess if Blu-Ray wins then Microsoft will have to include an option to buy the player seperatly.

But like Microsoft said its all about the games, whereas Sony's Kaz was quoted saying something along the lines of 'this year its about the games'.
iBall 10 Jan 2008 13:21
11/12
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
Well we all know that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use the same laser


Do they really?

Why the big shortage of Blu-ray laser diodes at PS3 launch, then?
deleted 10 Jan 2008 14:06
12/12
iBall wrote:
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
Well we all know that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use the same laser


Do they really?

Why the big shortage of Blu-ray laser diodes at PS3 launch, then?


the use the same blue laser technology,but not the same laser, or lens. so the delays were prob down to the BluRay specifics on the diodes somethign to do with the BluRay version using a hard coat as well which softens the intensity of the laser.
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