Will Xbox 360 make the right connection?

There appears to be a fog around the Xbox 360 and its HDTV cable connections. Let me go on record to say that Microsoft should seriously reconsider how they intend the console to connect to digital TVs. Four years ago, it was acceptable to provide an "HD A/V Pack" with component cables. In 2005 and beyond, that option simply is not acceptable for several reasons.

Component video is certainly needed for the Xbox 360; digital sets that are a few years old were built before DVI and HDMI became mainstream inputs. There's no issue with including component video connections for that reason alone. But why be shortsighted or require add-on connectors for the future?

If one of the biggest selling points of the Xbox 360 is the "all games in HD", why not showcase those games with a pure digital connection? Pumping the video output though either DVI or HDMI will only enhance the razor sharp gaming experience that Microsoft is touting. Why limit the experience with component video?

What about the potential for high-definition DVDs? Microsoft recently indicated they were considering an HD-DVD drive for the console. The add-on would likely be an external drive because HD-DVD requires an HDCP-compliant connection for copy protection reasons. Sorry folks, you can't use component video for that. Sure, Microsoft will likely provide any HD-DVD drives as an external add-on, so the required output jack will be on the drive itself. If they put the right output jack on the console in the first place, however, they could retool and add an internal HD-DVD drive for less.

What a shame that the "forward thinking" department in Redmond took a vacation. Instead of truly innovating as a market leader, Microsoft seems content to use old technologies for now and provide expensive add-ons later. If you want to become a dominant force in the overall home entertainment space, don't you think you would try to lead the pack?