Installing and using the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive (with video!)

Installing the Xbox 360's HD DVD drive wasn't as simple as we might have expected -- it actually required an install disc instead of having 100% of the support built in with the fall update. The upshot here is the install was totally seamless (as one would expect), and only took about 3 minutes. Click on for install process shots and a quick video of the drive in action.

The setup is a little weird, in that when you pop in the drive, it detects it and gives you the HD DVD menu update we saw from before. Unfortunately, it's not that easy (nor was support entirely rolled into the fall update).

As soon as you try to play that HD DVD, it'll prompt you to throw in the update disc. Thankfully that process couldn't have been easier.

Put in the disc, and it'll load up the update.

Of course, you can always back out if you like.

A little more waiting...

Then a little updating.

And now we're done, see how painless that was?

Now just pop out your install disc and you're good to go.

Our favorite part, however, is the glowing green eject button.

Brief version.

Extended mix.

[Dan @ Nov 12th 2006 4:54PM]

I'm not a huge fan of external peripherals - wonder if MS will release a HD-DVD updated 360 with the drive located internally?

Then again, one could just get a PS3 with a Blu-Ray drive already in it...

[Chris @ Nov 12th 2006 4:54PM]

That's the lamest video I've ever seen; although...it does show how freaking small the Wii is in comparison.

[Carlos @ Nov 12th 2006 4:55PM]

Stop taunting me with the Ambi-light function oh your Philips HDTV, Ryan.

[TK2K @ Nov 12th 2006 4:59PM]

wow wait do you have a HD hooked up to your comcast DVR? how?

[Mauricio @ Nov 12th 2006 5:08PM]

that is one LAME ASS video.

[Jimmy C @ Nov 12th 2006 5:09PM]

Ryan Block, you are a legend...

[Matt @ Nov 12th 2006 5:19PM]

Come on Block show us the movie and not the drive. I love your tv btw. Its dead sexy

[Christian @ Nov 12th 2006 5:21PM]

I think mine is defective... It worked once and only once... It read DVDs but I want to see HD-DVD videos again, it really is crisp and clear. If the second one is going to give me problems like this, I'll just wait for Xbox to release a unit that has it built in internally rather than externally.

[n2 @ Nov 12th 2006 5:37PM]

Were you doing a load of laundry? What's all the background noise?

[genexk @ Nov 12th 2006 5:56PM]

ambi-noise, from the TV...

[Alvin Ong @ Nov 12th 2006 5:39PM]

Show us the movie, what the hell we wanna look at you doing that mate

[Matt @ Nov 12th 2006 6:11PM]

hahaha that made me laugh

[hodnick @ Nov 12th 2006 6:26PM]

Hey does anyone else have a problem with their hd drive not ejecting when you press the button on the drive?

[Daniel Beard @ Nov 12th 2006 6:37PM]

Is it worth it to get it if you only have a tv that does 1080i and not 1080p?

[Matt @ Nov 12th 2006 6:40PM]

HD is HD its no different. So get the drive cause it beats regular dvd quality.

[Shawn O @ Nov 12th 2006 10:43PM]

Actually many video professionals say 720p is actually the sweet spot. Milage may vary but I'd be very impressed if you could tell that much difference between 720p and 1080p. If you are into high video qualtiy then at $200 the HD-DVD is considered a steal.

[Ryan Block @ Nov 12th 2006 7:09PM]

Ok, uploaded a new version of the video! It's a little longer, shows the HD movie starting up. Less noise, too!

[Matt @ Nov 12th 2006 7:19PM]

good job block... but id like to see some acctual scenes

[John Miller @ Nov 12th 2006 7:34PM]

Why do y'all want to see more scenes? You won't be able to tell the video quality at all because this dude's camcorder isn't HD. The second video is good enough. Thanks, Ryan.

[dan @ Nov 12th 2006 7:35PM]

got a good idea. use the hd dvd shell as a case mod for the wii. LOLOLOL

[n2 @ Nov 12th 2006 8:09PM]

I love the startup screens for HD movies. Now if only I had an HDTV to enjoy this (big sigh)

[Jeremy Goldstein @ Nov 12th 2006 8:41PM]

my xbox 360 hd-dvd player is awesome

[Bwana @ Nov 12th 2006 9:00PM]

Actually, it does not require the software to work. My XB360 had the fall update installed and the HD-DVD drive works without installing any software. I didn't have any choice in the matter since my HD-DVD drive didn't come with the software CD.

[Blake @ Nov 12th 2006 9:22PM]

Ya know, a xbox 360 with a hd-dvd drive is about the same price as a ps3.

[Camperton @ Nov 12th 2006 9:29PM]

How long of a usb cable can it use?

[Stiletto @ Nov 12th 2006 9:32PM]

If I put in a regular DVD, will it upsample to 1080i over component?

