Xbox360Elite
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Win an Elite in My Mom's a Gamer contest
Mother's Day is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the day than with $100 for flowers and an Xbox 360 Elite. Xbox.com is hosting a My Mom's a Gamer contest where they want you to write in and tell them about your gaming mom. Does she frag with the best of them in Gears? Does she rack up points in Feeding Frenzy? Or does your mother support your obsession and purchase gaming gear for you? Your entries need to be submitted by May 6th when one winner will get an Xbox 360 Elite and a $100 gift certificate for flowers. Creativity and admiration is key to winning, so start writing to win that 360 for ... uh, we mean flowers. Flowers for your deserving mother.[Via Gamerscore Blog]
Special Xbox 360 Elite black HD DVD drive up for auction
One of the first things we asked when Microsoft (finally) confirmed the Xbox 360 Elite was whether all of the peripherals would be available in black to match it. While controllers (keyboard accessories?), wired headsets, and Play & Charge kits will all be available in black, we were led to believe that other peripherals, like the HD DVD drive would not be. Well, that's only half true. Members of the HD DVD development team, like Andy Pennell, were given special black HD DVD drives with a black remote as a "Ship-it" reward. Even better, they're allowed to sell these ones, as one other team member has decided to do. Currently fetching $347 on eBay, nearly double the standard price, this limited edition drive isn't for the casual fanboy. [Thanks, Jeff]%Gallery-2491%Read - Xbox 360 HD DVD drive now in black (MSDN blog)Bid - Special Black edition of Xbox 360 HD DVD drive (eBay)
MS defends the $179 120GB HDD
Most people, outside of those planning to buy an Xbox 360 Elite, are understandably miffed that the 120GB hard drive will debut at a wallet draining $179. As such, Microsoft has received quite a bit of flack for the pricing of the unit. Major Nelson himself got an earful from us on the subject during the latest Fancast. Aaron Greenberg, group product manager at Microsoft, recently defended the 120GB HDD price in an interview with GameTheory. Greenberg noted a few reasons for Microsoft's pricing decision, among them that Microsoft requires stringent specifications for drive performance. In other words, they have to perform at specific speeds to provide an optimal gaming experience, and they must provide a certain level of security. Greenberg also notes that the 120 gig HDD price is comparable to other self-powered external hard drives on the market. Greenberg's statements are in line with what we heard from Major Nelson.Additionally, Greenberg notes that the pricing structure is consistent with the rest of the Xbox line. As he puts it, the $299 core becomes the $399 premium by adding a $99 hard drive. By adding a $179 hard drive to the core, you get the $479 price of the Xbox 360 Elite. Sure, there are some expensive external hard drives out there, but we don't buy that Microsoft can't find comparable drives at lower prices. There are plenty of 120GB drives out there for much less than $179. Are we to believe that all of them fail to meet Microsoft's specifications?[Via Joystiq]
Canadian 360 Elite preorders arrive
Our Canadian friends are now officially feeling the Xbox 360 Elite love, because they've become privileged enough to be able to preorder the black wonder. X3F reader Trevor sent word that both Canadian Best Buy and Future Shop stores are now taking online preorders for the 360 Elite. So, if you're Canadian and willing to throw down $549.99, simply make your way to their online stores and get your preorder on. Also note that in the US you can only preorder the Elite from Circuit City, because US Best Buy stores have yet to take the preorder plunge. As we always say, preorders for all fanboys everywhere (except Europe)![Thanks, Trevor Smiley]
Analysis: 360 Elite forum reception not so elite
With all the press attention being paid to Microsoft's new Xbox 360 Elite, you'd think the idea of the unit was setting the gaming world on fire. Not so, according to a report from research group BrandIntel, which examined 600 posts by 328 gamers on 25 different gaming forums and found interest in the system rated only a 2.6 on a 1 to 5 scale. The original Xbox 360, for comparison, ranked a 3.9 on the same scale before its release (BrandIntel usually considers three or higher a positive score).Despite the lukewarm reaction, 48 percent of people discussing a purchase in the small, skewed sample said they would buy an Elite, compared to 43 percent who said they wouldn't. Then again, these are forum trolls, so the ones who said they won't buy are probably just hiding how powerless they are to resist the siren song of shiny new consumer electronics.Previously: Marketing formula determines 'hottest' video games
Oh the horror! Elite to use HDMI 1.2 not 1.3
Over on the AVS forums, an insider from Microsoft let the kitty cat out of the bag on the Xbox 360 Elite's use of HDMI. According to the post, the Elite will incorporate HDMI 1.2 and not the newer 1.3 version which the PS3 uses. What's the big difference you ask? Well, not too much other than HDMI 1.3 features TrueHD and DTS-HD audio output and other small fixes where as 1.2 does not. There's a lot of technical mumbo jumbo to be read, so if you're into all that technical jazz feel free to read up on the differences. For the HDMI noobs amongst us (which we mostly all fall under) check out Wikipedia's HDMI 1.2 vs 1.3 comparison and get learnified. To those of you who are purchasing an Elite 360, does this 1.2 revelation alter your opinion or sway you away from your future Elite purchase?[Via Gizmodo]
