More Xbox 360 HDMI Details
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Xbox 360,
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.
Read More 
| Xbox-Scene
Gallery: More Xbox 360 HDMI Details
Advertisement
Microsoft’s HD Space Solution: Buy Another Hard Drive
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace,
With Microsoft’s announcement of downloadable high definition movies and television, some concerns were raised over the relatively small size of the 20 GB hard drive available. After formatting the drive and including Microsoft’s default installation, the drive winds up with around 13 GB free. Many have suggested that this announcement indicates a larger hard drive in the Xbox 360’s future. Indeed, this is one of the rumors that won’t seem to die. However, when GamersReports talked to Aaron Greenberg, the Xbox Group Product Marketing manager, he offered a different solution: transfer your Xbox Live Account to a memory unit, and buy another hard drive. Most gamers with the Premium Xbox 360 probably haven’t bought a memory card, so getting the ability to store more downloadable content ends up costing the gamer upwards of $100.
Read More | GamersReports
Gallery: Microsoft’s HD Space Solution: Buy Another Hard Drive
Recent Galleries
Playfeed Categories
Playfeed Shows
Advertisement
© Gear Live Media, LLC. 2007 – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.