PacMan2006

Hey guys,

I have a problem and wanted to know your thoughts for help.

I bought the 360 in August. Works totally fine. It has freezed once or twice back in mid August when I played the NCAA game, but other than that, no issues.

I play the Madden game pretty often...and I purchased the 360 add on a little before Christmas. I sampled some HD DVD's in there--Kong, Superman, Ray--and it looked good. Never watched a full movie.

Well, on Dec 26th, I watched a full movie: Batman Begins. Worked perfectly with no issues. On the 27th, though, I played my Madden game in the 360. And it froze. I thought it was odd, but I said OK no biggie. If I remember correctly, it froze AGAIN, and so I disconnected the add-on drive to the 360. I was able to finally complete a couple games.

Now though, it's freezing again. It freezed through three games, and on the fourth try it just shut off. No red rings of death, but I cannot complete a game now.

This is the thing....the 360 HD DVD add-on WAS used when I bought it from Best Buy (so I got it discounted). The used add-on was the only one available in the store, so I bought it. I have since exchanged my 360 for a new one at Best Buy, and returned the HD DVD add-on. I was a little leery of buying the add-on, as I like to have a component for DVD's and a component for video games and not have them be one in the same (so things like this don't happen).

My questions is this: Have their been complaints about the HD DVD add-on screwing up 360's? Has anyone experienced something like this? I really love HD DVD's, and want to experience them. I know there is a Toshiba player out...but that is something like 400 bucks, right? I'm torn. On one hand, it may have just been an issue with the add-on being used and not new. But I'm not really sure if that was the issue or if people are having trouble with the add-on in general.

Any help/knowledge would be great. Thanks guys.

LivingINClip

I've done a lot of research lately about the add-on, as I plan on purchasing one. I can't give you a straight yes or no answer, but here is what I can say.

I've not seen any real complaints about it, other than yours. So, it seems like even if it was the add-on, it would be a small problem. You also have to look at the fact that the 360 does seem to have a "high" failure rate , when was your's made? If you have an earlier model, it oculd be that the HD-DVD drive was putting the 360 under dstress and it finally just croaked . However, I wouldn't blame the add-on, I'd blame the 360.


Honestly, I would say that it is not an issue with the ADD-ON. I would say that your 360 had a early manufactor date and finally just died, it's sad but true.

PacMan2006

Thanks for the response, but I truly don't think so. Not sure when it was manufactured, but I bought it on 8/3/06. Almost a year after it came out, and up until that point, it had no issues.

And think about this...I watched Batman Begins on the HD DVD drive on Dec 26th. On Dec 27th, I go to play games, and I start having freezing issues. Just seems suspicious to me...or one heck of a coincidence if the two aren't related.

LivingINClip

Well, the add-on does require the 360 to work overtime for the audio and video codecs, my thought would be that your 360 was already almost dead and the add-on just finished it.

wewantflair

This is really all just nonsense. The add-on is just like any other PC/video game peripheral. It didn't kill your 360; those have a habit of just dying on their own.

PacMan2006

Well, nothing "died." I mean, it still recognized the game and all. But it kept freezing during each game making the game unplayable.

And I disagree wewant. They do have a habit of dying, sure, but the timetable between watching my FIRST HD DVD through the drive, and it starting to freeze during game play the NEXT day is way too much of a coincidence. I had no probs with the system beforehand.

wewantflair

Correlation does not equal causation. Call it a case of bad luck, coincidence, or whatever, but the HD DVD drive did not mess up your X-box.

PacMan2006

You can be blind about it if you want to. But the evidence is there, plain and simple.

wewantflair

What you're saying here is nonsensical to anyone who's ever done any sort of diagnostic work whatsoever. Do you understand the way the electronics components actually function?

What you're saying is in reality akin to this example:

a) I got a new Sirius sattelite radio for my car.
b) My air conditioner malfunctioned.
Therefore c) The Sirius sattelite radio caused my air conditioner to malfunction.

This is, of course, utter nonsense. These two incidents simply occurred coincidentally at a similar time.

Your original post asked for other experiences similar to yours. There have been none. Zero. Here or on AVS. The reason for this is because the HD DVD add-on drive simply cannot cause the type of malfunction you describe.

LivingINClip

I have to disagree with this. If there was a problem, we would see more. At best, if you want to blame the add-on, you'd have to blame it because the 360 has to do all the work, but if that is the case, your 360 was already on its way out.

I understand wanting to try and figure out what caused it, but honestly, with the high rate of failures on 360's, to write it off as the ADD-on just seems silly.

Mok

Here is what happened to me and my 360, it was working flawlessly for almost a year. When just the other day I went to play uno, and was prompted for an update. So I accepted the update, and went on to play uno. Right after that my 360 started freezing like crazy, I couldn't play any games without it freezing. I unplugged it and restarted the same problem. Then I did some research and found out a corrupt update could cause this, I deleted my uno save and re downloaded. Right after that my 360 went back to its former self, no more freezing. This is just a thought maybe you did a recent update that was corrupted. I think the 360 add-on is amazing and have had no problems with it.

PacMan2006

Living...

I didn't say or suggest the add-on was killing 360's...but there is just no doubt in my mind that it killed or harmed MINE. Again, it was working fine ever since I had it until the day after I watched my first HD DVD add-on. It's just too coincidental. Now, you can argue maybe it was because I bought it used or whatever, but I definitely believe it was the add-on due to the timing.

Mok...thanks for the suggestion. I have only done two updates. One was to fix a Madden glitch about 2 months back. And one was to download alternate uniforms about three weeks back. And I don't even play games online.

obladioblada

I picked up the 360 HD add-on today and it looks fantastic. I have had a problem with the universal remote. new batterys, lights up when the buttons are pressed but will not navigate the screen. its like the xbox is not picking up the infra-red. any suggestions?

Mopower

That remote sucks. It's not really made for the HD-DVD drive they just thru it in for added "value". But the thing rarely works for me and you have to have it pointed directly at the 360.

Mok

Make sure you don't have the tv button pressed, it will light up red. If so press it again so the remote will control the 360 add-on

manji

If there's no doubt in your mind, why'd ya bother asking us? =P

I haven't heard any reports of the add-on breaking 360's...but that doesn't mean it's not possible. Either way, your 360 sounds borked (and this is from a guy who's on his 2nd one right now).

I'd suggest sending the 360 back to Microsoft. It's a fairly easy process, they just send a box to you that you send right back w/ the 360 inside. They'll end up just sending you another one (pro'lly refurbished), but it should work fine.

manji

I usually default to my Harmony 880, but whenever the girlfriend steals it and hides it in the bedroom, I end up using the remote packed in with the add-on...with no issues whatsoever.

That said, I haven't tried pointing it behind me or at the cat or anything, so maybe it'd stop working then =P

Could there be somehting between you and the 360? I've got a glass-topped coffee table, which wreaks havoc on any of my remotes if i"m not careful.

PacMan2006

Haha manji. While I believe it messed up my 360, I was just coming here to see if anyone had a similar experience. And since I have a warranty at BB, I just walked in and exchanged it.