At $199 the recently released High Definition-DVD player for the Xbox 360 is definitely worth the money. Excluding the price of the Xbox 360 the HD player is the cheapest HD-DVD player on the market. Setup is quick and easy. In less than five minutes you can be enjoying all the HD picture clarity and digital sound this new format can deliver. The biggest surprise is the quick response of the player. Where the stand alone models of the HD system and Blueray have load times of 2 minutes and up, the Microsoft player takes no longer than any standard DVD system.
If you own a 360 and have any interest in HD movies, this is the best $200 you’ll spend. At this price, it’s worth trying out the HD format and it doesn’t really matter who wins the format war. Again, if you’re new to the HD or Blueray formats do your homework before buying the disks. There is no reason to pay $24.99 when there are places selling them for $14.99-$19.99.
The one downside for many HDTV owners is the lack of HDMI output on the 360. For true video neophytes this is a major exclusion. For the rest of us using the high definition output of the component-video adapter does the trick since 1080p HD games aren’t scheduled to hit the scene until late 2007. --Or if your HDTV has a VGA connection using a VGA adapter will give more resolution options important to power users. (If you know what I’m talking about you’ve already decided to you if it matters or not. If HDMI or DVI connections are a major selling point in your gaming console, you’ve already opted for the Playstation.)
Right now, King Kong HD and a 360 media remote is included with the player, a $40 value for those who don’t already own them.
Extra notice to users
-The only complaint and a word to the wise is to mind the brief instructions on the install disk for the HD player. Once installed it instructs how to find the onscreen menu button for starting an HD disk. May seem simple but if you miss this caveat of info you’ll be quite upset the next time you use the player. That first time you put in a disk it kicks right into the HD movie. If you try a new movie, you’ll be looking through the 360 menu screens for the play button for the HD. At least for me, it’s very well hidden. I won’t try to explain it here, but make sure you watch the directions. Simple once you know, but a real hair puller if you don’t pay attention. Even the instruction book keeps this important info well hidden.
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