Xbox 360 HD DVD Player

Review by The Grevster

HD Adventure

The battle is heating up! The HD DVD add on has been out for some time, and although, Sales have been mediocre, it has basically been the only choice for those seeking a HD Fix at low price. And now with the PS3 on General Release the War has gone up a gear as the battle for HD Content is really beginning! What can the HD DVD offer, who will come out on top! No one knows for sure at this time, but this review will give you the 1st real glimpse of HD DVD content!

The first thing I noticed when I pulled the Add On out of the box, was its size. A miniture 360 if you will, using the exact same shape and styling of its larger counterpart, you really begin to grasp Xbox's use of style and design in their creation. Plug it into the Xbox and into the Wall and you are away, and once you turn the 360 on, the Add On begins to whirl into life. And then you notice its noise, although not huge, when playing a Game, when playing a HD DVD, and the Film's audio is quiet you begin to notice a feint whirling noice, which is a bit distracting.

This is only a small niggle, but the problem with the Add On's surround makes certain audio parts very quiet and makes the Add On's noice even more noticable.

Once you fire up a HD DVD, you really begin to notice the Jump from SD to HD DVD (Even on a 26" Screen). Viewing Distance is improved, close ups almost feel as if you are there and every jump, punch and explosion is crisp and clear. You can't fault its quality it has to be said, and once to get into a film, the small problems with the Add On, float away!

Feature Fest

HD DVD also has some cool nifty features, which make the Jump from DVD even more satisfying. The DVD Menu option is very cool, and allows you to view a small version of the DVD Menu anytime during the film, without stoping! Which means you can select Scenes, Commentary and Extras whilst still watching the film! Very Cool!

Also HD DVD allows you to go further in many films than ever before allowing you Special Features in HD and also some Interactive content during films, when pressing a specific button. All in all the HD DVD experience is one that is very immersive.

At the end of the day the Xbox 360 allows youto play HD DVD's with the add on, and this to me is great, and you can decide when you wish to make the impressive jump to the HD Camp. Its a nifty but of kit, but at the moment only really appeals to the Gadget heads or Film Buffs.