Next-Gen Console Score Card (page 3 of 10)

MEDIA FORMAT

The days of cartridges and CD-ROMS are over (well, almost). These days, it's mass storage that counts, and competition has never been more fierce.

Xbox 360

With HD-DVD and Blu-ray about to enter the ring for a bloody format war, the 360 plays it safe with a sure bet: DVD-9, better known as dual-layer DVD. Though it does suffer in the storage department (roughly 8 gigabytes for a dual-layer disc versus 25 gigs for a single-layer Blu-ray disc), the DVD-9 spec is mature and proven, unlike Sony's Blu-ray.

The downside is that eventually, the PS3 will be flying in first class with copious digital leg room while the 360 will be stuck back in coach. Though high-def movie playback won't be an issue thanks to the newly announced HD-DVD add-on ($199 this fall), the Xbox 360 won't have the flexibility of a next-gen storage format to fall back on.

Media Format score: 3.0 (out of 5.0)

PlayStation 3

By now everybody knows that the PS3 will come standard with a 2x Blu-ray Disc drive, a new Sony-designed media format that holds 25 GB per disc (50 GB for dual-layer discs). Compared to DVD's 8 GB for dual layers, there's no contest: Blu-ray holds three times as much information.

But sheer storage size isn't the only factor. There's been considerable controversy over the somewhat pokey data read rate of the 2x Blu-ray drive inside the PS3, leading some to suggest that the Xbox 360's 12x DVD-9 drive will actually perform faster and lead to shorter load times when compared to the PS3. As it turns out, this controversy has been overblown. The Xbox 360's DVD-9 drive slows as it reaches the inner rings of a dual-layer disc (from a top speed of 15 MB/s to a low of 4 MB/s), while the Blu-ray keeps a steady read rate (9 MB/s) under all conditions.

Translation? The PS3 and Xbox 360 should see very similar disc read times, giving neither format a key advantage. Therefore, the PS3's size advantage is a considerable asset in its favor...though, as usual, it comes with a frustratingly large price tag.

Media Format score: 4.0 (out of 5.0)

Wii

The Wii will support the Wii's 12 cm dual-layer proprietary discs, which have been reported to hold 8.5 gigabytes of data, and the GameCube's smaller 8 cm discs, which only store 1.5 gigabytes of data.

Pretty tame stuff here; not much to get excited about. The Wii plays it pretty straight when it comes to media support, with one key detail that bears repeating: the Wii won't play normal DVD movies, only Wii and GameCube games.



Media Format score: 3.0 (out of 5.0)

DECISION



PlayStation 3

Pretty much a blowout, but what did you expect? Again, there's nothing wrong with the standard DVD-9 format, but it's hard to deny that it's beginning to show its age for high-definition content. Sony's Blu-ray, industry jockeying aside, is simply a superior format...pricey, but superior. Case closed.

Victor!

Victor!

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