Does it Matter if XBOX offers a Blu-ray Player?

Microsoft's gaming console XBOX 360 has been purposefully rippling the rumor pond for the last two years about offering a Blu-ray drive. My question is why would it matter?

Of the many statements Microsoft has made in the past, they believe that tangible media will be worthless to their business model in the next couple years. Among the bundled products it has tried pushing with XBOX 360 is this notion of seamlessly downloading software and high definition movies.

This "magic button loading" of content is not that easy. I own XBOX 360 and PS3. I have the option of renting the old fashioned way or downloading. I have tried downloading and it was a yawning experience. HD movies take forever to download (hours), there are complicated internet connection settings to even get to the point of access, there is a fee more than actually renting the real deal, and the quality of the bit rate is super bad. For me, I rent blu-ray discs and DVDs from Blockbuster... Its easy enough... I get my family dinner and pick up a movie or two and pop it in. I'm not an old fashioned guy and I am in the "target demographic" for marketing this service and my opinion is there isn't a whole lot of value in downloading movies to me. Its not easier, its not better, and its not very exciting.

I love all the overhyped publicity downloading gets. Maybe technical advancements in new audio/video technology is slowing so there is nothing more exciting. I have yet to hear of monetary success in the digital video streaming business model other than iTunes. Even iTunes, I've yet to hear of overwhelming profits as it relates to video products.

The point is XBOX 360 has banked on two bad horses for hi-def movie watching and it is doomed as a Hi-Def movie watching apparatus. These horses are HD-DVD and Streaming. It is still a great machine for games and that is how people will use it but I find it very hard to get excited about Microsoft offering an ugly Blu-ray dongle to their current gaming system. Yet every year this time people get all excited that they are going to announce such a contraption at CES. Maybe it is just blu-ray supporters waiting for verification that Microsoft is admitting to some sort of ultimate mistake by going with HD-DVD or Streaming for high definition movies. However, the misbets made by Microsoft in recent times as it relates to HD movies are too numerous to be of any interest to me.

A Layman’s First Impression of High-Definition Television

Let me say, I’m impressed. For the first time in years I sit staring, open-mouthed, at a football game for more than 10 minutes. The crisp images projected in high-definition on a plasma television cannot be beat. I feel as if I’m on the field with the players. I get dizzy when the camera moves quickly, panning the crowd. Watching sports has become pleasurable again. HD viewing gets an A+ from me. 

But, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, a Blu-ray/plasma TV combination tops even the most exciting football game. Together with surround sound, watching the Transformers movie over and over again this weekend at the request of a very excited three-year old proved to be an easy chore. How many times can I watch these robots fighting and flying around the cities? I don’t know, I’m not finished yet. Especially considering this is the only Blu-ray disc I have in the house, and it belongs to my son. I foresee this being played a lot and I won’t get tired of it too soon.

HD television is a pleasure to watch and I look forward to the day when everything is broadcast this way. It’s a disappointment now to watch the older, fuzzy shows. 21st century, here I come!