One of the less publicized additions in the Xbox 360 Spring Update is a handful of new video codecs. Mention the word "codec" however, and you can be sure that the folks at Engadget are paying attention. The new dash update brought with it some spiffy high definition codecs and Engadget has given them a test drive. With fresh 1080p support (at up to 10MBps) Engadget declares the Xbox 360 the new king of streaming video, effectively shoving the Apple TV into the deep recesses of an ancient couch. Hit the "read" link for Engadget's full breakdown of the new codecs and their performance.
SEGA released a couple trailers for Virtua Tennis 3, the first is in 720p, even though the game itself is 1080p native, and shows some cool doubles and singles action as well as the solid animation. The other video available gives you a taste of some of the minigames that are a staple to the Virtua Tennis series, although only being available in 640x480. Still, definitely worth a look as this game is one of the most promising tennis titles to date. So, click the "Read" link and watch the videos, they're only a couple minutes each. Are you interested in this or is Top Spin 2 all you need to get your fill?
Game Informer's March issue's review of the cross platform, 1080p native basketball game NBA Street: Homecourt makes a comparison in the graphics department between the two consoles. They clearly state that while the game looks stunning regardless, the Xbox 360 edges out the PS3. Similar results can be found for the PS3 review of F.E.A.R. in the very same issue. So, those are two games that go in Xbox 360's favor, but we'll have to see how things go as future cross-platform games release. In most cases, the games will probably be nearly identical, and it will be up purely to your personal preference, give or take $200. What upcoming multi-platform games are you curious about the comparisons for?
Yesterday we pointed out that Virtua Tennis 3 was going to be playable in 1080p. It was going to be the first Xbox 360 title to official support the resolution announced back in September. But that was yesterday, and this is today. EA has announced that NBA Street: Homecourt will be shipping on February 20th, a month earlier. On top of that, the game will support 1080p at 30fps among the other standard resolutions, squeezing out VT3 as the premiere title to deliver the 1080p goods. So, you've played the demo, now it's coming to you in 1080p, are you interested in this game? If it's only the "True HD" experience you're after, will you wait a month longer for Virtua Tennis 3?
Major Nelson brings word that a new 360 patch has been loosed on the world. The patch fixes some 1080p display problems experienced with certain TVs, most notably Sony LCDs and some Samsung models. The patch also promises to improve the performance of wired headsets when used with wireless controllers. Finally, the patch makes changes to the recently played list to improve accuracy. We're not really sure what that means. Has anyone downloaded the patch yet? Does it fix all your problems, answer your prayers, and grant you all of your wildest dreams?
Angry owners in the AVS forum report that the Fall Update's vaunted 1080p support works as advertised with Samsung HDTVs -- but not with two of Sony's most popular (and expensive) 1080p LCD models XBR2/3:
I just had the time to quickly start poking around with the 360 dashboard update, and I'm sorry to report that 1080p is broken on the XBR2 via both component and VGA. When I select 1080p in VGA, I get a windowboxed picture with tons of info cut off on both sides and a warning from the TV saying "Invalid Signal--Check Your PC Output". Over component, when I select 1080p I get a screen full of static for 10 seconds before the console reverts to 1080i.
Feh. Since the XBR2 is one of the most high-profile, wildely available 1080p displays on the market, you'd think MS' engineers would find a way to get the two to work together, but noooooo...
While it's outrageous to suggest that MS would intentionally blacklist their rival's most popular HDTVs, it is amusingly ironic -- unless you're staring at a $4000 distorted screen right now. Another patch could be imminent. It's worth pointing out that most people on that thread say they're going to return their Sony set, not their Xbox 360. And, as usual, someone comments that an upscaled 1080i signal is indiscernible anyway.
Sidenote: The general public doesn't have a prayer of grasping this stuff.
Reader DJPhatFive says he stuck in his trusty old copy of Call of Duty 2 and received a mysterious update that seems to have enabled a 1080p setting in the game. Can anybody else confirm? Has the native 1080p train left the station or is this just more noise to add to the post-Fall Update confusion surrounding Splinter Cell: Double Agent?
Right now, every 360 fanboy with a hopelessly old-fashioned 720p or 1080i max HDTV is wondering the same thing: What does Splinter Cell: Double Agent, supposedly the first Xbox 360 game to support 1080p, look like in glorious "True HD" (quotes added for sarcastic effect)? The 1080p debate is a rhetorical swamp filled with technical jargon, foggy "real world" benefits, arguments about performance trade-offs and general hype. Now that those of you with TVs capable of 1080p via component or VGA have gotten a look at the 360 in action post-Fall Update, what's your verdict? Is Splinter Cell really 1080p? Is the difference noticable? Is it worth the extra money you paid for your cutting edge HDTV? Please include the details of your set-up (TV model, screen size, inputs, etc.)?
Unlike OXM, which reports the Fall Dashboard Update is already in your possession (don't bother looking), Famitsu says (via German site GameFront.de) that the hotly anticipated upgrade will be a worldwide treat on Halloween:
Microsoft will release its "Fall 2006 System Update" on 31.10.06 in Japan, according to a Famitsu report. The update is free and available to all Xbox Live members.
The update, among other things, improves Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace functions, provides 1080p support, adds a start menu for XNA-developed games, adds HD-DVD player support and over 80 additional functions.
