Xbox 360 Finally Getting Blu-ray Peripheral Support?
Steve Ballmer says the Xbox 360 probably won't get an internal Blu-ray drive, but as for an external one?
It's on.
In a sit down with Gizmodo, the outspoken Microsoft CEO answered a question about Blu-ray's presence in the Xbox 360's assemblage of accessories:
"Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there," said Ballmer, predictably, then not so predictably adding "You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories."
Proper skeptics they are, Gizmodo pushed for clarification, to which Ballmer responded:
Our immediate solution for Blu-ray-quality video on an Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming. As far as our future plans are concerned, we're not ready to comment.
So no further comment about "You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories," but effective confirmation--without backpedalling or obfuscation--that it'll happen at some point.
Microsoft's wouldn't have to move the heavens and earth to shoehorn Blu-ray peripheral support into its Xbox 360 games console. There'd be the question of first- versus third-party peripheral licensing to deal with, of course, i.e. do you craft a generic driver for multiple third-party peripherals, or scoop up all the profits with a first-party "official product" lock? There's the license fee to consider, i.e. paying the enemy to use its formerly competing technology (that'd be a bitter pill, to be sure). And then you have the playback software to consider: Would it fold into Microsoft's existing media playback wrapper? Or land its own application?
External USB Blu-ray playback drives already exist, of course. Cheap ones, too, judging from a cursory scan of Amazon 'Blu-ray usb' items, several of which price in the $100 range.
Of course the real question is whether anyone cares about Blu-ray support at this point. Videophiles (present company included) probably do. The format's still worlds better looking than "on-demand" video--1080p or otherwise--with its superior sample rates. And there's the "extras" aspect to consider, e.g. commentary tracks, deleted scenes, and making-of supplementals, something on-demand video doesn't offer...yet.
But the rest of you? Answer this: Does on-demand video sound seductive? To watch what you want whenever you want to? No longer filling shelves with dozens of crowding plastic cases? And--if the industry gets this next bit right and moves in the direction I expect it to--the option to upgrade to higher-quality versions when they're available without paying full price all over again?
Then Blu-ray as a video-playback solution probably isn't for you. It's a standard slightly ahead of its time in a medium that's quickly falling behind the times. Offering it as an option for Xbox 360 owners would be a friendly wave across the room to a handful of video elitists, but I don't see it becoming the sort of dealmaker it might have been, had it emerged two years ago.
It's on.
In a sit down with Gizmodo, the outspoken Microsoft CEO answered a question about Blu-ray's presence in the Xbox 360's assemblage of accessories:
"Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there," said Ballmer, predictably, then not so predictably adding "You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories."
Proper skeptics they are, Gizmodo pushed for clarification, to which Ballmer responded:
Our immediate solution for Blu-ray-quality video on an Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming. As far as our future plans are concerned, we're not ready to comment.
So no further comment about "You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories," but effective confirmation--without backpedalling or obfuscation--that it'll happen at some point.
Microsoft's wouldn't have to move the heavens and earth to shoehorn Blu-ray peripheral support into its Xbox 360 games console. There'd be the question of first- versus third-party peripheral licensing to deal with, of course, i.e. do you craft a generic driver for multiple third-party peripherals, or scoop up all the profits with a first-party "official product" lock? There's the license fee to consider, i.e. paying the enemy to use its formerly competing technology (that'd be a bitter pill, to be sure). And then you have the playback software to consider: Would it fold into Microsoft's existing media playback wrapper? Or land its own application?
External USB Blu-ray playback drives already exist, of course. Cheap ones, too, judging from a cursory scan of Amazon 'Blu-ray usb' items, several of which price in the $100 range.
Of course the real question is whether anyone cares about Blu-ray support at this point. Videophiles (present company included) probably do. The format's still worlds better looking than "on-demand" video--1080p or otherwise--with its superior sample rates. And there's the "extras" aspect to consider, e.g. commentary tracks, deleted scenes, and making-of supplementals, something on-demand video doesn't offer...yet.
But the rest of you? Answer this: Does on-demand video sound seductive? To watch what you want whenever you want to? No longer filling shelves with dozens of crowding plastic cases? And--if the industry gets this next bit right and moves in the direction I expect it to--the option to upgrade to higher-quality versions when they're available without paying full price all over again?
Then Blu-ray as a video-playback solution probably isn't for you. It's a standard slightly ahead of its time in a medium that's quickly falling behind the times. Offering it as an option for Xbox 360 owners would be a friendly wave across the room to a handful of video elitists, but I don't see it becoming the sort of dealmaker it might have been, had it emerged two years ago.
Comment
Latest Activity
Goozex
© 2010 Created by Kevzin
You need to be a member of Gaymers to add comments!
Join this Ning Network