PC, Xbox 360 or PS3?

[drothgery]

Do not buy a cooling kit. It will actually void your MS warranty. Not needed.

You will use this quite a bit.

I would also suggest a HDMI cable from here: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10243

Very good prices and these are the cables installers swear by.

If he's getting an Elite, an HDMI cable comes with it. Probably shouldn't need another one.

 

[John Crichton]

If he's getting an Elite, an HDMI cable comes with it. Probably shouldn't need another one.

I have an Elite and just like my DirecTV DVR that came with an HDMI cable, upgrading was a good idea. The shielding on the pack-in cable stinks. You don't need something expensive like Monster Cable for HDMI (some could say no one needs Monster Cable), that's why I suggested the link above for an upgrade.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I have an Elite and just like my DirecTV DVR that came with an HDMI cable, upgrading was a good idea. The shielding on the pack-in cable stinks. You don't need something expensive like Monster Cable for HDMI (some could say no one needs Monster Cable), that's why I suggested the link above for an upgrade.

Shielding on a HDMI cable simply should not matter. It's a low power digital signal, not an analog signal of variable power, and is therefore not subject to the same interference an analog signal suffers. It either works or it does not.

But with an HDMI cable, you aren't sending any oscillating analog waves, nor any power. What you are sending is a low-power digital signal. The digital signal is either on or off, and it is impossible to distort it without ruining it. The great thing about a digital signal is that, even if there is a little noise in the cable (and there always is, no matter how good the cable), the TV will clean it up when it interprets the digital signal. The whole beauty of moving to a digital world is that it eliminates distortion completely.

What this means to you is that there really is no such thing as a "better" HDMI cable. Either an HDMI cable works or it does not. If it doesn't work, you will immediately know it. Your screen will freeze, or it will skip frames, or it will show big square blocks instead of a picture. It will be completely obvious that there is a problem. In that case you need to throw the cable away.

But if an HDMI cable is working correctly, your TV's picture will look exactly the same no matter how much the cable costs. Paying more for a cable will have no effect on picture quality.

Now that you know this, you can see what you need to do as a consumer. When buying an HDMI cable, you can buy on price and get the cheapest one.

That being said, there is one two things you do need to be aware of when purchasing an HDMI cable. First, you have to get the right length. If the cable isn't long enough, it won't reach to the HDTV. Second, HDMI cables have version numbers. For example, version 1.3 of HDMI can carry twice as much data as prior versions. If you buy a high-end HDTV that needs a version 1.3 cable, you need to make sure that the cable you buy supports version 1.3. Otherwise you are not getting everything that the equipment has to offer. In that case buy the cheapest version 1.3 cable available, and it will work fine.

Full article here: The HDMI cable scam

 

[John Crichton]

Shielding on a HDMI cable simply should not matter. It's a low power digital signal, not an analog signal of variable power, and is therefore not subject to the same interference an analog signal suffers. It either works or it does not.

Well, in that case my terminology is simply off. I did need a longer cable and the MS cable isn't terribly thick, which means durability issues. I like having a cable that if, for example, I run it over with a vacuum or abuse it in some way it won't have problems.

Again, the site I linked to has some dirt cheap cables that work just fine.

Full article here: The HDMI cable scam

It's a good article. I've read one similar to it in a magazine earlier last year.

 

[Goldmoon]

I strongly recommend not buying an xbox if your goal is mmorpgs, especially Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy online has a problem, in that its technology will ever remain an early console generation old. Its a very old mmorpg that just doesnot compare with modern mmorpgs. Mind you it is a good game, but it is so slow and repetive compared to now days.

square is developing an mmoprg for the ps3 and there are 2 more in development by other companies. I am looking forward to the square one. I liked Final fantasy online a lot and considering the improvements over the last five years, i expect square to make a spectacular game. So far rumors have it that its based off of the Saga series.

As far as systems it was a nobrainer for me. PS3 all the way. Better technology, good online system, and a better lineup of games. Plus I didn't have to play system roulette.

