Xbox update today

[Sparx]

Posted this in OT but i know you dont all lurk in there


Well after having the update since saturday i can say its very nice, nice little extras.

Facebook - is fun but i dont think i will use it that much seeing as i have a laptop.

Twitter - I dont even have an account but i can see how people will like it if they use it


Both would be nice if they worked with games to update what you are doing.

Last.fm - Brilliant just brilliant, great to leave it on and potter around the house playing through my sound system

Zune and 1080p stream movies - Watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and to be honest you couldnt tell the difference between streamed and a disc. Be warned tho that it rapes your bandwidth more than torrents, i have a 50 meg line and while i was watching the movie my housemate couldnt even open a web page. Streaming full 1080p movies is nice cause you dont have to download to your harddrive so if you are like me and still have a 20gig hard drive its a nice welcome. And they play instantly as soon as you hit play

Sky - Didnt have that on the preview but its coming today and from what i read it will be £15 a month for channels like Sky One etc, will be more for Sky Movies and Sky Sports. There is also talk about the terrestrial channels joining later too.

With these new updates the 360 really is becoming more than just a games console. And with the first console offering full 1080p movies that play instantly too, its all very exciting

 

[Ch3tan]

What is the point of a 1080p movie when you do not get HD audio through the xbox, and the xbox itself is noisy as hell? What are the prices for a 1080p stream?

I love my xbox as a games machine, but as a media machine it flops compared to the ps3.

 

[Sparx]

What is the point of a 1080p movie when you do not get HD audio through the xbox, and the xbox itself is noisy as hell? What are the prices for a 1080p stream?

I love my xbox as a games machine, but as a media machine it flops compared to the ps3.

What you on about? if you have a decent sound system you get full 5.1 surround sound, i have 5.1 surround sound headphones with optical out and its sexy.

HD Stream vary from 250 points to 500 odd depending on how new the film is. Same as before rent it for a week then watch it as much as you want within 24 hours of first playing.

EDIT: check the setting tab make sure you have dolby 5.1 selected from the Audio and not Stereo which is the default

 

[Sparx]

I use these headphones btw and never go back

http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4...5-1-Dolby-Pro-Logic-2-Headphones/Product.html

 

[Ch3tan]

Sparx, no offence, but you have no idea what HD audio is do you?

If I want HD content I want HD audio and visual, I am not prepared to pay for something which is only part of the experience. I am also not prepared to have the fan of the 360 interfering with the movie experience. I can download 1080p blueray rips for free, or rent the bluerays for around the same cost.

Great for those who are happy with not quite HD content, but I'll stick to my ps3.

 

[PLightstar]

Trying not to sound fanboy-ish but 360's hardly make any sound granted I have an elite after giving up on the original pro and selling it for parts over ebay. Never noticed a problem with the sound. As for HD sound give details, the standard sound from a 360 (not running through an amp or sub etc) is pretty good and never had a problem with my cheapy 5.1 system from Creative, though now its broke and movies sound like they are underwater when I switch to 5.1 (I think the box I packed it in when I moved got a bit knackered) So I am looking for a new system ATM.

 

[Ch3tan]

The 360 cannot process or output lossless audio formats, so it cannot give you any of the HD audio formats. Having better sound is a big reason to go HD, not just the picture quality.

I have an elite as well, it is still noisier than my cable box and ps3. My ps3 is quieter than my cable box, and like my DVD player is not noticeable when I am watching movies. The 360 on the other hand is audible, especially in dialogue filled scenes.

 

[PLightstar]

Sounds like your DVD drive is running to fast, may want to get it looked at.

Thanks for clearing things up, was always given the impression that 360 did HD everything.

 

[Sparx]

i dont hear it at all but then i do mostly sit with headphones on and i cant hear someone talking to me so thats why

 

[inactionman]

Quite simply, the xbox can't do HD Audio (e.g. Dolby Digital Plus/TrueHD or DTS HD/HD Master), currently Blu-rays, and old HD-DVD's, are the only way to really experience proper HD with HD audio (unless you are using rips).

They could include bitstream support in a future xbox update to allow receivers which do support HD audio to decode it (same as the PS3). I'm not sure they'd do this, as I would have assumed they would have rolled in into the same system update. The biggest problem for them is that HD audio takes a lot more space/bandwidth.

Interested in the Sky stuff though, I'll have to see if there's some kind of trial. Annoyed there's no Sky HD support though, I'm on an 18Mb link so they can't say I don't have the bandwidth for it!

 

[soze]

The OP said he had a 50mb line and it rapped his connection to stream so i would not be sure that 18mb will be enough for instant HD streaming. Would be interested to hear how well this works in a urban area in the UK where contention would surly become an issue? Its one of the reasons i stick clear of iplayer on the PS3

 

[Sparx]

the 50 meg was fine to stream no problems at all, its just anyone else trying to do anything at the same time gets screwed, it seems to work the same way as torrents when hogging the line

 

[Sparx]

Chet i see where you are coming from with HD audio, i guess it doesnt really bother me cause the 5.1 surround is fine.

