Archive for the ‘blu-ray’ Category

Microsoft: ‘We have no plans for Blu-Ray on Xbox 360′

A recent Gizmodo sit down with Steve Ballmer led with a headline exclaiming a Blu-ray add-on for Xbox was coming. See, when Ballmer was asked about making the Xbox a home theater companion of choice and where Blu-ray might fit in, the Windows 7 wild man said, “Well I don’t know if we need to put Blu-ray in there — you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.” He then added that on-demand is the future of movies, not physical media. Now our bud Major Nelson, Director of Programming for Xbox Live, has stepped up to lay the conflation to rest. The Major says that Ballmer was referring to Blu-ray accessories for the PC and reiterated Microsoft’s focus of bringing instant-on 1080p streaming movies to the Xbox 360. So… that should end speculation of Blu-ray on Xbox right? Not if history serves, nope.

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Microsoft: ‘We have no plans for Blu-Ray on Xbox 360′ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Says No Xbox Blu-ray Drives Period, Says Ballmer Was Talking About PCs [Microsoft]

In a revised statement, Microsoft says it has “no plans” to introduce any Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360. But—despite the fact they watched the same video you did—they claim Ballmer was referring to the PC.

Here’s the full statement:

Steve was referring to Blu-ray accessories for the PC. As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment starts this fall when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies. With a library of thousands of TV shows and movies to choose from, Xbox 360 owners can instantly watch the movies they want, when they want, in the highest form of high definition.

This more clearly worded denial probably should have come last night, when we first asked for comment, instead of the more open-ended one provided at the time. Whatever… easy come, easy go. However, the idea that Ballmer was referring to the PC—which already has Blu-ray drives—rather than simply saying something that wasn’t true, that’s a little more questionable.

One more time, for posterity, this is what Ballmer said in reply to a question about putting Blu-ray in Xbox:

Well I don’t know if we need to put Blu-ray in there—you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.

Steve Ballmer Exclusive Interview Series:
Part 1: Ballmer Talks Natal, Says Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox Coming
Part 2: Ballmer on the Smartphone Race: “It Doesn’t Matter What the Critics Say”
Part 3: Ballmer on Zune: Sometimes You Get It Right The Third Time?
Part 4: Ballmer on Those Crazy Ballmer YouTube Videos

Ballmer Talks Natal, Says Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox Coming [Ballmer Interview]

In the first segment of our exclusive Steve Ballmer interview series, the Microsoft CEO and I talk about Natal, the blurring of console generations, and the surprising assertion that “you’ll be able to get” Blu-ray add-on drives for Xbox 360.

When I asked Ballmer about adding Blu-ray to the Xbox, he said:

Well I don’t know if we need to put Blu-ray in there—you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.

Though he says it with certitude, the timing of any kind of Blu-ray accessory is unclear. When I asked Xbox spokespeople about Ballmer’s revelation, they responded:

Our immediate solution for Blu-ray-quality video on an Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming. As far as our future plans are concerned, we’re not ready to comment.

Maybe something cooking for CES? Of course, his Blu-ray comment may not mean that Microsoft is coming out with an external drive—he may have just been shooting down the idea that the Xbox 360 will ever have an internal Blu-ray drive, by saying that any Blu-ray the Xbox gets would have to be external. On the other hand he did say, “You’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories.”

As you can see in our back-and-forth, Ballmer plays his cards close to the chest, but in my sit-down interview with him, he shared a lot. Prior to the Blu-ray business, Ballmer and I talked about Natal, and the excitement that Matt and Mark experienced when they stepped into the chamber back at E3. When I asked him if Natal was Microsoft’s attempt to do away with concept of game console generations (thereby prolonging the life of a given platform indefinitely), Ballmer smiled knowingly and said “We’ll see.”

Stay tuned for more exciting Ballmer moments (and facial expressions) over the next day, and then the full uncut interview video on Friday.

Netflix Streaming Gets Ever Cheaper, Comes to $180 Blu-Ray Player [NetFlix]

Netflix is taking over the world, bit by bit: First it gets beautifully integrated with Windows 7 Media Center, and now it comes to Insignia’s dirt-cheap Blu-Ray decks. $180 for a Netflix-connected Blu-Ray player isn’t anything to sneeze at.

Insignia, Best Buy’s house brand, offers the NS-BRDVD3 at $180, with the NS-WBRDVD adding Wi-Fi to the mix for $20 more (seems worth the upgrade to us). All it takes is a firmware upgrade and you can start streaming Netflix. It’s great to see Netflix invading our homes, one gadget at a time. Here’s hoping smartphones are next! [Netflix via Engadget]

R2-D2 Caught In Transformers 2 [Transformers]

ILM Special effects supervisor Scott Farrar said that R2-D2 had a cameo in Transformers 2. My bet was that she was behind Megan Fox’s ass at one point, giving her a back rub. With his special back vibrating thingapparatus. Updated.

Actually, according to this frame captured from the Blu-ray edition, our favorite astromech appears 2 hours 17 minutes and 52 seconds in the movie, during the merge of Jetfire’s parts to Optimus Prime.

It looks like the real thing to me. Those look like his three feet, as he is flying away from the camera. They are too symmetric to be a piece of random metal, and I can see his shape. But then again, I’ve been wrong before.

Update: A reader sent us this other frame, which clearly shows that’s R2-D2. [Transformers Live]

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