Microsoft demoed the HD DVD drive it prepares for its next-gen gaming console Xbox 360. Microsoft’s move comes natural, as rival Sony has already announced a Blu-Ray drive for its PS3 console. The estimated price according to speculations for the HD DVD drive is about $200. This would make it the cheapest HD DVD player on the market.

At a DVD Forum in Los Angeles Microsoft finally demoed the HD DVD drive it prepares for its next-gen gaming console X BOX 360. Microsoft’s move comes natural, as rival Sony has already announced a Blu-Ray drive for its PS3 console.

Although Sony has decided to lose a lot of money and integrate Blu-Ray as a standard component in PS3, which is priced at $499 or $599, Microsoft thought it’s better not to force its existing owners of an X BOX 360 to buy another X BOX with an HD DVD upgrade. They will be offered the alternative to buy the HD DVD drive separately.

The estimated price according to speculations for the gadget is around $200. Microsoft on the other side declined to comment upon the subject.

This would make it the cheapest HD DVD player on the market at the moment of its debut. Generally, an HD DVD player in the US ships for a price between $430 and $500. Blu-Ray drives on the other hand are much more expensive (between $840 and $1,000) but they offer an improved quality of the displayed image and they read discs that reach up to 50GB of storage capacity.

Source: Playfuls.com