Hacking the XBox 360’s HD-DVD for the PC
UPDATE: Did you know we are giving an HD-DVD drive away?
Double Double toil and trouble, well more accurately it’s Torx 5 Torx 7 toil and lots trouble. Enticed by the $199 price, we set ourselves on a mission to find out if the Microsoft’s XBox 360 HD-DVD player could work on a normal PC. Now, this can’t be an easy task, can it?
Knowing there was already software available for Windows XP to play HD-DVD’s, could simply plugging the HD-DVD drive into a PC work? Well, no Windows needs drivers.
If Windows wants drivers, drivers it will get. After installing these drivers magic started to happen. The HD-DVD drive was now recognized in Windows XP. Now we needed a piece of software to actually play the HD-DVD. And after some hard work we managed to find a version of WinDVD 8 that was able to play an HD-DVD movie even on my low end hardware (Granted with some stuttering).
Not satisfied with that result and being a geeks that we are, we decided to crack open the external HD-DVD drive to find out the manufacturer, and model of the drive Microsoft was using (It’s a Toshiba HD-DVD OEM drive - by the way, pictures of the compete take apart are after the jump).
When we easily dissembled the beast, where we were encountered by the strangest plug on the back of the Toshiba OEM drive we have ever seen. Obviously, we can’t connect the HD-DVD drive directly into a tower computer, and must work with the USB case that Microsoft provided, so long as it works does it matter?
Then for a laugh, we decided to plug the drive into a Mac to see what would happen.
Interestingly, the MacOS automatically recognized the drive when we plugged it in, and when a DVD disc was inserted the “DVD Player” application included in the OS started doing its thing. Experimenting further and just for kicks, we decided to insert the HD-DVD. Again, as expected the HD-DVD wouldn’t play due to the fact that there is no player for the MacOS that supports that format.
Seems like Microsoft has unwilling created a cheap HD-DVD drive, for any Windows user.
UPDATE: Thanks also go Blippy for letting us post pictures of the Batman Begins HD-DVD, to prove the application works! (Click on the image for a larger version)
Again, after the jump are pictures of the XBox 360’s HD-DVD drive being town apart
Posted on November 13th, 2006 under Geeky. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. .
103 Responses to “Hacking the XBox 360’s HD-DVD for the PC”
5 days, 8 hours ago
Hey, that connector on the drive is a mini atapi port, mainly used on laptop drives and there is an IDE adapter available for internal pc pinouts. As seen here : www.colordrives.com/cd-rom%20adapter/cd-rom%20adapter-1.jpg
So yes you can mount the drive internally into your pc, permitting that you have a besel available, or just stealth the drive tray?!
And software side your on your own but im sure there are some applications out ther that will run dvd at decent resolutions.
5 days, 8 hours ago
Can you swap the internal 360 DVD drive with this one, and have it work?
5 days, 8 hours ago
If you can find one, you might want to try a home-brew HD DVD (on DVD-R media) on a Mac.
AFAIK, DVD Player.app does support HD DVD, but only with MPEG2 or H.264, and only if it doesn’t have DRM.
5 days, 8 hours ago
P.S. The laptop drive adapters are about $5-10 on eBay. The work fine for laptop drives (obviously), and I’m guessing they should work fine for this drive as well.
5 days, 7 hours ago
Does that adaptor also carry power? I saw the plug and thought, WTF!
5 days, 7 hours ago
Yes it does indeed, it a single plug solution for slot in dvd drives for most laptops, and carries data and power at 12v,5v and ground. There are many different versions of the adapter, but there is usually an input from a psu to a floppy or regular molex connector as seen in the link i added (in white).
i recognised the plug as soon as i saw it lol. Only technical issue is the front tray? - Is it bare with just the silver besel attached, and also are there regular tapped screw holed on the sides of the drives for mounting in a drive cage.
The circuit board pictured above looks like it just houses the Usb to IDE element as well as providing power from the internal mini Psu. The drive could have been made a lot smaller if it didnte need the 12v 1 amp power, but this cannot obviously be provided over usb.
