X360 HD DVD Add-On Owners: PowerDVD Ultra Now Available!
 

Cyberlink just released their PowerDVD Ultra software for playing back HD DVD on your HTPC, and since the XBox 360 HD DVD add-on is so inexpensive I think a lot of people are going to be scooping this up. HTPC is great since you can tweak picture settings to your liking, output 1080p/24 with the proper hardware, tweak the audio, etc. If you connect via VGA/component you don't need an HDCP compliant video card from what I can tell, though it'll need to be 256MB. You still need a beefy CPU (X2 4200 or E6400) however, and 512MB RAM minimum.

New features for PowerDVD Ultra include:

* Official support for the Xbox 360 HD DVD external drive
* Playback of high-definition Hollywood movie content
* Optimized performance for playback of high-definition video content on graphics cards featuring NVIDIA PureVideo, ATI Avivo, and Intel Clear Video technology
* Support for new next-generation disc features, like Picture-in-Picture movie mode, networking, iHD features, bookmarks, and advanced disc navigation
* High-definition audio with support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD technologies
* 6.1-channel surround sound, ensuring compatibility with home theater audio systems, and audio expansion of up to 8 channels
* Conformance to the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) specifications for the playback of premium content through DVI and HDMI connectors
* Support for BUS Protection ensures premium content protection via VGA systems.

There's a discussion on the software here as well and though a lot of problems have been fixed since PowerDVD 6.5 HD DVD it's not perfect, but definitely a step in the right direction. Intervideo is suppose to be releasing a HD pack soon for WinDVD8, no information yet however on the exact release date.

Btw, Microsoft now officially supports the XBox 360 add-on for use on Windows XP and has released a driver for the two "XBox 360 HD DVD Memory Unit" devices. Just run Windows Update.

I imagine this addon will sell many more units and get HD-DVD into many more homes than originally hoped for with XP support. Very smart move by MS. Just think what all the BD fans were saying a few months ago about how MS wasn't doing much for the HD-DVD format. :D

Now as a portable HD-DVD computer drive for $200.00 alone it might possibly out sell both the addon for xBox360 AND PS3 just for use with PCs.

Of course SOME BS laden BD fans will want to attach the cost of the computers we all have already to the addon cost to come up with "THEIR" real full cost of getting HD-DVD into the home. :rolleyes:

I think this could single handedly decide the war myself. :thumbsup:

Just think all you have to spend is $200 for an external drive! Although the 3500 you'll have to spend on a computer that can handle hd content hurts a bit.. :p

Looks like you have what is needed already!

It does 720p just fine, but it still stutters on 1080 :(
Any of the intel Core 2 duo cpus will do it fine. I bought mine just before those came out, been kickin' myself ever since.

We've all been there at one time or another. :)

That's definately good news again for HD-DVD owners. $200 for an external HD-DVD drive is such a bargain.

Nice, my 9300 should be fast enuff

I think your CPU might be a tad too low.

For 1080p...I would agree, 720p should work.

Perhaps, but as far as I know nearly all HD DVDs are encoded at 1080p.

Did anyone know that MS has changed the warranty on the 360 to a 1 year warranty RETROACTIVELY? Here is the link:

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/200...and-canada.htm

I thought this might be relevant to many here who have a HD-DVD addon. I posted it in the Gaming section also.

True, I was thinking about HD files as well, but that doesn't really apply to this discussion...my bad. :)