FYI HP HDX now has hybrid Blu-ray/HD-dvd drive

I spent a little time talking to customer service to verify but those of you that want a HDX with both HD options, now you have it. Just select the Blu-ray option while configuring. Still no word on when the Nvidia 8800m will be available though.

 

Does it say that it is a hybrid? Or does it only say Blu-ray? Because I would still be skeptical if they didn't mention it was a hybrid. You don't always get the brightest customer service people when you call. I had one tell me that I could connect my PS3 into the HDMI and I could play it on my screen, when everyone knows its only a output.

I doubt that HP will release the 8800m on any of their current laptop models. They will probably bring out a new line that will include it. And if they screw up and put a crap model in like they have been doing on the 8600m GS they are idiots and I will never purchase another HP.

 

The overview section for the HDX says it plays both, i also asked customer service and technical support just in case.

As for the 8800m, it was announced at CES that they will be allowing us to pick it as a video option sometime in the near future, same time they announced the blu-ray option.

 

here is an article about the 8800m from CES: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4177

And from the HP site:

Introducing the Blu-ray DVD player
Want to experience the future of DVD technology? Step up to our Blu-ray disc player, which lets you maximize high-definition entertainment in three ways. You can read Blu-ray discs, read HD DVD discs, and read and write traditional DVDs and CDs. Once you use high-def DVDs, you'll never go back! Note: you'll need a dedicated graphics card for maximum performance.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/shopping/html/popup/nb_blu-ray_popup.html <--- chart to support above mentioned. (will shrink window because it acts as a popup)

looking forward to buying one for my ship's deployment soon, hopefully 8800m will be available by then

 

I'll have to look this up, but I wonder if there is a difference between the 8800m GTX that Sager offers and the 8800m GTS that HP will be offering. If anybody has any insight or knowledge on this please post here, but until then I will be doing a little research into this.

 

8800m GTS
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-8800M-GTS.6934.0.html

8800m GTX
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-8800M-GTX-SLI.6937.0.html

 

That's great information about the multi-format drives yaboydj -- thanks for posting!

Envision, the GTX and GTS are very similar cards, however the GTS has 32 fewer stream processors (GTX=96, GTS=64). According to nVidia's public specifications, that is the only difference. If you're interested, here are two reviews of the HDX with the GTS:

http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/HP-Pavillion-HDX-Entertainment-Notebook-PC-Penryn.htm

http://computershopper.com/ces2008/hp_pavilion_hdx_penryn_edition_laptop_reviewed

 

Thanks for the information, I will definitely be reading those reviews soon. The one thing I still don't understand though is why HP always puts in the lower model video card in their laptops. I guess it all comes down to what the HDX can really handle given that they are upgrading it to handle that video card. Maybe the GTX is just too much for it too handle.

 

My opinion is they were probably just worried about overheating. The "laptop" is already a beast, last thing we need is a portable oven. besides, judging by the reviews the GTS is quite alright. I'll keep you guys posted just in case i find out about the release date for the new setup (penryn and 8800m).

 

I have an HDX with a HD DVD, i was annoyed over the new year to read that Warner Bros has gone over to Blu-ray, so most of the news articles i read are about the death of HD DVD, which will render my HD DVD drive obsolete.

So i was really happy to see that HP sells a hybrid HD DVD/Blu-ray drive.

The only problem is i live in the UK which means i'll have wait at months before i'll be able to buy one from HP, (if at all!!), (HP US doesn't ship to the UK)

You lot in the US always get stuff well before us !!

 

Thanks for the info. This is great news

 

Just another quick note for those of you that already have blu-ray or hd-dvd, amazon.com is giving away massive discounts on their high-def dvds ( 30-51%). not quite HP news but falls into the nature of the topic.

 

I think that HD-DVD is a huge waste of time and money. I mean all they did was make DVD High Def. Blu-Ray is on the right track though, not only creating a High-Def format, but also increase the size exponentially. I've also heard that Blu-Ray is working on increasing the size to 200GB.

It definitely is nice that they sell a hybrid though, for those movies that are only sold in HD and not Blu-Ray.

 

Amen to that. I was pretty upset myself when i realized i would have to buy another player just to watch Transformers in high def, but now i don't have to.

And you're right about toshiba making dumb moves with hd-dvd. Their marketing schemes definitely weren't good enough either (going for a $200 360 add on while sony made it a part of their playstation 3).

 

The one thing I could never understand is, How can the Xbox 360 be High-Def if you have to purchase the HD-DVD player separate? That would mean that they aren't manufacturing their games in true Hi-Def, otherwise people wouldn't be able to play the games without purchasing that HD-DVD player.

 

That isn't the way games work. The code initializes the screen to the appropriate resolution and rasterizes triangles in real time -- it's not playing prerendered video. A movie is playing prerendered video, so if you want feature length high-definition video you'll need more storage.

