Do you own a Xbox 360?

[dreamcastrocks]

I've considered that, too. Reports of super-slow loading and other quirks have held me back on the A1. I have my eye on the A35 and am hoping for a sale around turkey day in the ~$200 range.

Decisions decisions...

That's not happening. You will find the A3 in that price range, but not the A35. Maybe when the A4's come out next year.

 

[blindseyed]

OK help me out guys, which 360 do I get? I know I need more than the core system so I can play regular Xbox games so which should I get?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Premium. If you have an HDMI capable TV, definitely get one with HDMI.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

I think they are now calling the premium system "Pro," that would be my pick.

 

[D-Dogg]

That's not happening. You will find the A3 in that price range, but not the A35. Maybe when the A4's come out next year.

I've read some rumors actually of a $199 a35. I dismissed them, but I did see it somewhere.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I've read some rumors actually of a $199 a35. I dismissed them, but I did see it somewhere.

Are you sure it was the A35 and not the A3? Best Buy has the A3 for $199 right now.

 

[D-Dogg]

Are you sure it was the A35 and not the A3? Best Buy has the A3 for $199 right now.

It was the a35. I dismissed them.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Just picked up my 360!

 

[thirty-two]

is the xbox going to release a 360 that has wifi installed, anytime soon?

 

[Nasser22]

Hah, our neighbors and my brother won an Xbox360 at the ASU-UA game by giving them the right score and winner for the first match-up between them in 1899. Well, they called me and I told them. I was hoping me and my brother would get it, but nope...just permission to go over anytime.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

is the xbox going to release a 360 that has wifi installed, anytime soon?

No.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

No.

Outside of the additional $99 it is a pretty seamless upgrade to get the wifi NIC. Clicks right in on the back USB port.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

is the xbox going to release a 360 that has wifi installed, anytime soon?

Your PS3 comes with free wifi and doesn't charge you to use it either.

 

[Covert Rain]

Your PS3 comes with free wifi and doesn't charge you to use it either.

On the flip side the PS3 doesn't doesn't have much of an online community presence. It's free but you get what you pay for.

 

[puckhead]

X36 inda house!!

I voted yep!!! Mrs. Puck and I went and bought an Elite with Rockband last night. All I can say is Wow! We had a blast and stayed up way too late. Awesome machine, I'll be getting Assasin's Creed soon as well. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long, but we'll be enjoying this thing for some time, I think.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I voted yep!!! Mrs. Puck and I went and bought an Elite with Rockband last night. All I can say is Wow! We had a blast and stayed up way too late. Awesome machine, I'll be getting Assasin's Creed soon as well. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long, but we'll be enjoying this thing for some time, I think.

You were able to find a Rock Band bundle in stores?

 

[puckhead]

You were able to find a Rock Band bundle in stores?

Whole stack at Best Buy-Arrowhead. Probably a dozen or so on the floor.

 

[Covert Rain]

You were able to find a Rock Band bundle in stores?

The Walmart down the street from my house had about 25 Bundle boxes as of last week. I have not been there since last week but they had a bunch of Rock Band Bundles.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Got my son an Xbox Elite for Christmas. Played Guitar Hero for the first time this morning and my fingers are numb! What a blast!!!

I hooked it up to my stereo receiver (Denon), playing on a 53 inch Hitachi HDTV and sound through my surround sound system (5.1)...
I am sooooo not a techy when it comes to this stuff, so:

1.) The Xbox seems to allow you to choose your preferred resolution. I think 1080p is the best, but how would I know if that is the best for me and my Hitatchi?

2.) Also, the Elite came with a HDMI cable (the connectors look like CAT 5 wiring), however, I do not appear to have a connection that will take this sort of cable on my receiver? Or do I connect it directly to my TV which if that's the case, it won't happen as I'm not about to move the TV to get to the back panel...

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Got my son an Xbox Elite for Christmas. Played Guitar Hero for the first time this morning and my fingers are numb! What a blast!!!

I hooked it up to my stereo receiver (Denon), playing on a 53 inch Hitachi HDTV and sound through my surround sound system (5.1)...
I am sooooo not a techy when it comes to this stuff, so:

1.) The Xbox seems to allow you to choose your preferred resolution. I think 1080p is the best, but how would I know if that is the best for me and my Hitatchi?

