Microsoft's Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on to hit $49.99?

Truthfully, we reckon this moment is inevitable. With HD DVD hung out to dry by everyone and their long lost cousin, it's simply a matter of time before players are being traded for rides on the carousel. Nevertheless, reports are already circulating that Microsoft's Xbox 360 add-on drive could sink to $49.99 in the not-too-distant future, which may actually make it worth grabbing for the very respectable library of HD DVD titles already out there. Whatever you do, don't pay full price for this thing.

[Thanks, Steve]

[bartoron @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:51AM]

Sounds good to me.

[Flashpoint @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:22PM]

This would be a Perfect doorstop.

[Jevanzz @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:38PM]

Why does 'Perfect' have a capital letter?!

[Backlin @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:57PM]

ROFL, there's no way I'd pay $50 for a doorstop.

[Carbonize @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:58PM]

"there's no way I'd pay $50 for a doorstop."

Bet you'd pay $300+ for a games console that only has a couple of games though.

[prateeko @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:00PM]

What are you talking about, the Wii only costs $250.


Heh, heh, heh. Sorry guys, I had to go for it! :D

[guerilla779 @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:36PM]

@jevanzz

why is something not even related to the topic Highest Ranked ?

[E71 @ Feb 24th 2008 8:57AM]

Still too expensive.

[kevin @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:52AM]

My question is: does this thing still work hooked up to a PC? I've read lots of articles on it that are over a year old, but nothing to mention whether it's since been blocked somehow. If it still works, does it upconvert standard DVDs on a PC? I'd definitely pick one up if it did...

[James Ollier @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:57AM]

PCs upscale standard dvds anyway, and have done for years

[Kurian @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:18PM]

It hooks up to a PS3 XD
You can watch HDDVDs using VLC player on the PS3 with the Xbox 360 addon drive.

[GreezyG @ Feb 23rd 2008 3:36PM]

I have used it on my PC running Vista running PowerDVD Ultra. You need to have an HDCP compatible monitor or use VGA.

All I did was connect the USB cable.. wait about 10 minutes for it to get the drivers from Windows Update.. install PowerDVD Ultra and I was up and running.

[Maestro @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:53AM]

OK. I may be way off here...but if HDDVD is being abandonded, won't all the exclusive titles be eventually released on Bluray?

If that's the case, then anyone with a stack of HDDVD discs most likely already has a player of some kind. So then who would this appeal to? Even at 50 bucks, just wait for the titles to come out on bluray and play them on your bluray player whenever it may be released.

I supposed you could buy it to get a bunch of HDDVD movies on the cheap, but it is a library that won't be getting any bigger.

[dman @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:38PM]

You may be right, but think for a minute here... How long before all the HD titles are on BD? I'd say 6 months is probably a low-ball number. Paramount will likely convert quickly. Universal will probably take a while. Also, let's not forget there were still to this day, some Warner titles (like the Matrix) that never made it to BD even though Warner has been supporting BD for quite a while! If paying $50 for the addon, plus $7-8 for movies (yes, there are some people already selling them for this) means I don't have to wait 6 months, it's worth it.

Personally though, I don't intend to buy this, I'm waiting for a nice cheap HD A35 to upgrade my A30.

[The Artist formally known as Jesus @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:41PM]

people might want a new doorstop

[Carbonize @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:00PM]

You also have the question of whether or not the Blu Ray version will have the same amount/quality of extras.

[Michael @ Feb 24th 2008 6:38AM]

Back up my friend. Back up.

I have 44 HD DVDs. I'm not about to go rebuy all of those. (My wife was unhappy enough with me buying them once!)

If I pick this up for $50, when my current one craps out (they always crap out eventually) I'll still have a way of playing those originally 44 HD DVDs.

My other option is to get an A3 for 80 bucks, or wait until it's 50 bucks too. This actually seems like a better option in case my Xbox craps out (again).

[Nick @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:54AM]

I work for gamestop, we have them used for 49.99 right now...i think im going to pick a second one up just for the firesale

[Flashpoint @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:04PM]

I Wouldn't buy this thing if it was $19.99

#1 I've already got a standard DVD of every single HDDVD that was available.

#2 I hate add on CD Rom drives.

#3 for that same $50 I could buy 3 Blu Ray disks.

[frankXchange @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:12PM]

It would make a very nice book holder for your favourite trilogy, or you can put weights in it and use it as a book-end.

It could also be converted into a case for the HD's you'll use to store the movies you download, instead of collecting them on optical storage.

[Chase M. @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:18PM]

$50 is pretty cheap for an external optical drive for my EEE... might grab one.


ps: lol @ hd-dvd.

[Homeboy @ Feb 23rd 2008 3:09PM]

It's good for the Eee and should be a no brainer for Macbook Air owners.

[Riley @ Feb 24th 2008 3:10AM]

which is pretty much what the mba owners need (a no-brainer)

[rv @ Feb 24th 2008 9:34PM]

There is no way either of those have the right amount of video harware to push it. Also, why on an EEE? The screen isnt 720p capable.

