Xbox-Scene has further details about the hardware modifications needed for the Xbox 360 to support HDMI. The site has hardware shots of a prototype Xbox 360 board with HDMI support added, along with a video showing the port in action. One of the most frustrating things about the rumors of HDMI support has been how coy Microsoft has been about adding this connection to the console. Early on, the message from the company was that 1080P and HDMI would not be necessary for HD gaming. Now that the Playstation 3 hit the market, however, 1080P mysteriously becomes an available option and an Xbox 360 with HDMI surfaces.

If Xbox-Scene’s information is reliable, then the reason why Microsoft has not been forthright about HDMI support in the Xbox 360 becomes clear; the original Xbox 360 had no chance of supporting a digital output because their vaunted scaler chip, ANA, would only support analog signals. The new Xbox 360 has an updated scaler, HANA, which probably enables digital scaling and HDMI support. Apparently, when Microsoft says that they will “provide an HDMI port to consumers when it makes sense,” that means they will do it when the competition supports it and by offering new hardware, rather than an upgrade to existing users. One also has to wonder if this ties in at all into Microsoft’s efforts to expand the Xbox 360’s multimedia capabilities; content providers may be shying away from the platform without a secure connection with HDCP enabled.