DVD (Warner Home Video)




List Price: $119.99
Price: $107.99
You Save: $12.00 (10%)

---

Sep 01, 2008 by mackr3w69 | Posted in Xbox

I know HD DVD is dead, but i want to buy the xbox 360 hd dvd player brand new, where can i find it?
thank you
i want it just for that reason, the movies would be very cheap and still have a wide selection.

---

amazon.com

---

---

---

May 11, 2007 by Taylor J | Posted in Xbox

Im looking for a replacement case (not skin) for my xbox 360 hd dvd player. I cant find one online, can you?. Does anyone know where i can find one?

---

eBay

Nov 25, 2007 by paul_kris17 | Posted in PlayStation

it sucks that some of the movies and upcoming movies i like doesn't come out on blu-rays, only hd-dvd. i dont want to buy dvds anymore coz its like downgrading myself. please let me know if i can connect the hd-dvd player of xbox 360 to my PS3. thanks a lot!

---

ps3 is also a hd- player a blu ray player and a normal dvd player just to let you know the ps3 has the power to upgrade all normal movies to the highest potential your tv carries it... in my case 1080p. I put in normal Kingkong on dvd and it plays in 1080p

I bet it wouldnt even work if you tried because microsoft and sony are BIG competetors

---

---

---

Aug 05, 2007 by aartz23 | Posted in Xbox

I have wondering if the XBOX 360 HD DVD Player is worth the money. I noticed that there are not too many HD DVD movies available and a limited amount to rent on NetFlix. (At least they have some).

I use my Xbox 360 to watch movies because I don't have a standard DVD player. So, I am wondering if I get the Xbox HD DVD, can I also play standard DVD's. I am interested in the HD movies as well but I don't know if I would purchase it for the HD movies alone. Just not enough in the market. Please shed some light on this.

---

yes its plays both standard and hddvds some hddvd are coming out with two sided disc one side standard and the other side hd.

---

---

---

Aug 21, 2007 by Blaine W. | Posted in Add-ons

I'm thinking about getting an new 24in iMac. If I do I really want to take advantage of HD content. Being that the Xbox 360 HD DVD player is the cheapest HD DVD player, I'd like to get it to use with my iMac (I don't have an HDTV to use it with my 360). I remember reading that PCs and Macs recognize the drive, but at the time there was no software to actually play the HD DVDs. Has that changed? Can I now watch HD DVDs on my Mac using the drive? If not through OS X then can I do it on XP or Vista? Thanks for any help.

---

short answer, NO.

there's still no software to play HD(or blueray) DVDs on a mac.

If you got a mac mini or one of the bigger macs, you would have the option of plugging in the monitor to the xbox, and watching HD from there.

Leopard is rumored to have HD and Bluray support... but you'll have to wait until Leopard is released in October.

My mac has a blueray writer.... all I can do is read and write data disks.

---

Feb 25, 2008 by Ryan H | Posted in Other - Electronics

Bought XBOX 360 HD-DVD player in Sept. Sent in for the 5 free HD-DVD movies, and still have not received them 5 months later.

What gives?

---

I know exactly what you're talking about. I received the same form recently after I ended up getting a free HD-DVD player with my HDTV. It says it takes up to 8-10 weeks for processing. It also mentions while supplies last too so that could be the little fcuk up that may have eventually screwed you over. It says to call this number 1-800-405-7520 if you haven't received your HD-DVDs in the time allotted. Hope I helped and good luck.

