Xb0x 360 and hd input

[sfgiants]

Hey all. I was looking through a store the other day and spotted the hd cable for the 360. I am wondering if it is worthwhile to get one. I have a 360 and a HD DLP tv. My tv supports 480i, 480p, and 1080i (it is a few years old now). So is it worthwhile? Will I notice any difference (note: I use my 360 as a dvd player as well as for games).

Any info you could provide would be great!

 

[Steel_Wind]

Absolutely worth it. If you have not seen Assassin's Creed on 1080p, you are missing out. (and on 720p, it is pretty damn sweet too).

However, you should check what outputs your 360 has.

If you do not have a HDMI output on your 360 (older 360's will not), I recommend using a VGA cable, not the HD component cable. That will in turn depend on what inputs you have on your HD TV.

If you HDTV has a VGA input - that's the one I would recommend you use instead of an HD component cable. That will give you up to 1080p to your TV. The HD component cable maxes out at 720p.

Given a choice, you'll want 1080p.

If your TV maxes out at 1080i, it might be that the component cable is fine for you. (Some complain about color warmth off of the VGA cable, but mine works flawlessly - even though it is supposed "unsupported" at 1080p on the Sony Bravia).

HD on the 360 is one of the things that makes it so sweet. The resolution upgrade is absolutely worth it. In a heartbeat.

 

[sfgiants]

Hey thanks for the info. How do I tell what outputs my 360 has? (sorry I am tech newb). I bought my 360 about 6 months after it came out so I would guess it is pretty old

 

[trancejeremy]

Unless you bought your 360 in mid 2007 or so (or bought an Elite), then it almost certainly doesn't have an HDMI port.

But you can just look at the back of it and see. It's right below the normal video output (here's a pic)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeygadget/477200253/

 

[sfgiants]

It doesn't look like I have one. Any other options to go HD? Also, what advantages does the Elite offer? I don't really need the larger hard drive...

 

[Steel_Wind]

Elite's principal advantages are:

1 - bigger HD
2- HDMI output
3 - runs cooler and the fans are not as loud

Depending on who you are and what features of the Xbox 360 you tend to use, the importance of those differences to you will rank differently.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I would also note that the HDMI output is handy to you as when you use the HDMI output on the 360, the 360 acts as an upscaling DVD player. This means it will make your DVDs look better on your screen by adding lines of resolution and faking a higher 1080 resolution image.

I am assuming your HDTV has HDMI inputs. It may not, especially if it is a little older. If it does not have a VGA input either - you will be using the component input at 720p.

(I don't know if a 720p/1080i HD set can make use of an upscaled DVD image coming off a 360. I have a 1080p set so I don't know if that's a pre-requisite. Some others may know that here. It may be that it requires use of an HDMI cable though and won't work as an upscaled player via VGA or HD component video cable. You should do some research on this point).

If you can get an upscaled image from your DVDs -you'll be happy. It's not as good as Blu-Ray of course - but it is nice to have and the image quality form the DVDs you already own is perceptibly better. I added a stand alone upscaling DVD player via HDMI to my set a few weeks ago. I was pleased with the results, especially given the fact that an upscaling stand alone DVD player is very cheap (less than $50).

If you use your 360 as a DVD player, I expect you will also appreciate the reduced noise level of the original Premium 360 which sounds like a Harrier Jump Jet taking off at times. The noise level coming off of the 360 is my biggest beef with it.

You can sell your existing 360 on eBay and buy an Elite. Some ENWorlders have done exactly that.

 

[sfgiants]

This is great info. Thanks. My tv is about 2 years old so I am assuming it will have vga access. How would I know? Will it say in the manual?

Thanks again

 

[Steel_Wind]

This is great info. Thanks. My tv is about 2 years old so I am assuming it will have vga access. How would I know? Will it say in the manual?

Thanks again

Yeah - it should say in the manual.

 

[John Crichton]

You can sell your existing 360 on eBay and buy an Elite. Some ENWorlders have done exactly that.

Yup.

To the OP: You should be able to get around $200 for your old 360. Just got rid of mine plus a game (that already comes with the Elite) for $220 + $25 shipping/handling. Also, if you plan on getting a PS3 and do have HDMI ports, you won't need an upscaling DVD player as the PS3 plays BR discs and upscales normal DVDs.