How to copy HD-DVDs with a 360 drive

A quick note: this article should actually be titled, "How to copy HD-DVDs with a 360 drive and a lot of spare cash." The gentlefolk at Engadget found an article detailing the only current way to effectively rip HD-DVDs: with a 360 HD-DVD player. HD-DVD does support a system called "managed copy," but at this point no HD-DVDs utilize this feature. So, if you want to capture in high definition, you need an HD-DVD player with component output that supports 720p resolution. If you've been keeping score, you'll know that the 360 HD-DVD player does just that (another tested player limited component playback to 480p).

Got your 360 and the HD-DVD player? Good. Now all you need is an HD capture card with component inputs, a beefy video optimized computer, and a bank of 4 high speed, high capacity hard drives. All you have to do is connect all of these things together and capture the video onto the 4 empty hard drives (HD video takes up a lot of space.) We know, it all sounds too easy. Of course, there is the small caveat that you'll need thousands of dollars worth of equipment to do this. We have to agree with our friends at Engadget: if you really want to "back up" your HD-DVDs, it would be cheaper to just buy another copy. Still, if you've got the urge or if you just happen to have this stuff lying around -- perhaps rusting at the bottom of your gold plated swimming pool -- it's a nifty solution that's worth a shot.