Tips on Buying a 360

[Cidien]

Finally looked up games. $60 they make about $12-13 on. $30 games they make about $7.

[Hidalgo]

Well the new version got announced and im not really sure id want it.

I dont need hd capabilities, nor do i need it to be black that badly. I do like the way it looks, but the only thing on it i really want is the bigger HDD.

I may just go with the premium and upgrade the HDD later if i feel i need to.

Just not that impressed with it, and i dont like that they are keeping three models around. Do we really still need to pump out core models?

[Schultz]

No i don't think they need 3 models.. But its actually cheaper to buy the elite version then buy the premium or core version and just upgrade the HD. Even if you go with the core version
$300 + $179 for the 120 Gig Harddrive you at $479 = Exact same price as the elite. And with the elite you get the HDMI port which will carry future proof if you start wanting to download or watching HD-TV content on your tv. Because HDMI will be required if they need to use HDCP for copy protection which you must use a DVI or HDMI interface it will not work on Composite out.

So basically if you plan on getting the 120 gig harddrive save your self and just buy the elite. You get more for same price.

[geo85]

This is basically what I've been waiting for so I'll reserve asap. Still keeping my klunky xbox for good, trade in value is not worth the product especially cause of the mod capabilities of the original and the fact that the 360 still does not cover all my games for backwards.

As far as the hdmi it doesn't hurt, when I get an hd player its going to be a high quality stand alone not some add on to my already overtaxed game system thats how you burn them out and the overuse of the dvd drive was the death of thousands of first gen ps2's. Kinda like the black will look good next to my white wii.

[Cidien]

They're planning on making the elite model the normal premium model soon. They're only making something like 200,000 black ones then theyre making them white and putting them in the premium.

Also, you mean you don't need hdmi right? If you don't think you need hd period you've never played dead rising. Bought a new tv just for that game. Couldn't even attempt to read what they were saying on my old standard definition tv. Hell, even my cheap hd doesn't play that game overly well. Gotta use my nice dell if I want a crisp picture.

[Hidalgo]

Until HD becomes the over the air standard, I wont buy an HD tv, the price is simply too much. Nor will i buy a new tv just to play a game.

And the announcement said that the elite is not a temp thing, though i think the black paint job might be.

It wont replace the premium their going to keep three models going.

I think ill just stick with the premium since I dont think ill be needing all fo the extra space.

If i can get any kind of resell on my original xbox then i might consider the elite. I still feel reluctant to drop 500 on just the consoel alone.

[Schultz]

Until HD becomes the over the air standard, I wont buy an HD tv, the price is simply too much. Nor will i buy a new tv just to play a game.

And the announcement said that the elite is not a temp thing, though i think the black paint job might be.

It wont replace the premium their going to keep three models going.

I think ill just stick with the premium since I dont think ill be needing all fo the extra space.

If i can get any kind of resell on my original xbox then i might consider the elite. I still feel reluctant to drop 500 on just the consoel alone.

Well that is where you got it wrong. Right now you don't need it. But say 1 or 2 years down the road. You do get a HD tv and also you do start filling up your 20 gig harddrive.

Now you will either have to A.) Just upgrade harddrive. now you spent $580 on a system because you need it. Or more so say B.) You start watchin / download there stuff on Live which now requires a HDMI output port.. you gotta try to sell your old one and buy the new $480 .. maybe you get $200 outta your old one you just spent $680 on the whole thing. So any route it still cheaper to just fork over the 80 more for the larger harddrive. I mean hell just get 1 less game when you purchase it and you pretty much covered it.

So IMHO it really stupid now to not get the elite version because they pretty much fucked over every early adopter of an Xbox 360.

[geo85]

I was just talking about the hd player, havent gotten one yet, I already got a 32" bravia last week.

[odin0425]

Well that is where you got it wrong. Right now you don't need it. But say 1 or 2 years down the road. You do get a HD tv and also you do start filling up your 20 gig harddrive.

Now you will either have to A.) Just upgrade harddrive. now you spent $580 on a system because you need it. Or more so say B.) You start watchin / download there stuff on Live which now requires a HDMI output port.. you gotta try to sell your old one and buy the new $480 .. maybe you get $200 outta your old one you just spent $680 on the whole thing. So any route it still cheaper to just fork over the 80 more for the larger harddrive. I mean hell just get 1 less game when you purchase it and you pretty much covered it.

So IMHO it really stupid now to not get the elite version because they pretty much fucked over every early adopter of an Xbox 360.

i seriously dought that MS will require HDMI for their videos, they already kinda screwed us early adopters whith the elite...i seriously dought they want to make all consoles before the elite obsolite. but ya, spend the extra 80 now and get the elite...the hard drive price wont go down any time in the next 2 years, so you would be over paying by 100 if you get the premium system now and upgrade later

[Schultz]

i seriously dought that MS will require HDMI for their videos, they already kinda screwed us early adopters whith the elite...i seriously dought they want to make all consoles before the elite obsolite. but ya, spend the extra 80 now and get the elite...the hard drive price wont go down any time in the next 2 years, so you would be over paying by 100 if you get the premium system now and upgrade later

Well the problem could be that its not up to them. Say if Microsoft wants to distrubute content from Fox or any other broadcasting company (Note they might already i don't know just using a company) and they start requiring that HDCP be used when playing back there video's via DRM then people only with HDMI can play that content. This is to make sure people doesn't just copy the video outta the xbox 360. So there its more up to content provider's then Microsoft and you know how they will fuck over customer's faster then anything to "protect" there content.

[Cidien]

Copying videos you buy from xbox live is already very hard. You already need to hack it. There's no reason why they would require anything more. The only way around hacking is signing in to my friends xbox and downloading it to that one. But even then he has to be signed into my account to watch the video. Although I supposed if you unplug the internet and sign in it still works so it's not that hard.

I just don't see them wanting to put any more restrictions on it considering how easy it is to copy dvds or simply download the show off the internet. Download the divx and hook up an external hd to the 360 and watch em that way if you really wanna get around copyright problems.

[Cidien]

Also, where does it say they won't replace the premium with the elite? Havn't read the actual announcement but i've seen several places where mags are reporting that it will...

[Schultz]

That the thing all you have to do is setup something that takes a composite video input that can record and probably remove Macrovision protection and you can easy copy any of there signals. That's is what HDCP is for. Its a secure handshake between the hardware and tv's so that unauthorized devices can't record the video signal. And with DRM so prevelant they can easy force it on you since the Studios that deliver the content can require it.

Like right now people with 30" LCD screen's that use Duel link DVI are screwed because right now HDCP doesn't support Duel Link DVI so there for they can't play HD-DVD or Blu-ray on there computer's they have to go out and buy a lower quality moniter to be able to watch them. Thanks all to HDCP which requires a DVI or HDMI connection which everything but the elite lacks.

And remember we are talking about HD shows which are better quality then your DVD or anything you download off the internet.

[Hidalgo]

I havent seen anything offical that has said it would be replacing the premium

This interview with one of the developers clearly states that they will be keeping all three models.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0x18ifjB...ed&search=

I really don't understand why they keep the core model around as its basicly useless

[Cidien]

It is pretty useless. Since i've started working at target we've sold one core console. It was a parent buying it for their sevenish little kid. We've sold 12 premiums I think.

On a side note we've sold a whopping 3 ps3's. Sony hopes to have stores stocked by May as demand is obviously so high for these.