[dan @ Nov 12th 2006 9:34PM]

There seems to be no DTS support even though the hd dvd drive box clearly states DTS surround if anybody gets this feature to work please email

[The1 @ Nov 12th 2006 9:42PM]

Mine works great and King Kong looks awesome.

[steve @ Nov 12th 2006 10:37PM]

I don't think anyone thought about this, but will the drive be able to play regular 360 games?

[Shawn O @ Nov 12th 2006 10:43PM]

It's been thought about and no, it will not play regular 360 games, there is no reason for it to.

[The Man @ Nov 12th 2006 10:38PM]

I have an HD-A1 HD-DVD player and the 360 HD-DVD player. The picture quality is identical on both players, it looks amazing. What a great value at $199.99 with the King-Kong hd-dvd, a movie i was planning to buy anyways. the 360 HD-DVD player great player I highly recommend.

[steve @ Nov 12th 2006 10:52PM]

well, it'd be cool to run a long usb cable, so u could have the 360 sitting @ the TV and the drive on a coffee table or something. That way u can be uber-lazy and not have to get up to change a disk. Then all u would need is a intervenes mountain dew setup.

serisosly though, it would allow for a nice mod, replacing the stock dvd drive with the hddvd drive to have a clean system.(not that MS would like that)

[LR @ Nov 12th 2006 11:06PM]

"Were you doing a load of laundry? What's all the background noise?"

Background noise = xbox 360 running ><

Ryan dude you have an insane collection when u pan down from the tv to the drive..... what the hell do u need 2 xbox 360's for? one to stand up the other to lay down? LOL! someone has to do comparison between the wii and the Xbox 360 hddvd drive. Whats the spec on ur tv btw?

[LR @ Nov 12th 2006 11:07PM]

whens the 360 hd dvd games coming out? ne one?

[PreGHz @ Nov 13th 2006 12:00AM]

Never. Really, they said never.

[embee @ Nov 13th 2006 12:16AM]

OK folks, here's the lowdown about a built-in HD-DVD in future 360's. MS is not allowed to put HD-DVD into a 360 (or Blu-Ray) BY LAW unless they put in HDMI as well. That is the analog hole. No HD dvd (BR or HDDVD) over component.

If there is a computer cable involved, that's ok. Hence, you don't need the external drive if you have VGA.

Was MS dumb for not including HDMI? Truth be told, not really. HDTV is still below 20% market penetration. When 360 came out, HDTV was trying to reach 15%, only newer models offered an HDMI input and DVI was on the way out, whereas component video was guaranteed on most TVs.

MS has a lower stake in HDDVD than SNE has in Blu-Ray. MS was more interested in gaining a headstart in the next-gen face-off and having its console able to be found when the PS3 faced shortages at its launch.

Ultimately, I'm not picking up my $200 HDDVD player until there's some movies I actually care about owning. And Blu-Ray? Have you seen the selection of crap?

[Brandon @ Nov 13th 2006 6:47AM]

Just curious, if you put a game in here, does it read? or does the little disc loading thing on bottom of the screen read the last drive to be ejected? or what, how does it work if theres only one disc load thing :S

[Justin @ Nov 15th 2006 3:19AM]

When you put a Xbox 360 game in it gives you the same message as if you were to put it in a normal dvd player. Also the 360 hd dvd player looks just as good, if not better than toshiba's first generation of hd players, but moves a ton faster (toshiba HD-A1=incredibly slow).

[Jason Lynx @ Nov 13th 2006 8:08AM]

Looks cool. Thanks MS for giving us the option.

[Sean Bryant @ Nov 13th 2006 11:20AM]

I didn't need the disc with the latest update, I plugged in the HD DVD player, downloaded the updates from the net. Boom, movies played right away, no problems what so ever?

What this means it, I think the disc is mostly for people who have the Core XBOX 360s, I don't think its meant for people who have the premium ones.

[Mark Allanson @ Nov 13th 2006 6:34PM]

I'm confused.

Why would you show a demo of HD content in a small, compressed flash box? What are we supposed to be able to glean from the videos?

how about a 1080p or even 720p video of that demo so we can get a better impression of the playback quality?

[greg @ Nov 18th 2006 12:09PM]

i dont like that the ps3 is bigger than the 360 but that HD drive is huge.

i guess since the ps3 has blu ray built in, its not that big after all

go ps3!

[Ale @ Apr 14th 2009 10:26AM]

My console dvd drive does not read any cd/dvd.
First question: am I able to run and play xbox360 original games by only using the HD dvd player?

Then, I understand that in order for the HD dvd player to work, I first need to run the installation disk through the (normal) dvd drive in the console. This will not work for me, since my dvd player (the one inside the console) is not functioning!
Is there any other way to get the HD DVD drive installation software installed in my consolle (maybe via XBOX LIVE)?

Many thanks