# Xbox 360 and HDMI capability



## treelover (Mar 17, 2010)

Thinking of going over to the 'dark side' and getting a 2nd hand Xbox 360,but it must be HDMI, are all models kitted out with this or is it only elites or later models.


----------



## Yetman (Mar 17, 2010)

Only post 2007 models I think


----------



## treelover (Mar 17, 2010)

is the premium one HDMI?


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 17, 2010)

If you go out and buy a new xbox 360 it will definitely be HDMI.


----------



## treelover (Mar 17, 2010)

nah, I am buying 2nd hand, always do,my PC was as well


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 17, 2010)

treelover said:


> nah, I am buying 2nd hand, always do,my PC was as well



I suppose you'll have to enquire from whoever you're buying it from then.

Here's an article that may give you _some_ insight.

http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/news/2196275/xbox-360-gets-hdmi-port


----------



## sim667 (Mar 18, 2010)

iirc only the elite has HDMI

you cant run surround sound using the hdmi lead, you have to buy an adapter, however the hi def composite lead include does have an optical port on it


----------



## Sunray (Mar 18, 2010)

Given the XBox 360's track record in reliability, i'd buy new.  125 quid isn't really a huge amount for a console.


----------



## Chester Copperpot (Mar 18, 2010)

Sunray said:


> Given the XBox 360's track record in reliability, i'd buy new.  125 quid isn't really a huge amount for a console.



£99 at Argos


----------



## Ranbay (Mar 18, 2010)

yeah all new ones even arcades are HDMI, and yes buy a new one. there cheap as now.


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

Buy new. You'll be grateful for the three year red ring of death warranty.

You also avoid the risk of buying one of the many xBox Live banned machines dumped into the second hand market recently.


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

Do they ban the console? I thought they just banned the profile.


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

It bans the live account for trying to play from a modded machine. Guess what would happen to a new person trying to play from that modded machine? They'd be breaking the terms of use too and be banned. Maybe not immediately but at some stage when M$ do their banning exercises.


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

Gromit said:


> It bans the live account for trying to play from a modded machine. Guess what would happen to a new person trying to play from that modded machine? They'd be breaking the terms of use too and be banned. Maybe not immediately but at some stage when M$ do their banning exercises.



Ah right. Yeah, could be problematic and especially annoying if you've just forked out forty quid for a years subscription.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Mar 18, 2010)

sim667 said:


> iirc only the elite has HDMI



Nope... the Arcade has since 2007.


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

Mine didn't have a HDMI out but I could still play HD as I bought a special HD component cable.

I now have a replacement arcade machine after a RROD. The replacement does have HDMI out but I've carried on with my component cable rather than have to go out and buy a new long HDMI.

I get 1080i either way so what does it matter.


----------



## Ranbay (Mar 18, 2010)

yeah ban the console not the gamer tag... unless !! you are playing a MS game early, ie halo 3 forza etc.. then they fuck your gamer tag off also


----------



## Ranbay (Mar 18, 2010)

erm, HDMI is better picture than the componant lead, there about £3 in tesco/asda


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Mar 18, 2010)

And they're worth it, I couldn't believe how good my games could look until I switched...


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

B0B2oo9 said:


> erm, HDMI is better picture than the componant lead, there about £3 in tesco/asda



It's not a component cable. It's a HD component cable. 

1080i is 1080i no matter which cable is delivering it.


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

I'd be interested to know why bob and kid think this...


----------



## ChrisFilter (Mar 18, 2010)

B0B2oo9 said:


> erm, HDMI is better picture than the componant lead, there about £3 in tesco/asda



No, it's not. It all depends on your TV/monitor.

The monitor/cable I use to play xbox on can go higher than 1080p, were the 360 to support it. HDMI can't go higher than 1080p.


----------



## Ranbay (Mar 18, 2010)

well it looks better on my TV by HDMI than componant... so thats why i think so.


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

B0B2oo9 said:


> well it looks better on my TV by HDMI than componant... so thats why i think so.



The component cable which came with the xBox (which isn't HD) or a HD component cable?


----------



## Ranbay (Mar 18, 2010)

i dunno.... just one i had, assume it came with the xbox or something... 

how much is the component to buy then? the HD one like... 

and if thats the case, wouldt most people assume that there is only one type of component cable? not a SD and HD one?


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

Well there you go then. You are claiming Ferraris are crap based on the fact your Skoda is.  They both might be cars but there is a world of difference in performance. 

HD component cable costs? Well Play.com has them between £7 and £20. 

I forget how much I paid but it was reasonable considering the gold plate. 

Obviously now I'd go with the cheaper HDMI cable option if I didn't have a HD cable already.  I was just pointing out that if your box doesn't have HDMI out doesn't mean you can't still have HD at 1080p.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Mar 18, 2010)

Doh, actually, I've confused things. I was talking about VGA cables. they can go way above HDMI.

Component cables go to a max of 720p I believe, so bob, you're right.


----------



## Ranbay (Mar 18, 2010)

and i was just pointing out that my picture looks better with HDMI than with the componant lead that came with it  

not knowing you could buy an better lead for more money than a £3 HDMI lead...


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

ChrisFilter said:


> Doh, actually, I've confused things. I was talking about VGA cables. they can go way above HDMI.
> 
> Component cables go to a max of 720p I believe, so bob, you're right.



Right, this will cause me a problem at a later juncture. In the next month or so I'll be switching to 1080p. However, I need to use an xbox360 component cable (HD ..?) as they come with the surround sound adapter fitted (I have wireless headphones that utilise this). 

If I switch to a HDMI cable then surely I'll lose this facility as they don't have a surround sound adapter fitted in. But if I use a HD component cable I won't get the full 1080p resolution?

*panics*

I currently use the xbox360 VGA cable (I didn't realise VGA was higher res than HDMI) could I get an adaptor or something for it to fir a HDMI slot?


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

Citizen66 said:


> But if I use a HD component cable I won't get the full 1080p resolution?
> 
> *panics*


 
Depends on the cable. Some of them do. Mine does. Some on Play.com say that they only go to 1080i rather than p.


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

Gromit said:


> Depends on the cable. Some of them do. Mine does. Some on Play.com say that they only go to 1080i rather than p.



Does yours have the surround sound port built in too?


----------



## Gromit (Mar 18, 2010)

Citizen66 said:


> Does yours have the surround sound port built in too?


 
Its this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SPEED-LINK-..._9?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1268931862&sr=8-9

It has an optical cable which can plug into my home cinema for surround sound so yes sort of.

I keep getting tempted by this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-Optical...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1268932143&sr=8-2-catcorr

So that I could swap easily between the surround sound coming from my xBox, Blueray player or Sky Box.

Its currently only plugged into my Sky Box so that I only get 5.1 from playing DVDs on my Home Cinema or from Sky.


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

Right, so for 1080p I need a converter like one of these:







And they cost fifty quid. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDfury-1080...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1268932989&sr=8-1-catcorr


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

Actually I need the opposite of that.


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

ChrisFilter said:


> Component cables go to a max of 720p I believe, so bob, you're right.



Nah, they handle 1080p too.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360componenthdcable/


----------



## Citizen66 (Mar 18, 2010)

As does this one:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360hdmiavcable/

Cheers for the confusion everyone!


----------



## ChrisFilter (Mar 18, 2010)

I stand corrected again! The shame


----------



## Jambooboo (Mar 19, 2010)

Man, so much bullshit on this thread.


----------



## Ranbay (Mar 20, 2010)

which bit?


----------

