spainlinx0

I think it's time I stopped being scared off by the price tag and the RROD, and just finally jump in and get a 360. The games are starting to get cheaper as well so I think it might be the perfect time. However which version do you people recommend. I was simply going to pick up the Pro because it's 350, but is the Elite worth it at 450? I'm probably going to order it through Amazon, since I have a $50 GC for there, and I also have a $50 AMEX GC. Can I use them both?

I'm not going to download movies or tv shows. It's being hooked up to a 27" 1080i WS Westinghouse LCD. I will upgrade this eventually, but not for a little bit. It has HDMI and component, but if I connect through HDMI I will have to get a switcher since that is where the Cable is running through. Should I go with the Pro, Elite, or some model I'm not aware of? I'm sure you guys will be a huge help, thanks.

Now that I think about it, what is the cheapest way to get this thing online wirelessly? The router is in another room, and I could run a long ethernet cable, but that is definitely NOT preferred unless the solution starts getting up there in price.

SteelgearX

Well, if you're not planning on dl'ing anything other than game related stuff then go with the pro. With your gc's you'll be paying 250 before tax. Good deal. Right now the only difference that I can think of between the elite and pro is that the elite is black, comes with a 120 gig hd instead of a 20 gig, and comes with both the hdmi cable itself and some adapter that let's you run the optical audio cable along with hdmi. Hope that helps.

spainlinx0

I don't have surround sound yet, so I'm thinking the optical situation is not a problem since by the time I get a receiver I'm sure it will have HDMI. Also, with Amazon I don't think I have to pay tax at all. I really didn't want to get this system until the RROD is fixed, but I don't see that happening, and I really want to play Oblivion, Dead Rising, Bioshock, etc.

spainlinx0

Also, how much cheaper would a reburb have to be for you guys to consider it?

SteelgearX

Well, I guess you can't really tell if you're ordering online, but the new ones say if they have the new chips on the box which run cooler. This technically should have fixed rrod problems. Either way, I don't personally see anything that the elite system has that's worth an extra $100.

uncle-frank

the pro definately, because you wont download anything

sniper308

Well its not only running cooler, that fixes the RROD, but in any case, I'd recommend the Pro. To me, there's no real need for the 120 GB HD unless you plan to stack tons of music or movies, etc on the 360. For music you can stream it from a PC to the 360, so not much need there to store it on the HD. If it were closer in price, then I'd opt for the 120 GB. But the price difference is too much at this point.

Not sure if all the 360 Pro's Amazon is shipping now have the HDMI out or not, but the new ones do.

So main difference between the Pro and the Elite is the HD size and the color of the case.

You can pick up a cheap HDMI cable at www.Monoprice.com if you get a Pro that has the HDMI out. I've had good experiences with their cables, including HDMI (for my HD DVD player). They have HDMI switchers as well, but I don't have any first hand experience with those.

I have a launch 360 that's connected via component since they did not have HDMI when they launched. I'd personally rather have an HDMI unit for less cable clutter, but I wouldn't pay more for it, and since the new Pro's have it there's definitely no reason to spend a bunch more for the Elite, given that you're not planning on downloading a lot.

spainlinx0

So what's the cheapest way to get my system online wirelessly? I really don't want to pay 80 bucks for the network adaptor.

spainlinx0

Also, is there any way to get the system cheaper than 350?

Robert

Any brand of wireless gaming router will work with the 360. I use a Linksys gaming router. The advantages of the 360 network adapter is that it works off the 360's power supply and fits securely in the back of the system.

spainlinx0

I already have a wireless router. I connect my Wii and my laptop with it. I guess I'm asking what is the cheapest thing I need to get my future 360 on there. Is that what I need? It looks like another router.

hail2dking

Hook up your router & modem behind your TV/entertainment center and hardwire your 360.

spainlinx0

Damn, I guess I have to get a splitter then to run the wire to my cable box, and the router.

bwvanh114

I have a question: If I plan to download game demos, how many can I fit on a 20GB HD?

Also, do game demos expire? Like you can only play them for a few weeks? And does MSFT keep a game demo library or are some game demos only available to download for a certain amount of time?

I never had a console before so this is all new for me.

I'm trying to decide whether to get the 20GB or 120GB version.

jonw9

I have the 20 gig and I think I have about 8 demos at a time.

The largest ones are over a gig, like 1.2 or something, most are about 800 megs.
Demos work as long as you have them.

I don't know about availability, as I don't go back and re-download stuff. I usually just check out the "new" section.

What about the halo xbox? Does it cost more than the pro? That could be an option as well. I guess if you could live with the green, I kinda like it.

Easy

The halo 360 is $50 more than the pro and does NOT include the game. I can't imagine why anyone would buy it.

tonyc3742

I got the elite, and my HD has about 62 GB free. Most of that is demos (35GB) or game content (Rock Band is probably the largest), and I've got pretty much every XBLA game (trial version) on there as well. Considering that the 20 GB HD actually probably gives you, what, 17-18.5 GB of usable space, I can see it being filled up relatively quickly. A lot of it obviously depends on your style--for demos, unless it totally sucks or I buy the game, I keep it there for future play (I won't buy Burnout Paradise, but my boy likes driving around the city.) I'd rather have too much HD space than not enough, especially when the 120 standalone drive is what, 150 bucks (which is ridiculously high).
I think the largest demo I've seen is 1.2 GB.
The halo version seems like a waste to me as well--you're paying 50 bucks for basically a paint job.

FusionX

Because it looks cool? I bought one based solely on looks, but I wouldn't want it as my main 360.

bwvanh114

Thanks for the advice everyone. I picked up an Elite but I haven't opened it yet. I'm reading how to tell if it's a 65nm or not.

spainlinx0

Where are the HD component cables? The box says it has them, but all I see are the yellow, red, and white. Should I return it? It was the only one they had left at Target, but I'm sure I could get some at Best Buy.

Michael Corvin

This is what I did and can't recommend it enough. The Wii and PS3 are wireless and will be sitting there getting a 100% signal, hardwire the 360 and either run Cat-5 to the PC or get a cheap wireless PC card.

The 'trial' versions are actually the full games that you download. Buying them just unlocks the game already on your system.

bwvanh114

Bleh this is stupid. I've been trying for a freaking hour to create an Xbox Live account.

George is getting upset!

Maxwell Smart

I have the elite and I was surprised how fast i filled up some space, and I dont download that much stuff.

tonyc3742

Well yeah...for many of the games I like them enough to not delete them, but I don't like them enough to buy them.

I thought setting up a Live account was kind of a pain as well. I still haven't figured out how to set up a child account.

Mikael79

I have the Pro (which was purchased back in February of this year), but if I were to buy one today - I'd get the Elite. I eventually bought myself the 120 GB drive (which I got on sale for $120), and even though I'm not currently using much more than 20 GB, it's really nice not having to delete things every few days.

As far as I know - just about any new console on the shelves these days should be one of the new 65nm chips. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, I really wish I had one with an HDMI port now, because I just got a new 52" LCD HDTV.