Microsoft reportedly to seek Taiwan OEM production of external HD-DVD players for use with Xbox 360

Microsoft plans to place OEM orders with leading makers of optical disc drives (ODDs) in Taiwan for external HD-DVD players for use with its Xbox 360, according to industry sources. Microsoft Taiwan, however, declined to indicate whether Microsoft will offer such external HD-DVD players and leading Taiwanese ODD makers, including BenQ, Lite-On IT and Quanta Storage, said they have not heard of such news.

An external HD-DVD player may help the Xbox 360 console compete with the PlayStation 3 (PS3) to be launched by Sony because the Sony offering may be equipped with Blu-ray Disc, the format competing with HD-DVD, the sources pointed out. In order not to interfere with the current selling of the Xbox 360, the HD-DVD player should be external rather than built-in, the sources indicated.

Based on Microsoft's marketing of preceding Xbox models, the company is quite likely to offer external HD-DVD players for use with the Xbox 360, many Taiwanese ODD makers think.
 
source: DigiTimes