Microsoft is holding a press conference in Japan at which additional information will be provided.
It's widely believed that MS will roll the update out everyhwere at the same time, so that's good news for folks in the US and EU as well. Better yet, Japanese site WatchImpress has pics from the press conference confirming WMV streaming via Windows Media Connect, CD-R/DVD-R and USB thumbdrive.
Hey 1080p, HD-DVD support and more sure beats Smarty Smarts and stale Nestle Crunch bars. Plus you don't need a costume.
Microsoft Director of Technical Strategy for Xbox Live Andre Vrignaud asked MS Senior Software Engineer Bruce Dawson for his thoughts on the trade-offs of 1080p game rendering vs. 720p. Here's his response:
2.25x: that's how many more pixels there are in 1920x1080 compared to 1280x720
55.5%: that's how much less time you have to spend on each pixel when rendering 1920x1080 compared to 1280x720-the point being that at higher resolutions you have more pixels, but they necessarily can't look as good
1.0x: that's how much harder it is for a game engine to render a game in 1080p as compared to 1080i-the number of pixels is identical so the cost is identical
There is no such thing as a 1080p frame buffer. The frame buffer is 1080 pixels tall (and presumably 1920 wide) regardless of whether it is ultimately sent to the TV as an interlaced or as a progressive signal.
1280x720 with 4x AA will generally look better than 1920x1080 with no anti-aliasing (there are more total samples).
Follow the link for more analysis from Andre and an interesting comment thread. Is all this 1080p babble making your head hurt yet?
Has the 1080p console era arrived sooner than expected, courtesy of Ubisoft? The above pic is screen cap from a debug copy of Splinter Cell: Double Agent for the Xbox 360 showing support for "true HD" (to use Sony's patronizing marketing terminology). GamePro says they received confirmation from Ubisoft that the retail version will indeed support 1080p. Elsewhere, 1up says their contact told them "No, it's 1080i" but admits things are pretty hectic at Ubi right now, so who knows? All acknowledge that 1080p support is useless without the necessary update Microsoft, expected some time in the near future (although GamePro theorizes that it could be included on the Double Agent disc). Even then, without an HDMI solution from MS, the much-hyped resolution would be possible only via the rare 1080p HDTV (Sharp?) that supports 1920x1080 via VGA input.
Meanwhile, back in standard-def-trying-in-vain-to-read-that -Dead-Rising-text land, the po' folk are snickering because their snooty 720p neighbors now have to go out and buy a new TV if they want to remain on the bleeding edge of the 360 community.
How many lucky bastards already have a 1080p HDTV and are just dying to put it to use? How many don't think they'll get a 1080p set for years?
Correction: As several readers have pointed out, only 1080p movies using the HD-DVD drive require HDMI. Games will work over both HDMI or VGA.
Joystiq has some rather astounding news from the Tokyo Game Show today. A software update later this year -- we would guess the scheduled fall update -- will add full 1080p capability to your Xbox 360. Still no word of an HDMI cable, though. Right now this is only via component or VGA. Still, Microsoft is promising immediate upscaling of all existing games and DVD movies. Huh, it looks like the 360 is capable of "True" high definition after all. The question is: can it play games in 4D? Stay tuned to X360F and Joystiq for more breaking TGS info.
Yesterday we 
Major Nelson brings word that a new 360 patch has been loosed on the world. The patch fixes some 1080p display 
Reader DJPhatFive says he stuck in his trusty old copy of Call of Duty 2 and received a mysterious update that seems to have enabled a 1080p setting in the game. Can anybody else confirm? Has the native 1080p train left the station or is this just more noise to add to the post-Fall Update confusion surrounding Splinter Cell: Double Agent?
Right now, every 360 fanboy with a hopelessly old-fashioned 720p or 1080i max HDTV is wondering the same thing: What does Splinter Cell: Double Agent, supposedly the first Xbox 360 game to support 1080p, look like in glorious "True HD" (quotes added for sarcastic effect)? The 1080p debate is a rhetorical swamp filled with technical jargon, foggy "real world" benefits, arguments about performance trade-offs and general hype. Now that those of you with TVs capable of 1080p via component or VGA have gotten a look at the 360 in action post-Fall Update, what's your verdict? Is Splinter Cell really 1080p? Is the difference noticable? Is it worth the extra money you paid for your cutting edge HDTV? Please include the details of your set-up (TV model, screen size, inputs, etc.)?
Microsoft Director of Technical Strategy for Xbox Live Andre Vrignaud asked MS Senior Software Engineer Bruce Dawson for his thoughts on the trade-offs of 1080p game rendering vs. 720p. Here's his response:
Gamestop is listing an Xbox 360 HDMI cable called the "GameStop Universal Premium HDMI Cable" for release Dec 1 at $79.99.
Joystiq has some rather astounding news from the Tokyo Game Show today. A software update later this year -- we would guess the scheduled fall update -- will add full 1080p capability to your Xbox 360. Still no word of an HDMI cable, though. Right now this is only via component or VGA. Still, Microsoft is promising immediate upscaling of all existing games and DVD movies. Huh, it looks like the 360 is capable of "True" high definition after all. The question is: can it play games in 4D? Stay tuned to X360F and Joystiq for more breaking TGS info.