Sep 19, 2007 by McDuffz | Posted in Home Theater

ok im thinking about buying a dvd converter to make all my dvds to hd so my question is does this actually work good or is there hardly a difference when i make my dvds to hd or does it make it better but not alot like my question is will it be in good quality hd like the ones on cable etc i have a 780p what ever 700 it is but will it make a big difference or small or whatever and is it worth it to buy one i just dont want to waste money and also does anyone know if the xbox hd dvd player is anygood and will it play the dvds i converted to hd and will my hd dvds look good in 720p

---

I have the 360 HD add on and the HD-DVDs look great. They should look great on a 720P TV that you have. Any hd movie or show you see on cable satalite ect... is only broadcast in 720p anyway. as far as a dvd converter to hd-dvd, i assume you speaking of an Upconverter?. That wont work in the 360 hd-dvd player. it will play normal dvds but it wont upconvert them to Hd. if you want both you can go to amazon.com and get HD-dvd player and upconverter for about $200
Toshiba HD-A2

Sep 19, 2007 by McDuffz | Posted in Other - Electronics

ok im thinking about buying a dvd converter to make all my dvds to hd so my question is does this actually work good or is there hardly a difference when i make my dvds to hd or does it make it better but not alot like my question is will it be in good quality hd like the ones on cable etc i have a 780p what ever 700 it is but will it make a big difference or small or whatever and is it worth it to buy one i just dont want to waste money and also does anyone know if the xbox hd dvd player is anygood and will it play the dvds i converted to hd and will my hd dvds look good in 720p

---

Because of the fact that the dvd's are FILMED in 480i, "Converting" Them (however you planned on doing that) wouldn't make any real difference because of the fact that the pixels simply aren't there to be upgraded to.

Sep 07, 2007 by Lizzie McVeigh | Posted in Other - Electronics

I've heard that you can connect the 360 hd hvd player to a PC using the USB cord. I plugged it in but it wouldn't not play HD DVD's. It would play regular DVD's and CD's but no HD. How can i fix this problem?

---

Remember you have to have the software installed for any program to work. Most of the dvd players on the computers aren't designed for HD. If your software has up dates - see if you can update your players to play the HD.

Nov 21, 2006 by drewkent23 | Posted in Xbox

I just bought the 360 and want to utilize the HD DVD feature on my TV. However it seems like the process of hooking up the HD "Add-On" for the 360 is complicated. I looked on the XBOX website and saw that I may have to download particular software in order to use the HD DVD player. Something about updating something. Has anyone used the HD DVD player with their 360? Any advice on weather I should get one or just buy an outright HD DVD player. I've already invested my money into the HD v. Blu-Ray and obviously chose HD. So that's not the issue. Any tips or advice?

---

Well I think you should go with the Xbox 360 HD dvd player. The Xbox HD dvd player is only 200 bucks, if you went to buy a blu-ray player it's around a 1000 bucks, a HD dvd player cost around 550 bucks. So the Xbox HD player is a couple hundred bucks cheaper.

A quick walkthrough of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player.

18.01.10

Ben, thanks – I tweaked the post to hopefully better illustrate the staggered release windows. What I need to do is diagram it, so all the various permutations (and delays) are clearly visible. Regarding rentals outpacing sales and the financial impact on the movie studios, they’d clearly get a larger cut, additional income via digital rentals (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, CinemaNow, whomever) rather than via disc rentals where they get to sell the physical media to a third party just once. That’s my point and where they’re leaving money on the table. Also, hopefully the way the music industry imploded will motivate them. I don’t swipe content, but amongst my peers it seems the fast, inexpensive broadband has clearly led to increased BitTorrent or Usenet downloads.

RandomRage, for me it’s about convenience. If I plan well enough ahead, physical media is fine – and of course comes with higher quality video. But a good percent of what I watch is spontaneous, so I want that digital access. And the HD rental quality has been perfectly acceptable.

Ok, but you still say “And, not only don’t I deal in physical media,” then you go and rent a physical disc. And of course I know you realize that the studios would’ve preferred it if Redbox didn’t offer the movie for rent yet either.

So let me ask you this. Do you have a problem with Hollywoods intended windows, or just the reality of the situation? So in other words Hollywood wants you to go to the theater to see it in the first 90 days, buy in the next 30 days, rent it for the next 90 days and watch it on a premium channel for the next 90 days. Digital or physical, Hollywood doesn’t care, as long as they get paid.

