HD DVD - SlashGear

‘HD DVD’ Stories

Sony to Microsoft: Nyah Nyah, Our Console is Better Than Yours

Benjamin Nied, Sep 22nd 2006 Discuss [3]

In the ultimate show of maturity, Sony is once again going on the offensive, pointing out how their internal Blu-ray solution is "better" than Microsoft's external HD-DVD soluion. Coming the day after we got our first solid details about Microsoft's upcoming Xbox 360 add-on, as well as news of an update that will allow the 360 to play back 1080p video, Sony's response comes off as a desperate attempt to save face in the wake of their PS3's advantages slowly slipping away. Read The Full Story

Microsoft Announces 1080p for Xbox 360, HD-DVD Japan Price

Benjamin Nied, Sep 21st 2006 Discuss [0]

Scratch one more PlayStation 3 advantage off the list. In an announcement that no one was planning on, Microsoft announced that their Xbox 360 console will soon receive a software update to allow it to play HD-DVD movies in 1080p resolution. Up until now, it had been assumed that Sony's upcoming console would be the only one with a 1080p option for movies (games are currently unable to run smoothly at 1080p on any system). Read The Full Story

Xbox 360 with Internal HD-DVD Set for 2007?

Benjamin Nied, Sep 13th 2006 Discuss [0]

I'm taking this with a huge grain of salt, because Microsoft has denied that the Xbox 360 would ever receive an internal HD-DVD drive at least a hundred times. That having been said, New Launches is reporting that a revamped Xbox 360 with an internal HD-DVD drive is not only forthcoming, but should launch during the first half of 2007, just in time to provide more competition for Sony's Blu-ray-equipped PS3. Read The Full Story

Video of Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive At IFA 2006

Vincent Nguyen, Sep 7th 2006 Discuss [0]

Have a look at Microsoft and Toshiba’s HD DVD Drive for the Xbox 360 on display at IFA 2006. It’s enclosed in a tight secured case, so there isn’t a live demonstration of the device in the video. However, this does give you a really good perspective at the actual dimensions of the drive. Overall, it’s slightly smaller than the Xbox 360 in dimensions, roughly the size of a hardback book. You’ll also see two USB ports on the back, one standard and one small (possibly USB A and USB B). [flv]http://www.slashgear.com/videos/IFA2006ToshibaHDDVD.flv[/flv]Video of Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive At IFA 2006 Toshiba HD DVD [via Gizmodo]

No Xbox 360 HD-DVD for Asia

Benjamin Nied, Aug 30th 2006 Discuss [1]

Bad news for any gamers in Asia looking forward to Microsoft's cheap (by comparison) HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360, you might be in for a disappointment. According to Digitimes, Microsoft Taiwan has no plans to launch the long-awaited peripheral in Asia in the immediate future, or quite possibly at all, saying that the area has too small an HD-DVD user base to justify releasing the drive at this time. Read The Full Story

HD DVD 2.0 Firmware Getting Released Today

Vincent Nguyen, Aug 22nd 2006 Discuss [2]

This is a small blow to Blu-Ray and their customers, because HD DVD players connected to the Internet will get a 2.0 firmware update today. The new version adds support for 24-bit/96kHz discrete audio channels with TrueHD 5.1. One point goes to HD DVD. HD DVD 2.0 firmware to be released on Tuesday [via HD Beat]

Microsoft: HD-DVD Not to be Used for Games

Benjamin Nied, Aug 18th 2006 Discuss [1]

While I thought Microsoft had settled this issue some time ago, apparently there's been abundant speculation that the upcoming external HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 might be used to play Xbox games in the future. Not wanting their users to get their hopes up about a feature that won't come to fruition (because they've never done that before), Microsoft has squashed the rumor, stating that the HD-DVD is for movies. No games. At all. Read The Full Story

Vizio Announces New 42″ LCD HDTV’s at Breakthrough Values

Staff Editor, Aug 15th 2006 Discuss [1]

COSTA MESA, CA and DisplaySearch HDTV Conference, BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- August 15, 2006 -- V, Incorporated -- maker of the multiple award-winning VIZIO line of high definition TV's, announces the addition of two new 42" high definition Liquid Crystal HDTVs; the L42HDTV and the "Gallevia" GV42LHDTV. The introduction of these two new displays brings the VIZIO line of LCD TV’s to 6 current models -- ranging from 13 to 42". Along with the new LCD introductions, Vizio has also reduced prices on #1 selling 37" flat panel TV, the VIZIO L37HDTV is dropping to $999.99 and the very popular VIZIO L32HDTV is available for just $799.99. "The two new VIZIO 42" LCD products just hit the shelves at Costco and Sam's Club and we are already seeing record sales that exceed our forecasts." states Jeff Schindler, Vizio Vice President Marketing and Business Operations. Read The Full Story

Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive: This Christmas for $200?

Benjamin Nied, Aug 14th 2006 Discuss [4]

All you high-definition fanatics out there, take note: we have it on good authority that the Xbox 360's long-awaited HD-DVD drive is right around the corner, set to ship this Christmas. More importantly, you won't need to trade essential body parts in order to afford one; the drive should run you early-adopters around $200 USD when it finally hits. Meaning that, rather than spending $500+ on a dedicated HD-DVD player, one could spent as much or slightly more and get the Xbox 360's gaming capabilities as well. Read The Full Story

Canon iVIS HV10 Consumer HDV Camcorder

Vincent Nguyen, Aug 2nd 2006 Discuss [0]

Canon’s first consumer HDV camcorder is packed with all the goods yet very easy on the wallet. For $1,300 price tag, the iVIS HV10 features HDV format at Canon’s full HD 1920x1080i, instant autofocus which Canon calls “dramatic,” 10x HD video lens with optical image stabilization, take still pi ctures at 3.1 megapixel and store them on a mini-SD card. Read The Full Story

Toshiba’s RD-A1 HD DVD Recorder Faces Delays

Benjamin Nied, Jul 13th 2006 Discuss [0]

Bad news for all you HD DVD buffs out there; Toshiba's RD-A1 HD DVD has ben delayed due to some production difficulties, postponing the launch of the new recorder until the end of the month. While a delay of a couple of weeks might not seem like much, anyone who plunked down $3,462.00 to acquire one is probably a little miffed that they won't be shipping on time. The delays could also be to combat firmware issues like the ones seen on the company's HD-A1 HD DVD player, which has been slammed as being unusable at times. Read The Full Story

Next-Generation DVDs Hacked Already

Benjamin Nied, Jul 7th 2006 Discuss [0]

So much for "unhackable copy protection." Hackers have uncovered a way to hack the copy protection on the new HD-DVD and Blu-ray DVDs; Print Screen. That's right, the most rudimentary computer function is able to get around the next-generation copy protection without batting an eyelash. While it might seem crazy to just sit there and hit Print Screen to capture each frame of video, anyone with experience writing Windows batch files could automate the process quite easily. Try again, guys; something as simple as Print Screen should have been thought of already. [via I4U News]