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[Xbox-Scene]

Xbox 360's New 1080p Support: Crippled? Posted by XanTium | September 27 22:11 EST

From gear.ign.com: HDMI is basically yet another wire that connects a console and the TV, but what makes it special is the signal it sends (both audio and video) is completely digital. The other connections capable of carrying an HD signal (and the only ones currently supported by the Xbox 360) are Component and VGA. Both are analog connections, which means that they can't support HDCP / AACS. They are also subject to interference if the cables run too close to masses of power lines. The really big problem with Xbox 360's lack of HDMI support, however, is the that only a limited number of 1080p-capable HDTVs can accept the signal via analog inputs. What does this mean? Basically, HDTVs use a fair amount of circuitry and processing power to decode incoming signals before displaying an image on the screen. Because HDMI has long been planned to be 'the connection' for HD signals, most manufacturers have built 1080p HDTVs that are only able to accept 1080p via HDMI. Consequently, only a few 1080p capable HDTVs support 1080p signals via Component connections, which are generally restricted to 1080i. A few more 1080p HDTVs will accept an analog 1080p signal via VGA, but often only with the addition of a VGA-to-DVI dongle. To put it simply, trying to work with 1080p without HDMI is very difficult. * IGN: Could Microsoft theoretically release an HDMI dongle-cable like the various other cables already available for the console? Is the current 360 hardware able to output a digital signal, or is it restricted to analog? * Microsoft: Xbox 360 supports HD Component video output, which is compatible with nearly every HD ready TV on the market today. That's not yet true for HDMI. We are watching the market closely and will continue to evaluate our solution, in the face of consumer demand. Read More: gear.ign.com

[enderandrew]

Just like the $100 VGA adapters for the original XBox, you need an extensive adapter to convert the analog to a digital signal.  You can't just make an HDMI cable for the 360.

[bigshooter13]

I really hope they listen to consumer demand and figure out some kind of digital HDMI solution. I will pay good money for that cable.

[cliffy88]

My westy supports 1080p through vga...but my computer looks better through a dvi or hdmi cable. I think my monitor is one of the very few that could support this...and even though it does, I'd much rather have hdmi!

[DaddyO21]

anybody knows of a good HDTV that accepts 1080P by VGA or Component?

[enderandrew]

QUOTE(bigshooter13 @ Sep 28 2006, 02:35 AM)

I really hope they listen to consumer demand and figure out some kind of digital HDMI solution. I will pay good money for that cable.

It wouldn't be simply a cable.  There would be a small "box" on it to convert the signal to a digital one.  And I'm not sure if they'd be doing just video on it, since component and VGA just carry video, or if they'd throw the audio in as well.

It wouldn't be cheap.

I'm glad Sony caved in and is offering HDMI on both versions.  Honestly, I can't think of any good reason to get the $600 version now.

[cliffy88]

QUOTE(DaddyO21 @ Sep 28 2006, 02:57 AM)

anybody knows of a good HDTV that accepts 1080P by VGA or Component?

http://www.bestbuy.c...d=1138084694260

Used to be 1599.99, great great price. I own this monitor, and I love it! You can't go wrong doubling this as a computer monitor/xbox 360 tv! The black levels could be better, but I honestly can't complain because of the price and size! All in all I can't say enough about how much I like this monitor. Setting a few feet from one of the bad boys...it just puts a smile on my face!

[Boydster]

If they would tell us if the 360 is capable of outputting a digital signal, all would be well.

If yes, make the flippin dongle.
If no, then I guess we're out of luck.

1080i/720p is still pretty damn good.

[bigshooter13]

Can someone clairify this for me. It sounds like the HD-DVD drive will either play in 1080p or 480p if you don't have a 1080p capable display. What about 720p and 1080i? Will the 360 be able to play HD-DVD movies at those resolutions? Or am I stuck with 480p? Because that is no different from current DVDs. This is all despite the cable issue. For this scenario, let's just pretend I have my 360 hooked up via component to a 720\1080i display, which I'm sure is a vast majority of us here. Thanks

[ubiman]

QUOTE(bigshooter13 @ Sep 27 2006, 10:47 PM)