Preorder Xbox 360 Elite at Circuit City
Even though you won't be able to preorder the Xbox 360 Elite at Gamestop, Circuit City has stepped up to the plate and is accepting preorders on the new black console. Just head on over to Circuit City's website to preorder, it's quite simple. You could also throw down extra preorder dollars on a new black controller or maybe a black play and charge kit, it's all up to you and your bank account. Anyone willing to shell out nearly $500 on a preorder to guarantee an April 29th black Xbox 360 Elite? Or do you think there will be plenty to go around come launch day?[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
First Xbox 360 Elite pre-order ready for your cash
And in come the Xbox 360 Elite pre-orders. You know when it's coming, for how much, and what you're gonna get, so it's really just a matter of asking yourself whether you're hardcore enough to drop almost five bills on an(other) Xbox 360. Well, that and whether you can sneak that cash out of the old joint checking account without your significant other noticing. (Side note: Circuit City lists all the accessories -- including the 120GB drive -- as being released early on the 25th, unlike the Elite, which is still set for the 29th.)[Thanks, Cosmin]Pre-order: Elite, 120GB drive, black controller, play and charge, black battery pack
HDMI specific Xbox 360 Elite details emerge
If you've been oooing and ahing at the Xbox 360 Elite's HDMI connection -- which really should have been there all along -- then this is the post for you: a source at Microsoft has posted specific details of the Elite's HDMI capabilities. Apparently the Elite will only support the 1.2 HDMI standard, and not the 1.3 spec which would have enabled TrueHD or Dolby Digital+. As such, you'll have to stick with regular DD, DTS, and WMA-Pro for your sound output. It also only supports dual channel PCM output, not full 5.1 channel, and if you want full 5.1 PCM output the tipster cheekily recommends "purchasing the Toshiba A2 player" which is much cheaper than the $479 Elite. At this point the complexity of the tech talk takes a step up, as amirm refers to a fall update that will bring support for "different video levels for VGA output" which could potentially improve fidelity and HDCP handshaking support on displays operating at 1080p. We suspect that around half of the people that started reading this left to read our interview with fake SJ somewhere around the point that we mentioned "dual channel PCM output", but what do the three people left reading think about these HDMI deets?[Via Loot Ninja]
Engadget Podcast 105 - 03.30.2007
Sure, the Xbox 360 Elite was finally announced, but we've got a fair bit of interesting cellphone news this week, too. Check out Samsung's UpStage, finally launched; or the long-awaited Helio Ocean dual-slider QWERTY featurephone -- not bad eh? And then HTC had a whole slew of gear, too, from their first UMPC to the Advantage's US launch. We won't only be talking about cellphones this week, but if you're not down with mobile gadgets then you might want to snag our enhanced RSS and skip some chapters, because we've got some CTIA stuff to catch up on. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator. Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) Program: 00:50 - Xbox 360 Elite and 120GB drive now official 07:22 - The Helio Ocean 12:31 - Sprint announces Samsung UpStage, 99 cent songs over the air 17:15 - HTC Shift -- the cellphone company finally goes UMPC 19:46 - HTC Advantage coming to US... under the HTC brand 23:29 - HTC 6800 / Titan hands-on 25:36 - HTC S720 vs Vox and TyTn hands-on 26:02 - Hands-on with the Samsung Ubicell 34:15 - How-to: Upgrade the drive in your Apple TV LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com
Non-Elite HDMI adapter rumor resurfaces
Even with the announcement of the Xbox 360 Elite, it seems the longstanding rumor of an HDMI adapter for the regular Xbox 360 just won't die. An Engadget reader named Evan M supposedly sent Microsoft an email after learning of the HDMI enabled Xbox 360 Elite. You see, Evan just purchased an Xbox 360 Premium, and was understandably miffed on hearing of the new Elite, knowing that his television supports HDMI. Evan received a response from Microsoft stating that a component to HDMI adapter was in the works, though the support person was unsure if this device would ever be sold by itself. In other words, it could be sold with a future iteration of the original Xbox 360.Now, customer support isn't always on top of everything, so the information can't be taken as gospel. Furthering the doubt of such an adapter, Microsoft's Andre Vrignaud, better known as Ozymandias, recently stated such an adapter is not in the works at all. Furthermore, Ozymandias states that a hardware change was required to implement HDMI in the first place, hence the creation of the Elite.And of course, the most obvious reason to doubt an HDMI adapter, it would serve no purpose. The analog-to-digital conversion created by an adapter would likely nullify the enhanced visual fidelity of HDMI anyway. Unless the HDMI port is the only free port on the back of your television, an adapter wouldn't make any sense at all.
