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[joeyddr]

I stream wmv-hd content to it all the time and i find it to be superb in quality when watching it, from my elite to my bravia over hdmi looks awesome.

[Elemino]

QUOTE(HotKnife420 @ Dec 5 2007, 08:25 PM)

 WE weren't rating anything. This review was posted on a completely different website, and posted here because it's xbox-related (duh). To expand, do you honestly think they don't have websites that rate care DVD players (not to mention countless other products). Am I to understand you have a problem with the consumer being fully informed?

No, you are to understand that having the DVD player is just an extra feature. I never thought one about DVD capabilities when I bought my 360, it was all about gaming. It's like going out and spending a few hundred thousand dollars on a brand new Lamborghini with a DVD player in the dash and getting upset because it skips evertime you make a sudden turn at 90MPH. Who cares? It's about the car not the DVD player. Same deal here. DVD players start out at $40 and about $70 if you want one that upconverts. We have 1080p HD DVD players on sale at my store right now for $250 new. If I cared that much about movies, I wouldn't have spent $450 on an xbox just to turn around and spend another $180 on an attatchment. I would have just bought an HD DVD player. (and btw... I still dont have the attatchment... that's not why I have my 360).

[Mozbius]

QUOTE(Devedander @ Dec 6 2007, 02:18 AM)

While I agree that the 360 is a game system first and DVD player second, the value it has to any particular person is going to be a perosnal decision and so isn't really the point.  Just becuase you don't care about the DVD playback quality doesn't disqualify someone elses desire to have good quality DVD playback.

The real comparison here isn't to what you personally care about (again, you can't quantify that kind of thing as it's always perosnal) but rather as to what's obviously possible out there.

The main comparison (and it was listed) is the PS3... which does an excellent job playing DVDs.  Sure they are completely different animals when you get down to it, but it all comes down to how well the 360 does compared to how well it could (easily/reasonably) do especially compared to the rest of the market.

If I buy a Honda Civic becuase it gets good gas mileage and I only want to ride the freeway to and from work, then I could care less that it can't handle off roading worth a darn.

But if every other econo box out there got great mileage and had similar features, but could off road like crazy... the fact that I don't care about the missing ability wouldn't weigh nearly as much as the fact that everyone else can, so there is obviously something wrong if yours can't.

The argument here isn't that anyone is crying they got ripped off on the DVD playback portion of their 360 (although many could say they did and I personally can easily understand - looking at my stack of devices, each of which does multiple things but only one thing well requiring me to take up a whole shelf to accomplish what really 2 or 3 of those thing should be able to cover - why some people would legitimately complain that the 360 has poor DVD playback) but that this is not an area where there is any legit excuse to not perform well.  

The fact that you can buy a $10 DVD player that outperforms the 360 is no excuse for poor 360 performance... in fact it is even MORE a reason that there is NO excuse for poor 360 DVD performance.

I couldn't say it better. I think that you've nailed it! It's definitely not a fanboy talking here.

[HotKnife420]

QUOTE(Elemino @ Dec 6 2007, 05:12 PM)

No, you are to understand that having the DVD player is just an extra feature. I never thought one about DVD capabilities when I bought my 360, it was all about gaming. It's like going out and spending a few hundred thousand dollars on a brand new Lamborghini with a DVD player in the dash and getting upset because it skips evertime you make a sudden turn at 90MPH. Who cares? It's about the car not the DVD player. Same deal here. DVD players start out at $40 and about $70 if you want one that upconverts. We have 1080p HD DVD players on sale at my store right now for $250 new. If I cared that much about movies, I wouldn't have spent $450 on an xbox just to turn around and spend another $180 on an attatchment. I would have just bought an HD DVD player. (and btw... I still dont have the attatchment... that's not why I have my 360).

 First of all, it's *not* like buying a Lambo and complaining about the DVD player. You can easily buy another DVD player for it and replace the one you don't like (although as expensive as a Labo is, it should come with a nice one; talk to the dealer about that tho), wheras with the Xbox 360, you're stuck with that one because it's coded into the kernel. There is NO WAY to use an alternate viewer, other than possibly some software based one running through ubanto or something.