5 days, 7 hours ago
yeah that connector carries power to the drive too. Some SFF boxes that use notebook optical drives (the Dell Optiplex GX620 for example) use those connectors. I recently scavenged a converter board that has that connector on one side and a regular IDE & floppy power connector on the other. Should be plenty on ebay. This opens up a lot of possibilities…
5 days, 7 hours ago
no the adaptor doesnt carry the power. the back of the HD player has the power. The HD dvd connects using the mini atapi connector to the IDE using the adaptor. The power connects directly to the DVD. If the adaptor does not work (which it should), I would still take it all apart and connect it internally to my internal usb connectors on the motherboard. This way you can still use it as an internal device.
5 days, 7 hours ago
How is intalling drivers then installing a commercial player consider a “hack”? It’s just a USB drive, so none of this should be a surprise. I think the title of the article would be more truthful: “Xbox 360 HD DVD made to work on the PC”
A hack would be if you had managed to rip the movie. Jeesh.
5 days, 6 hours ago
Quick question, could you tell us the exact version of WinDVD 8 you are using. I see that it is the platinum pack, but as of now the WinDVD website states that HD DVD and Blu Ray support must be purchased seperately - with no details as to how. Was it the Japanese version by any chance? A build number would be fantastic if possible.
Well done! I had already pre-ordered the device (despite not actually owning a 360) on the basis of using it as a cheap entry into HD movies. :) - as soon as Europe gets shipments (now December 1st I believe) I shall be in happy HiDef land! :)
5 days, 6 hours ago
Hardly unwilling or unwitting.
Microsoft has been pretty forthright about wanting 360 peripherals of all sorts to work on Vista. It’s part of their plan to converge windows and console gaming (two prongs of a single gaming division).
Given that there’s not a general proliferation of HD-DVD drives available for PCs, who knows if it’s really “cheap” or not.
5 days, 6 hours ago
the board looks like what the imac uses of course i dont know if you can get one from an imac
5 days, 4 hours ago
/. to oblivion…
5 days, 4 hours ago
What about HDCP? Do we still have to buy an HDCP video card + monitor pricey combo??
5 days, 2 hours ago
Hi there,
I have serious doubt’s, that you really got that working, how you described it. First of all, WinDVD 8 is not able to play back HD DVD (it just offers the codecs for VC-1). It will need a Plugin to do so (specially to work with AACS encrypted discs). There are, however some OEM-Versions of WinDVD 6.6 out, that can play back HD DVDs.
Unless you are using the first WinDVD 6.6 Version for the toshiba Qosmio G30, you should not be able to take any screenshots, because that feature was removed later.
Second, your “magic driver” seems to be nothing more than a normal UDF 2.5 reader from Toshiba. If it is so, than it’s trivial to get the drive working on a PC, as it also plays DVDs on an Apple.
Third point: any smart hacker would have recognized a normal Atapi-50-Plug.
So I need more proov, that this is really working how you describe it. Please go into more detail or show a video.
I have to wait until November 24, when the drive becomes available in Europe, so I can check it by myself.
Best Regards
Fraggile
5 days, 2 hours ago
Dude that looks awesome, I assume the disc drive itself is a standard 5.25″ drive that can be put inside a PC shell. If so I just found my new drive =D..
Also can this be used to play xbox/xbox360 games if its pluged into the 360, and for that matter can the xbox 360’s internal dvd drive be replaced by this drive?
5 days, 1 hour ago
“I have serious doubt’s, that you really got that working, how you described it. First of all, WinDVD 8 is not able to play back HD DVD (it just offers the codecs for VC-1). It will need a Plugin to do so (specially to work with AACS encrypted discs). There are, however some OEM-Versions of WinDVD 6.6 out, that can play back HD DVDs.”
You should check avs forum. It has been confirmed that the japanese retail version of windvd 8 platinum works with xbox 360, but no with full resolution.
5 days, 1 hour ago
AlexL,
I have my HD DVD drive connected to my 360.
You cannot put a xbox360 game disk in the drive. It tells you to put the disc in the 360.
