Ask Joystiq Xbox: Wireless woes edition

Ask Joystiq Xbox returns this week with lots of new questions and even a few answers. This week, we discuss video capturing options (again), Halo 3: ODST multiplayer compatibility, wireless solutions, Rock Band DLC transfers and more. You should read it now, unless you want to hurt our feelings.

Got a question for Ask Joystiq Xbox? Maybe you have a story or some information you'd like to share? Send it all to ask [att] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.

Hi guys

I've got a quick question for Richard that may require a slightly longer answer.

I'd really like to capture some video of Xbox 360 games. I've tried using the Dazzle Instant DVD recorder both with the bundled software and AMCap but to no avail. My main issue is that i'm unable to capture video in PAL 60, which the majority of my games are encoded in. There are countless YouTube video's out there but their solutions don't work for me.

So, my question is, what hardware and software do you use to make your XBLA in brief video's?

I'd be eternally grateful for a response.

Love the podcast.

Take it easy.

Russell
Gamertag: ScreamoUK

This is a question that comes up every few moons around here. There are plenty of video capture solutions out there. If you have a Mac, Elgato is a good place to look. Another Mac option is the Blackmagic Video Recorder, which has the added benefit of capturing in 480p over component. If you want to capture in HD, you might look at the Hauppage HD PVR. It's one of the few devices that can capture in HD via component and doesn't cost too much. We just picked up both a Blackmagic Video Recorder and a Hauppage HD PVR, so expect us to talk about them on a Fancast relatively soon.

As for your PAL problems, you've got me stumped. Any A/V buffs out there have some help for Russel?

Hey there, love the blog . To the point right. I'm wondering about how I get mandatory updates. Like if I'm in the middle of a online game in Halo or Burnout and an update is on the way as in 5 minutes away. Would I have a message saying theres an update or do I have to exit the game to get it. Also, what do you think about the golf clubs for halo 3? Killball golf is first on my to do list =D.

A third query (oh noes) I read somewhere fan blogs would get gamer pics for themselves. What happened.
--
~ Snappyguy

1) Don't worry about the mandatory updates. Even if you don't get booted out of your game session, you'll be prompted to download them the next time you boot the game.

2) Golf clubs are awesome. Killball golf? Those are even awesomer.

3) Microsoft did dabble briefly with creating gamer pics for different community websites. We put in a request to be included -- this was back when we were still Xbox 360 Fanboy -- but it never came to be. The program apparently attracted a lot or requests from various community blogs. We're not sure why Microsoft decided to stop creating community gamer pics, but it did. C'est la vie. Still, you could always use your Vision camera to photograph the Joystiq Xbox logo and use that as your gamer pic!

Hey everyone,

First of all, congrats on the 100th episode milestone. I get my console news from you guys and will continue to support anyway I can. I have three questions for you:

1) When the Halo ODST expansion comes out, can I still play with my friends online who only own Halo 3? Meaning will the online servers from both games be combined?

2) Will I be able to transfer my Rock band 2 DLC to a new system? I've decided to upgrade to an Elite. Will I be able to take with me the hard drive to my friend's house, put on his Xbox, sign in with my Xbox Live account, and play the songs I downloaded?

3) How do I remove my credit card from my account? I got scared after I read the article about people getting their accounts hacked into. I called Xbox support but they were a big headache. I talked to them on the phone for 3 hours and in the end they told me they are unable to do so because they don't have the ability to remove them. Interesting how there is a "buy Microsoft Points" button on the credit card info page but they don't give you the ability to remove it yourself.

Thanks guys and keep the good work!

Your loyal reader,

Rami Yousif
Gamer Tag: QUIXAND 89

1) Bungie has already stated that Halo 3 multiplayer and ODST multiplayer are compatible, so you'll be able to play with your friends even if they never buy ODST.

2) Yes, you can transfer your Rock Band DLC to a new Xbox. The Elite, in particular, comes with a transfer cable, so moving all your date from your old hard drive to the new Elite is a snap. As for playing your songs on a friend's Xbox, yes, you can. You will have to connect your gamertag to Live though, or the songs will be inaccessible.

Update: Oops. As Strike Man points out, the Elite does not come with a transfer kit. Only the 120GB hard drive itself comes with a kit. You can, however, request a transfer kit from Microsoft here (PDF)

3) This seems to be the million dollar question these days. Some people report seeing an option to remove credit cards from their accounts while others don't. We've even heard stories that some users with the option can't actually use it.

Microsoft has informed us that Xbox support should be able to remove a credit card from your account. If they give you the runaround, you may just have to keep trying. Also, if you haven't already, you should try to remove it in the 'My Account' section on your Xbox.com profile.

Why does it stop downloading content when I have certain disks in? Is there a way to stop that? Will there be an update to stop that?

The Arbiter
Halo3 BelieveHalo3 Believe 09 25 07

If your content stops downloading, it means that the game in the tray is accessing Xbox Live. In most cases, this is caused by starting an online match. All downloads stop in order to free up bandwidth for playing online. There are some games that seem to do this even when not playing multiplayer. Why? We don't know. Is there an update coming? Probably not. Sorry.

In regards to the guy writing in to AskX3F about unwiring his 360: The cheapest and best solution that no one seems to know is that the official Wireless Adapter for the Original Xbox (yeah, the big black one) works fine with the Xbox 360. I looked on Ebay and there aren't too many listed but they are as cheap as 20-30 dollars. The only difference from the 360 Adapter as far as I know is that instead of a USB plug it uses the ethernet port and a power supply. I personally used this for years on my OG Xbox and my 360 until recently. I actually ended up running a 50 ft cable from my PC to my living room, which has vastly improved the picture quality of Netflix streams, sped up download times, and noticebly reduced lag in online shooters. So before this fellow unwires his living room he may want to weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

- Ben, gamertag fauxrambo

Thanks, Ben. Sure enough, we looked up the original Xbox wireless adaper on Amazon and it can be had for a mere $50. Not a bad option if you don't need your adapter to match. Concerning wired versus wireless connections, we've heard different opinions from everyone. Some people claim there's no noticable difference, while others will accept nothing other than wired (personally, I use wired). Then again, we certainly can't fault anyone for wanting to lose the clutter of wires. Remember when controllers used to have wires? Scary.

That's it for this week, folks. Keep sending your questions to: ask [att] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.