Personally I don’t think the windows work the way Hollywood thinks they do. I believe that people have a preferred way of consuming content and it isn’t the money that is keeping them from using other avenues. But I understand if Hollywood wants to experiment to optimize the bottom line. And at the same time I don’t mind waiting another 30 days to watch a movie on Blu-ray (my preferred way).

Yep, that’s my goal and this is the first movie I’ve seen on disc in quite some time (as opposed to television show seasons). My Toshiba HD DVD unit is lone gone, our DVD player has been decommissioned (in the closet), and the only optical drive currently in our place resides within my Xbox 360. Redbox or Netflix rental discs is an issue for them, the studios, and perhaps the legal system to work out. I’d rather skip that particular drama and just pay more to get content the way I want it.

So let’s simplify the release windows given your thought, which I obviously agree with, that folks have their own preferred methods of consuming movie content and my skepticism that the current multiple release windows notably improves movie studios revenue. I guess what irked me most this weekend is the artificial delineation between digital purchase and digital rental. I’m not going to buy it, so at least give me the opportunity to rent it – I get it the way I want, they make a little more money. What’s not to like?

Dave, While it was a little difficult to follow all of the back and forth with Ben, I think I agree with your overall assessment; the window system for the release of physical and digital media is silly.

At the end of the day, I can break movies into four categories. For those I plan to watch in my media room at the highest possible quality and I will probably watch more than once, I will buy the blu-ray disc and I don’t mind paying a premium. For those that I have an interest in, but probably will not watch more than once, I would like the option of streaming the HD version and would pay up to $4.99 for the privilege. For those that I am only interested in watching if nothing else is on, the SD version will do, and I don’t mind paying $2.99 to stream it. And finally, the last group are the movies that I really have no interest in paying anything for, but might watch if it is on television for free.

After the theater run, studios should just make the movie available in every format imaginable. At the end of the day, most people already know which format they prefer (digital or physical) and how much they are willing to pay for it. The artificial windows probably have very little influence on how people choose.

My theory is that Netflix will implement an add on cost for early access. I think a per-rental fee for early access (stream or physical media) would be of more interest to the studios, as it’d be very easy to just take a cut of each rental.

On the other hand, that would require you to opt-in to an upcharge, either in an aggregate form (you pre agree to pay any fee for a first 30 day release rental of any disc that comes up in your queue or any stream viewing), or on a per-rental basis before any disc ships.

Easy to implement would be a monthly fee, as they do for Blu-ray. One problem I have with that is payment during periods of non-use. A consumer friendly version would be a monthly fee for a maximum number of early rentals, but you don’t pay if you don’t utilize it at all. E.G. a $3-$5 fee for 2 to 3 “first 30 day rentals” but no charge if you don’t rent/watch any “first 30 day rentals” during your monthly subscription period.

There’s a lot of backend stuff to consider too, especially on the streaming side. Right now, it’s an ‘all you can eat’ setup, which simplfies UI issues for viewing devices. Adding functionality to authorize an surcharge for a streamed viewing is a complication.

Look how long it took the music industry to embrace digital and remove arduous DRM issues. But they did. The movie industry is certainly not the same, but I sense some of the same group-think with these physical/digital/rent/own issues. They’re focusing too much on trying to prevent people from certain means of consuming their product instead of encouraging more consumption.

I also suspect there’s some jealousy involved especially with Netflix being a middle-man in the streaming arena.

