14 DAY TRIAL // The new HD DVD emulator is designed to offer a virtual environment perfectly suited on testing tasks, such as modeling the HD DVD disc content, and to get a preview of its behavior from encoded video to HDi interactivity, before burning a single HD DVD disc. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator is an offering addressed at studios and disc authoring companies, with Microsoft emphasizing the need for an advanced method to perform code troubleshooting of HD DVD content an interactivity. According to the Redmond company, the software-based Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator is a solution that will make obsolete testing processes involving hardware and the frenetic hunt for errors of HD DVD titles.
"We are committed to supporting and advancing the HD DVD ecosystem, and the new Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator reflects these efforts by providing developers with the software-based tools they need to efficiently deliver the highest-quality content", said Jordi Ribas, general manager of HD DVD at Microsoft. "Microsoft developed the Emulator to help save studios and postproduction houses time, resources and costs involved with the creation of HD DVD content, and let them focus on what really matters - pushing the envelope with the format."
Of course, that the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator is also connected with a piece of hardware, namely the latest version of Microsoft's console. But, the Emulator will also require the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player on top of the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Testers will have to connect to Xbox LIVE, access and install the Emulator software via the Download Games on the console. Following this procedure, the Emulator will be able to test content from portable hard drive, optical disc or even across a network. The company informed that a one-time license of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator comes with a price tag of $2,999.
"Sessions using the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator are designed to complement existing workflows so that tests can be run at various stages. The tool offers several choices for how to run a session: directly from a network storage share, from a USB drive connected directly to the Xbox 360 console, or from an optical disc in the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player. While the tool enables the testing of content playback on the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player specifically, it effectively eliminates layers in the testing process for other HD DVD players as well", Microsoft added.