For instance you could write a simple high-definition game using only a few 10's of MBs which will easily fit on a standard DVD (which holds around 4GB). For a prerendered video at 1080p you'd have to store each frame of 1920x1080 data which would be a tad over 2MB per FRAME (uncompressed, it'll be less as DVDs are compressed). At 24 frames-per-second you're looking at 48MB per second of video, which is approximately 2.8GB per minute. Now granted this is all uncompressed, the compression savings will vary but will be significant, however it will still be much larger then the data for any game.

 

Thanks for the post! I didn't think about it like that.

 

Just FYI, but another posting in another forum said that the drive has some interesting fine print:
Does not play HD-DVD movies.

Read the fine print.

 

No problem, glad I could help a tad. Your point does still have merit though, as AAA game titles could potentially break past the 4GB size of a standard DVD disc. While the code for games is reasonably small, the assets and extras do get large quickly. It's not uncommon for a game to require more then 1GB of HD space these days (heck, I've installed demos that were larger then that).

 

Thanks for the info Greg. The chart yaboydj posted certainly implies that the drive will read both HD formats, but when I clicked on the 'Help me Decide' button on the HDX configuration page I do see this warning:

DISCLAIMERS: HD DVD discs cannot be played on this Notebook PC.

I wonder if the earlier chart that was posted is for a new drive that is not configurable with the HDX? (Or, more likely, it's just some clever marketing that is treading the line of false advertising without actually crossing it).

 

Hmmm -- looking around a bit more on the HP site, it looks like they actually DO have a dual-format player that will play both Blu-Ray and HD DVD formats. However, the drive currently listed on the HDX does not seem to be this dual-format player.

For instance on this page:

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2008/080107xa.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

you'll see this information: "An impressive combination of size, performance and value, the HP Pavilion Slimline s3300 offers a dual-format Blu-ray and HD-DVD player,(3) plus a TV tuner(4)..."

And the (3) just references this information: "(3) As HD DVD and Blu-ray are new formats containing a new technologies, certain disc, digital connection, compatibility and/or performance issues may arise, and do not constitute defects in the product. Flawless playback on all systems is not guaranteed. In order for some HD-DVD and Blu-ray titles to play, they may require a DVI or HDMI digital connection and your display may require HDCP support. Some HD DVD and Blu-ray advanced features may not be supported."

Now granted this is referring to a desktop PC, but it does demonstrate they have the drive available for some of their products.

 

I didn't think it was the right one, that's when i called hp to talk to customer support and tech support. They then told me that the HDX Blu-ray drive specifically plays both formats. The disclaimer that displays that hd-dvd's cannot be played has not yet been updated but the overview and chart i saw had been. I pointed out this problem when i called then and it confused them so much that they had to call a supervisor and put me on hold while they figured out what was going on. But, bottom line is, they DO play both formats as long as you choose the blu-ray option. if you choose the hd-dvd option they will not play both formats. When i get a chance i will post the conversation i had with them, they emailed it to my blackberry.

 

Great, thanks for the follow-up yaboydj! Maybe they'll update the text on their product listing when the page is refreshed with the new 8800M GTS and Penryn components.

 

I'm interested in one of these drives for my HDX, how do you get hold of one ?? (i live in the UK)

 

You can call HP and find the product number for the drive. Then, you can either search around for them (they might have them on ebay) or you can directly order it through HP (it will be a little more expensive).

 

As promised, the chat convo between me and customer support:

