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Originally Posted by videoworx
I doubt very much that MS will ever include a Blu-Ray add-on drive with their current console.
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It would be a great boon to Blu-ray, and I think this is why they won't do it. It appears their longterm strategy is on downloads (both games & movies, probably apps too in the future), so with Blu-ray lacking HDi why bother helping it? They already get the bulk of video codec licensing costs by having VC-1 mandatory in the hardware, and by far the largest studio (Warner) and its subsidiaries use VC-1 and state they will continue to use VC-1 for the forseeable future, and I'm sure Universal will too. Aside from LionsGate they have had mixed results with the reception of other studios, so what do they have to gain by offering BD? With the cheaper prices we will see later in the year for standalones, console integration of BD will be a non-factor... much like what happened with the 360 HDAO when HD DVD standalones dropped under $300.
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It would also be cost-prohibitive (meaning, by the time they could get around to it, standalones would be a cheaper and simpler solution).
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MS could launch a BD drive in a flash if they wanted. They offer BD authoring software so I'm sure they could easily put together a player (or even have a player in firmware as was the case with the HDAO). The interface is there on 360. The problem is that with BD's use of Java and the inclusion of it on the PS3, combined with MS' longterm downloads focus, it may be counter-productive to make it more popular. The BDROM drives out even offer 12x DVD support, meaning it could be used both as an addon or internally if they wished. With BDROM prices falling to under $150 on the retail market, I could see it not being too expensive...
But as you state, why buy an addon or videogame console with BD when you will be able to get a profile 2.0 Sony standalone for under $299 in 4 months?
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Originally Posted by videoworx
No CE is going cut MS a break on a cheap Blu-Ray drive.
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You are forgetting TSST, who obviously would give MS a good price in a second... Not to mention Lite-On who currently has a $130 retail BDROM out (with 12x DVD) and a strategic partnership with Microsoft
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106227