Can someone clairify this for me. It sounds like the HD-DVD drive will either play in 1080p or 480p if you don't have a 1080p capable display. What about 720p and 1080i? Will the 360 be able to play HD-DVD movies at those resolutions? Or am I stuck with 480p? Because that is no different from current DVDs. This is all despite the cable issue. For this scenario, let's just pretend I have my 360 hooked up via component to a 720\1080i display, which I'm sure is a vast majority of us here. Thanks

Component:

HD-DVD = 480p, 720p, 1080i
DVD = 480p
Games = 480p, 720p, 1080i/p

VGA:

HD-DVD = 480p, 720p, 1080i/p
DVD = 480p, 720p, 1080i/p
Games = 480p, 720p, 1080i/p

That is what I understood from the last MS news update.

[epsilon72]

QUOTE(cliffy88 @ Sep 27 2006, 06:56 PM)

My westy supports 1080p through vga...but my computer looks better through a dvi or hdmi cable. I think my monitor is one of the very few that could support this...and even though it does, I'd much rather have hdmi!

I have the 37" version of your display, and as it supports 1080p through VGA I don't have anything to worry about.  HDMI would be nice, but I'd rather have 1080p through VGA than none at all.

[jaygould30]

Sorry but a article from IGN means nothing to me. I've always felt there were Sony biased and on top of that will publish just about anything if the money is right. There opinion (an uneducated one at that) means nothing as far as I'm concerned. I'm wondering how many courses the author of this article has sat through to come up with that lame definition on digital and analog. My guess is not many.

The only part of that whole thing I agree with is that HDMI has in fact been choosen as the connection for future television sets due to HDCP/AACS which is a big issue with trying to use any other type of connection (excluding VGA). Also that HDMI is nice for it's audio integration. But then again it is so far from being a completed format. Look at all the versions it's already gone through...what is this software we are dealing with? More ways to milk money out of people? I think it is also funny how they don't mention how many 1080p sets don't even accept a 1080p signal over HDMI.

There is just to much that is left out of this discussion though. To much to even try to go over in a simple forum post. In the end, after looking at ALL the facts, people will realize that 1080p will mean nothing in this generation of gaming. I predict it to be a bigger issue the next generation when the format has time to evolve (which will take the next 4-5 years).

Microsoft is very smart and completely right on this topic. You can tell that the only reason there going to talk about it is to shut up Sony since there tired of hearing the topic from people who don't understand. Sometimes trying to be at the cutting edge isn't the best or right thing to do. This IMO is one of those cases.

EDIT: The more I read there questions the more I see how retarted they are. Some of there questions aren't even correct assumptions. They need to go back and do there homework.

[MeanMF]

QUOTE(jaygould30 @ Sep 28 2006, 04:19 AM)

Microsoft is very smart and completely right on this topic. You can tell that the only reason there going to talk about it is to shut up Sony since there tired of hearing the topic from people who don't understand.

1080p is undoubtedly overhyped, but the real issue to me is lack of HDMI or DVI support in the 360.  There's a big difference in quality between an analog and a digital connection.  Compare the picture on an LCD monitor using a standard VGA cable to one using DVI.  The difference is plainly visible.  Sure a lot of older HD sets don't have a digital input, but almost all current models do.  MS likely didn't include an HDMI output to keep the cost of the unit down, but that's no reason not to offer one as an add-on...Although once you bought a 360 + HD-DVD + HDMI the PS3 would be a bargain.

[blah101]

ya but the difference from VGA or HDMI is pretty much that HDMI can carry the audio.. i never have really seen a difference in video between the 2

[Lunar Aura]

Sony including HDMI on the $500 "gimped" version was a right move.

Now 360 + HD-DVD drive + means to get 1080p on movies (i.e. VGA adapter or HDMI addon) versus a $500 PS3 doesn't sound so one sided anymore.

Sony and Nintendo screwed up on the graphics card power.
MS screwed up on the media format (they can't force games to utilize HD-DVD or even the hard drive to it's fullest).

Whether I like it or not, IGN does have a point. And from my perspective, this PS3/360/Wii generation of gaming looks rushed and underplanned compared to PS2/Xbox/GC. The saving grace this gen would be Xbox LIVE imho. Unless Sony can match or exceed it...