Microsoft will ship the external HD DVD drive for its Xbox 360 console in time for Christmas, the company said yesterday. However, the company failed to point out whether the unit will support the HDMI interface in its HDCP anti-piracy system.

It didn't say anything about pricing, either, or provide a more detailed launch window than "this holiday". Various reports cite a Microsoft marketing man claiming the company intends to make the unit "affordable".

The drive hooks up to the console by a mini USB connector and it contains a pair of USB ports of its own, presumably to allow it to operate as a hub to host other devices.

Microsoft did say the drive will allow HD DVD titles to be displayed at HD resolutions of up to 720p. Without HDMI and HDCP, however, some content may be limited to standard resolution playback. Since the basic Sony PlayStation 3 doesn't have HDMI either, that may not bother Microsoft overly. ®