DVD Talk Forum - Official Xbox 360 Thread

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Quote:

Originally Posted by GatorDeb

I bought an HDTV !!! :D
Sony Bravia 40" LCD HDTV 1080p http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1181347723980

It was open item so it was marked $1399.99. I found a scratch so they took an additional $70 off and gave it to me for $1329.99. The scratch is on top towards the back and it's a little circle so you have to be watching the top of the TV to notice it, so I can live with it. It's smaller than a dime. The remote is a bit scratched up but I can live with it.

$1691.XX after tax, 4 year in-home service plan, $20 monster cleaning solution + pad, and a $50 indoor enhanced (plugged in) HDTV antenna for local channels. And I got $31 back through the rewards program so total out of pocket is $1661.

Haven't plugged it in yet because I don't want to chance it falling from the top of the stairs, so I'm going to wait until my nephew comes over tonight to get it upstairs. I'll really get to enjoy it this Wed-Thurs-Fri (my weekend) :D

Oh, and no interest until January 2009.

Congratulations. You will finally see what you have not seen on your SD tv.

I have the same TV, but the XBR version. You won't be disappointed!

Just picked up Saint's Rest, used copy for 20 bucks. Pretty fun game so far. It will satisfy my GTA fix until the Spring.

Quote:

Originally Posted by darthlurker

Here's a question...if my projector does 720p, is it worth it to get the HD add on for the X-Box? Will I be able to tell the difference?

I can tell a difference on my 50" 720p plasma.

Is "burn-in", especially when used for gaming, no longer a problem with Plasma TV's?

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubacabra

Is "burn-in", especially when used for gaming, no longer a problem with Plasma TV's?

I think it's still a problem, maybe just not as bad as before. You definitely don't want a static image on the screen for more than 30-60 minutes. If you're going to pause a game or leave the dashboard up while you go do something else, I'd turn off the TV or change inputs, just to be safe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubacabra

Is "burn-in", especially when used for gaming, no longer a problem with Plasma TV's?

I've had some burn-in on my two-year old Plasma. My wife watches HGTV and TLC crap all friggin' day. She watched it in it's OAR and as a result, black bars burned into the sides bilaterally. Since going to the super-annoying stretched out view, the bars have largely subsided. I love the way plasma TVs "pop", but after this, I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubacabra

Is "burn-in", especially when used for gaming, no longer a problem with Plasma TV's?

I don't even get any image retention after playing Guitar Hero for hours on my Plasma.

Finally got to test the TV and WOW... I have 40" of widescreen computer goodness :D Already saw the 360 and regular cable (getting HD cable within a week), the only thing left is HD-DVD and regular DVDs on the HD-DVD drive. When I turned on the XBOX I went Oh no the TV broke! Then I realized I was actually seeing this strange phenomenon called background detail. Now if I could just figure out if there PiP... the switching easily between XBOX, TV, and PC is awesome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashburn

I don't even get any image retention after playing Guitar Hero for hours on my Plasma.

Yeah, but you are constantly playing it, right? So you're going in and out of menus, etc. No 1 image is on the screen for more than 5 minutes or so?

Quote:

Originally Posted by aktick

Yeah, but you are constantly playing it, right? So you're going in and out of menus, etc. No 1 image is on the screen for more than 5 minutes or so?

I don't think that really matters, since the static objects are still being displayed 99% of the time. On my old Plasma I would get image retention playing Guitar Hero after about 30 minutes or less.

I actually haven't seen any image retention on my new Plasma yet. This also includes watching Hockey games for almost 2 hours (fast forwarding through intermission and commercials).

I get some image retention on my new Samsung 50" plasma; at least i did when i first got it. I spent a lot of time reading AVS and FAQ's about it, and while most recommend a break-in period I ignored it and hoped into Madden.

I ended up with some image retention due to the scoreboard running across the bottom of the screen throughout the game. Nothing that Samsung's burn-in protection options didn't kill after a few hours.

I've well over 100 hours now on my set, and don't really see it happen anymore though.

when is the damn Fall update? It's now october 23rd!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by House

when is the damn Fall update? It's now october 23rd!!

December 21st ;)

Jesus Christ...how many console skus does Microsoft want on the market???

Quote:

Microsoft Launches New Xbox 360 Console for Families

New console includes five games, wireless controller and storage to save games - all for the incredible value of $279.99

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Just in time for holiday, Microsoft Corp. today released a new Xbox 360(R) console that delivers games and content to everyone in the family for an incredible value of $279.99 (U.S. estimated retail price)*. Available in stores beginning today, Xbox 360 Arcade console is the first Xbox 360 console to include five family-friendly games, a wireless controller, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connection to enable high-definition output if desired and 256 MB of memory useful for storing games and entertainment content. At $279.99, the Xbox 360 Arcade console will include five best-selling games: "PAC-MAN Championship Edition" (NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.), "Uno" (Carbonated Games), "Luxor 2" (MumboJumbo), "Boom Boom Rocket" (Electronic Arts Inc.) and "Feeding Frenzy" (Sprout Games).