I pre-ordered the Blu-Ray DVD Moon from Amazon for $24. I received it the same day it was released to retail sales (and presumably Amazon Unbox Purchase). I will watch it in it’s full Blu-Ray glory (with little worry of the scratches, glitches with Netflix – not that it’s available there.) Later, if I choose to, I will sell it used on Amazon marketplace for a 20-30% discount. I received a free digital copy with the DVD as well, so I can watch it on my computer/Ipod for all eternity. So, I guess I am the anti-Dave when it comes to this whole release cycle thing. I semi-happily pay a premium for watching the latest hot film. If I am not amped about a film, I’ll wait the 30-days or so for it to show up as a Unbox/On-Demand rental. Selling on Amazon when I chose not to keep the film, I end up with a net $6-8 payment for a film. No contracts, no worries.

While it may be kind of a pain for people who want to instantly have the latest film rental delivered digitally, I think they are managing demand, and maximizing the profit. If there weren’t money in it, they wouldn’t do it. They aren’t totally stupid.

Source:

13.01.10

Nintendo is bringing Netflix ’s online streaming video service to its Wii gaming console, the most popular in the industry, the companies plan to announce Wednesday. The service lets subscribers choose from a catalog of generally older movies and television shows and watch them instantly.

The deal is further evidence of a movement by makers of game consoles to broaden their appeal by positioning them as a bridge between the living room television and a wider world of online multimedia.

So far those efforts have not been enough to calm anxieties about the overall direction of the $16.8 billion video game business. The industry is threatened by a dearth of popular new franchises, which tend to attract gamers to an endless number of sequels, as well as the sudden rise of cheap games for smartphones and free casual games on social networks.

“You just have to wonder if people are going to buy prepackaged $60 video games in the future,” said Mark Mahaney, managing director for Internet research at Citigroup . “If you are a console maker, you better quickly hurry to add more functionality and features to your console.”

Nintendo’s rivals are generally further along in that effort. The Sony PlayStation 3 has a Blu-ray disc player and can use Sony ’s own online movie store. Microsoft has outfitted the Xbox 360 with its Zune high-definition movie store and allows users to chat online while they watch films together. Both of those consoles already offer the Netflix service.

The Wii has had only minimal video material, but it will take a big step forward in this regard with Netflix, when the Wii adds the service this spring. Wii owners with a broadband Internet connection who have at least a $9-a-month subscription to Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service will be able to use the online service at no additional cost.

But Wii owners will need to receive a free software disc in the mail from Netflix and put it into their console when they want to watch a movie, as on the PS3.

The Wii, unlike the PS3 and Xbox, is not powerful enough to display high-definition streaming video. Some analysts and industry observers expect Nintendo to announce a new Wii HD version of its console next year.

Though it is now more than three years old, the original Wii continues to charm casual gamers with its unique style of game play, which involves physical gestures. Nintendo said it sold three million units in the United States alone over the holidays, outselling both of its rivals, and has sold a total of 26 million in this country.

However, both Sony and Microsoft are expected to add gesture-style game play to their devices over the next year. And the PS3, at least, appears to be slowly gaining ground on the Wii. Sony introduced a slimmed-down version of the PS3 last year and said it sold 3.8 million units worldwide in December, a 76 percent increase over the year before.

By adding Netflix to its service, Nintendo may be making a bid for customers who are considering switching. “Nintendo is saying, look, we are doing all the same stuff. You want to remain connected to us,” said Pelham Smithers, an independent video game analyst.

Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, said the Wii had always been primarily about bringing video games to the mass market, including people who normally would not play a violent shoot-’em-up or pick up a traditional video game controller.

But, Mr. Fils-Aime said, “from Day 1, we always had other capabilities within the console.” The deal with Netflix, he said, “is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii.”

The deal gives Netflix a prominent hat trick in the video game console market and underscores its recent emphasis on its digital streaming business. The company, based in Los Gatos, Calif., now has more than 11 million subscribers to its traditional DVD-by-mail business. But more of those people are also watching movies and shows online: more than 50 percent, up from 20 percent a year and a half ago when Netflix first started adding its streaming service to devices like the Xbox.

“Our growth in the last two years has been propelled in large part by our investments in streaming content and in the streaming platform,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix’s chief executive. “When the Wii application ships, it’s going to really open up a large additional opportunity.”

