The Xbox 360 Thread Elite Edition

[Apollo Leader]

I remember my last trip there and driving from Omaha to Lincoln and only encountered three cars the whole trip during rush hour!

You must have been driving at night.

Try driving I80 to or from Lincoln on a Saturday a Husker game is taking place. A few years ago, me and my dad went down to the Strategic Air and Space Museum on the Saturday before Labor Day and a Husker game was taking place early that afternoon. The trafic was backed up from Lincoln past the Platte River! In fact right now I80 is being widened too 3 lanes between Omaha and Lincoln because there is so much traffic from those who commute between both cities each day.

There was a Circuit City here in Omaha for almost 10 years, but they made the mistake of opening it right across the street from the Nebraska Furniture Mart... no way they could compete.

Anyway, I'm not driving a 100 mile round trip for a free 1600 MS Points. That's at least $15 in gas right there not to mention the extra wear and tear on my truck. Lately, I've been ordering my points right straight from Xbox.com. No shipping or tax.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Saint Louis is lousy with Circuit City's... there are three within 20 miles of my house. I can possibly do some running if people need things.

[Ladic]

the free MS points is very YMMV because some stores are claiming that it was a misprint.

I got mine after some hassle but the manager told the chick at the cashier to send anyone else to him because it was a misprint.

But some people are having succes by taking the add to either Walmart or BB and having pricematch.

[GunnerX]

Hmm, was wondering whether any 360 owners here have experienced the following? Was just playing gears the other day, and the

360 just suddenly rebooted to the opening Xbox 360 screen, it would then hang, with the power light blinking (No rings) and the dvd tray

refused to open. I had to power down the whole set, wait for a bit, then turn it on and quickly press the open button for the tray...

The same thing happened again with GRAW2, and i thought my connections or optical cable was bad, so i swapped it out, but it happened

AGAIN when i played HEXIC....

Anyone have any idea what could cause this? Mine's a new premium set, about a month old only... darnnit!

Edited August 1, 2007 by GunnerX

[Macross73]

hey gunnerx I havent got the new system , but take it back and get a new one why take a chance on this unit.

[Gaijin]

Hmm, was wondering whether any 360 owners here have experienced the following? Was just playing gears the other day, and the

360 just suddenly rebooted to the opening Xbox 360 screen, it would then hang, with the power light blinking (No rings) and the dvd tray

refused to open. I had to power down the whole set, wait for a bit, then turn it on and quickly press the open button for the tray...

The same thing happened again with GRAW2, and i thought my connections or optical cable was bad, so i swapped it out, but it happened

AGAIN when i played HEXIC....

Anyone have any idea what could cause this? Mine's a new premium set, about a month old only... darnnit!

Welcome to being a 360 owner! Seriously...take the sucker back. If they don't take it back, you can deal with the MS warranty and get a shiny new...refurb. Honestly, I would hold off on new 360 purchases until the new chip models are released. Hopefully they'll be a tad more reliable.

Here's a question for everyone: What number 360 are you on?

Edited August 1, 2007 by Gaijin

[GunnerX]

Welcome to being a 360 owner! Seriously...take the sucker back. If they don't take it back, you can deal with the MS warranty and get a shiny new...refurb. Honestly, I would hold off on new 360 purchases until the new chip models are released. Hopefully they'll be a tad more reliable.

Here's a question for everyone: What number 360 are you on?

Man, that sucks.. But i guess i don't have much of a choice? My jumbo PS2 is still working fine after 6 years... man.. i think my PS still

works too..

Do they always give a refurb? How about the HDD then?

[Chowser]

My son has the same problems while playing Gears, he gets alot of the clean disk error, then the drive door won't open, the game just locks up, etc. Only with Gears so far, he's having no problems with Dead Rising. The system was made in Feb. 06.

[JsARCLIGHT]

News for the crews to those who are interested. The Xbox HD DVD price drop took effect today along with the 5 free HD DVD mail in offer... and you can get the drive for even LESS at Best Buy if you jump on it fast. Best buy online currently shows the HD DVD drive for $149.99, $20 less than the MSRP drop stated by Microsoft.

I bought mine online about ten minutes ago for store pickup and I just got the confirmation email. If you think of the 5 free HD DVDs as costing about $30 each (which is usual list price for almost all of them) it's like getting the player for FREE.

[Apollo Leader]

News for the crews to those who are interested. The Xbox HD DVD price drop took effect today along with the 5 free HD DVD mail in offer... and you can get the drive for even LESS at Best Buy if you jump on it fast. Best buy online currently shows the HD DVD drive for $149.99, $20 less than the MSRP drop stated by Microsoft.

I bought mine online about ten minutes ago for store pickup and I just got the confirmation email. If you think of the 5 free HD DVDs as costing about $30 each (which is usual list price for almost all of them) it's like getting the player for FREE.