Im not going to touch the PS3 vs 360 thing as badly as I want to. FFXI is the deepest MMO on the market, period! No other MMO out there has as much content and shear area to exlpore. Unlike most other MMO's you dont have to make a new character everytime you want to try a new Job. It may be five years old but its on its fourth expansion and has five races, three countries to allign yourself with and count em' 21 jobs to level as well as several crafting skills. Also with nearly 500 quests and missions, theres nothing repetive about it.

 

[Vocenoctum]

Inasmuch that "everything fails".

No, saying that the PS3 is reliable (and the 360 is not) is very accurate.

It just doesn't get as much press when a PS3 bricks due to playing the latest game. It happens. I've never seen accurate failure rates for either system, so saying one is very reliable has no basis. We simply don't know.

The 360 failures are rampant, but how rampant is still unknown. Heck, who knows how long these systems are even designed for. (The PS3's 10 year plan does not mean 1 console lasts a person 10 years, obviously. My brother is on his 3rd PS2 and I had to replace my original XBox too.)

 

[dema]

XBOX seems to be winning

Do not buy a cooling kit. It will actually void your MS warranty. Not needed.

I think I got confused between the Bio and Mass Effect game.

Regarding the cooling kit, it's not one that you plug into the XBox and pair up though the power adapter. This one has it's own power source and just attaches to the back to pull out more heat. I heard the Elite is an improvement however in terms of the over heating. This new fan system is coming out in just a few days.

I spoke to some people at work and they game online using Live, I have my cousin who I sorely miss who would be willing to get a Live Gold account to play some games like we used to when we were younger ( 10 years ago, wow.)

Regarding the HDMI cables, yeah I got suckers for a monster. I know I can go to radioshack now and get them for 20-30 easy.

I spoke to another guy at work who knows how to stream DIvx movies though the PC into the XBOX and out to the TV. I forget why he did it, he gets bored and loves to mess with cracking things.

I just know so many more people that have an XBOX, I think that will be the deciding factor. It's kinda like with DND.

 

[Rackhir]

It just doesn't get as much press when a PS3 bricks due to playing the latest game. It happens. I've never seen accurate failure rates for either system, so saying one is very reliable has no basis. We simply don't know.

The 360 failures are rampant, but how rampant is still unknown. Heck, who knows how long these systems are even designed for. (The PS3's 10 year plan does not mean 1 console lasts a person 10 years, obviously. My brother is on his 3rd PS2 and I had to replace my original XBox too.)

Yes, I'm sure that Microsoft a company that never does anything without a reason, tripled the length of their warranty and set aside 5 BILLION dollars to cover those costs, did it for no other reason than the goodness of their black, soulless hearts. After countless reports in the tech community, media and the internet of 360's dying like flies.

I've heard of absolutely nothing similar for the PS3, aside from a single spurious report that the new 40 gig models had high return rates, that proved to have no basis in fact. Nor has Sony done anything to extend the warranty on the PS3.

Do the math. One console has a problem. The other doesn't. You can talk about "We don't know the exact return rates" all you like, but the hard cold economic facts say otherwise.

 

[Mallus]

...tripled the length of their warranty and set aside 5 BILLION dollars to cover those costs...

That kinda says it all, doesn't it?

On the other hand, the fact that the 360 is successful despite the fact the everyone who purchases one expects it to die --at least once-- does say something about the gaming experience it provides.

Not that I'm rushing out to get one, mind you.

 

[John Crichton]

Regarding the cooling kit, it's not one that you plug into the XBox and pair up though the power adapter. This one has it's own power source and just attaches to the back to pull out more heat. I heard the Elite is an improvement however in terms of the over heating. This new fan system is coming out in just a few days.

The Elite does not need the extra cooling unit. And add on that would help cool down the 360 could possibly void the warranty. I would highly recommend against it. Just make sure you give it room to breath and it will be fine.