Finally bagged me a 360 HD-DVD add-on :D

davetherave2 · 13 Jan 2007 at 13:12

Well after months of waiting for this and having numerous pre-orders and not getting one I popped into my local console store and what do you know they had a nice shiny 360 HD-DVD add on. Have just had a quick look at King Kong that was supplied with it and have to say the opening scene is amazing. It seems to me like this portion of the movie was put in purely to show the difference between dvd and hd-dvd. The lines are so crisp and the colours are so vibrant.

Just can't wait until some of my favourite movies hit the HD format such as lord of the rings, fifth element, and all the pixar movies.

I think this is a must for any xbox 360 owner.

just wondering how others have found it. Assuming you have been lucky to get one.

davetherave2 · 13 Jan 2007 at 13:29

i think with any new format the initial titles aren't the best but I am sure when the format matures in say 6 to 12 months time we will see better movies. When I compare the quality of the first dvd's I bought to the ones I have now they don't look as great. Plus it is a good step in the right direction.

Although I don't have a direct comparison between the original KK dvd and this version and can't see how this is much better.

I must admit I have watched much of the HD samples from the PC on my TV and they looked awesome but this is truely a great little addon for those wanting to get to next gen quality movies on a budget.

I have no idea now MS are doing this at such a low price considering the HP external drive OC are selling is over 300 notes.

MS must be subsidizing this to the hilt.

davetherave2 · 13 Jan 2007 at 13:59

Maniac618 said:
the player uses the 360's Cores, and so money was saved on the add-on as it didn't need its own built in processor(s) like the stand alone HD players.

So MS aren't really subsidizing much if at all.

yes but surely the external hp drive that OC are selling is just a drive and has no processing power as well and costs £370.

so surely ms must be paying something extra to keep the price low.

davetherave2 · 13 Jan 2007 at 16:49

well here's the pdf from hp's site:

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2006/psgconsumer/ds_hd_dvd.pdf

So it has no processing power and they recommend a better than average PC to run the unit.

So for that kind of money it would be more sensible to buy a stand alone unit.

davetherave2 · 13 Jan 2007 at 17:03

McDaniel said:
Anyone recommend some good films to show it off?

well I have to say from the samples that I have seen from King Kong and V for Vendetta you won't be dissapointed with these purchases. I am also awaiting Aeon Flux and this I think will look fantastic in HD.

I think the next movies I will be getting are Batman Returns and then the MI boxset. I'm also waiting for the superman boxset to come out as well.

But when or if the lord of the rings and matrix movies come out then these will be a welcomed addation to my collection.

davetherave2 · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:23

SoliD said:
Thing is who cares how good two of those films look, they are both pretty dire, Sticking to dvd's for now where all the good films are. Looking good doesnt cover up bad films.

Well I think they are good films but hey each to their own I guess.

I think KK is a little too long but for visual eye candy it is awesome. I think if they could have condensed the first hour of the film into say 30 minutes then it would have been a much better film but the T-REX fight is awesome.

I'm still happy with the purchase and think that things can only get better.

davetherave2 · 13 Jan 2007 at 23:43

steveo said:
guys just wondering how much your paying for your hd dvd movies as i have seen them for 25pound which seems abit steep on a funny note on the highstreet both hd-dvd and bluray movies are selling for the same price lol

well for the movies I brought which is Aeon Flux and V for vendetta they cost me £14.99 each so a lot less that the £25 price I saw in a big music retail store.

I was tempted to get a movie but refuse to pay these prices. £20 is probably tops I will pay at the moment simply because that was the price I would have paid for a dvd when they were new 7 years back.

Well just watched Kong all the way through and have just been blown away by it. Although it is a little long as I mentioned earlier the detail was just magnificent. I spotted things in the film this time round that I didn't notice when I saw it at the movies and if I had the normal dvd to compare against it, it would be great to see what the difference is.