One part of that opportunity is to expand the somewhat dusty catalog of films available online. Hollywood studios make mostly older movies available for streaming on Netflix: the 1976 version of “Carrie,” for instance, but not the 2002 remake.

Mr. Hastings says the size of the streaming catalog correlates to the size of the checks it can write to Hollywood studios. So as Netflix adds customers — and cuts costs — it can gradually expand the catalog. Analysts say they believe it costs Netflix about 5 cents to stream a movie online, versus 60 cents to mail a disc to and from a customer.

Netflix also hopes that the accessibility of its online service on devices like the Wii will encourage subscribers to stick around, helping it cut down on marketing expenses. Terms of the Nintendo deal were not disclosed.

As its digital service expands, Netflix subscribers who want to ditch, say, an expensive $25-a-month plan, which allows them to keep four DVDs at a time, may be more easily persuaded to cut back to a cheaper plan instead of canceling outright.

“Netflix is hoping more people will sample the streaming service and like it, and that it will ultimately limit churn,” said John Blackledge, a senior analyst at Credit Suisse .

Analysts have been expecting a deal between Netflix and Nintendo for some time. Mr. Hastings said the Wii’s unusual interface, as well as the specifications of its hardware, created technical challenges to getting the service to work properly.

“The other platforms have a pretty consistent and well-known paradigm, but the Wii is unique,” he said. “All of those things have taken a long time of experimentation and refinement.”

Source:

12.01.10

The original PlayStation 3 did not have a great start in the market as anticipated. Following the phenomenal success of its predecessor, everybody expected the PlayStation 3 to follow suit, however that did not happen. Although announced much before its main rival, the Microsoft Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 made it to the market almost a year late. This late start ensured that several of the great titles went to the 360 and even before the PlayStation 3 was released it had the advantage of a bigger game library and a chunk of the market share.

Even after it was released, Sony's console was plagued with problems. The PlayStation 3 was quite expensive, especially compared to the 360. Even though it had a much superior hardware, not many people found it worth investing Rs. 40,000 in what they thought was essentially only a game console. Pricing aside there were other issues as well. Developers complained about the difficulty in coding games for the PlayStation 3, whereas they had no problem at all doing it for the 360, due to its similarity to a regular Windows machine.

The games that came out initially weren't that great as well and the cross platform games often worked better on the 360, while the PlayStation 3 version was riddled with poor graphics and slower frame rates. The fact that the games themselves (being on Blu-ray discs) were much more expensive than the 360's didn't bode well with the consumers.

Further, continuing the list of woes on the PlayStation 3 was the differences between the model that was originally unveiled and the model that was launched to the public. The original model had a cooler, boomerang shaped controller, but the actual PlayStation 3 came with a controller that looked the same as the Dual Shock 2 on the PlayStation 2 and also lacked the vibration feedback, which was a major omission.

The original model also had memory card slots and two extra USB ports, along with SACD playback, but the production model didn't. Sony had also promised full PlayStation 2 games compatibility for the PlayStation 3 but the actual model came with half-baked support for just a few games. It was then reduced to software-level support as the Emotion Engine chip was removed to save costs and finally the PlayStation 2 games support was removed completely. This was once again a major drawback as the PlayStation 2 has some of the best games ever made for any platform till date and they could have all been available for the PlayStation 3.

It was only after Sony made some severe price cuts to the PlayStation 3 did it start getting the attention of the average gamer. By then Blu-ray had also started establishing itself as the format of the future and the PlayStation 3 was officially the cheapest Blu-ray player that one could buy, making it an even more attractive buy. The PlayStation 3 didn't just play them but was very good at it, with several videophiles actually recommending it as their Blu-ray player of choice over standalone Blu-ray players.

