Xbox 360 version 2.

[Wookie]

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36749

VARIOUS SITES on the Interweb have revealed the possile presence of an Xbox 360 version 2.

Engadget have a report, with photos, of an Xbox 360 v2 dubbed 'Zephyr' which appears to have a newly added HDMI output on the rear of the console.

[bluejays]

I'm not completely tech-saavy, but what does this all mean? Wasn't the 360 supposed to be HD compatible and meant for HD tv's? What does this HDMI output mean that differentiates it from the first gen consol?

[SpitFire40]

Hopefully this is out by the time my Warrenty dies.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by fleury

I'm not completely tech-saavy, but what does this all mean? Wasn't the 360 supposed to be HD compatible and meant for HD tv's? What does this HDMI output mean that differentiates it from the first gen consol?

It gives it compatibility with newer sets that only have HDMI inputs for HD content. The current Xbox 360 outputs HD signals using component or VGA connections as I understand it.

I wouldn't go so far as to label that a "Version 2" thought. More like 1.02.

[Bobblehead]

Part of the HD-DVD (and Blu-Ray) specification is an Image Constraint Token (ICT). What this does is only allow HiDef output if the player is connected to a High Definition Content Protection (HDCP) compliant Display, and you can only connect to those displays with an HDMI. If an HD movie is played, the ICT is on, and you do not use and HDMI, the HD-DVD (or Blu-ray) player will only output the movie at 540p.

Currently there is a rumour of a "gentleman's agreement" among the movie studios not to use ICT yet (emphasis on the "yet"). But if the XBox360 did not have an HDMI connector and studios did begin to use ICT then the 360
would only display movies at the decreased resolution.

[bluejays]

I see. Pretty interesting, but as TurnedTheCorner said, it's more like a minor compatability issue they're adapting to.

[fanforever1986]

HDMI would be sick, when you watch HD with component compared to HDMI its doubles the picture Q. Now i may have to holdout...I was about to buy a 360 this week...dammit..

[RW99]

Hmm, I am in the market for a 360 to go along with a HDTV. I think I'll wait a little longer.

[Barnes]

I can't believe it didn't come with one in the first place.

[phaneuf_train]

So what abot us chumps with the good ol' regular 360? Is there anyway for us to get the newer version when it comes out?

[nfotiu]

Very little difference in picture quality between component and hdmi. HDMI is not neccessarily better.

The big deal about HDMI for HD DVD playback is audio. The new audio formats can not be sent over digital toslink or coax. They can only be sent via 5.1 analog outs (which the xbox 360 lacks), or sent as PCM over HDMI. The biggest downfall of the xbox 360 as a hd dvd player is there is no ability to take advantage of the lossless soundtracks, or even the higher bandwidth DD+. Dolby TrueHD and even DD+ are both huge improvements over regular DD/DTS.

[Coelah]

The HDMI output is only one of the features for the rumoured new and improved 360. It will be getting a new chipset that will run cooler, so the rumours are that the HDMI output will be added with that release. As well it's rumoured that Microsoft will release those new 360's with a larger hard drive, 120 gigs.

Alot of people with extended warranties will be praying their console goes down when those are released.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by fanforever1986

HDMI would be sick, when you watch HD with component compared to HDMI its doubles the picture Q. Now i may have to holdout...I was about to buy a 360 this week...dammit..

That's BS. They're cables, alternate means of sending the same picture resolution to a device.

The new chipset and HDD rumors I have not heard. Seems awfully early in the game to start tweaking a console that much. I guess time will tell.

[Wookie]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

That's BS. They're cables, alternate means of sending the same picture resolution to a device.

The new chipset and HDD rumors I have not heard. Seems awfully early in the game to start tweaking a console that much. I guess time will tell.

They're in the article I linked

As well as the new chip, various motherboard layout changes have also been noted, the majority of which appear to be insignificant.

Speculation is rife that this new Xbox 360 will also incorporate a 120GB hard-drive and the much-awaited 65nm CPU

[Bobblehead]

Really, the only difference in this unit is the HDMI out and the bigger harddrive (which should be able to be retrofitted in older machines, shouldn't it? I don't have a 360 so...)

Upgrades of console hardware is pretty common. The PS2 has had 14 revisions to date.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Really, the only difference in this unit is the HDMI out and the bigger harddrive (which should be able to be retrofitted in older machines, shouldn't it? I don't have a 360 so...)

Upgrades of console hardware is pretty common. The PS2 has had 14 revisions to date.

Sure, but most of those things don't significantly change the utility of the console. Different chip manufacturing, different optical drives, etc. But adding outputs and expanding HDDs can really change the useability of the console.

Aren't the 20 GB units removeable? Maybe the 120 GBs could replace it using the same "space" where the 20 GB sits?

[photon]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

That's BS. They're cables, alternate means of sending the same picture resolution to a device.

Not necessarily.. Component cables are analog, while HDMI is digital. It's like comparing VGA to DVI. Plus HDMI 1.3 supports much higher colour depth.

For current stuff I'd tend to agree that there'd be little difference between Component and HDMI, but as things go forward with higher colour depths and such HDMI is the only option.

[photon]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Sure, but most of those things don't significantly change the utility of the console. Different chip manufacturing, different optical drives, etc. But adding outputs and expanding HDDs can really change the useability of the console.

Aren't the 20 GB units removeable? Maybe the 120 GBs could replace it using the same "space" where the 20 GB sits?

Yeah the HDD is external so it's easily removable. Everyone's already been crying for a bigger drive, especially now that you can rent and buy HD content off Live. A 5GB movie eats up your HDD space pretty fast.

[fanforever1986]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

That's BS. They're cables, alternate means of sending the same picture resolution to a device.

The new chipset and HDD rumors I have not heard. Seems awfully early in the game to start tweaking a console that much. I guess time will tell.

yes, and RCA cables have the same quality and monster cable. The contrasts of the picture are very different between the two, and on my set the digital image looks much better. Here's an article comparing the two in any case...
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messa...79/122868.html

...Im such a nerd.

[TurnedTheCorner]

I can appreciate that an HDMI cable might look better on your set - but the "twice the picture quality" remark smells. From the link you provided:

"So, which is better, DVI or component? HDMI or component? The answer--unsatisfying, perhaps, but true--is that it depends. It depends upon your source and display devices, and there's no good way, in principle, to say in advance whether the digital or the analog connection will render a better picture."


The true digital connections like HDMI and DVI will offer more consistent PQ, and HDMI offers sound advantages as noted above. I could see a long run of compnent cables with poor shielding yielding a noticeably poorer picture than a HDMI/DVI picture. But twice as bad?

And I hear you about the storage concerns with the current HDDs, photon. A friend of mine just got one for Christmas and half his HDD is already used up.