Microsofts Next Media Format?

[Comrade Tovya]

rhisc said:

Comrade Tovya said:

rhisc said:

It would make sense for MS to use BR discs as it would obviously increase the capacity but also add a bullet point to their system and say that they can play BR movies just like the Playstation.

Digital downloads are too far away.  Even with the popularity of XBL its surprising that the most downloaded game is Aegis with 1.3 million and this is a free game to boot.  Seems like the masses aren't interested or aware of digital downloads.

 

Right, but I don't think that people care about a console that can play Blu-ray movies... it obviously hasn't helped, and has actually hurt the last place Sony PS3.

People want cheap, and the Blu-ray option is just keeping an otherwise great console too expensive for Sony to sell more PS3s.

 

By the time the next console comes out the licensing fee for BR will be cheaper.  When Windows XP came out it did not have DVD drivers.  You needed to buy 3rd party drivers like WinDVD.  Microsoft did this because they didn't want to pay for the licensing fee.  Years later the fee has come down and they include it in Media Player.  

Whenever the nextbox comes out not only will the licensing fees be cheaper but the drives will be cheaper as well as the cost to manufacture discs.  If Blu Ray continues to grow it will be expected to have support right out of the box.  MS will want to be at least on par with their competitor.

MS is going to try to create the single box that you connect to your TV that does everything.  Play games, DVD/BR movies, streams, etc.

 

 

 

I think MS is betting on the horse that by the time Blu-ray has a chance to overrun standard DVDs, streaming media will take over as the format of choice.  That actually was the purported reason that MS didn't throw its full weight behind HD DVD to begin with... the rumor was that later in 2008 streaming media would be coming to the 360 and that their mediocre support of HD DVD was just there to prolong the format war against Blu-ray until they could perfect streaming media.  Looks like that rumor was true, as the Netflix streaming service via the 360 is awesome.