"As families gather together this holiday, it's the perfect time to launch a new low-priced, high-value Xbox 360 that plays games, TV shows and music for everyone to enjoy," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "In addition to offering an incredible all-in-one package for families to get right into the fun, the Xbox 360 Arcade system features the industry-leading Family Settings, which allow parents to control what their kids are watching and playing - and we know how important that control is to families around the world."

Karen Dodge, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at Toys "R" Us, added, "We are excited to offer this new gaming experience to our customers -- children and families -- who can now enjoy the fun of Xbox 360 together. Many of this holiday season's hottest items provide Internet connectivity, and with the online entertainment options available through Xbox LIVE(R), Xbox 360 Arcade offers families a great mix of online content and traditional gaming in one console."

The news of Xbox 360 Arcade comes as part of a broader initiative by Microsoft to bring the Xbox 360 experience to families everywhere. Microsoft also announced today that it is significantly expanding its catalog of high- and standard-definition family fun content that is available on demand direct to the consumer's living room. This includes the addition of everyone's favorite characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck from Warner Bros., which will be delivering the first ever "Looney Tunes" cartoons for download on Xbox 360, starting today. In addition, Nickelodeon is adding three new shows to its already large library of more than 300 episodes of TV shows on Xbox LIVE, Microsoft's premier online gaming and entertainment service, with the inclusion of "Blue's Clues," "The Backyardigans" and "iCarly." "SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam(TM)" (THQ Inc.) and "SHREK-N-ROLL(TM)" (Activision) games will also be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the place to download games for Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE, adding more fun for everyone in the family.

Microsoft's commitment to family entertainment is complemented by the largest next-generation library of "E"- and "T"-rated games, more than 200 in all, available at retailers nationwide this holiday, including "BEE MOVIE(TM) GAME" (Activision), "Guitar Hero III(R): Legends of Rock" (Activision), "Naruto: Rise of a Ninja" (UbiSoft Entertainment), "Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action" and "Viva Pinata(R): Party Animals."

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/news/200...soft_launc.php

This is a big middle finger to Nintendo...and it's brilliant, especially when the Wii once again won't be widely available for Christmas.

The Arcade has been rumored for awhile... it effectively replaces the Core, so it isn't too big of a deal.

I think non-hardcore gamers are attracted to the wii because of the intuitive controls. My wife for example, has picked up the 360 controler and felt overwhelmed. She has said, "I like the old games with just one button." I'll be curious to see how this sku does.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abrg923

This is a big middle finger to Nintendo...and it's brilliant, especially when the Wii once again won't be widely available for Christmas.

Why didn't they make the price $249.99 which would be the same as the Wii? That would have been the even smarter move. I know some games are included but they would have made the money back on future Arcade Live purchases and parents would feel they are getting a good value in place of the Wii they could not find at the same price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by parrotheads4

Yeah, I don't think this will really affect the whole Wii "non-gamer" crowd at all. If anything, this would appeal to parents buying 360's for their kids who can't find a Wii and want an alternative that comes with "free" stuff.

For those interested in the HD-DVD player and the Best Buy deal...some people have been getting the managers to give the 2 extra HD DVDs, others haven't had much luck. Now they are "officially" included. Sorry for the small print:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...img4070yg5.jpg

Quick question for 360 HD add-on owners: Is there a set-up menu for the hardware? If there is, I can't find it.

I sooo want to go back and show the lady that gave me a hard time about the 2 free DVDs that page (I won't don't worry :D). 40 minutes of arguing. Grr.

In other news I ended up with HD cable. Paid $255 for the HD DVR on eBay (new with remote, HDMI cable, card) and got DirecTV to give me a $50 discount for being a good long-time discount (-$5/mo for 10 months) once I activate it. So ended up paying $205 instead of $300 :D

You see what the X-BOX started? I've turned into an HD fiend.

OT (don't want to start a new thread): Does anyone have the HR-20 HD DVR? 50 hours MP4 or 30 hours MP2... does the MP4 keep the quality since it's newer technology or for best quality should I go with MP2?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GatorDeb

You don't have a choice whether to record MPEG2 or MPEG4. All the new HD channels are MPEG4. I'm not sure how your locals are encoded.

And Deb, if you have DirecTV and have for quite a while, you should've been able to get an HR20 for $100 max. Since you already bought it from ebay, I'd recommend calling DirecTV again before you activate it and see what else you can get. Some things they can give are instant account credit (up to $100), free DVR service for 6 or 12 months ($6 per month), free HD service for 6 or 12 months ($10/month), free or $10 off HBO for 3 or 6 months, and a $10 bill credit for 6 or 12 months (so $60-120).

Check out www.dbstalk.com for more info on the HR20 and possible deals.