Reuters: Microsoft's Xbox could consider Blu-ray support

[hc666]

http://www.reuters.com/article/techn...51332620080108

this is where we should all embrace everyone on all sides of the war and celebrate high def in general.

[BluFox]

It would take them ages to sort this out, both on the hardware and software.

[hc666]

maybe not... i think it's all thru usb

[BluFox]

Yeah but they have to manufacture the drive and then write software for it?

Probably will happen though. But most people will prefer the internal PS3, of course.

[Paden]

Originally Posted by hc666

http://www.reuters.com/article/techn...51332620080108

this is where we should all embrace everyone on all sides of the war and celebrate high def in general.

LOL! So M$ loses the friggen war and they'll probably charge $400 for an add-on. 360 just gets to be a better damn bargain all the time.

[hc666]

Hey thats many potential BD ppl to get... it's a good thing

[statikcat]

Why buy an add on to the 360 for Blu-ray when you can just but a whole PS3 for a bit more?

[hc666]

Originally Posted by statikcat

Why buy an add on to the 360 for Blu-ray when you can just but a whole PS3 for a bit more?

would reel in the Halo crowd I guess.

[BluFox]

It's a good idea for hardcore Xbox 360 fans, i guess.
Even though I think it would be a crap and possible expensive add on.

[Paden]

Question: Would M$ be required to join the BDA for this to happen? If they were to fill out an application, how would the rest of the BDA feel about that?

[john_nemesh]

Originally Posted by BluFox

Yeah but they have to manufacture the drive and then write software for it?

Probably will happen though. But most people will prefer the internal PS3, of course.

Manufacture?? M$ simply has to call in the chinese slave labor to make the drive, then its only a software update...shouldnt be too hard being as Blu-Ray and HD-DVD use the same codecs for audio and video.

Seriously, the HD-DVD add on drive is simply a repackaged HD-DVD ROM computer drive. It would take next to no effort to shove a BD-Drive in the same chassis.

If they wanted to, they could have a product on store shelves next month. Realistically, if they are gonna make this, you will probably see it in time for next X-mas.

[john_nemesh]

Originally Posted by BluFox

It's a good idea for hardcore Xbox 360 fans, i guess.
Even though I think it would be a crap and possible expensive add on.

Why would it be expensive? Stand alone drives for PCs run $200-250 right now at retail. The real expense of both formats is in the computer horsepower needed to decode the discs, and the XBOX has plenty of power for that, all thats needed is the drive itself and software!

[hc666]

Originally Posted by BluFox

It's a good idea for hardcore Xbox 360 fans, i guess.
Even though I think it would be a crap and possible expensive add on.

Yes, they would be the only ones interested in it of course... or ppl who already have the Xbox and can't afford another system/or only want one... assuming the add-on was 200 or less, would be a good deal.

[hc666]

Originally Posted by john_nemesh

Why would it be expensive? Stand alone drives for PCs run $200-250 right now at retail. The real expense of both formats is in the computer horsepower needed to decode the discs, and the XBOX has plenty of power for that, all thats needed is the drive itself and software!

agreed

[lilboostedscooby]

i think is bad idea .unless microsoft decide to license some of its games to be ported to the ps3 .then.i think sony can share its blu ray technology .if not greedy microsoft can shove it where the sun......

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by john_nemesh

The real expense of both formats is in the computer horsepower needed to decode the discs, and the XBOX has plenty of power for that, all thats needed is the drive itself and software!

The Microsoft insiders on AVS don't seem willing to answer whether the XBOX360 has enough horsepower to decode the higher bitrate requirements of Blu-ray over HD DVD (Rob Tomlin asked on the insiders thread yesterday and I looked to see if they answered, which they hadn't last time I looked, even though they answered other questions). Being able to do HD DVD doesn't mean they can do Blu-ray. I'm not sure what kind of processor it takes to decode a 40Mbps AVC encode reliably with a PC, but I think it takes quite an advanced one. Probably one of the reasons hackers are reencoding some of these (so they don't have to spend the money for new processors).

Why are you assuming the XBOX360 has plenty of power to decode to Blu-ray's higher specs?

--Darin

[BluFox]

Originally Posted by john_nemesh

Why would it be expensive? Stand alone drives for PCs run $200-250 right now at retail. The real expense of both formats is in the computer horsepower needed to decode the discs, and the XBOX has plenty of power for that, all thats needed is the drive itself and software!

I don't know! I just thought that it would take time and money to sort this out. I definitely think, that if they start work now on it, it would take them at least 9 months, to get the software right if anything!

[CouchPotato]

Wouldn't they still need to write the BD-J layer for the 360?

I would LOVE to see a BD-ROM add-on with the "Powered by Java" logo on it from Microsoft.

[Sylin]

I thought there were rumors about MS making the X360 an open architecture device, allowing users to upgrade vid, memory, etc.? If that happens, building your own custom Xbox with a Blu-ray drive would probably be easier than slapping together a PC.

Where I think they're going with this is that MS wants to sell the Xbox OS as another operating system in addition to Windoze.

In all honesty, having an open arch console would be pretty badass.

[koreyman]

NO WAY letting Microshit Near Blu is like Letting Ford work with Corvettes they choose HD DVD let them lie in the bed they made