Xbox 360 HD DVD Player review

When Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 HD Player internet forums erupted with the cries of gamers burned by many a doomed add-on of yesteryear – the Sega Mega CD and SEGA 32X still sit unhappily in my mind. What many a naysayer failed to realise about the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is that it’s a device created solely for playing HD DVD video, and according to Microsoft the format will not be used for gaming.

So, as a device with a clearly defined purpose – that of high definition video playback – the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player cannot be shoved into the same pigeonhole as previous failed add-ons. Think of it more as a rather fantastic home cinema peripheral.

For £129.99 you get the HD DVD Player, a USB cable to hook it up to the Xbox 360, a Universal Media Remote, and for a limited time a copy of Peter Jackson’s King Kong. Just to reiterate, the price is only £129.99; that’s less than the third of the cost of a standalone HD DVD player – even when you add in the cost of a Core Xbox 360 and VGA cable, it’s under £350. Now that’s what I call a bargain.

The unit takes its stylings from the Xbox 360 console and is every bit as handsome. Situated flat or on its side, the HD DVD Player is approximately a quarter of the size of the Xbox 360 – certainly a whole lot smaller than a standalone HD DVD player which would easily eclipse the Xbox 360.

Although not quite plug and play, the player is extremely straightforward to install. A small external power supply connects to the rear of the player, and a USB cable provides the connection to the Xbox 360. Then there’s a simple task of running the supplied installation disc and you’re ready to go.

You don’t have any audio and video cables to worry about – all this is handled on the Xbox 360 – with the player simply pumping the HD DVD data through to the console. You do, however, have some audio and visual decisions to make. To experience HD resolution video you’ll need to connect your Xbox 360 to a capable display using Component or VGA cables. To obtain the full 1080p that HD DVD can deliver you’ll need a VGA cable, with Component limiting your options to 720p and 1080i.

Although capable of delivering the full resolution video of HD DVD, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player isn’t quite as complete in the audio department. The player does not offer Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD decoding, nor is it able to pass through the required high definition audio format to an external decoder. Audiophiles will certainly lament its absence, but the player does downconvert Dolby TrueHD to a high quality 1.5mbps Dolby Digital track.

Other than the eject button, you’ll find no controls on the unit itself – it’s a good job then that the supplied Universal Media Remote is up to the task. The remote fits nicely in the hand and for ease of use in a dark room features back-lit buttons. The player can also be controlled with the Xbox 360 controller and this will do a fair job should you misplace your remote.

Once you get down to watching an HD DVD you’ll notice that the add-on is no slouch. Compared to other HD DVD players on the market, the Xbox 360 is able to load up a disc considerably quicker – somewhere in the region of three times faster than Toshiba’s standalone models. Menu speeds are also good, with the player responding promptly to commands.

Having tested a variety of HD DVD movies (King Kong, Serenity, The Last Samurai and Mission Impossible III to name a few) it’s very hard to fault the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player. Technical shortcomings aside (no HDMI and lack of HD audio), you’ll be treated to a home cinema experience without equal at this price point. The more impressive your home cinema setup the more you will benefit from the HD upgrade, but even with a modest 32″ HD Ready display and an entry level 5.1 surround sound system, the jump to HD is well worth the investment.

There is one area in which the Xbox 360 does falter though, and for some it could be a deal breaker. When playing a game, the Xbox 360 produces a lot of noise. This comes from the cooling inside the console and the DVD drive when a disc is spinning. Thankfully, the noise when playing a movie is much less than when playing a game. It’s hard to say precisely, but the noise level is slightly greater than when using the Xbox 360 Dashboard. It’s not a massive issue, but is more noticeable than with a standalone player and certainly something which will be heard during quiet parts of a movie.

Unlike DVDs, the HD DVD format does not currently feature region coding, meaning you can playback HD DVDs from all over the world using the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player. The HD DVD Player is also able to play standard DVDs, but carries the same region coding as the built-in Xbox 360 DVD drive.

For those who have already invested in an Xbox 360, the leap to high definition video can be had for only £129.99. At this price anyone with a passion for movies should seriously consider purchasing the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player; you get pretty much what standalone HD DVD players offer, but at a price that needn’t break the bank.

The lack of HD audio and digital video output will no doubt put off potential buyers, but if your equipment can’t take advantage of these new formats and you have no intentions to upgrade in the foreseeable future, the Xbox 360 coupled with its HD DVD Player add-on should be high up on your home cinema shopping list.