Low-Cost HD DVD Player, True 1080p Output for Xbox 360 Coming in November

"I don't have to explain to the average person; the average person already wants it!"

Yes, and the average person is going to ruin the potential of quality goods for the rest of us.

The average consumer loves downloading over compressed music. Try playing songs from your favorite online music store over a true high-end amplifier and speakers. All downloaded content sounds terrible with a dynamically compressed audio range and considerably less clarity. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Likewise, 640x480 video looks terrible on any large HD screen and/or projector. It isn't even a 16x9 resolution, which is now the standard aspect ratio of a new TV.

Frankly I don't care what the average consumer likes/spends money on, providing:

a.) It doesn't diminish the market for true HD and high quality audio beyond the point where content providers decide to produce it.
-or-
b.) The price for said HD/HQ content doesn't become prohibitive because it gets amortized over such a small install base.

If downloaded music were lossless, and downloaded movies were 1920x1080 then I really wouldn't have a problem. However this digital "I want it now" mentality has the potential to turn digital content into the quality equivalent of Geo Metros.

It's unfortunate and a step in the wrong direction... The providers should have held-off until they could do legitimately better quality, rather than foist upon us the continual quality/convenience trade-off.

cesjr

And your point is? There is nothing to choose between the 360 and PS3, and this shown by Sony's panic'd price reduction. They are in a 10million head start hole and faced also with the excellent looking Wii. Their domination of the gaming console market is going to be somewhat reduced, especially with such short supplies of console over the crucial holiday period in Japan and the US, and the non-existant sales in Europe.

Paul of course forgets to mention that adding the cost of the extras on the xbox 360 takes it up to the price of the PS3 with the extras included.

So comparably equipped, the xbox 360 and PS3 are the same price.

Now they'll have 4-5 dvds of "Finding Nemo" and one for their iTV. iTV looks like it's going to be successful simply because it's been made by Apple.

By the way, will84 your comment was very funny. You should probably start a blog (if you haven't already done so). :-)

I think the most important thing to get out of alnm999s comments is that if it is only going to be Disney, then it will not have a long shelf life. As mentioned, Disney only has so much content.

And consider this. On the one hand, you have Apple users, who have been known to buy almost anything that Steve Jobs puts out there. And on the other hand, you have Disney lovers, who will also buy *anything* Disney. It doesn't matter if they have 5 copies of Snow White already. They'll buy another copy just because.