Microsoft Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player

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By David Carnoy and David Katzmaier, CNET.com
Jun 4, 2007

While the Sony PlayStation 3 may have an integrated Blu-ray player, Microsoft is doing its best to blunt that possible competitive advantage with a next-generation DVD player of its own for the Xbox 360. Dubbed simply Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, the fairly basic external drive connects to the Xbox 360 via a USB cable. Like the 360 itself, you can either stand the drive upright or lay it down horizontally. Whichever way you go, the whole outboard concept is a little awkward, but the drive's S$299 (US$213.13) price tag is quite reasonable considering that today's standalone HD-DVD players start at S$999 (US$712.10). Better yet, Microsoft is also throwing in an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

Editors' note:

This review is based on evaluations conducted by our sister site. Review ratings on similar products may differ due to differences in regional market trends and competing product lineups.

Microsoft didn't market the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player to work with PCs, nor does it officially support PC connectivity, but there are reports on the Web that you can indeed hack the player to work with a PC. However, on top of a set of Windows drivers, you'll also need a copy of DVD playback software, such as WinDVD8, that supports playback of HD-DVD discs.

Design
Setup is a breeze. Before connecting the HD-DVD player to your Xbox 360, you have to insert the included software disc into your Xbox 360. You should also make sure you've updated your Xbox 360 with the latest system software, which is available for download via Xbox Live. Once you've loaded the HD-DVD drivers, you're ready to plug in. Of course, we assume that if you're reading this review, you have an HDTV and your Xbox 360 is connected to it with the component-video or VGA connector cable. Otherwise, there's no reason to buy the drive until you do.

	The rear of the HD-DVD drive adds two USB ports and features a dedicated area where you can mount the 360 Wi-Fi adapter.

The drive has its own power supply--thankfully, it's not a huge brick like the Xbox 360's, but it's not tiny, either--which means you're going to need an extra opening on a wall socket or power strip to plug it in. Since the 360 has only a single USB port on its rear panel, you'll need to remove any USB devices you have connected to that port. However, the good news is the HD-DVD player has two extra USB ports, so you'll be able to connect, say, your Wi-Fi adapter and your Xbox Live Vision Camera to the back of the drive--rather than to the front USB ports of the 360--and keep those cables hidden behind the console. (The rear of the HD-DVD drive even has a snap-on mount for the wireless adapter.)

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