Intersting Price on Xbox360 Japan debut

[Pupton]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/microso...-22-201696.php

Price is in the 2nd paragraph ($168.00 US dollars)

[Tommy]

wow

[Pupton]

It will supposedly have 1080p output, but there is no mention of HDMI output... if studios are using copy protection via HDMI they'll be forced add HDMI if it's not planned already....

[bobgpsr]

More info about the XBOX360 HD DVD addon from a MS VP:

11:40 PDT 20 Sept 2006

amirm wrote:

1080p is supported over VGA for DVD, HD DVD and gaming output. And yes, AACS does allow 1080p over VGA (classified under authorized "computer monitor outputs").

For component, you get gaming up to 1080p, and 1080i for HD DVD. DVD only works at 480p over this connection. The latter two are due to restrictions in DVD CCA and AACS rules for DVD and HD DVD playback respectively.

On gaming, the machine supports both scaling of 720p games to 1080p, and native games running at 1080p resolution. It is up to game developers to decide which way to go.

__________________
Amir
Microsoft
HD DVD insider
VC-1 insider in BD/HD DVD

[Tommy]

I guess its not upconverting regular dvd's then... Guess we cant have everything for around $200...

[bobgpsr]

Tommy wrote:

I guess its not upconverting regular dvd's then... Guess we cant have everything for around $200...

I will bet that "backups" upconvert (at least on VGA).

Bob

[Steve Williamson]

According to Ars Technica, they stated the following:

1080p coming to the 360
Oh, the magic of software updates! It turns out that the Xbox 360 can do 1080p, and it will do 1080p after a software update to be released later this year. This update will enable full 1080p output, but few televisions even support true 1080p. Many so-called 1080p displays actually take the 1080i signal and "upconvert."

However, the Xbox 360 does not have an HDMI output, meaning that it will not be possible to view HD DVDs in 1080p. The highest resolution of both Blu-ray and HD DVD requires HDMI by design.

In terms of games, we do not expect to see any games produced explicitly for 1080p resolution. The Xbox 360 will be able to upscale 720p content to 1080p, however, so users with fully loaded TVs can take advantage. As such, 1080p on the Xbox 360 isn't exactly earth shattering, but it is a nice bonus for a system that was never sold with the promise of a resolution upgrade.

Looks like they need a major hardware upgrade to display movies at 1080P

[bobgpsr]

Ars Technica wrote:

However, the Xbox 360 does not have an HDMI output, meaning that it will not be possible to view HD DVDs in 1080p. The highest resolution of both Blu-ray and HD DVD requires HDMI by design.

I this that this statement is flat out wrong. I watch DVDs on my PC upscaled to 1080p on VGA. Like Amir has said VGA will display 1080p from HD DVDs with the XBOX360 addon. Ars Technica is wrong.

Bob

[Steve Williamson]

Bob, do you have a blu-ray or HD-DVD drive in your PC? I know you can upscale certain formats over VGA, but I don't know how the protection works direct from the HD Drives.

[bobgpsr]

Steve Williamson wrote:

Bob, do you have a blu-ray or HD-DVD drive in your PC? I know you can upscale certain formats over VGA, but I don't know how the protection works direct from the HD Drives.

I don't yet but a few others do. Besides the notebooks (there are now 3 different brands available) with HD DVD built-in have shown that they can output HD DVD content at 1080p/72 using VGA to an external display. A Vice President of Microsoft, Amir Majidimehr, has gone on record that the XBOX360 HD DVD add on will be able to use VGA to output 1080p. I am sure that the author of the Ars Technica had not read Amir's clarifying statement when he/she wrote the incorrect article. The Discuss forum on Ars Technica has called this statement in the article to question.

Bob

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/e...m/default.mspx
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post8478750
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post8459913
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post8441552
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post8445208

[Steve Williamson]

I hope it can output 1080p over VGA, I will be lining up for my drives, however, Australia is always the last for them to be released to.