[the_rookie]

Since I now have a AVR and TV set that can handle HDMI, I was hopping to find a xbox cable that has HDMI out from the standard output on my xbox 360. However, since its not an Elite it doesnt have HDMI, nor can I find anything about HDMI cables for the 360. Does this mean the only way I can get HDMI for my 360 is to buy a new Xbox360 Elite?!

 

[Hakka]

You can't do HDMI unless your box has a HDMI output. All new 360s now have HDMI, not just the Elite.

I have an arcade 360 connected to a epson tw-2000 (pro cinema 1080ub in the US) on a 100inch screen, I have used both hdmi and component/optical and I cannot see or hear any difference between them.

Hakka.

 

[the_rookie]

k, well my 360 isnt new. Its about 2 years ago.

It doesnt have the hdmi.

I just hoped i would have the best connection atm. Right now the 360 may not have games that do the HDMI any good, but later when they continue to get better, the HDMI may make a bigger impact.

 

[dh2005]

I wouldn't sweat it too much. The 1080i signal you get through the bundled component cable's great.

 

[Strype]

yeah... buy the time most of the games are created to take full advantage, graphically, of the definition increase gained .... it will be about time for you to replace your xbox 360 anyways.

 

[Rambo4]

I haven't seen any difference in my 360 going from 720p to 1080i. The component cable seems to work great for either,

 

[ngsm13]

I have an original 20GB 360 hooked up via Component + Optical to my receiver, and my brother has a new 60GB 360 with HDMI...

I've A/B'd back and forth and there is no real difference, so besides the ease of a 1wire hookup, I doubt you will notice any difference at all. So, choice is up to you, but you will need to get a new 360 (any style) if you really want HDMI.

nG

 

[Strype]

correct Rambo ... the component cable will handle most formats upto 1080i very well. And don't worry, al of of people don't notice the difference between 720p and 1080i.

I found, when I used those resolutions for gaming that I prefer 720p for fast moving games... sports and FPS but if playing slower motion games, like puzzles or a slower RPG I prefer being on 1080i.

 

[ngsm13]

The 360 also supports 1080p over component :fyi:

nG

 

[dh2005]

Are you sure about that?

I recall reading that the component cable is physically capable of transporting 1080p, but that some kinda copyright/DRM garbage means that it's not allowed to.

 

[ngsm13]

I'm positive it's capable, I remember the update for it, and it's an option on my resolutions.

But, IIRC do all TV's accept 1080p via component?

nG

 

[dh2005]

The way I remember it is that a 1080p update was released after the HDMI-enabled 360s came out, because HDMI can carry 1080p. But I seem to remember that component was 'handicapped' to 1080i for some really lame anti-piracy reason that I didn't completely understand.

I could be wrong, or that could just be old news. But it certainly used to be true that you couldn't get 1080i out via component.

 

[Hakka]

yeah... buy the time most of the games are created to take full advantage, graphically, of the definition increase gained .... it will be about time for you to replace your xbox 360 anyways.

There's no definition increase. Its 1080p on the disc, its transmitted as 1080i with the flags that tell the display exactly how to reconstruct the 1080p signal.

Its not the same thing as comparing 1080i on the disc with 1080p on the disc.

This link explains it better than I can:

http://blog.hometheatermag.com/geoffreymorrison/0807061080iv1080p/

The 360 can do 1080p over component but most displays will not accept above 1080i on component.

If you do see a difference between HDMI 1080p and comp 1080i on your system it is because your display handles one better than the other.

Hakka.

 

[Strype]

my point was more that most games and there by designers aren't programming games for resolutions over 720p .... there are very few games on any consol that are actually 1080i let alone 1080p.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[the_rookie]

Well I have a question...How will I play my HD-DVD movies? I have a AVR capable of handling the HD Dolby Digital, and DTS HD. But it wont send it over Optical will it?

If it wont, than the case becomes I dont have full HD surround. And than getting a newer 360 might be needed.

 

[dh2005]

Hmm...

... have you considered getting a HDD-based media player, like the Popcorn Hour A-110? If the 360's HD-DVD drive can be connected to a PC, you could rip the movies to a hard drive. That way, your HD-DVDs can live forever - you're gonna struggle to replace that HD-DVD drive in a year or two, I think.

If you have a lot of HD-DVD movies that'll cost money to re-buy on Blu-ray, it might be worth considering.

 

[Strype]

or you could go to the clearance isle at BB and pick up a couple for about $75 bucks each, last time I saw.

 

[dh2005]

I assume you mean a couple of HD-DVD drives...?

... yeah, that's another solution. Although then the OP's still dependent on his Xbox 360. If that goes kaputt...? And if you're gonna spend $150 on two spare HD-DVD drives, why not spend that on a media player and gain the wider functionality?

Personally, what I love about the Popcorn Hour machines (I have an A-110...), is that they provide a means of playing back movies and TV shows without having to use video discs. Even though I treat my DVDs like they're made out of unicorn-horn (I'm seriously fussy about it...), after a few years of steady use, some of them have started to fail and have had to be replaced. And sure, replacing three or four discs doesn't cost all that much, but replacing 20 or 30 really starts to rack-up - particularly if these discs form part of TV boxsets that need to be replaced en masse. But since getting the A-110 in August, I've ripped nearly all of my discs to hard drives and put my discs into storage, and now I don't need to touch them anymore.

It's not a solution for everyone, but it certainly has been for me. And I encourage other users to look into it.

 

[Strype]

nope... they had standalone players they basically couldn't give away at the BB near me.... about 10 of them stacked on the shelf. Not many people are buying players for a DVD format that isn't even made anymore ... so there they sit, waiting for the guy who wants to upgrade from his Betamax.

 

[dh2005]

Okay. In which event the above stands... other than the bit about needing to keep the 360 working!

I think people who are interested in home theatre should start looking into HDD-based media players. I bought my Popcorn Hour on a hunch that it might be quite interesting, and now, I think it's the best piece of consumer electronics I've ever bought. Sure, the firmware still needs some work, but updates are being released every six weeks or so... and it plays so, so, so many codecs and containers. And all in a single, tiny, low-power-consumption box.


EDIT: I've not used one myself, but I'm told that the Western Digital TV HD is good, too.