OTHER TECH

The same comparisons pretty much held true for Swordfish, which looked truly pristine on Blu-ray (and which I managed to download right the first time - though, several days after initiating my rental, it was still only 88% done).

Sound-wise, the downloads did a formidable job in 5.1-channel surround (achieved through a fiber-optic cable, not included with the Xbox) - though still not quite up to Blu-ray standards. Playing Swordfish on disc in PCM uncompressed mode, the sound was a tiny bit crisper than on the download. As for dynamic range, dialogue on the download was a little louder, car explosions a little less room-shaking.

"Download" is a good name for the movie files you get through Xbox Live because they definitely wear you down. Though I can't take a swipe at the very concept of HD downloads, the high-def picture from Microsoft's offerings, isn't as sharp or as bright as from one of my better HD cable channels. I call that a "Not Ready for Prime Viewing Player."