Is there a list of the movies available as part of the deal? Is your player suppose to come with King Kong?

[JsARCLIGHT]

By my understanding, and from what Microsoft has said, the 5 free movies are going to be part of the Toshiba "Perfect Offer" special. I'm still waiting to see an online form that lists the Xbox HD DVD player but the original Toshiba offer is listed here: Toshiba Perfect Offer

As soon as I get the right form I'm going to put in for Apollo 13, Casablanca, Sky Captain, U2:R&H and We Were Soldiers.

... and as far as I know the HD DVD player still comes with King Kong and the media remote. The Best Buy SKU and model number listed on their website is the same as the King Kong/Remote pack in set. I guess I'll find out when I pick mine up tonight.

[Apollo Leader]

If I did this deal I would probably get Apollo 13, We Were Soldiers, Sky Captain, Blazing Saddles, and either Tomb Raider or Chronicles of Riddick.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I found the right form:

Microsoft Xbox HD DVD Perfect Offer Form

Also BB.com is showing "SOLD OUT" on the HD DVD drives... I guess they got rushed. Glad I decided to buy mine when I did.

[Mechafan]

I ordered online from Best Buy for $150 and picked up this morning before the price jumped back up. I am glad I did.

[GunnerX]

My son has the same problems while playing Gears, he gets alot of the clean disk error, then the drive door won't open, the game just locks up, etc. Only with Gears so far, he's having no problems with Dead Rising. The system was made in Feb. 06.

I was playing N3 onthe 360 last night, and about 10 mins into the game, it just rebooted again! screen blanks, then you see the 360 logo, and finally the

dashboard. But the drive wouldn't open till i powered it off a few times... it also made a horrific screech while my disc was inside, thankfully, the

disc wasn't scratched.

I tried reseating the HDD (as suggested on the support site) and also changed the optical cable.. which brings me to the next point. I decided to play using

the 360 VGA cable instead (which i also bought)... and i played the same game for 2 hours plus non-stop... darnnit..

So i'm thinking, could it be because i'm routing my output to my AV reciever, and then to my TV? I'm gonna try playing without the optical cable 1st (no sound )

then i'll try plugging it straight to my TV.

Why oh why... do you guys think it's worth switching to an Elite?

[eugimon]

Well, I personally prefer HDMI to component... because HDMI is cheaper. Yes, I love cheap digital cables to my thick expensive gold spun cables.

[Gaijin]

I was playing N3 onthe 360 last night, and about 10 mins into the game, it just rebooted again! screen blanks, then you see the 360 logo, and finally the

dashboard. But the drive wouldn't open till i powered it off a few times... it also made a horrific screech while my disc was inside, thankfully, the

disc wasn't scratched.

I tried reseating the HDD (as suggested on the support site) and also changed the optical cable.. which brings me to the next point. I decided to play using

the 360 VGA cable instead (which i also bought)... and i played the same game for 2 hours plus non-stop... darnnit..

So i'm thinking, could it be because i'm routing my output to my AV reciever, and then to my TV? I'm gonna try playing without the optical cable 1st (no sound )

then i'll try plugging it straight to my TV.

Why oh why... do you guys think it's worth switching to an Elite?

The hardware in the current Elite is the same as a Core and Premium. Only thing is the HDD. You'd have to wait for a hardware revision otherwise it's pretty much luck of the draw to get one that might not fail.

[mikeszekely]

I was playing N3 onthe 360 last night, and about 10 mins into the game, it just rebooted again! screen blanks, then you see the 360 logo, and finally the

dashboard. But the drive wouldn't open till i powered it off a few times... it also made a horrific screech while my disc was inside, thankfully, the

disc wasn't scratched.

I tried reseating the HDD (as suggested on the support site) and also changed the optical cable.. which brings me to the next point. I decided to play using

the 360 VGA cable instead (which i also bought)... and i played the same game for 2 hours plus non-stop... darnnit..

So i'm thinking, could it be because i'm routing my output to my AV reciever, and then to my TV? I'm gonna try playing without the optical cable 1st (no sound )

then i'll try plugging it straight to my TV.

Why oh why... do you guys think it's worth switching to an Elite?

So, it worked after you went VGA? Okay, now let me ask, after you reseated the HDD, did you try connecting back to the receiver? Because I'll tell you right now, I have a launch day 360, connected to a Sony receiver via component video & optical audio, and from the receiver to a 52" DLP TV via component. And I haven't had a lick of trouble from my 360. And since I'm more or less out of HDMI inputs, don't own the HD-DVD attachment, and my TV only goes up to 1080i, I couldn't really justify upgrading to the Elite.

Well, I personally prefer HDMI to component... because HDMI is cheaper.

Seriously? Where do you shop? For AV equipment in general, the cheapest HDMI cable I found was $35 for 6', compared to $15 for a 9' component cable. And for the 360 specifically, even if an HDMI cable was $4.99, the system already comes with a perfectly capable component cable.

