HD-DVD Splashdown

After months of on and off trying I’ve finally got an HD-DVD drive for my Xbox 360, and there it is in all its shiny glory. Initial impressions, well I have to say I’m very impressed. First things first, the device is very easy to get set up. It’s merely a case of connecting the external power (this is a slight let down, I was hoping the 360 was going to drive both devices) and the USB cable between the 360 and the drive (which is about the same size as a large paperback book). A CD is provided which installs an update to the 360 dashboard so the disc icon is now split in half allowing you to choose between Play Game and Play HD-DVD. While you no longer get a free copy of King Kong with the drive, you do get the full 360 Media Remote, which was an unexpected bonus. While slightly annoying, I’m not that bothered by the lack of free Kong because I found the film rather tedious except for the part where Kong fights the T-Rex.

The drive is quiet too, almost silent in fact. The 360 is by no means a quiet console when you are playing a game, especially hardware intense titles like Gears Of War, where is sounds like a Harrier Jump Jet is constantly trying to take off under the TV. But when it’s idle, and with a movie playing I didn’t notice the fan noise at all. That’s not to say it’s near silent like the PS3, but it makes watching a movie far more enjoyable than I thought it would.

Much is made of the fact that both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players take around thirty seconds to leap into action when a disc is first inserted. The 360 drive only seemed to take between five and ten seconds to have a disc up and running, although the console does take a few seconds longer when it initially boots. The 360 splash screen sits there for a couple of seconds before the dashboard first appears.

So far I’ve only got one movie, Mission: Impossible III which while isn’t everyone’s cup of proverbial, I really enjoyed it and in HD it looks stunning. The movie was shot with a grainy and slightly dark tinged lens, and after some initial tweaking of the TV picture it really stood out compared to the regular DVD (which looks pretty nice already when played in my upscaling DVD player).

A nice bonus is that the Special Features (on a second disc) are nearly all in HD as well, for the complete experience. I’ll be writing a review of the disc when I get more time.

So while an external drive isn’t exactly ideal, adding HD movie playback to the 360 for just over £100 is a bit of a no brainer (provided you have an HDTV of course). It doesn’t quite have the WOW factor because I’ve already been enjoying HD content for over a year now, and while the jump isn’t quite as night and day as the different between VHS and DVD, HD-DVD does make the whole experience that more enjoyable.

Next Friday will see the PS3 and its Blu-Ray playback capability. I’m looking forward to comparing the two, watch this space.

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