This is an automated email sent from the HP Home & Home Office Store Server. The following information is a log of your session. Please save the log for your records.
Your session ID for this incident is 210499.
Time Details
01/11/2008 10:01:00AM Session Started with Agent (Ronda)
01/11/2008 10:01:00AM David: "I am confused about your HDX blu-ray player."
01/11/2008 10:01:04AM Agent (Ronda): "Thank you for contacting the HP Home & Home Office Store chat."
01/11/2008 10:01:08AM Agent (Ronda): "My name is Ronda, How are you doing today?"
01/11/2008 10:01:23AM Agent (Ronda): "Sorry, can you please elaborate your question so I may better assist you?"
01/11/2008 10:02:35AM David: "I was looking at your description of the blu-ray drive on the HDX notebook and it says it plays both blu-ray and hd-dvd in one drive. But when i go to configure it and click on help me choose it says it does not play hd-dvd"
01/11/2008 10:03:53AM Agent (Ronda): "Please hold while I look for the information you requested."
01/11/2008 10:04:06AM David: "ok"
01/11/2008 10:07:46AM Agent (Ronda): "I am still researching your question. I would appreciate your patience if you could stay online, while I continue to research this question."
01/11/2008 10:08:03AM David: "no problem"
01/11/2008 10:11:00AM Agent (Ronda): "Thank you for your patience."
01/11/2008 10:13:04AM Agent (Ronda): "David, I see that the Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer of HDX can read and write CD/DVD."
01/11/2008 10:14:22AM Agent (Ronda): "However, HD DVD discs cannot be played on this Notebook PC."
01/11/2008 10:15:53AM David: "i saw that part, but on the page before you configure, the overview, there is the following: Introducing the Blu-ray DVD player
Want to experience the future of DVD technology? Step up to our Blu-ray disc player, which lets you maximize high-definition en"
tertainment in three ways. You can read Blu-ray discs, read HD DVD discs, and read and write traditional DVDs and CDs. Once you use high-def DVDs, you'll never go back! Note: you'll need a dedicated graphics card for maximum performance.
01/11/2008 10:16:58AM David: "followed by a link below it that leads to a chart saying that it plays them"
01/11/2008 10:17:16AM Agent (Ronda): "David, I am going through the same thing right now."
01/11/2008 10:17:23AM Agent (Ronda): "Please give me a moment while I check that."
01/11/2008 10:17:32AM David: "lol, ok"
01/11/2008 10:17:47AM David: "at least i know i'm not the only one a little confused"
01/11/2008 10:18:18AM Agent (Ronda): "I agree with you."
01/11/2008 10:21:09AM Agent (Ronda): "Thank you for your patience."
01/11/2008 10:21:24AM David: "no problem"
01/11/2008 10:21:53AM Agent (Ronda): "David, I see that the description in the help me choose has not been updated."
01/11/2008 10:22:15AM Agent (Ronda): "That is the reason why we both got confused."
01/11/2008 10:22:54AM Agent (Ronda): "As per the new update the specification in the overview section is correct."
01/11/2008 10:23:26AM Agent (Ronda): "To confirm this you may contact our technical support department."
01/11/2008 10:23:47AM Agent (Ronda): "To chat with an online technician you can visit http://www.hp.com/support/ipg/chat"
01/11/2008 10:23:50AM Agent (Ronda): "For email support please visit http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/contact/email_1.html"
01/11/2008 10:24:05AM Agent (Ronda): "I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you"
01/11/2008 10:24:37AM Agent (Ronda): "David, are you there?"
01/11/2008 10:24:43AM David: "sweet, thank you for your help Ronda. it wasn't really an inconvenience, just confusion"
01/11/2008 10:24:59AM Agent (Ronda): "You are welcome"
01/11/2008 10:25:01AM Agent (Ronda): "To protect your investment, I also suggest you to purchase an extended service plan to upgrade and extend the manufacturer’s warranty straight through HP. This is an one time investment but will add an extra lifeline to your product for years."
01/11/2008 10:25:12AM Agent (Ronda): "Is there anything else I can assist you with today?"
01/11/2008 10:25:30AM David: "no ma'am that's it, thank you very much"
01/11/2008 10:25:33AM Agent (Ronda): "Great choice by the way."
01/11/2008 10:25:35AM Agent (Ronda): "Thank you once again for using HP Home & Home Office Store chat."
01/11/2008 10:25:41AM Agent (Ronda): "Have a nice day ahead."
01/11/2008 10:25:44AM Agent (Ronda): "Good bye."
01/11/2008 10:25:54AM David: "good bye"
01/11/2008 10:26:14AM Session Ended

 

Can you order this drive through HP Parts? Would it fit in a dv6500t? I have a DVD drive, but would like to upgrade to at least a Blu-ray reader.

Thanks,
Chris

 

To play HD movies you should download this little tool, i lets you know if your laptop hardware is capable of running HD content,

http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/support/bdhd_support/diagnosis.jsp

 

disappointed, disappointed and disappointed. why I bother to buy this machine early? I should just wait. I got it with ATi and HD DVD, but what I really want is BD and nVIDIA. Now they got them both. How clever that HP use warner announcement as an excuse to include BD drive now.....

The cost of my notebook raised to over £2000+, because I got to buy BD writer separately from ebay to replace that obsolete HD DVD (I already knew HD DVD is obsolete when I bought the laptop on October 2007). But ATi card can't be replaced with nVIDIA as easy as that, can it?

(but I've heard ATi card (2600) is better than nVIDIA at decoding BD movies, as it took the burden off the processor, which nVIDIA can't do. Can anyone confirm this?)

 

Yeah, HD-DVD is going out the door and Blu-Ray is taking over the market. I'm glad to finally hear that too, because Blu-Ray is obviously the better technology. Also, for those of you who haven't heard, Sony has successfully reached the 200GB mark on their Blu-Ray disks! They won't be out on the market for awhile, because they still need to do testing, but this is a hell of a technology to be able to fit that much on 1 disk.

 

I also noticed the conflicting information regarding whether or not there was a combo Blu-ray/HD-DVD drive. I emailed HP and they said that the drive did play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs. However, if you look at the main page for the HDX and click on the link that says "more about our Blu-ray DVD player", the chart no longer shows it being compatible for HD-DVD.

 

If you look at it closely, you will see that they spell it two ways:

HD-DVD
&
HD DVD.

One Hp's way of describing the blue laser discs. They call them High definition DVDs (HD-DVD) which is what HD DVD and Blu-ray discs essentially are. Notice no dash between H and D. That's the format.

The other, is Toshiba's format known as HD DVD. And that is the official way to spell HD DVD.

So no, no hybrid drive.

 

if HP puts a 8800mGTX in the HDX i'll order without a second thought...why won't they is the question.

 

everybody knows there is no combo HD format yet for laptop. LG released one for desktop.