The 20gb HDD is getting phased out in favour of a 60gb unit now on the 360.
20 was just that little bit too small

Liams right, I would wait and buy a 360 with a BD drive. In fact Id get it on preorder.

I was going to trade and upgrade at the weekend for a 360 Elite but everything Ive been reading on the web is pointing towards some sort of BR SKU from MS, so I decided to wait...

...and then my 360 decided to give me the Red Lights of Death on Monday

So, sorry to Batch who tried to get me into a CoD lobby. The console just puckered up and died

Still you get a new model or newer kit inside your old case when you send it in, A pain yes and it should not fail - YES, but at least it will be a free repair and come back with better components as well.

Is that right ? Thatd be pretty sweet. God I hope they get rid of whatever drive they put in the last replacement as that was one noisey bugger

I was sure whether they upgrade the internals or just swapped them out for a set of refurbed + known working components.

...I guess itd be too much to hope that my replacemetn would have HDMI

Depends on what is broke but all cooling related issues and faults they sort and replace with the better elements supposedly solving the problems

Whats the next gaming event? As MS will probably announce it at that.

Seems all but MS confirmed going with the Jasper version of the console in August though and seems delayed a little due to manufacture deals being secured rather then issues getting the rights to do it.
There is no Addon announced but the amount of complaints if there was not would be rife and as MS have said in the past if people show the need for them they would consider so I am sure they have at least a pencil plan for the addon version and I see that being more then £100 but if its £150 or less that would be a good by tbh.

It will be interesting to see the Blu Ray 360 cost because SONY released figures of something silly like 85% or more of their blu ray players being sold being PS3s and cutting price and asking other manufacturers to do the same as they were not selling. If this is quite a bit cheaper its going to do well for SONY and the blu ray group really kicking off sales and disc sales but still a kick in the teeth in terms of the console, SONY will be in two minds, at first they would make money off it but then it boots their ps3 in the balls a bit at the same time

This guy does not like Blu Ray but he makes some good points:
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/03/blu-ray-sales-tank-reason

As usual, this has been shot down by MS.

Company says it will not be using Sony technology in its "game console."

Again though read the comments etc as well as other links, like what the inquirer said.
It is very basic and a simple fact that a new SKU means they need to clear stock and they wont do if they admit something like this is on the way and MS are TERRABLE and keeping details of this nature behind closed doors and we all hear about their developments and planned products etc and each time they always have the same "NO" output yet here we have it.

Again, if you go on what MS have said there should be no ELITE console, NO HDMI for the elite, NO hdmi as standard, NO hd-dvd player, NO larger hardrives for sale, Bungie was NOT breaking away from them and more yet they all happened.
Next OS wont ship for 3 years from now yet you will see it later 2009 etc.

That statement though is the word for word copy and paste they been using for months