2.) Also, the Elite came with a HDMI cable (the connectors look like CAT 5 wiring), however, I do not appear to have a connection that will take this sort of cable on my receiver? Or do I connect it directly to my TV which if that's the case, it won't happen as I'm not about to move the TV to get to the back panel...

1) 1080p is the best available resolution for TV's.

2) Your receiver probably doesn't have an HDMI connection. You will need to get an HDMI receiver, (be sure that it passes audio through) or get a special HDMI cable for the 360 that has an HDMI connection as well as an optical audio connection, so you can connect that to your receiver and get your surround sound.

 

[82CardsGrad]

1) 1080p is the best available resolution for TV's.

2) Your receiver probably doesn't have an HDMI connection. You will need to get an HDMI receiver, (be sure that it passes audio through) or get a special HDMI cable for the 360 that has an HDMI connection as well as an optical audio connection, so you can connect that to your receiver and get your surround sound.

Thanks DCR... If I understand this right, there are HDMI cables that will connect to the 360, but would also have on the other end an Optical connection?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Thanks DCR... If I understand this right, there are HDMI cables that will connect to the 360, but would also have on the other end an Optical connection?

Yes, if your receiver does not have an HDMI connection. You have the HDMI cable from your TV to your Xbox, but no connection from your Xbox to your receiver.

You can pick up one of these if you do not want to upgrade your receiver at the moment.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360hdmiavcable/

not cheap.... sometimes you can find them used at a Gamestop or something.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Yes, if your receiver does not have an HDMI connection. You have the HDMI cable from your TV to your Xbox, but no connection from your Xbox to your receiver.

You can pick up one of these if you do not want to upgrade your receiver at the moment.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360hdmiavcable/

not cheap.... sometimes you can find them used at a Gamestop or something.

DCR, bear with me here as I'm really not up to snuff on this stuff... You mention above that "I have the HDMI cable from my TV to the Xbox"... However, I believe I don't. I currently have the Xbox connected to my Denon receiver using the component cables (Red, Blue & Green), and the audio cables as well (Red & White). I'm at work so I can't check, but if I recall correctly, the Xbox 360 allows for the HDMI connection direct from the Xbox unit to my receiver. As you correctly stated however, my Denon receiver does not have a HDMI connection, but it does have the Optical connection. This configuration does in fact allow me to run the Xbox in 1080 and the sound does play through my surround sound. With this the case, what exactly would the HDMI connection do to either the picture quality and/or the sound??

 

[dreamcastrocks]

DCR, bear with me here as I'm really not up to snuff on this stuff... You mention above that "I have the HDMI cable from my TV to the Xbox"... However, I believe I don't. I currently have the Xbox connected to my Denon receiver using the component cables (Red, Blue & Green), and the audio cables as well (Red & White). I'm at work so I can't check, but if I recall correctly, the Xbox 360 allows for the HDMI connection direct from the Xbox unit to my receiver. As you correctly stated however, my Denon receiver does not have a HDMI connection, but it does have the Optical connection. This configuration does in fact allow me to run the Xbox in 1080 and the sound does play through my surround sound. With this the case, what exactly would the HDMI connection do to either the picture quality and/or the sound??

Don't worry about not being up to snuff...

The connection that you are using now, is component, but it also has the optical connection to connect to your receiver.

However, since your Denon receiver does not have HDMI like you said, Xbox makes a special HDMI cable, that also has an optical out, just like the component cables that you are using now. So those without HDMI receivers can still use their surround sound. You would use that HDMI cable from the 360 to your TV, and the optical cable from the 360 to your Denon receiver. Make sense?

The link that I showed you is one of those cables.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Don't worry about not being up to snuff...

The connection that you are using now, is component, but it also has the optical connection to connect to your receiver.

However, since your Denon receiver does not have HDMI like you said, Xbox makes a special HDMI cable, that also has an optical out, just like the component cables that you are using now. So those without HDMI receivers can still use their surround sound. You would use that HDMI cable from the 360 to your TV, and the optical cable from the 360 to your Denon receiver. Make sense?

The link that I showed you is one of those cables.

Ok -think I'm getting this now... If I understand it correctly, it seems that if I choose to go the HDMI route, I don't need to connect the component cables to my Denon??
Connecting anything directly to my TV will be a serious pain the arse as it's in a niche and is almost impossible to get behind it... I'd have to take it down from the niche (a job for two guys), make the connection and put it back up in the nice - I really don't want to go through that....
Given my current configuration, what am I missing out on if I don't go the HDMI route?