That Elusive 360 HD DVD Drive

[grazer15]

Yes I know before you all say it I should have preordered a couple of months ago.You would think Microsoft would have learnt from the 360 Supply fiasco last xmas.Surely they knew how popular these were gonna be.I have been hunting around online for the last 3 days with no luck.However PC World got my hopes up by saying on their website although it is out of stock at the warehouse it is available collect from store.I must have typed in every town in the UK but with no luck. So i phoned PC World up and he said it is definitely available collection from store but he couldnt tell me where, ****ard! And what makes it worse is seeing the stack of them on EBAY for sale.I dont mind paying a bit extra but I aint paying £100 over the odds.If anyone knows of any local stores that have them can you please let me know

[scorp]

i'd speculate that they might be experience the same problems sony had, and that was a shortage of blue laser diodes.

[combemarshal]

360's external drive is HD not blue ray (which will fail really badly, betamax style!)

[grazer15]

They are readily available in the USA cause I checked.If I wanted a US Import movietyme have them available for £159.95 but It only comes with a 30 day warranty.I want the Pal version so I get a 12 month warranty.I spoke to Game over the phone and they believe I wont see one this side of Xmas.It was the same old story with the 360 last xmas but I walked into Game last Xmas eve and picked one up instantly.

[therossatron]

grazer15 said:

I want the Pal version so I get a 12 month warranty.

Hi def TV's don't use the old Pal/NTSC system so unless it's region coded you should be fine.

[JagLover]

combemarshal said:

360's external drive is HD not blue ray (which will fail really badly, betamax style!)

Agreed

[JagLover]

therossatron said:

grazer15 said:

I want the Pal version so I get a 12 month warranty.

Hi def TV's don't use the old Pal/NTSC system so unless it's region coded you should be fine.

and at present the disks have no region coding as well. They might be described as 'region 1 disks' but there is no difference at present.

[grazer15]

I think I have had a bit of luck,I just happened to go onto Dixons website and they said in stock.So I have ordered it quickly and when I went back to the website a couple of minutes later it now says sold out.I am just waiting on the processing email to confirm I nabbed one.I am just praying it aint a mistake

[jezza l]

I'd not bothered with ordering one as i don't have any HD DVD's and there aren't any HD DVD games out! So what am i missing here?

[:J:]

jezza l said:

I'd not bothered with ordering one as i don't have any HD DVD's and there aren't any HD DVD games out! So what am i missing here?

HD games are what the 360 has as standard.

As for having no HD DVD's, I guess it is the same as not having any DVD's when you got your first DVD player, just have to go get some

[nick heppinstall]

I was lucky

I decided I wanted one for Christmas but had not pre-ordered. Looking around the forums I thought... NO CHANCE !

I called a few shops on Saturday night at Meadowhall, Sheffield.

Virgin had some in !!!

Shot down their and was walking out at 21:30 with my shiny new drive !

[GI Jnr]

nick heppinstall said:

Shot down their and was walking out at 21:30 with my shiny new drive !

So, they're actually commercially available then and it's a supply problem as opposed to a release date issue...?

Jeez, they kept that quiet!

Tuan

[jezza l]

:J: said:

jezza l said:

I'd not bothered with ordering one as i don't have any HD DVD's and there aren't any HD DVD games out! So what am i missing here?

HD games are what the 360 has as standard.

As for having no HD DVD's, I guess it is the same as not having any DVD's when you got your first DVD player, just have to go get some

J: The games are in hi def but I meant they aren't using HDDVD formatted disks hence why we can play them on a standard 360

[:J:]

jezza l said:

:J: said:

jezza l said:

I'd not bothered with ordering one as i don't have any HD DVD's and there aren't any HD DVD games out! So what am i missing here?

HD games are what the 360 has as standard.

As for having no HD DVD's, I guess it is the same as not having any DVD's when you got your first DVD player, just have to go get some

J: The games are in hi def but I meant they aren't using HDDVD formatted disks hence why we can play them on a standard 360

If I knew the smiley with the lightbulb above it, it would be here

I get ya now...

lol...

[thekirbyfake]

I've played some of the HD WMV movies through the 360 and the quality is truly stunning (clicky

However the fan noise, as ever, is painfully loud.

Will the HD DVD be the same? If so, it'll ruin the viewing experience imo.

[combemarshal]

It not normally the fan you hear, it's the DVD drive, try playing a downloaded game, everything goes quiet.
Just turn the volume up!!

[scorp]

combemarshal said:

360's external drive is HD not blue ray (which will fail really badly, betamax style!)

If your replying to my post (at the top) then i mean both drives, hd-dvd and bluray both use blue laser diodes, im not sure if they are the exactly the same, but i'd imaging neither manufacturer can produce them as easily as dvd or cdrom lasers.

[RobDickinson]

The blue diode laser is the same but the focusing mechanism is different. The BluRay drive requires a more accurate, closer focusing mechanism. Not sure where the yeild problems are but I think its the laser itself.

You can safely buy one from the US if you want.

[grazer15]

Well after alot of worry I finally received the email I have been waiting for.My HD DVD Drive is ready for despatch at Milton Keynes and they have supplied a DHL Tracking number.I cannot believe how lucky I have been.Now my next challenge is to find Junior a Nintendo Wii before xmas

[aspender]

Reports indicate that although the HD DVD decoding software on the 360 pushes the box harder than any of the current games do (apparently only Gears of War gets close) the fan noise is not a problem. The actual drive unit itself is near to silent.

Now if only I could find one...