 Secondly, I agree that many people buy a device to "specialize" in a task, rather than rely on one to fufill all their needs. This is NOT the approach MS has been taking, however. To advertise the 360 should be the "hub for your media center experience", is to imply superb DVD/HD-DVD playback, not just a machine that will play them, but not as well as a standalone device and you should just buy our HD-WMV's or whatever. I've noticed a couple things with the HD-DVD addon at my friend's house, and seemed kinda weird. Watching HD Transformers had some red "noise" on the screen, but only in a part at the beginning. I didn't watch the whole thing, but that seemed to be the only problem, however there are many titiles that have had playback problems with the 360 addon (remember Children of Men, among others). Personally, I'd probably buy the $99 HD-DVD player before I buy the HD-addon for the 360, but it's not an issue at the moment.

[Obveron]

QUOTE(BasicAir @ Dec 6 2007, 05:53 AM)

Hahaha. This guy is an idiot.

My Elite 360 running HDMI to a 1080p tv with a 1080p HD-DVD provides the same superb picture that any other HD-DVD player with HDMI and the same 1080p HD-DVD will.

I'd love him to come over and watch my 56" 1080p with any of my 50+ HD-DVD titles and try to find *anything* I am missing in terms of quality. Because I'm not missing anything: HD-DVD's still look absolutely phenomenal, and loads better than any HDTV signal I receive via antenna or through satellite.

Maybe the 360's DVD player is lacking, but for him to say the HD-DVD player provides sub-par playback quality is completely false. He didn't outright say this but in saying that the 360's HD-DVD player scored a "0 out of 100" in his 'test' insinuates that the 360's HD-DVD playback is pitiful. When, in fact, it's no different than any other HD-DVD (or even Blu-ray for that matter) players' quality.

And I *am* one of those A/V nerds/geeks and enthusiasts.

Clearly your as big an A/V enthusuiast as you think.
Not all HD-DVD players are created equal, there are high end players with devoted chips to clearing up the picure.  Some of these chips are vastly better than others. The HQV test he used isn't "his test", its a widely accepted test that is able to evaluate differences in picture quality that perhaps YOUR eyes can't pick up.
I gotta say, when I output a HD-DVD from my PC to the my 1080p TV, it DOES look better than the 360's HD-DVD playback.
The fact that you even talk about antenna or Sattelite broadcast, proves you aren't fully aware.  It's commonly known that HD broadcasters use horrible compression techniques that result in a terrible picture compared to a HD-DVD player, including the 360.  Why compare the two?
And the fact that you mention HDMI like its a big factor, shows you aren't fully aware.  HDMI isnt a big deal, my PC outputting HD-DVD via VGA looks better than my 360(hd-dvd) via hdmi.  Its becuase my PC video card uses great techniques to clean up the jaggies etc. the VGA connector is not a issue.

I understand why alot a people are harping, "its a gaming console, who cares about DVD!".  Thats all well and good for you, but its a feature none the less and it deserves to be evaluated.  Don't blame this guy for evaluating a feature you don't care about it.  Just ignore it and move on.

[mercury187]

It was best said in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, "if anything is worth doing, its worth doing right". I think they should quit spending time on releasing this useless social junk updates (parental timers, friends of friends, personal profiles... come on your kidding right? its a game console) and fix the issues with their console. MS is terrible at releasing products, their game console is just like its operating systems: full of problems and containing useless updates. I got the console because its a high definition machine, if they are going to put video playback in it they should make it right.

[DjRicochet1]

The guy who wrote that report wants shooting.

[Chancer]

QUOTE

i agree and i think the guy that made this review is biased; hd-dvd playback on the x30 has been tested by many video enthousiasts and many websites, he is the only one to claim such a stupid thing. i guess he probably never actually test video gear b4.

 No he is not the only one. a quick google or checking round would tell you that.
here is one and just one picture to show you. This shows DVD playback is sup par.
HD-DVD will not be on a par with expensive stand alone players.

http://gizmodo.com/g...-bad-233490.php


HD-DVD will not be on a par with expensive stand alone players.  

