HD-DVD add-on going well
Microsoft USA have released figures as to just how many people want a slice of the HD-DVD action on their 360. The product was only released in November, but sales have already reached nearly 100,000.
Some may say that the figure isn’t very substantial, however it’s important to remember the add-on costs $200, on top of the $400 (Premium) for a 360. Sales for November were 42,000, and December saw 50,000 more units shipping across the USA.
You also cannot compare the figures to that of Blu-Ray and the Playstation 3, since the add-on is an extra. Most people who buy a PS3 don’t buy it for the Blu-Ray (or at least you certainly can’t measure it), whereas those that buy this player clearly are doing it for the benefit of High Definition movies.
Unfortunately, Microsoft UK do not release sales figures, so there is no comparison available. But I do know that the UK has few players on sale, as can be seen by online retailers who all say they are out of stock, indicating the product has sold well. It retails for £130 in the UK, and both the US and UK players come bundled with King Kong HD, and a remote.
Do you have the add-on? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below, and if you have a PS3, let us know if you bought it just for the Blu-Ray player!
I have one. it looks good on my HD tv, and you can seriously tell the difference between upscaled movies and those that started out life at high definition.
Only problem in the UK at present is availability and expense when it comes to HD-DVD media. Even play.com want 24 quid for superman returns, which is about 6 quid more than you can get it from the states, and the delivery times aren’t too dissimilar.
The picture is good no doubts but the negative point is the sound, can’t get the future HD sounds because of component or vga are analog HDMI( 1.3 ) is needed for that, you can’t even get a DTS sound track, but for 130 pounds I can complain, I’d give it 8/10.
Umm i get surround sound from hooking component into my tv then a digital output goes to my reciever so why wouldnt this?
He’s not talking about Dolby Digital 5.1, he’s refering to Dolby Digital HD which is not supported by the HD-DVD drive. There was rumors a while back that the next update will allow the support of DTS, but who knows when that will happen. Love the player though, own 8 HD-DVD movies already.
My 360 does dts thru optical , why not just use component for video and then run optical for the audio..
I have hd-dvd and a blu-ray that runs thru hdmi and I think hd-dvd looks better. I have a 42 inch plasma.
Your doing DTS in your dreams pal. Wake up
I imagine they would sell alot more if they actually has it instock anywhere. It may be just Cardiff i suppose but you cant get hold of it for love nor money and only a few online retailers offer it.
Not just Cardiff, it’s right across the UK I’m afraid.
try ebay US I got mine before the uk release for 135 pounds with delivery, no customs tax if sent as a gift.And it works as HD DVD not coded. also I found an ebay shop where I buy my HD DVD for cheaper ( DOOM 12+ delivery ) and they take only 4-5 days.
Ooooops I meant doom 12 pounds plus delivery.
Has it been released in Europe? Even in Sweden?
no most country’s in EU get it in februari/march
I got mine for Christmas and have LOVED it! It looks fantastic and sounds awesome! If you have a nice HDtv, this is a must have!
Agreed…with anything over 42 inches for a TV..you will really notice it. The difference between regular King Kong and just the 720p version is night and day. Gorgeous device.
No HDTV, no HD-DVD player & no HD-DVD’s even available here yet
I had the HD DVD add on since it came out, and the only complaint I have is that there are not enough HD DVD to be had. Since Sony gobbled up as many studios as it could, this limits the amount of studios that will offer HD DVD. But I do have hope. Disney is famous for it’s love of money, and if HD DVDs outsell Blu-Ray, then they will support this format as well. Only time will tell.
Yeah, if hd-dvd can get disney on board..that would be huge.
adult entertainment expo … they have swung under the HDDVD umbrela hehe….
disney will come dont worry its bound to happen especially since for the last 4 months hddvd hsa been outselling bluray in media 8:1 to 11:1 lol … as well as standalone hardware sales….
One little issue though guys, what are you tlaking about not enough movies????
HDDVD has 2-3x as many movies out as bluray and has atleast 2x as many scheduled to come out in the future… hddvd might not have as many backers but they have some of the biggest
Just curious, where did you get the media sales numbers?
You are so wrong it’s funny. Stop pulling fake data out of your ass.
I agree, but dang if I did not want HD Spiderman and X-Men. HD DVD may have large studios, but most also support Blu-Ray.
Sony is ramping up it’s advertising of the format big time, while you do not see much for HD DVD. I also noticed that just about every DVD commercial on TV are pushing DVD and Blu-Ray. And if you go to Wal-Mart, they have a huge HD display, with Blu-Ray taking up 3/4, and HD DVD titles at the bottom. I like to think this is because they cannot keep HD DD titles in stock to display them
As far as the advertising goes for DVD and Blu-ray.. look at who makes the movie. it’ll probably be sony owned.
Only complaint I have is inline with Thyron. I go to Fry’s or Bestbuy weekly to see if there are any new releases for HD DVD, only to be let down. I own 6 HD DVD’s and would love to own more. There just isn’t the content yet.
I have it and love it. I have 4 movies to date and about to order 2 more. Can’t wait for The Shining to b released.
just watched Fearless on hd-dvd…amazing.
also check out superman returns/batman begins/polar express (if you want to show off your tv)terminator 3/u2 rattle & hum dvd..very nice
I have one with 7 movies so far, some uk, some usa discs, mainly because of price and selection of movie. Im very impressed with the kit so far, for a measly 130 quid it certainly delivers a lot for my money. And with free King Kong and a 20 quid media remote, its hard to be annoyed at the limitations of the player. Ok you cant get the Dolby True HD soundtrack out of the player, but hey here’s a question how many of you out there have the means to play it? How many of you have a Dolby True ready Amp? Its easier if you have the Toshiba player granted, but if you only have the 360 add on then unless you have the hardware to decode the signal, best to stop moaning about it.
If you have a HDTV and you have a 360, and you love movies, then it does not get any better. Blue Ray can rattle as much noise as they like, but at the end of the day so far all they have are promises much like the PS3, so far HD DVD has far better quality exclusive AAA titles for sale, Batman Begins, King Kong, Hulk, Harry Potter, Miami Vice, Serenity to name a few. And ofcourse we still have non exclusives to enjoy like Superman Returns and Mission Impossible 3.
So far i like what i have and with Universal on board with HD DVD exclusive, cant wait for Jurassic Park, Jaws, E.T, Gladiator.
HD-DVD’s quality is not far better….the human eye can’t even tell the difference….also..i wouldn’t consider Hulk or Miami Vice a AAA title….
I bought one after Christmas and the quality is amazing. My parents were skeptical about it, but once they saw it, they liked it. Mission Impossible III looks really good and so do all the CG movies like Polar Express and Ant Bully. I’ve been getting many of the HD DVD releases through Netflix.
I love my HD-DVD collection, but I hate what its done to my wallet
I love HD-DVD even more now. HD-DVD will have digital playground porn next month!
I have the add on. Looks great on my HDTV. Blockbuster has a good collection of HD-DVDs atleast 100-150 of them..so its great to watch movies with such great clarity..
Wish the xbox remote had a way to eject the hd-dvd drive as well. Some may say, anyway you do need to walk to the drive to remove the disc so why keep that function. Remember we do have that functionality for existing dvd drive on xbox, so why not map a button to eject the hd-dvd drive..that kinda sucks..