The PlayStation 3 also proved itself to be a reliable performer and unlike the 360, which soon started falling apart, with RRoDs (Red Ring of Death) being a common sight for many gamers worldwide. The PlayStation 3 continued to work flawlessly, with silent operation and rock solid reliability, thanks to the use of superior quality hardware and craftsmanship.

Things only got better when price cuts started getting more aggressive and the PlayStation 3 was finally within what could be called affordable. By then HD-DVD had died as well and Blu-ray had taken its place on the throne as the king of HD-format. So those who have been on the fence now had a clear choice ahead of them. The PlayStation 3 could play Blu-ray movies in their full splendour, play games in high definition, had an impressive multimedia playback capability, could browse the internet - thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi connection - and even had the option to let you install Linux operating system over it, which converted it into a mini computer. It truly had it all.

Now, games too had started coming in thick and fast and developers finally began to get the hang of the PlayStation 3's hardware and exploiting it to its full potential. The PlayStation network also came in place where people could buy full games and demos online. Although it couldn't stand up to the Xbox Live, it was still pretty good. Sony even changed the controller to the Dual Shock 3 variant, which finally gained the vibration feature. The PlayStation 3 was now enjoying the success that it always deserved.

So you may ask, why the long history lesson? Well, before we head over to the actual matter on our hands, I thought it was necessary to show where it has come from. The PlayStation 3 might be successful now and has become the de facto choice for any serious console gamer, but it wasn't always so. The new models enter the market in a very strong position and hence have it much easier than its predecessor, which has done all the hard work for it. So now that we know about the previous PlayStation 3, let us get on with the new kid on the block, the PlayStation 3 Slim.

From a non fanboy. A game developer for both the PS3 and Xbox 360. This looks more like a fanboy review. Please Techtree try to be more professional in your reviews. The PS3 scores over Xbox because it is smaller and lighter ? - this isnt handheld consoles we are talking about , are we? Consumes less power than Xbox 360 ? - thats a valid point. Looks better and has better hardware than Xbox 360 - would agree on that too (especially owing to the Blu-ray). Better library of games? - False. Better exclusives? - Again, you better watch where you are going. The XBox's fan do sound more, but you dont play with your Tv on mute do you? You cannot hear it if you are playing a game, maybe you can when you play a movie. For a gamer, I might say XBox still has the edge albeit slightly; the PS3 certainly isnt "miles ahead of the 360". Xbox's also have the advantage of playing MKVs when paired with a Windows 7 media center PC. I would have appreciated it if you would have tried to put things in perspective - as of now no one wins. (If either did you would have found it out long ago). What is exciting is how PS3 with its 3D gaming and XBox 360 with Natal change the rules this year.

Source:

Movies streaming goes high-def The PlayStation 3, the gaming console and also a Blu-ray player, added movie downloads several months ago. Even Blockbuster, the plodding DVD rental company Streaming video and Blu-ray help Netflix defy recession Netflix Streaming Drives Earnings Above Estimates Netflix Earnings rock, soon hitting 10 million Subscribers

CNET NewsGet an Xbox HD DVD player for $49.99 Here's the skinny: Frys.com has the Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Player for $49.99, plus around 8 bucks for shipping. Why on earth would you want this thing? Fry's sells discounted Xbox 360 HD DVD bundle Best Buy sells discounted Xbox 360, HDTV bundles Amazon further price cuts Xbox 360 products

Console Wars By Matthew Bellezza When the Xbox 360 was released in 2005, touting its HD DVD player and a multitude of fantastic games, it was clear that Sony would have

Exclaim!More Than Meets the Eye How Consoles Became Mission Control Then the PlayStation 2 became the best-selling console in history by doubling as a DVD player. Now consoles have gone beyond mere multitasking,

Monday a busy day for area burglarsPosted On: Wednesday, Jan. 28 A security safe, a Smith & Wesson handgun with wood grips, a trench coat, a leather coat, an Xbox 360 with Grand Theft Auto video game and a DVD player