Hardware Test: Xbox 360 Elite Comments by Richard Leadbetter

I wanted to rant about HDMI is overrated anyways...

Another aspect of the Elite that I really appreciated was the complete omission of copy protection (HDCP) on the HDMI output.

... but somehow I think I won't have to rant. Because this is just great news.

I can't see it costing £380, that would be fooking insane, for what? Hdmi and a biiger HDD? Naaaa, not after they've given so much stick over the PS3's price. I reckon no more than £320, hopefully if they have sense, £300, with a price drop on the premium to £250.

No point in upgrading for bigger disk and hdmi.

Very happy with component, my Aquos telly and 1080i upscaling of 720p.

Nope my cash is waiting for the PS3 when MGS4 comes out by that time hopefully games like that church blaster RFOM will be cheaper.

"church blaster RFOM"

:D

Never thought it would work.

the box looks like a photoshop mistake.

I have a 360 and really like it, and I really think you'd have to be a tit to pay the extra for this. All the elite offers is a bigger harddrive. The HDMI connection is basically a straight swap from component. Any image quality difference was likely due to the quality of the component cable used as the analogue signal suffers where a digital one doesn't even over a cheap cable. I suspect the ommission of copy protection on the HDMI is due to the fact they have an incompatible USB link between HD-DVD drive and machine so to include it would be pointless. So, it's less to do with 'fighting the good fight' and more to do with being too tight to include a in built drive with the full copy protection-capable links from drive to screen.

Also, comparing the hardware components or capabilities of a PS3 development kit with a retail machine is possibly the most retarded thing I've heard all day.

"With the Microsoft add-on HD-DVD player now available for purchase at a mere GBP 99 from certain outlets, the Xbox 360 add-on is surely the cheapest way to get "into" high definition movies without the worry of sinking untold hundreds of Pounds Sterling into a format that may not last the course."

Blockbuster in the USa have stated they will be stocking Blu Ray and only 200 stores will carry HD DVD whilst there is still meager demand...

its all over

HD DVD = Betamax
Blu Ray = VHS

@cobracotton: Right now they're both looking a lot like laserdisc. Maybe in 5 years things will be different.

King Kong's a great movie.

@teabagger
"I suspect the ommission of copy protection on the HDMI is due to the fact they have an incompatible USB link between HD-DVD drive and machine so to include it would be pointless. So, it's less to do with 'fighting the good fight' and more to do with being too tight to include a in built drive with the full copy protection-capable links from drive to screen. "

Has no-one read the article? There is no HDCP copy protection when playing games, but there is HDCP when playing HD DVDs. So everything you've just said was meaningless.

@bivith

There is no HDCP support when playing HD-DVDs either because the USB connection between external drive and machine isn't capable of carrying a HDCP signal. Any HDCP enabled disk played on it would be downsampled, even if the link between 360 and TV is HDMI.

Elite is dead from the beginning. Why people buy it when it doesn't stand out from the prime version. At this price, u can buy a PS3.

The Elite is on my horizon... Just waiting for the price drops. Sorry biker_bob, your sales pitch just ain't good enough...

@biker_bob - Fair enough... but I just can't give that kind of cash to sony for a PS3. As a game console it is way overpriced. If the prices drop... well then the sky's the limit! Cheers

@teabagger
"There is no HDCP support when playing HD-DVDs either because the USB connection between external drive and machine isn't capable of carrying a HDCP signal. Any HDCP enabled disk played on it would be downsampled, even if the link between 360 and TV is HDMI. "

HDCP is an encryption protocol which is added at the video output stage. Also HDCP is nothing to do with "downsampling". The downsampling is for analogue outputs and is used when the Image Constraint Token flag is enabled on the disc.

And if you read the article it even mentions that HDCP is enabled, and they had to defeat it in order to get the movie screen grabs.

Fix it, Sony!

er... I mean Microsoft (true typo - I just kept it in).

I think I might just wait - depending on the review scores and release dates of Assassin's Creed and GTA IV - until they fix the outstanding issues before I give these console manufacturers any more money.

I want holidays and a Golf TDi, so it'll be easy to do - especially as the Daily Mailers and Jack Thompson got their wish of a banned Manhunt 2 - no reason to buy a Wii yet.

Sony'll be lucky if I buy a PS3 before 2009-10 - I've got tonnes of AAA PS2 and Xbox games that are un finished, and I haven't even bought Okami or played a single Zelda game yet.

Not played Fahrenheit, not got Half-life 2, not finished F.E.A.R., hardly played FarCry (my brother has my copies of these games - and a PC that'll actually run them well), not bothered about Halo until they make a controller that lets me look and turn with my hand rather than my thumb...

So, they've all got to work a little harder to get my ca$h - as spending thousands on cars and holidays gets me more girls - CONSOLES DO NOT.

I own tonnes of computers and consoles, from a Tandy TRS-80, to an Amstrad CPC, Multimega, 32X, Saturn, PS2, PSP, Xbox and several kickass PCs (for 2 years before I built them) - So my gaming needs are sorted!

The new games aren't even ready yet. I haven't finished San Andreas yet because of the stupid targeting and save systems.

Games Industry - sort yourself out - or you get no £2000+ investment from me over the next few years.

" identical to the Caucasian retail unit's"

WTF is this guy on about? Does he even know what a caucasian is?

^^ he meant White, you know white 360 compared to the black elite

i thought it was funny :)

Exactly, hence my questioning of if he knows what it means. Caucasian != white. I agree it was funny though, in a "you should really understand what a word means before using it" kind of way.

@biker_bob

OK...I'm going to sound like I'm being pedantic here, probably because I am, but you say earlier that software emulation is better than hardware emulation - stating the fact that your PS3 plays most of your PS1/PS2 games, which is great.

But the 360 has software emulation as well, and as you pointed out, the number of games emulated on it just now is, to be frank, shite.

So, if I can translate properly here: software emulation is good if you'e got a PS3, but bad if you've got a 360?! Thats is either a masterclass in arguing, or the rantings of a Sony fanboy!

Still a noisy, ticking timebomb?

I'll wait for the next re-design then.