X-BOX

Bye-Bye Progressive Scan

Just a few days away from its US launch, the X-Box was still under the public eye. It was in fact in a Press Statement on a site dedicated to gamers (see under) that it was announced that Microsoft, creators of the competitor to the PS2, would not be including the system of de-interlacing video raster – “progressive scan” in their machine.

Press Release: No Progressive Scan for the X-Box DVD Player

Microsoft confirmed on the American site Gamespot.com that the Progressive Scan function has not been retained to equip the DVD player of the X-Box. The manufacturer of the latter has given no reason to explain the abandoning of this function which had at one time being envisaged to equip the console. Progressive Scan, which can be found on high definition TV sets (not yet found on a broad scale) and which permits the displaying of a full image every 1/24th of a second (or 1/25th) instead of two half images (interlaced). The quality obtained is, of course, superior. Apparently, it is for cost reasons that Microsoft has abstained from including Progressive Scan technology in their X-Box. Effectively, home DVD players equipped with progressive scan tend to sell for a price of more than 1,000 Euros. As, in addition, the proud owner of an X-Box is obliged to purchase a separate remote control kit to access the DVD video functions of the console, one can easily understand that the makers decided against adding to the bill. … Then again, they may have simply said to themselves that HDTV in Gamers’ living rooms was not yet the order of the day.