Microsoft announced their add-on HD DVD player for X-Box 360 will be available in mid November. The HD DVD player will sell for about $200, and will be capable of 1080p resolution.
But the biggest point to take note of is the price comparison of the HD DVD players vs. the Blu-ray players. Sony will be selling the high-end version of it’s PS3 for $600. The Microsoft gaming console X-Box 360 by itself will be $400. Since you have to buy the HD DVD player a-la-carte, at an estimated $200…GUESS WHAT? They are the SAME PRICE!
Speaking of a-la-carte – if you remember back to 2005, around this time, the X-Box people announced the capability of X-Box to read HD DVDs. But then it was found out that it would play movies, but not HD DVD games. This year we find that it will have to be a separate box for while. On the other side of the fence, wasn’t it Sony who said it wouldn’t be packaging the HDMI cable with the PS3. Now there’s another purchase you’ll have to make your setup complete.
In an effort to sell more boxes, and an effort I happen to like, Microsoft will be selling it’s HD player for a limited time bundled with Peter Jackson’s “King Kong”. I just hope the box stands up to it’s name. It kind of scares me that they would need this tactic to sell product.
