Centurion

In my best Dr. Evil voice:
"Rrrrriiiiigghhtttttttt"

Michael Corvin

Buy either system at Best Buy(other retailers do the same thing) and sign up for their charge card and get an instant 10% off. That is like getting a game for free.

x-box, 3 games and a controller = around $500
- 10% discount ($50)
$450
-------

So you could get the same thing above with a total of 4 games for $500, instead of 3.

Same with the gamecube.

-corvin

vwbeetlvr

uhh, no. The 10% off coupon is over. It was over today. Second, it does not work on video game hardware. Third, it does not work on video game software, fourth, it's only on 1 ITEM. PLEASE get your facts straight before you get other people's hopes up. Anyway, best buy IS OFFERING a $20 savings if you buy 3 games and a $20 saving if you buy 3 accessories. NO MIXING.

huzefa

Actually he is talking about the 10% discount offered when you sign up for a bestbuy credit card, which is not really a coupon. It's more of a promotion, I guess, to get u to take credit with them. Anyway, you sign up, and automatically get 10% off your first order over $300. This is just off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure that's the way it is. The discount applies to anything in the order, as long as the total is over $300. Warranties excluded, of course.

Zinc

You had also better get to BB nice and early.

While not the insanity that marked last year's PS2 release, the usual M$ incompetance means that they are producing about 1/2 the promised consoles between now and X-Mas. It is a fair bet these will sell out and eBay will be the land of last resort before the holidays (which is where my X-Box will end up after I have spend some quality time with Dead or Alive 3 - I will be keeping a GameCube instead, a better "game focused" system with a proven level of quality and exclusive titles, and while M$ seems willing to throw a bunch of money at the X-Box, they have a lot to learn when it comes to actually delivering a quality product in a competitive area).

....also, while they "promise" to be shipping out consoles weekly, a few of my peeps that work at major retailers are saying that they are told of X-Box shipments on the 15th, mid-dec. and then January.

Michael Corvin

vwbeetlvr,
I suppose I'm gonna post an actual bargain and get flamed for it. No one else was putting in a bargain. Learn how to read. "sign up for a charge card" is plainly stated in my post. I also stated that other stores do it as well, but I'm not going to spell it out for you, until I have my system in hand.

huzefa got it right.

-corvin

Neush

This is wrong. I know for a fact that MS will have 500,000 units on store shelves the day it's released (this number includes those that were preordered) and that they will be shipping 100,000 units a week until mid February. Those stores that will only be receiving the incremental supply that you mentioned have to wait because they're selling bundled units, not the barebones standard shipping version.

Michael T Hudson

This guy at the homethear forum has Halo on his Xbox running progressive but can find a 16:9 mode.


http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/...ML/000471.html

jpolce

it was originally a 10 gig HD but downgraded to 8GB

jw2299

Still no one has stated why it's a crime against dvd nature to watch a movie on a ps2. What is it really? I don't know, I'm asking. I've never seen a movie on one. Is the picture and sound worse? Is it because the ps2 doesn't have the features that a regular dvd player has such as camera angles and "on the fly" subtitles? What makes it so bad?

Neush

It's not "bad". Some people are extreme audio/videophiles and they look down on convergence products like PS2 for playing DVD, preferring in lieu a standalone player. These people are usually either a.)snobs or b.)people with more money than you and I. Personally I don't think you're going to be able to expect the same quality of DVD playback on a PS2 that you get from a good standalone player. For one thing it's not progressive and it doesn't include component inputs (to the best of my knowledge anyway). However, having said that are you really buying a PS2 as a standalone DVD player? Personally I'd buy it for the gaming and consider any ancillary value as a bonus. I've seen DVD's on a PS2 and while they don't stand up to a progressive player in terms of quality they certainly don't look bad and it's still exponentially better than VHS. So basically don't listen to people who tell you PS2 sucks for DVD. It's got a purpose and it fills a very importent niche, ie. cheap integrated entertainment. If you've got $700-1200 to blow on a progressive standalone.. do it, if not grab your girl pop some corn kick back and enjoy a fine flick on your PS2... I said NOW!

MasterofDVD

I used my PS2 as a DVD player the first day just cause I wanted to see how it did. It was as good/bad as I figured it would be.

I'd much rather use my DVD player and leave the games to the PS2. You get what you pay for.....and I paid for the PS2 for games. It not as good as my Sony DVD player that cost 2 times as much so I simply don't use it as a player.

A PS2 is good if that's what you have fo movies but I wouldn't use it on a daily basis due to the other stuff I have. Just like I don't use my DVD-ROM for movies cause I think the quality is $hitty.

To each his own.

Michael T Hudson

The PS2 does have an option for component video. To tell the truth I have only watched movies on it when I travel. It does the job.

Otto

The only thing I'd have to say is that I wouldn't let the fact that one console plays DVD's or not sway me when making a console buying decision. I buy a console because of gaming, not because this one just happens to play DVD's too. With damn_good DVD players out for under $100, there's no reason to use the DVD capabilities of any console as a factor in deciding what to buy.

At the same time, if you happen to get one that can do it, there's nothing wrong with using it either. I just don't think it's a reason to buy a console, that's all.

jw2299

That's what I think to. If you don't already have a dvd player, and you want a ps2 for the games, why not watch movies on it too?

jpolce

i have 2 questions im wondering if anyone can answer.

1. Is the HD pack digital audio only in optical? (i thought it had coaxial)

2. Is there a very big difference between playing the game in component video(non-HD) instead of composite. Im not talking technically, but you have actually seen a difference visually.

im probably going to buy the HD pack anyway just for the dolby surround audio but need to get an optical cord if thats the only output. im not going to bother hooking it up with compnent inputs though if the video is not that much better. thanks.

Michael T Hudson

On my TV there is a world of difference between my PS2 with composite and with component. Much sharper. I think the XBOX is toshlink only but I have heard different stories.

Jazzy Hunter

fyi ...


Microsoft has confirmed that the progressive-scan DVD feature will not be available in the final retail version of the Xbox console.

Issues with cost are likely the primary reasons that Microsoft has decided not to include progressive-scan capabilities in its DVD players.