[Danny @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:25PM]

In the UK, you can already pick up one of these for around £40 BNIB.

[SB @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:24PM]

But $50 is around £25 not £40.
And Flashpoint, "#1 I've already got a standard DVD of every single HDDVD that was available", well you could watch all your standard dvds upscaled with the drive, so its not so bad at all.

[Danny @ Feb 23rd 2008 6:59PM]

Yes, but nothing is ever sold direct to the exchange rate. I payed £50 for The Orange Box for PS3, which is $100.

[jason w @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:27PM]

I bet it wont happen until after the 28th since that is when the hddvd get 5 free thing ends.

[z3r0D @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:31PM]

I believe this still comes with a cool 5 movies. 50$ for 5 NEW movies in HD Quality? Upscales DVD's? Not too shabby....

[carlosmbernal @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:32PM]

IT'S THE CHEAPER MACBOOK AIR ADD-ON.. YES! YOU CAN USE IT FOR READ DVDS IN THE MACBOOK AIR AND INSTALL YOUR OFFICE 2007

[t3yf5g @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:42PM]

Caps Lock = Off

[Kizorblade @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:14PM]

His caps lock looks pretty on to me...

Maybe he should spend that 50$ on a new keyboard instead?

[guerilla779 @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:40PM]

DEAD PARROT for $49.99 , available till stocks last.

[r3loaded @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:00PM]

"I wish to complain about this high-definition format what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique."
"Oh yes, the, uh, the HD-DVD...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?"
"I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!"
"No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting."
"Look, matey, I know a dead high-definition format when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now."

[adam fuller @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:55PM]

Maybe if they made it 50 dollars when it came out HD-DVD wouldn't be discontinued already.

[Naveed @ Feb 23rd 2008 2:21PM]

yeah, but right now theyre not trying to make profit, just maximizing reduction of losses

[Chris @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:02PM]

I'm still waiting for my free movies! Should I just give up already or is there ANY chance I might still get them?

[josh @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:24PM]

They tried to pull that stunt with me. I sent my paperwork and proof of purchase in November, and then in the beginning of January I received a letter saying:

"We are currently low on stock and it could take a little longer than expected, would you still like to wait and receieve your free HD movies at a later date?"

I couldn't believe they asked that, so I sent it back with the "Yes" box checked, and like a week later the movies arrived.

[Andrew Pearson @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:03PM]

awww poor ol microsoft, maybe they should give them away with zunes? oh hang on maybe give a zune away with... or a zune and an hd-dvd drive with every copy of vista!! It's amazing they make any money at all!!!

[Abuzar @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:28PM]

They make much more money than your beloved tech company(If that's Apple, Sony, or Nintendo), that's for sure. They makes LOTS of money on Vista and Office. The 360 is starting to pull a profits also. The Zune is actually pretty good, and many people actually want one. Certainly better than the iPod. Everyone I know that bought a new HDD Media Player recently has bought the 80GB Zune.

So you know, we're cool and all, right?

[Jon Doe. @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:04PM]

I'd hit that, hell I'll buy 2

[Jon Doe. @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:06PM]

Oh and as always, may all fanbois burn in hell. Assholes

[BatteryAcid @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:11PM]

These use blue lasers, so they may be usefull in making blue laser pointers.

[Hunts314 @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:50PM]

If I didn't already have a HD-A2 I might have been interested. THen again, I sold my 360 (too many RRoDs) last week after I got it back from being repaired for the last time (well for me anyway). Shiny new PS3 for me now :)

[tadmarketing @ Feb 23rd 2008 1:52PM]

I wish that we could have found such good deals as this while HD-DVD was still a viable option to go for high def. If microsoft had such a vested interest in that platform they should have bitten the bullet and incorporated it into the 360 as soon as possible. Maybe it was a cost efficiency issue? Seems unlikely as I believe the ps3 has a lower success rate of production when it comes to its parts. And they managed to become profitable sooner. Who knew?

[charleytony @ Feb 23rd 2008 2:02PM]

Does anybody knows if you could gut the inside of the hd-dvd in order to put an HDD in it ?
you would get an external HDD that really looks good with the xbox 360 !!!!
any other mod ideas ????

[Dan @ Feb 23rd 2008 2:28PM]

The case is big enough to fit a hard drive, you just might have to make your own mounts and rob another enclosure for the power and data connections. As for other Xbox mods, I'm starting to look into gutting an original Xbox and putting a full featured HTPC it it (with a Bluray drive just for irony...)

[gabriel suarez @ Feb 23rd 2008 2:13PM]

still a waste of money,all the exclusive hddvd's are coming over to bluray soon.

[Rawker @ Feb 23rd 2008 2:57PM]

ya but they are

[xbit @ Feb 23rd 2008 2:16PM]

The 5 DVD offer ends on 28th Feb so be quick!