Last week we tried to
answer your questions regarding the New Xbox Experience, but you still have concerns. Valid ones at that. What's the deal with these
Avatar things? They are
so not 1337. Will we be forced to install games to the harddrive? But we don't want to lose one of our PS3 laughing points! Thanks to Major Nelson's latest podcast some of those concerns are cleared up.
Addressing the two concerns above, Major assures Xbox 360 owners that they won't
have to create an Avatar and that installing Xbox 360 titles will never be a requirement. Color us relieved so far. For more details and answers to your questions make sure to check out Major's latest episode.
[via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-21-2008 @ 12:19PM
xlockstockx said...
ok, so my question is...i think i saw a portion of a video where someone was watching a netflix movie via xbox live, but it was presented in 4:3. HOW could that be? It makes me mad already that MS is charging the price they do for non hd movies. Obviously, anyone that owns and xbox 360 is able to upconvert to hd, so they should all be HD anyway. So correct me if im wrong...but if i let netflix deliver the dvd to my door, i can put it in my xbox and be happy with the upconversion, to match my 1080p tv, or i can watch it through xbox live for the same price but get no upconversion, and it looks like im watching cable. no thanks
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7-21-2008 @ 12:22PM
Xav de Matos said...
Well that is based off the Netflix service which doesn't have HD streaming. It's not really in Microsoft's hands. But they say it's DVD quality. We'll have to wait and see.
7-21-2008 @ 12:26PM
joey said...
The video podcasts I stream through my Xbox does look better than on my computer. So I assume netflex movies will be up-converted as well.
And correct me if I'm wrong, but Xbox will only up-convert the video through HDMI or VGA.
7-21-2008 @ 1:58PM
natrontheape said...
Component cable only goes up to 480p. The VGA cable can handle 1080i I think, but the only way to get upscaled to 1080p is over HDMI.
N.
7-21-2008 @ 2:21PM
GregA said...
Nope, you are mistaken, component does 1080p just fine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video
I think you are mistaking it with composite video...
On the other hand, avoid HDMI devices, if you want the next gen port you should go with display port devices. HDMI is burdened with IP taxes, and HDCP support. Also, there are no actual devices that support HDMI anyhow. Just wait for Display Port to displace HDMI.
7-21-2008 @ 2:24PM
Phocas said...
upconversion to 1080p works great through the VGA cable.
7-21-2008 @ 2:32PM
GregA said...
Oh also... 1080i is actually lower resolution than 720p, 1080i is only 540 lines of resolution while 720p is... um 720p...
7-21-2008 @ 2:38PM
samisin said...
Greg: Of course component can handle 1080p. Though, on the Xbox 360, if you use component you won't get 1080p upscaling. You will get it with VGA or HDMI though.
And what is the BS about HDMI. My 360, my HD DVD, my PS3, my Popcorn Hour and my Digital Set box all use HDMI to my TV. In addition I use a 3 in-2 out HDMI switch so I also can watch everything easily on my projector. Through HDMI.
HDMI is the best thing on the market at the moment, so your comments are not really valid.
7-21-2008 @ 2:44PM
samisin said...
Greg: 1080i is not half the resolution of 720p. Once again you are wrong. The difference is that 1080i is interlaced; quite the difference compared to half the resolution. If you have 1080i in 50Hz and display it on a regular TV it is deinterlaced into 25Hz which gives you 1080p but at 25Hz.
7-21-2008 @ 2:55PM
GregA said...
LOL, google the component manufacturers who are dropping HDMI in favor of DisplayPort. Mostly because HDMI is expensive and requires all the extra silicon for the mandatory HDCP stuff(HDCP is optional on DisplayPort).
Looking how fast companies are dropping HDMI in favor of DisplayPort (particularly for computer video cards and laptop computers) is almost humerus. Intel, AMD and NVidia have all announced they are dropping HDMI in favor of DisplayPort(again mostly becayse of the high costs of software and silicon needed for HDMI).
If you already have a TV/device that is saddled with HDMI, then I guess you have a point. But this time next year HDMI will be a fading memory now that the big signal generating companies have all dropped it.
7-21-2008 @ 3:40PM
Ron said...
Displayport is something meant to replace DVI/HDMI on computers, not to replace HDMI in televisions. I am not saying it can't happen; I am saying it will not happen any time in the foreseeable future.
7-21-2008 @ 12:45PM
xlockstockx said...
well i guess if netflix doestn offer it then there is nothing anyone could do, cept for netflix....and i assume that if you have an hdtv, youre using an hdmi cable. and i think it still upconverts with the component cables as well if you have the older version of xbox
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7-21-2008 @ 1:00PM
Enzemo said...
Any word when the update will actually be released? Thats the question on mine, and most my friends minds.
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7-21-2008 @ 1:14PM
Tony said...
They keep saying "late fall" about stuff like Netflix... I believe last year the Fall update came out during the first week of December.
7-21-2008 @ 1:56PM
Sean said...
"Late Fall"
The last day of fall is on December 20th. That would suck.
I bet they will try and release it before Thanksgiving so that they can include the new UI in commercials before the holiday buying season.
7-21-2008 @ 1:01PM
Michael GT: Chefmichael21 said...
I don't know is this has been asked, or explained anywhere but is there going to be an option to have more than one person in video chat??
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7-21-2008 @ 1:15PM
TORO said...
Can someone let me know when "New Xbox Experience" is being released? Just curious thanks ;)
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7-21-2008 @ 1:17PM
Gemini Ace said...
If we knew, it would be on the site.
7-21-2008 @ 1:17PM
Gemini Ace said...
Major is also on This Week in Tech this week, too.
Reply
7-21-2008 @ 1:31PM
MrMuggs said...
I like the new look but I don't understand why they only use about 40% of screen real estate. As you can see from the photos, the images are a small fraction of the screen size with the majority of the screen covered by a background which serves no purpose other than decoration.
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