One of Sony's bragging points about their new PlayStation 3 is the fact it can play high-definition DVDs in the Blu-Ray format. But Microsoft's not letting this comment slide, thanks to their new video game console accessory, the HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360.

This add-on video game console accessory sells for $199.99, much less than the average $500+ price tag you'll see for a stand-alone high-definition DVD player. It connects to your console via a USB cable, but then features two pass-through USB ports, making it an expansion hub for connecting other devices to the Xbox 360.

The HD-DVD drive is about half the size of the Xbox 360 and features the same white-with-silver-accents color scheme. It looks sharp sitting on top of or next to the 360, making a little video game console family.

Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 still doesn't offer an HDMI output at the time of this writing, the most common way to output a high-end 1080p HD-DVD signal to an HD-TV. If your TV can display 1080p via a non-HDMI connection such as VGA, you're still good to go for the ultimate resolution, so be sure and check the specs of your HD-TV before buying.

On that note, we should make it clear that there's no reason to opt for this video game console accessory without making the jump to an HD-TV first. It remains to be seen which of the two competing high-definition DVD formats will take the market, but right now, there are plenty of new movies available for each. In fact, Microsoft bundles the HD-DVD of King Kong with the video game console accessory--a nice value add.

You also get their Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote in case you weren't one of the first Xbox 360 purchasers that received a remote control with the console. This remote lets you control movie watching and other multimedia through the Xbox desktop.

The nicest thing about the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive is that it's completely optional--you don't have to spend the money for high-definition DVD playback unlike with the PS3. But if you're looking for an HD-DVD player, and you have an Xbox 360 and a compatible HD-TV, the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive is a very cost-effective video game console accessory.


Pros: Much less expensive than stand-along HD-DVD players
Cons: No HDMI output

Warranty
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