what does an hd dvd player do? just enhance the hd dvd? is an hd dvd better than a regular dvd on a regular dvd player and an hd tv?

1/28/2007 12:07:24 AM

Can you play a VHS tape in a CD player?

That's basically what trying to play an HD DVD in a DVD player is.

(there are dual format DVD/HD DVDs that will work in both-- I don't think there's any on the market yet-- but they are reading completely different layers. You MUST use an HD DVD player to get the benefit of an HD-DVD)

[Edited on January 28, 2007 at 12:13 AM. Reason : ]

1/28/2007 12:12:21 AM

^there are plenty on the market that are dual format. most of them are actually and what sucks is you end up paying for that which is pointless. side a: hd side b: standard def.

1/28/2007 12:22:54 AM

The dual-format ones I was talking about have both types on one side.

I knew about the side a/side b ones.

1/28/2007 12:25:27 AM

well i play hd games on 360 so its not clear like the vhs cd thing.

1/28/2007 1:51:15 AM

HD players can play DVD's. DVD players cannot play HD DVD's. Its like how a PS3 can play PS2 games, but a PS2 cannot play PS3 games.

His comparison is still valid, though. Trying to play an HD DVD on a DVD player would be like trying to play a DVD in a VHS player.

1/28/2007 2:07:47 AM

so you will get nothing?

and howcome they claim some xbox 360 games are in "hd"

1/28/2007 2:12:47 AM

HD gaming and HDDVD's are different..

360 games are on regular dvds but provide high resolution textures/graphics etc that give you the HD gaming experience.. HDDVDs aren't DVDs.. they require different laser technology, etc.

if you want to play HDDVDs on your 360 you will have to purchase the $200 HDDVD drive that plugs into the 360

[Edited on January 28, 2007 at 2:33 AM. Reason : ]

1/28/2007 2:32:05 AM

or stream HD vids from Windows into the 360

[Edited on February 26, 2007 at 12:07 AM. Reason : vid]

2/26/2007 12:06:56 AM

High-definition video generally refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition (SD). That's your 480P, 720P, 1080I and the glorious 1080P. The Xbox360 is capable of outputting video in many of these formats (not 1080P as of yet. Future revision, possibly).

HD DVD, or High-Definition DVD is a high-density optical disc format designed for the storage of data and high-definition video. The HD DVD disc is designed to be the successor to the standard DVD format. It can store about three times as much data as its predecessor. (15 GB per layer instead of 4.7 GB) The HD DVD standard was jointly developed by a group of consumer electronics and PC companies, spearheaded by Toshiba.

Standard DVDs can be in an HD video resolution. Additionally, standard DVD players can output in an HD video resolution (480p, 720p, etc.).

HD DVDs are a new type of DVD, only playable in an HD DVD player. It also can output video in HD resolutions. Additionally, it is backwards compatible with standard DVDs. HD DVDs are not backwards compatible with standard DVD players. The HD part of HD DVD refers only to the new type of storage technology (3x more space per layer allowing for even higher resolution formats to be stored on it) and not the same "HD" you have in your mind from HDTVs.

I hope this is as confusing to read as it was to write.

2/26/2007 8:05:58 AM

if you have an xbox 360 and a 1080p tv then buy the hd dvd player for the 360.
if you don't have 1080p i don't think its worth the upgrade because i think dvds go to 720 don't they?

^ btw... the hd dvd player contains the upgrade to 1080p for the xbox

2/26/2007 10:24:39 AM

^^480p is NOT considered HDTV. Its usually considered "EDTV" (Enhanced Definition).

2/26/2007 10:30:28 AM

^^Almost everything in that post is incorrect.

2/26/2007 10:37:08 AM

well thats what i did
1080p tv
xbox says it outputting 1080p
tv says its getting 1080p
cost 200bucks +xbox

2/26/2007 10:41:24 AM

The Xbox will still output 1080p without having the hd-dvd drive.

Your post implied that it was required.

2/26/2007 10:46:03 AM

i'm sorry...

this was back when i was looking at the sony xbr series tvs that don't except 1080 over component
cables
and the vga from the xbox wouldn't work right with the tv
so you couldn't get the xbox to do 1080 on them but they sent a patch that came with the hd dvd player to fix it or something like that.

brain fart.

2/26/2007 10:51:39 AM