Date: Saturday, November 11 @ 01:15:11 UTC Topic: Hardware
While I think the need for two separate pieces of hardware is unnecessarily unwieldy, Microsoft developed the interface in a way that allows you to access all of your neat 360 features while watching a movie. So you can still chat and get messages and alerts while watching a movie.
Unfortunately, there are also some missteps. For instance, the included remote control works fine, but I couldn't get the eject button to work. When I pushed it the 360's tray popped open instead of the HD-DVD player's. Not a huge deal, but a little annoying. Another annoying thing is that neither the remote nor the 360 controller seem to let you access certain features, like zooming or pan.
It's also a little annoying that the HD-DVD doesn't seem to have a separate power button. Instead you just need to let it stay on whenever your console is on. Not only does this draw more power, it adds to the noise and heat of the console. This is completely unscientific, but I think that HD-DVD player, when it's playing a movie, is actually louder than the Xbox 360. Fortunately, while the HD-DVD player gets warm, it's no where as big a heat producer as the Xbox 360.