# How good is the xbox360 dvd player?



## wig (Mar 10, 2007)

How does the xbox360 compare to high end players,and will regular dvds look better if I ad the hd-dvd drive.thanks wig


----------



## Snatcher (Jan 8, 2007)

I ran the HQV tests on it, and it performed quite average for my tastes. Of the DVD players I hace at hand (a Denon 900, an Oppo 970, the HD-A1 and a PS3), it was the lowest in rankings on my TV @ 1080i (The Xbox 360 can only output DVDs at 480p via component). It received 71 and 84 on the DVD shootout, so it isn't bad either (I assume they graded the dvd player both times but only the later review really applies, since the firmware fixes the software player). Regarding DVD playback on the HD-DVD add-on, it uses the same software based routines that it does when using from the regular drive, so there is no difference at all.


----------



## wig (Mar 10, 2007)

Artemio thanks for the input,I guess that means I need a new DVD player.


----------



## DrPainMD (Jan 25, 2007)

Does the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on do 1080i or 1080p ? What are HD-DVD's 1080i or p?

Thanks


----------



## Snatcher (Jan 8, 2007)

It does 1080i via component and 1080p via VGA, but depending on the TV set when using VGA there have been reports of washed out colors. HD-DVDs are 1080p. DVDs are only upscaled via VGA.

There is one other thing, you cannot (currently) listen to the high resoluition audio tracks on the add-on, since it has neither analog out or HDMI. You'll always listen to a re-compressed Dolby Digital @ 540 kbps track via toslink. This changed with the new Xbox 360 Elite just announced today that has an HDMI port. It has not been announced if the HD-DVD drive will use the HDMI port for output, but I believe that is a safe bet that a software update will address.


----------



## DrPainMD (Jan 25, 2007)

I currently use the component out on the xbox360 to my receiver, then component out to my vga in on my projector. (vga to component cable) . Would I be able to get 1080p ?


----------



## Snatcher (Jan 8, 2007)

Not with that signal train. You need to use the VGA out of the Xbox 360 to get 1080p, so you need to buy the VGA cable for that system. I've also found in the past that component to VGA converters (active ones, with AC) usually degrade the signal. I only tested with 1080i though, buy your situation may vary. I'd recommend you try some test patterns in jpg from your xbox to check that out if you really care that much about 1080p.


----------



## DrPainMD (Jan 25, 2007)

Thanks for the info, well my projector is only 1080i, so 1080p is out of the question anyway.


----------

