Black Xbox 360 with HDMI and 120GB HDD Coming Soon?

[Jeremy Charette]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6567' target='_blank'>http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6567</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Rumors of a hardware refresh for the Xbox 360 began earlier this year, when photos of a prototype console with HDMI output and a revised scaling chip appeared on the Web. Coupled with multiple hints of a larger hard disk drive, it seemed inevitable that Microsoft would release an upgraded version of its Xbox 360 sooner or later. The April issue of Game Informer, by way of Kotaku, adds further backing to such speculation with an image of a black Xbox 360 said to include a 120GB HDD, matching black accessories, HDMI output and HDMI cable for approximately $479."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/4219_blackxbox1.jpg" /> <br /><br />The color I don't care so much about, but HDMI and a bigger hard drive? I probably won't jump right away, but I'd buy one later this year, and move the v.1 360 into the bedroom. What about the rest of the accessories, like the camera, battery charger, and media remote? Also available in black?

[Felix Torres]

The color I don't care so much about, but HDMI and a bigger hard drive? I probably won't jump right away, but I'd buy one later this year, and move the v.1 360 into the bedroom. What about the rest of the accessories, like the camera, battery charger, and media remote? Also available in black?

Well, if that's *your* take, I've got good news for you.

1- The Black Elite package thing is a Limited edition run. A couple hundred K units in black for $479. (Yes, the HDMI cable is in the box. This isn't you-know-who.) Once those are gone, they're gone. No. More. Black.

2- Once the Elites are gone, the exact same configuration (but in white) becomes the New Premium configuration, at $399.

3- At that point, the core price goes down (unconfirmed).

4- The 120Gb drive will be available separately for "under $200" with (reportedly) a data transfer cable for upgraders.

Happy?

As for HDMI, don't expect too much.
Too many people seem unaware of the fatal flaw of HDMI circa 2006-2007:
Unless your set has a zero-overscan mode for HDMI (few if any do) and a native resolution of exactly 720p or 1080p, VGA will almost certainly give you a better picture.
You know why, right? ;-)

[Tim Williamson]

In 3 months or less I'd like to get an Xbox 360 to use in my new living room, I'm only going to have a standard tube TV (36") so is it worth it to wait for an Xbox with HDMI inputs, or will the standard component inputs be fine with that TV? What's the advantage of HDMI over component if I upgrade to an HDTV eventually?

[Jeremy Charette]

Nah, I'll probably take the Felix Torres route:

Get the hard drive upgrade, and the HD-DVD drive.

Run the video via. VGA to a Westinghouse 1080p panel. :wink:

[Tim Williamson]

So VGA to 1080p is better than HDMI/Component to 1080p?

[Felix Torres]

Nah, I'll probably take the Felix Torres route:

Get the hard drive upgrade, and the HD-DVD drive.

Run the video via. VGA to a Westinghouse 1080p panel. :wink:

That has the virtue of being a "known good" solution. 8)
(Scary good, actually.)

But you could also buy a new HDTV with zero overscan like the Sharps or Toshibas or *some* Samsungs.
Like the very interesting Sharp LC-32GP1U;
http://www.sharpusa.com/products/FunctionPressReleaseSingle/0,1080,642-34,00.html

32" 1080p optimized for gaming.
And the price ain't bad, either. 8O

You may also want to wait and see how things shake out on the IPTV front. Might not have to *buy* a 360 at all if you live in AT&amp;T U-Verse territory like some of us.

[Felix Torres]

So VGA to 1080p is better than HDMI/Component to 1080p?

As long as your set lets you adjust VGA colors, yes.
Its all about Overscan.
See, VGA ports are meant for PCs so nobody overscans the VGA port. What the XBOX puts out is what the Display presents.
Component and HDMI ports are for consumer video applications and the braindead stupid manufacturers still haven't caught on to the fact that DIGITAL VIDEO DOESN'T NEED OVERSCANNING!!!!! :roll:
(I'm making it my personal mission in life this week to spread the word. But only this week. Next week I'm moving on to the Shivering Isles. :twisted: )

So the component and HDMI datastreams are trimmed 5-10% around the edges and then zoomed in to fill the screen. The whole idea of keeping the data in the digital domain with HDMI is *supposed* to be greater accuracy of display, right?
Well, accuracy goes straight into the trash can the moment you scale what doesn't need scaling.

Note, BTW, that component and HDMI ports *only* support 720 and 1080 data streams. VGA output on 360 support the *native* resolution of most displays, whether they be ED or stretched-XGA PDPs, WXGA LCDs and PDPs, or full 1080p. What you see if what XBOX puts out.

That's got to be a plus, no?