Topic: Microsoft using muscle to promote HD DVD (Read 175 times)

Xbox-Scene · « **on:** December 28, 2005, 07:29:00 PM »

Microsoft using muscle to promote HD DVD-- Posted by XanTium on December 28 21:22 EST
From arstechnica.com:

Quote

Microsoft broke stance and decided to formally back HD DVD in September of this year, citing a number of reasons. Now the EE Times is reporting that the company may attempt to leverage its OS dominance to push HD DVD penetration in the PC market.
Several industry sources last week told EE Times that Microsoft is muscling into the optical-disk fray by leveraging its operating-system clout to bundle HD-DVD within Vista, the company's next-generation OS. There is also talk that the software giant may be planning to offer cash incentives -- in the form "coupons" -- to system vendors or retailers if they agree to support HD-DVD. Such coupons would provide "credits" or "memos" for each PC that is sold with HD-DVD inside.

The question of motives is a never-ending one, and it has been rehashed more than once on Ars. The most common theory is that Microsoft is ultimately doing anything in its power to put the hurt on Sony's PlayStation 3, which will come equipped with a Blu-ray drive. The theory says that Microsoft is worried that the PS3 will dominate gaming once again, partially on account of the device's potential dual-role in the household: gaming console and Blu-ray player.

Microsoft's Media Center ambitions are huge, and in my opinion, they're bigger than those surrounding the Xbox 360. Make no mistake about it: the next version of Windows will be billed as an entertainment OS, and the Xbox 360 will be subjugated to that. Here's why.

Read More: arstechnica.com

jer_stud56 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2005, 07:43:00 PM »

Pushing it onto Vista will definatly give MS a little edge here...even if Blu-Ray may be in question of being on the PS3 for a player & gaming when shipped out.
Computers are far more in numbers, and far more people use XP, and soon going to Vista, non-scene people will see HD-DVD first and stick with that.

I definatly think HD-DVD has the upper hand here.

On the other hand, the first Blu-Ray burner ships out in Jan. Read it below.
http://www.techtree....0055&cat_id=581

I'm with HD-DVD because I like Xbox 360 over PS3 obviously for me being on these forums.

ibemonty2000 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 28, 2005, 07:48:00 PM »

Does this mean even more SKUs?

-Monty

Joergen · « **Reply #3 on:** December 28, 2005, 08:07:00 PM »

I dont think MS wants to hurt the PS3 as much as they want to avoid Blu-ray hurting THEM.

Bottom line is they DO NOT want to pay royalties to Sony for the next xbox that needs a high-density optical drive. They want to establish a solid userbase for the HD-DVD standard so that production of drives and discs will be inexpensive so they can use a high-density media that does not play into sony's moneybag in any way.

If HD-DVD fails MS will be Blu-ray slaves when the next xbox needs to upgrade its media. That will happen only 4 or 5 years down the road and there is no time for any other standard to emerge (HD-DVD and Blu-ray are older than that already).

zX_Storm · « **Reply #4 on:** December 28, 2005, 08:46:00 PM »

<sarcasim>Yay for the monopoly!</sarcasim>

explosive2 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 28, 2005, 09:19:00 PM »

Doing this would definitely screw up Blu-Ray since the Windows OS is the mostly used system IN THE WORLD.
Therefore, HD-DVD could really have awesome chances of beating Blu-Ray to hell with this going into use.
Nice Idea since it can only be done by someone with lots of extra money which is MS.

Virtucon · « **Reply #6 on:** December 29, 2005, 12:08:00 AM »

MS's stance can boost HD-dvd as a software medium and as a Hardware device

Sony's stance only boosts the software side of BR.

think about it, why the hell would company X build a BR player if "every home in america" owns a PS3.

oh and don't say well that didn't happen with DVD players and the PS2 and xbox, because by the time they came out, DVD players were not in there introduction stages. but i would bet that many people didn't buy a DVD player because they had a console that would do it

Edit: just a side note: thing that sony gave us that really didn't fly; beta-max, mini-disc, ATRAC, BMG rootkit, UMD (I add this because there should be no U in it), and I think they were behind the DVD+R format. if anyone knows anymore please list them. but this is why I have little faith in BlueRay. not to mention with new codecs, storage space is not really an issue.

This post has been edited by Virtucon: Dec 29 2005, 08:18 AM

jizmo · « **Reply #7 on:** December 29, 2005, 12:37:00 AM »

So many people are concerned about the two formats and already taking sides in the battle. I personally think that x360 doesn't need one, I'll rather have an external player anyway that I can match to my hifi set.

I'll buy the one from the camp that manages to bring more great titles to the market with the best quality. I will not settle for inferior product just because I've initially decided to support x instead of y and can't change my view because of that. I'm always happy to be proven wrong by a product that happens to be better than I've expected in the first place. Pretty much something that happened to me with the first Xbox

ATM my money is on Blu-Ray to win the battle, mainly because of its movie studio backup and greater recording capacity. Blockbuster and the likes of it will surely play a big role in this battle, if x has more titles available for rental than y, Joe Average will go for the x just for that reason. But it's all guessing now - only the next year will tell.

bucko · « **Reply #8 on:** December 29, 2005, 07:07:00 AM »

I can see USB 2.0 HD-DVD drives coming out, and I bet m$ will make them compatible with the X360. It's a shame they will just be playing movies, it has so much more potential. They should not release an X360 with a built in HD-DVD drive, otherwise the original owners will just moan even if they can get an external HD-DVD drive.

I think that's another reason why I'm gonna wait on the X360, it's all well and good having this "hi-def" experience, but most movies you buy will either be coming out on Blue-Ray or HD-DVD. I would sure like to make the X360 my only HD-DVD player

.

whoadae · « **Reply #9 on:** December 29, 2005, 02:26:00 PM »

the porn industry will be the ones that decide. And with HD DVD being cheaper, its looking good for HD DVD.

feflicker · « **Reply #10 on:** December 29, 2005, 03:44:00 PM »

I personally can't believe that Blue-Ray has made it this far. Every whitepaper I have read I end up believing HD-DVD is the better format. Blue-Ray boasts a few extra gigs (which will not last for long anyway). Woo-Hoo. But when you get down to production costs, performance, etc HD-DVD is by far the better of the two. Now I am not saying Blue-Ray is crap, it is innovative...

Here is a decent article if you haven't seen it yet:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/186

jimk72 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 29, 2005, 04:17:00 PM »

The coolest thing to remember is that the software on the x360 is upgradable! When vista comes out and you put a HD dvd in your pc i bet it will stream the HD content to the x360! The possibility of the x360 is only held back by MS! Just look what XBMC does for the old xbox!

UrbanRiot · « **Reply #12 on:** December 29, 2005, 04:57:00 PM »

I see this as a good thing, from my point of view. Blu-Ray DRM is scary.

Author Topic: Microsoft using muscle to promote HD DVD (Read 175 times)