Having opened my 360, the connectors on the back of this drive (with or without the circuit board) do not look the same as the drive already in there. Just eyeballing it, it certainly would not be plug and play.
Gar
5 days, 1 hour ago
You need a special version of Intervideos WinDVD 8, which you have to purchase from Japan. Step by step purchasing instructions were (thankfully) posted here.
5 days ago
The Japan version he is using is downres to 960 x 540 so its 540p. It works and anyone can do it. Full hd program is yet to be released.
5 days ago
By the way if you use the Circuit City Coupon posted there it’s $160 + tax =)
5 days ago
woohoo i have some Atapi 50 to 40 pin adapters i stole from some laptop CDrom drives, so it looks like i’m going to have a HDDVD drive in my pc. now i can’t wait to gut a sony to get a bluray drive too.
4 days, 23 hours ago
Exciting news! When I bought my 24″ iMac, I was a little worried that I would be left out of the HD-DVD party, but it seems that though I can’t go out and buy one today, someday (Perhaps with Leopard?) DVD Player.app will be able to play HD movies. Or BlueRay? Or both?
If this is any indication of the prices of drives and they can be plugged in with USB, that will be really wonderful news.
I never realized how icky plain DVDs looked until I saw 1080p Quicktime trailers.
Bring on the future!
Love,
Hanna
4 days, 23 hours ago
I hope to god they ship an Xbox 360 with an internal HD drive… but oh well still a lot cheaper than a damn PS3 or Blue ray drive.
4 days, 23 hours ago
Anyone try it in the regular xbox ?
4 days, 22 hours ago
www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748426&page=1&pp=30
It DOES work and it is working on real commercial HD-DVD’s now. It’s not perfect but it plays movies TODAY.
Here’s a thread on AVS Forum. Including a uncropped picture of the Batman Begins Tumbler that includes the full desktop screencap showing the WinDVD 8 Plat (Japan version) playing in a window and the file directory listing of the Batman Begins HD-DVD (retail U.S. release).
Here’s the real question. Does that Microsoft addon board that’s attached to the internal OEM Toshiba HD-DVD drive have the AACS functionality built into it or is it built into the drive? Someone needs to try connecting the drive directly to PC IDE and seeing if this method still plays back. If not then I’d say the AACS info is built into the PC board with the MS stamp on it like the Toshiba Flash ROM in the HD-A1 has the AACS on it and not on the NEC drive inside.
4 days, 22 hours ago
Removed the screencap of Batman Begins tumbler? I don’t mind it being up ;) you guys do a great job by the way. Thanks again for peeling the box apart! And for the OS/X on intel info, I found the info very helpful. Dell running OS/X is an amusing thing to show folks lol.
If you want post the full uncropped screencap of the tumbler that shows the WinXP desktop =) that should be proof enough that it works (albeit not perfectly yet).
4 days, 22 hours ago
I’ll add the pic of the tumbler back up :)
4 days, 21 hours ago
umm, lets do the math
Xbox 360 premium pack @ ~400 USD + Xbox 360 HDDVD player @ ~200 USD
vs.
Sony PS3 (high end) @ ~600 USD
*cough*, no contest, *cough*
PS3: BluRay / Dvd Player, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, 60 GB HDD/
Look at what you are getting for your money!
(im sorry in advance if any of the prices listed are not correct, but i am sure they are)
4 days, 21 hours ago
Hey Bill,
Way to win the format war.
Thanks.
HD-DVD & Toshiba
4 days, 20 hours ago
“umm, lets do the math
Xbox 360 premium pack @ ~400 USD + Xbox 360 HDDVD player @ ~200 USD
vs.
Sony PS3 (high end) @ ~600 USD
*cough*, no contest, *cough*
PS3: BluRay / Dvd Player, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, 60 GB HDD/
Look at what you are getting for your money!”
How about this math… don’t buy a PS3 or a 360 @ 0.00
buy the 360 HD-DVD drive @ 200 and use it on your existing pc.
Much better deal than buying ANY BluRay drive on the market.