I've always been more visual enjoyment rather than sound, i guess thats why i done photography and my mate done DJ cause he was more about sounds. I never quite understood when people go did you here that sound bloop bloop when all i can hear is the bass lol

 

[soze]

the 50 meg was fine to stream no problems at all, its just anyone else trying to do anything at the same time gets screwed, it seems to work the same way as torrents when hogging the line

I meant more that if it was capping a 50 meg line to the point where http could not load then that would mean 18 or 8 would need to cache?

 

[Sparx]

I think it works more like torrents where it hogs the whole line for itself even if it isnt using it

 

[Trem]

I am now watching films streamed from my NAS to my Xbox Elite and the noise is bloody terrible. It isn't the drive spinning its the internal fan, christ I reckon they could of at least used a quiet fan rather than the fucking jumbo jet one that they have put in.

One thing makes the Xbox get used more than our PS3 thats the modchip, if the PS3 could be done I wouldn't touch the Xbox because of the god awful din it makes.

 

[Sparx]

i've never really noticed it tbh, my PC is louder and i now have headphones that i prefer to wear so i can hear more accurately

 

[Aada]

Apart from Twitter which i use to check on when shopto.net is shipping out games as they post a MSG when they get games in straight away I probably won't use anything else.

Even then twitter is just 1 tap away on my iPhone which is right next to me and is quicker then loading up the xbox anyway.

Have Sky HD box beneath my 360 and I don't and never will use face book the words 'have you updated your status yet?' are enough to send me up the wall.

 

[cHodAX]

I am now watching films streamed from my NAS to my Xbox Elite and the noise is bloody terrible. It isn't the drive spinning its the internal fan, christ I reckon they could of at least used a quiet fan rather than the fucking jumbo jet one that they have put in.

One thing makes the Xbox get used more than our PS3 thats the modchip, if the PS3 could be done I wouldn't touch the Xbox because of the god awful din it makes.

Change the fans? Iirc there are much quieter ones around that shift a bit more air.

 

[Ch3tan]

erm why should I invalidate my warranty or risk damage to a console that simply is not made to be quiet enough?

MS fucked up the internal design of the 360, as proven by the fault rate and constant redesigns. I've been through 3 or 4 ending up with my Elite, and although the Elite is the quietest (less drive noise), the fans are still too loud.

thanks, but I will stick to media options that do not force me to increase the listening volume to drown out the sound or wear headphones.

 

[Trem]

Change the fans? Iirc there are much quieter ones around that shift a bit more air.

I was thinking of looking into it, quite sure it will be easy enough.

erm why should I invalidate my warranty or risk damage to a console that simply is not made to be quiet enough?

My warranty is already down the toilet so I have nothing to lose.

 

[Aph3x]

Whats going on with the avatars, you two are confusing me, I thought Ch3tan was having a discussion with himself.

 

[Trem]

Meg is being a twatfuck because he knows I hate the A-Team.

 

[MYstIC G]

Trying not to sound fanboy-ish but 360's hardly make any sound granted I have an elite after giving up on the original pro and selling it for parts over ebay. Never noticed a problem with the sound.

Sorry but my 360 sounds like a hoover!

Anyhow, the Sky thing is pretty nifty if you're already a sky subscribed as basically it means you can use your 360 somewhat like an extra box.

PS: Wub j00 tremly

 

[Dark Orb Choir]

How do I get the update. I think Jake cancelled it. CAn I manually kick it off.

 

[MYstIC G]

It should just whine about it when you play a game that requires live from my experience.

 

[Yaka]

ive been thru 5 premuim/pros and 2 elites all have been noisey vacum style. my ps3 is preety much silent only ever heard the fans speed up after a 4 hour session of uncharted 2, even then not as noisey as the 360, fuck even my i7 pc with 8 fans + gpu and cpu fans a is more silent than my previous elite

 

[Embattle]

Perhaps it is me but in general 1080 streaming will be little more than a novelty for the time being any way.

 

[Aada]

ive been thru 5 premuim/pros and 2 elites all have been noisey vacum style. my ps3 is preety much silent only ever heard the fans speed up after a 4 hour session of uncharted 2, even then not as noisey as the 360, fuck even my i7 pc with 8 fans + gpu and cpu fans a is more silent than my previous elite

You have been through 7 360's? I'd say it was probably down to you for 7 breaking do you throw them around or something? I've had one 360 go on me since I've had the console since launch. Yeah I know the console is known for breaking but SEVEN???? I find it hard to believe.

I don't notice the 360 on at all I install my games so the dis spinning isn't an issue or maybe I'm just used to the noise.

 

[Wonk]

I'm on my 4th.

All of them haven't been noisy though. My 2nd/3rd were quite silent.