Microsoft Readying Blu-ray for Xbox 360
John Martellaro - The Mac Observer
Oct 13, 2008
A joint venture between Toshiba and Samsung has been contracted to build an external Blu-ray player for the Xbox 360, according to Xbit technology.
The exact specifications remain unknown, however, the price point is believed to be in the US $100 to $150 range in order for the Xbox 360 to remain competitive with the Sony PS3 which has an internal Blu-ray player.
Despite Microsoft's distaste for the Java technology in Blu-ray systems, the company may have no choice if it wants to keep its combination gaming and video platform competitive with the PS3 in the HDTV market.
It is not yet known whether Microsoft will launch the device for the holidays or wait for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January to garner more publicity.
Microsoft has always said that it wants to give customers what they want, and in this case, the demise of HD DVD has forced Microsoft's hand. While downloading SD movie content has become popular, there is still a huge market for high definition movies on Blu-ray -- it's just a market reality for Microsoft. The added benefit, of course, is that as the volume of $125 Blu-ray players goes up, prices will come down further for everyone, perhaps even Apple customers with MacBooks at some point.
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