Japan to get the 360 Elite
The QuickJump Network's 360 site reported that according to a press release from Microsoft Japan, The Land of the Rising Sun will be getting its hands on the Elite, as there were rumblings that it wouldn't make the trip to the Far East. Of course, there were no specifics as to when the third SKU would be showing up on Japanese store shelves. We can only guess if the Xbox 360 Elite will catch the attention of the Japanese consumer when it actually does come out and hopefully the price point will be proportionate to the Elite here in North America.
$179.95 120GB HDD: you're the man now dog!
Negative fanboy sentiment is gathering around the price of the uber expensive $179.95 120GB HDD. And what better way for us to illustrate the pain in our hearts (and bank accounts) than by viewing a very professionally done YTMND entry. Go ahead, click the link and give it a listen ... we'll wait here. You gave it a listen right? Good, now our commentary will make sense.The clip features Major Nelson's "ouch" reaction from his latest podcast and is obviously poking fun at the new HDD's price. From what we can decipher, Major's reaction to the HDD's price goes something along the lines of "uhngh,uhngh,uhngh,uhngh eh eh uhuhuh ooh ouch", but don't quote us on that. You can't deny it, that new drive is one overpriced piece of hardware. Though, we still love you 120GB HDD, but you just cost way to much and don't get along with our longtime friend 20GB HDD. Heck, we might as well just open the floodgates and hear what everyone thinks. Go ahead fanboys, unleash your opinion on the new 120GB HDD and its price structure. But be nice guys, constructive criticism is always better than hate darts.[Thanks, tapoxi]
Pre-order the Xbox 360 Elite? Not at GameStop
According to Evil Avatar, GameStop and EB Games will not be taking pre-orders for the upcoming Xbox 360 Elite. The decision not to take pre-orders apparently stems from an uncertain number of consoles being allocated to each store. EvAv notes that there is no confirmation about whether or not customers will be able to pre-order the fabulously expensive 120GB hard drive.So, if you want to snag an Xbox 360 Elite, you'd best be prepared to wait in line for one. Well, that or you could pre-order it somewhere else. Has anyone out there pre-ordered an Elite?
Sony working on new 80GB PS3
Xbox 360 Elite is Microsoft's attempt at matching PLAYSTATION 3's impressive hardware features. While the Elite doesn't provide wi-fi support like the premium PS3, nor does it feature integrated HD disc support, it does offer a whopping 120GB of hard disk space, dwarfing the 60GB PS3 hard drive.According to a recent FCC filing, it appears Sony is going to modify the current PS3 and include a larger 80GB hard drive: "The model CECHE01 to be added by the difference of the capacity of hard disk." Although this doesn't match the Elite's hard drive, it does add even more value to the $599 PS3. Current users need not feel short-changed, though. Unlike 360 users, PS3 owners are free to install almost any hard drive into their system, without having to pay ridiculous prices for proprietary peripherals ($180 for 120GB hard drive?!).[Via Engadget]
Microsoft prepping component to HDMI adapter?
Friendly tipster Evan M wasn't too stoked to see an Xbox 360 Elite headed for store shelves after he'd just purchased a Premium 360, especially considering the fact that his TV has a whole HDMI port twiddling its thumbs, just waiting to get its game on. After informing Microsoft of his displeasure through what we're sure was a politely worded email, Evan claims to have received a slightly encouraging response from a Microsoft support person, promising an upcoming HDMI to component adapter for the 'box to make his situation perhaps a bit more bearable. Unfortunately, the support person also mentioned that "we do not have information as of the moment if the cable will be sold separately," which might mean such an adapter is only destined for sales with some sort of updated Premium SKU, at least for the immediate future. We'll keep our eyes peeled.[Thanks, Evan M]
Dean asks: What makes HDMI so great?
