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November 17, 2006 7:41 AM PST

Xbox 360 to PC: The $200 HD-DVD drive

by Will Greenwald
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Two Franklins might seem like a lot for an ordinary optical drive, but when that drive is a blue diode-using, next-generation disc reader, then a $200 price tag is a bargain. Most HD-DVD drives currently cost at least $400, but the enterprising nerds at tech site UNEASYsilence figured out how to get the $200 Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive to work with a PC. It was originally intended just to work with the Xbox 360, but a hacked device driver means the USB drive can read HD-DVDs for any PC. Granted, there isn't much HD-DVD material out on the shelves and the drive only reads discs, but it's still a really cool hack.

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Only reads discs? No! :O
by Ryo Hazuki November 18, 2006 4:16 AM PST
The drive "only reads discs"? What should it read, floppies? He probably meant it doesn't record, but that's more than normal, it's for Xbox 360, it's not supposed to record anyway.
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Ummm... I think he means that it doesn't write
by UrDaddie November 21, 2006 4:04 AM PST
The drive can't write, it only reads. Get it?
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Really? That's some news.
by Ryo Hazuki November 21, 2006 7:41 AM PST
Who would say an Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive doesn't write, hey?
What a world...
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