[Joker]

Despite what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer may have implied, the company has "no plans" to bring Blu-ray playing accessories to the Xbox 360, according to a statement from the company.

Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb posting on his Xbox 360-centric blog today that Ballmer wasn't speaking about the Xbox platform during his interview with Gizmodo, instead saying those accessories were bound for the PC. More "poorly chosen words" or just a simple misunderstanding?

"As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360," Hryb reiterated. "In fact, the future of home entertainment starts very soon when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies."

http://kotaku.com/5388041/microsoft-...ng-to-xbox-360

[lowmankind]

I had a feeling that this would be the case... after all, people are already streaming more than they are using physical media, and I'll bet that MS are loathe to implement their competitors' hardware into the 360... why would they?

[Paul Holm]

I'm streaming video and music off my HDD via TVersity. Is it possible to stream directly from an optical drive?

[lowmankind]

VLC media player gives you the option to stream directly from an optical disc (dvd, say) and transmit somewhere, or save as your favourite video file type... I haven't played with it very much as the results weren't what I had hoped, but that might be because the stream was faster than the file could write...

[~Hazdaz~]

On the one hand, I see this as typical MS stubbornness in not supporting any formats that they themselves didn't create, but on the other hand I don't see much of a point in bringing Blu-Ray to the XB platform. DVDs are still big enough for most games and like was mentioned above, streaming is the future, whether you like it or not.

Also add-on drives/expansion hardware for consoles almost never sell in great numbers, which ultimately makes them poorly supported by game developers. So the only real use for it would be to watch Blu-Ray movies and by now you can just buy a sand-alone player for under $200.

[DigitalDemigod]

I can understand the reasons for not bringing these accessories to the 360 due to streaming hd media as well as not wanting competitor's technology mingling with theres.

Here's what really confuses me about this whole thing: what he was really talking about was blu-ray accessories for the PC? huh?! What type of accessory does one need for the PC other than a blu-ray drive?

[Marscaleb]

Originally Posted by lowmankind

and I'll bet that MS are loathe to implement their competitors' hardware into the 360... why would they?

I personally doubt that Microsoft would be hard on that deal. If they think they can make money form it, they would do it!
But the real issue is Sony. Blu-ray compatibility has been the biggest driving force behind what little success the PS3 has had. Why would they license Microsoft to make a Blu-ray player for the 360? If they did that it would destroy their PS3 sales. And Microsoft knows this, so they're not even going to ask.
But if they could, of COURSE Microsoft would support a Blu-ray player! It would simultaneously bring in more sales to their system while tanking their competitor!

[~Hazdaz~]

Why would it bring in more sales? It isn't 2007 anymore where Blu-Ray players are going for $1000+... any add on would cost at least $100 (realistically, closer to $200), which is very close to what stand-alone units are already going for. Since any Blu-Ray add-on for the XB would not be used for games, it seems rather pointless (and definitely not a "deal") and I don't see how it would help XB sales.

[Marscaleb]

Blu-ray players SO are not going for $100.
And even so, they only need to be around the same price as a blu-ray player because that makes them worth getting. Why get just a blu-ray player when an extra fifty bucks gets you a game console that can stream movies too? It gives them an extra boost for the people that are borderline.

[~Hazdaz~]

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=11070373

$148. And that's RIGHT NOW... not in 6 or 12 months which would be the earliest that any XB BR could have possibly come to market.