Journalist for the Mercury News and all around Xbox guru, Dean Takahashi, recently raised an important question. The question: who really needs HDMI? Of course, Takahashi is referring to the Xbox 360 Elite and its inclusion of an HDMI interface. Who better to answer the question than Kasey Holman, senior director of Corporate Marketing, HDMI Licensing, LLC. She couldn't be biased at all, right? Obvious sarcasm aside, Holman made the following arguments for the greatness of HDMI. HDMI provides the best video quality as there are no loss conversions involved, unlike component. The all digital signal will create sharper pictures without the ghosting or softness found through component. Smaller, high contrast details like text display this most prominently. HDMI provides superior digital audio (it supports up to 8 channels at 192kHz, uncompressed). HDMI is the future standard of High Definition content. Within a few years, content producers may activate a usage restraint token that won't allow High Definition playback over unprotected interfaces (i.e. component). Through an HDMI connection, the Xbox 360 will automatically detect the best settings for each television to which it is connected. In other words, users will no longer have to manually adjust resolutions and aspect ratios. These adjustments will be mad automatically according to the TV's specifications. HDMI sends both audio and video through the same cable, eliminating the need for separate cables. Of course, users of optical audio will beg to differ, but it does simplify things like System Link play. There you have it, 5 reasons HDMI owns component. Anyone out there picking up the Elite solely for HDMI?
360 Elite launch date MIA in Europe
With the announcement of the Xbox 360 Elite came a flurry of news posts around the intertron, many of them featured right here. While the box has been confirmed for an April 29th release here in the States, our friends across the Atlantic have yet to receive any official date from Microsoft. So far, Eurogamer has conjured up two sources pointing to the nebulous date of late summer. The first source is Albert Penello, Microsoft's director of global platform marketing, who spoke on Major Nelson's 360 Elite blogcast. The second source, a spokesperson from retailer HMV, also suggested late summer, adding that they would likely receive the new SKU "sooner rather than later." When questioned about the launch date, Microsoft responded that it was still awaiting confirmation of the European launch date.
Microsoft on the Xbox 360 Elite in podcast, vodcast, and Flickr
Microsoft is really into this whole Web two-point-oh-dealio, celebrating the unveiling of the Xbox 360 Elite with a podcast (not ours, this one's courtesy of Major Nelson), a Channel 10 vodcast with Tina Wood and, just in case you questioned their allegiance to the cause, a Flickr photoset full of real-life, non-press stills of the new black boxen. Of course, Microsoft doesn't have much bad to say about the $480 Elite, but if you're just in the market for some eye (and ear) candy, you could do worse.Listen - Major Nelson: The one about the Xbox 360 EliteWatch - Channel 10: EXCLUSIVE VIDEO! First look at the Xbox 360 EliteFlickr - Xbox 360 Elite pics
120GB HDD transfer limited to one 20GB HDD
Aside from HDMI, the biggest feature of the Xbox 360 Elite is undoubtedly the 120 gigabyte hard drive. Much to the relief of 360 owners everywhere, we now know that the 120GB drive will come with a transfer cable allowing users to transfer data from the 20GB drive to the 120GB drive. Sounds great, right? Don't answer that yet, because Joystiq has uncovered a few caveats to Microsoft's transfer solution. Do you have two 20GB hard drives? You'd better pick a favorite then, because the transfer software allows only one 20GB drive to be transferred to the 120GB drive. Maybe you have data on your 120 GB drive you'd like to stick on the 20GB. Too bad, because you can only transfer from the 20GB to the 120GB. Any other combination -- transferring 20GB to 20GB for example -- won't work.As if all that wasn't bad enough, transferring data automatically deletes any data already stored on the 120GB drive, and all files transfered will be deleted from the 20GB. Finally, data cannot be transfered back to the 20GB from which it originally came. Of course, some of these issues can be nullified by purchasing a memory card -- a financial fact of which we're sure Microsoft is aware -- but the data transfer cable seems unnecessarily restrictive. Essentially, it will only be useful one time, unless you really want to format your 120GB HDD for some reason.[Via Joystiq]
