Blu ray Xbox 360 Planned By Microsoft

A rumor that most likely will come true sooner or later.

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Console/J7L7H2R4

Rumors were circulating today that Microsoft is set to dump HD DVD and bring
out a Blu ray Xbox 360 by as early as May 2008. The move will allow the
Company to go head to head with the Sony PS3 gaming console which has been
credited with being one of the main reasons that retailers have preferred
Blu ray over Toshiba's HD DVD.
Insiders at Microsoft in the USA have told SmartHouse that Microsoft have
already configured a standalone Blu ray player that can be connected into an
Xbox 360 and that subject to internal marketing and sales approvals the
model could be on sale within 3 months.

The Company has also been working on a built in Blu ray player however
insiders are claiming that Microsoft see the HD format battle moving online
with consumers offered 1080p movie and content files as a download as
opposed to having to buy a HD or Blu ray DVD.

Both Intel and Microsoft have been supporters of the HD DVD format that is
set to be killed off this week.

The Company has also held discussions with several OEM manufacturers of
media centers with nearly all of them telling the software Company that they
are set to move to Blu ray configured Media Centers within the next month.

Late last week US Media Centre maker Niveus dumped HD DVD in favor of Blu
ray.

The Company VP of marketing Brian Paper said that Niveus had received
support from Microsoft and Intel when implementing HD DVD. The format wasn't
pushed on Niveus, he said, adding that the commitment in both Intel and
Microsoft "isn't religious For HD DVD".