Xbox 360 HD DVD Player

Lights, camera, action! Xbox 360 HD DVD Player Australian launch details revealed

Major movie studios back HD DVD with Universal Pictures leading the charge

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Xbox transforms the Australian home entertainment landscape by giving consumers a clear choice early next year with the release of the Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player. Launching at $249.95 in Australia, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player will be the most affordable high definition movie player currently on the market in Australia*.

Xbox 360 is the only video game console that lets consumers choose when to upgrade to high definition movie content; when you’re ready you can simply plug in the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player to your console to create the ultimate home theatre experience. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player lets you watch visually amazing high definition movies, and the HD DVD format up-scales your existing collection to enhance the picture quality.

The major movie studios and local film distributors are already lining up in support of HD DVD, including Universal Pictures. The Australian release of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player will come complete with the Universal Pictures blockbuster film “Peter Jackson’s King Kong” on HD DVD. Other HD DVD titles available early next year will include “Serenity”, “Jarhead”, and “The Bourne Supremacy”.

David McLean, Regional Director Xbox Australia and New Zealand, says, “Xbox 360 is already the best value next generation video game console. It’s now rapidly becoming the heart of the home entertainment system. We’re offering consumers the choice of jumping into the next generation of DVD technology, and they can do so for less than the price of competing products, including stand-alone high definition movie players and other games consoles.”

Microsoft chose HD DVD as the format for high definition content on Xbox 360 because it offers a compelling consumer experience and delivers superior picture quality and interactive features. Globally, HD DVD is streaking ahead by not only selling in greater quantities and scoring great reviews but also in its vast array of available content, now and in the future.

Joanna White, Marketing Director from Universal Pictures says, “Universal is very excited to support the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player and is absolutely committed to a successful long term relationship with Xbox and the HD DVD format. The future of high definition home theatre is HD DVD and ‘Peter Jackson’s King Kong’ is the perfect demonstration of the format’s exceptional capabilities.”

The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player offers stunning video and immersive surround-sound audio with up to six times higher resolution than DVD. HD DVD allows for innovative, interactive content enabling PIP (picture-in-picture) commentary, scene selection and menu access, all while the movie is playing.

As part of the recent Xbox Live^® update, all Xbox 360 consoles now have the ability to output native resolution 1080p movies and games. Early adopters who have displays that support 1080p over VGA and component can now experience the benefit of a crisper, cleaner picture.