A new HD DVD designed to help calibrate HDTVs has hit a problem with the Xbox 360, apparently because the disc manufacturer failed to test it extensively on non-Toshiba players. It will be the first disc to use an Xbox 360 firmware update to fix an HD DVD playback problem.

Digital Video Essentials, the most comprehensive calibration disc for HD DVD, was released last week. In the days following, the disc creator's online forums lit up with complaints from owners of the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, saying the disc would skip and sometimes even crash.

The HD DVD release of Digital Video Essentials was anticipated among videophiles, after countless release date changes made it the most delayed title for the hi-def format.

A spokesperson for DVD International, the publisher of the disc, wrote, "As many of you have seen, 'Digital Video Essentials' HD DVD experiences severe playback issues on Xbox 360 HD DVD add on players. All other players have been tested extensively in their current firmware build. All Toshiba players play this disc."