QUOTE

 The Xbox 360 HD DVD player is an inexpensive way for 360 owners to get high-def movies, but nonowners and audiophiles should stick with standalone HD players.

Source http://reviews.cnet....7-32138037.html

 It seems too many people are unable to accept any sort of criticism aimed at the 360 even when it is valid.

QUOTE

The guy who wrote that report wants shooting.

 Well obviously your balanced view and backup reasoning is bettter

[imagenius]

QUOTE(Akrat @ Dec 6 2007, 12:26 AM)

Forget HD DVD and DVD's... Have you tried playing CD's in it?  Simply AMAZING!!!!

I haven't checked in a while but is it still impossible to fast forward/rewind music?

[elitegamer360]

QUOTE(Chancer @ Dec 6 2007, 07:49 PM)

No he is not the only one. a quick google or checking round would tell you that.
here is one and just one picture to show you. This shows DVD playback is sup par.
HD-DVD will not be on a par with expensive stand alone players.

http://gizmodo.com/g...-bad-233490.php


HD-DVD will not be on a par with expensive stand alone players.  
 
Source http://reviews.cnet....7-32138037.html

 It seems too many people are unable to accept any sort of criticism aimed at the 360 even when it is valid.

 Well obviously your balanced view and backup reasoning is bettter

My GOD why are you bringing that picture on again and what!!! comparing Denon with the 360!! you got to be Kidding me right?. lol

[Chancer]

QUOTE(elitegamer360 @ Dec 6 2007, 07:25 PM)

My GOD why are you bringing that picture on again and what!!! comparing Denon with the 360!! you got to be Kidding me right?. lol

  Because too many people refuse to see any flaws in anything MS. Too many people believing no difference in a high end player vs a 360.
Personally I never would use my 360 for DVd playback. I already have better equipment, but if someone wants a one machine solution, I can see why they would be disappointed.

[the_nerdy]

ok, dumb people...

DVD has been around how long now?
and a DVD player with no upconversion beats the xbox360.

the Xbox (not 360) has better dvd playback, and that could of been put into the X360.

You got to remember, it is another thing Microsoft didn't care about.  A DVD player is a game machine if you think about it.
you just got a controller instead of a remote.  And a way better graphics card, so a gaming system should be an all in one wonder.  That is why I buy them.  To watch DVD's. and play my games.

You got to look at it, this isn't about me, it is about the average user in general.
And upconverting DVD's has been out for years now as well.

This isn't new technology people.  Marketing Scam.

[antiflag1980]

I don't get the people that are like "If you want a dvd player buy a stand alone player", it's an advertised feauture and you paid for it, even more so if you buy the hd-dvd addon.  It's not a "bonus feature" or "free dvd player", any feature that you payed for should work correctly.  M$ is a multi billion dollar corporation, they can afford to have some people fix the issue, they don't need their consumers to stick up for them, even against their own interests. Why would you want to be forced to buy a separate stand alone player for quality video, when you have already paid for a machine that's supposed to be capable of doing so?

[21cwSpanky]

QUOTE(Chancer @ Dec 6 2007, 09:04 PM)

Because too many people refuse to see any flaws in anything MS. Too many people believing no difference in a high end player vs a 360.
Personally I never would use my 360 for DVd playback. I already have better equipment, but if someone wants a one machine solution, I can see why they would be disappointed.

This is where the problem is though, microsoft initially was marketing the xbox 360 as a "home entertainment device" and boasted about it's "do everything" capability and it failed terribly at doing such.

[Chancer]

QUOTE(21cwSpanky @ Dec 6 2007, 09:11 PM)

This is where the problem is though, microsoft initially was marketing the xbox 360 as a "home entertainment device" and boasted about it's "do everything" capability and it failed terribly at doing such.

I completely agree. I too was under the impression that we were moving towards complete multimedia solutions with the newer consoles and Ms did use this as  marketing strategy. If I had purchased the 360 to do the lot  I would not be happy at the quality.
It seems anyone who dares to say this about the DVD side of the 360 gets shot to pieces for telling the truth