4 days, 20 hours ago
The HD-DVD Drive dosen’t need drivers in windows XP, mine works fine, you DO need drivers if you want to access the HD-DVD File system though, but without the drivers DVDs and CDs work fine, as it shows up as a normal DVD drive (more or less)
4 days, 20 hours ago
Buy American. Support our Country, our Companies, our Future.
Thanks Xbox!!!
4 days, 18 hours ago
Only XP ? no one feel lucky and try within linux? :)
4 days, 18 hours ago
Slightly off topic, but how did you get the DVD window to show anything but a black field when you took the desktop screenshots? I know that whenever I do a desktop screenshot on any of my systems, I always get black on my current-gen DVD playing software, prob due to copy protection BS (like i’m gonna pirate movies one frame at a time). Unless there’s no such restriction on HD-DVD players (yeah, right).
4 days, 18 hours ago
“Buy American. Support our Country, our Companies, our Future.”
So they can keep screwing us over? Yeah, I like that idea.
4 days, 16 hours ago
“Buy American. Support our Country, our Companies, our Future.”
‘Cuz this drive isn’t made in China?
4 days, 16 hours ago
“#Gav 2 hours, 20 minutes ago
Only XP ? no one feel lucky and try within linux? :)”
I have suspicions that you will see somewhat similar results as for the Mac. Linux is by far OS that supports the most hardware out there. It even supports Apple stuff that Apple no longer supports.
Plug and play in linux really is plug and play, I’ve plugged in some really weird things on my boxes and in Windows I’ve had some headaches, in Linux I just get a nice little box asking me if I want to boot/activate the unit.
Mind, wireless USB/PCI cards are easier on windows, but Linux, put plainly, sucks when it comes to WiFi.
4 days, 16 hours ago
“Buy American. Support our Country, our Companies, our Future.”
Read the fine print. Five yuan says it’s made in China, just like everything else electronic.
4 days, 15 hours ago
h8GWB, turn your hardware acceleration down to none in your advanced video settings and print-screen grabs will capture direct-x displays fine
4 days, 14 hours ago
I can’t seem to get the driver to install, it keep saying the driver is not correct for the drive. what am i doing wrong?
4 days, 13 hours ago
h8GWB: Regarding the black area in any DVD software on any system - that’s because the OS is taking a dump of memory off of the display adapter for the visible screen are. Video is usually sent to another portion of that memory, and the display adapter composites the system display and the video frame together before sending it out to the monitor, so as far as the operating system is concerned, there isn’t anything in the space that would otherwise represent the video… it’s done that way, not for copy protection (though I don’t doubt that copy protection will soon be yet another thing that will be embedded in that whole mess), but because it’s easier to tell the display adapter that there’s a frame of (H,W) pixels that it needs to display at (X,Y) and then fill the contiguous buffer, than it is to split the scanlines out yourself and stick them into the appropriate regions of memory.
4 days, 11 hours ago
h8GWB - When taking a screen shot of a movie playing you are taking a screen shot of the overlay view port (i.e. it’s black in the screen shot as it’s just a window your video card puts the video too directly)
Try playing a video, taking a screen shot, and moving the screen shot over the video in MSPaint, you will see the video coming ‘through’ ms paints black part.
To take a screen shot of video like above you will need to make it play via. a software renderer (not using the video cards hardware overlay) - usually in DVD applications you can change the way it’s rendered (PowerDVD allows you to use there CLEV renderer which will show up in screen shots)
4 days, 11 hours ago
As far as Mac OS X, it says on apple website that their next OS (10.5, Codename Leopard) will support HD DVD, so it will only take some time for apple users to get their hands on working HD DVD software for Macs.
4 days, 11 hours ago
umm, lets do the math
Xbox 360 premium pack @ ~400 USD + Xbox 360 HDDVD player @ ~200 USD
vs.
Sony PS3 (high end) @ ~600 USD
*cough*, no contest, *cough*
PS3: BluRay / Dvd Player, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, 60 GB HDD/
Look at what you are getting for your money!
(im sorry in advance if any of the prices listed are not correct, but i am sure they