[eugimon]

amazon.com for cheap HDMI cables. remember, it's a digital signal, so you don't need a fancy gold cable because signal attenuation is not an issue.

[mikeszekely]

amazon.com for cheap HDMI cables. remember, it's a digital signal, so you don't need a fancy gold cable because signal attenuation is not an issue.

Oh, I know about the digital signal thing. And that $35 is for a low-end Philips at my local Wal-Mart.

But, I'd never thought to buy something like cables at Amazon. Thanks for the tip!

[Ladic]

for the cheapest cables, I always buy from this page, good quality stuff.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepar...0240&style=

[wolfx]

Anyone playing Bomberman? FUN!

[David Hingtgen]

Just making sure everyone knows about http://www.dashboardthemes.com

They download and put up pics of every 360 theme as they come out. No more guessing what the pics are based on the 50x50 pixel preview. Most themes are on the site within 2 or 3 days of it going up on Live. Most importantly, they have pics of the guide background, which even the few "big preview" themes MS shows don't ever show. And the guide will make or break a theme----look at the recent Transformers themes.

[Hoptimus]

Anyone playing Bomberman? FUN!

Yes! It rocks!!

[mikeszekely]

Just making sure everyone knows about http://www.dashboardthemes.com

They download and put up pics of every 360 theme as they come out. No more guessing what the pics are based on the 50x50 pixel preview. Most themes are on the site within 2 or 3 days of it going up on Live. Most importantly, they have pics of the guide background, which even the few "big preview" themes MS shows don't ever show. And the guide will make or break a theme----look at the recent Transformers themes.

Actually, after you apply a theme, you can change the guide background. I don't remember the steps off hand at the moment, but I remember I did it when I had Penny Arcade theme.

And I honestly don't mind the purple guide for the G1 Decepticon theme, although the red for the G1 Autobot theme kinda looks like someone smeared a hooker's lipstick all over it.

[David Hingtgen]

I gotta find out how, because "The Darkness" theme has about the coolest guide background ever.

[mikeszekely]

I double-checked how to do it, and it's pretty easy.

First apply the theme you want.

Then, open the guide, choose Personal Settings, then Themes, then Customize. You have two options, Dashboard Trim and Guide Background. Dashboard Trim is the edges of the Dashboard blades where their name tabs are. You have default, Carbon (a much darker gray), and Glass (silver with a touch of blue). Guide Background, lo and behold, changes the color of the Guide background. You have a lot more options there, and Microsoft was even kind enough to include a preview square so you can see what it looks like.

Hope that helps not just David, but anyone who was afraid to apply an awesome theme just because it had a lousy guide color.

Oh, and David, if you get a friend invite from Pharaohman, don't be alarmed, it's just me.

[David Hingtgen]

I didn't know you could customize a downloaded theme, I've fiddled with the customization before. But it still limits you to "default" options. I was hoping you could use the guide color from a downloaded theme. The two defaults aren't that cool IMHO. The AC6 guide is pretty close to default, but the Darkness guide--as I said, it's the coolest ever. It's like "purple-blue carpet hexagons" or something.

[mikeszekely]

I didn't know you could customize a downloaded theme, I've fiddled with the customization before. But it still limits you to "default" options. I was hoping you could use the guide color from a downloaded theme. The two defaults aren't that cool IMHO. The AC6 guide is pretty close to default, but the Darkness guide--as I said, it's the coolest ever. It's like "purple-blue carpet hexagons" or something.

After a theme is applied, I can change the guide background to any other guide background color of any other theme on my HDD. Only the Dashboard trim is limited.

[David Hingtgen]

I'll go fiddle with it some more tonight, see what I can do.

[Gaijin]

Interesting look at the hows and whys 360's fail.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/japan-explains/wh...-out-286202.php

I want them to take one with the new heat sink installed apart to see how well it helps.

[David Hingtgen]

I really wish I knew if my refurbed replacement has the new heat sink. It's from right around the time they were first reported. But my luck, I got the last one that didn't have it...

[yellowlightman]

Just played the new Beautiful Katamari demo, which is painfully short (only three minutes long). But it's pretty much exactly as you'd expect, visually not much of an upgrade from the PS2 games and everything else seemed about the same. The hassle I had to go through to get the damn demo disc to play (involved boiling the friggin' thing) was insane.

[eugimon]

I really wish I knew if my refurbed replacement has the new heat sink. It's from right around the time they were first reported. But my luck, I got the last one that didn't have it...

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/04/check-o...iding-warranty/

[David Hingtgen]

Thanks much for the link. Darn, looks like I have the older style. I don't want to have to get ANOTHER refurbed unit a few months from now...

PS to Mike---I could customize it just how I wanted, it's just that MS puts purchased theme components way down at the bottom of the list, despite the rest of the list being alphabetical--that's why I didn't see them when I checked the first time.