Official XBox 360 HD-DVD add-on Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Harpozep]

Thank you. I am in the middle of the operation now. That is, I am rerouting my current game cords and the output of the X-Box 360 into a component switch box. I have component out on two PS2s, and the old X-Box. They run into a switcher near my couch and I send one component signal around the perimeter of the room to the TV. Another path through the same switcher has the Game cube and two Dream casts ( One Japanese version). So this first switch box has parallel outs for Component, S vid and composite. Three systems go out component, three composite or S.

The component output is then mated to another component switcher near the TV. This allows me to take the remaining rear component input on the Sony KDS-R60XBR2 and split it into four potential inputs. The New X-Box 360 will sit near the tv near its HD player. The only compromise on its path to the tv will be this four way component switcher. Hopefully it does not become a problem, as I'm trying NOT to have wires running into the front input on the TV, mainly for vanity reasons. It looks so unprofessional...........

The Sony set will only accept 1080P signals via HDMI, so anyone outputting an X-box 360, with its current limits of just the component outputs will find the Sony's component inputs accepting up to 1080i only. So If I have this clear in my mind, the X-Box 360 HD player can output 1080i, and the X-Box 360 only outputs component. The Sony set I have will only see up to 1080i via component, so it will upscale the 1080i input to 1080p. The HD player's signal path will be, outputting 1080i, but then it will be down converted via the Sony's Component inputs, then the Sony will upscale the now 1080i to 1080p.
IS this the way things must go? The Sony only accepts 1080 p via HDMI, and possibly VGA ( I have to look into this ).

On the digital audio front, the X-Box 360 outputs optical digital audio, but the Sony set has no optical digital audio in, just out. So I guess I'll parallel path the analog audio and the digital. The digital will go straight to the Integra receiver and the analog to the settop speakers .
Sometimes my wife and daughter just want to use the set speakers. I have to admit the receiver can be daunting what with digital cable only outputting digital audio on some stations sometimes, etc. They get tired and confused switching receiver inputs. So do I!


Now I'm off to creat more confusion. Gotta get some of this done before I go to the HT shop to get another optical audio cord.
I have not even opened the HD player box. As you suggest, first gotta get the X-Box 360 up and running........
More later. Thanks

 

[Romar Armas]

If your set takes 1080P via VGA, there is a VGA adaptor for the Xbox 360 and you can output 1080P through that. Then DVDs will be upconverted to 1080P with that also. I just dug out my old Audio Authority VGA->Component converter that I used for the Dreamcast. This way I should be able to watch all HD DVDs without worrying about the protections and also upconvert DVDs to 1080i.

 

[Yumbo]

1080p is VGA only for movies. 1080p Games over component is fine.

 

[DarthBeavis]

I have a Sony XBR2 70" and have tried connecting via VGA. I say forget it as put a box around the display. 1080i works well. The Sony XBR2 will only receive Dolby 2.0 via HDMI and only extract and pass 2.0 out via the optical out. If you want 5.1 you must bypass the TV.

 

[Harpozep]

Thanks, I was just going to get the VGA cord. I guess with these Sony's it is a pile of compromises! You saved me a few dollars. I have mo reason to connect my computers to the TV. The Dell 24" WS and Samsung 213 are screen enough for us.

With HDMI I don't mind just the Dolby 2.0 going into the set as I will bypass it as well and go to the receiver. The 2.0 going into the set is OK when we just want a simple setup, say my daughter playing Mario, etc.
I hope we can firmware up to the HDMI 1.3 standard, but I doubt it knowing Sony...........

I agree 1080i looks fine. I enjoyed King Kong last night 'tll 5AM! It took me a while to get the X-Box 360 updates and to hook it all up. I am disappointed that 1080i is where it stops for us with these Sonys and the current X-Box 360 outputs. Oh well..............I guess a "REAL" stand alone player with HDMI will be the order of the day ...someday.

Hey, does the PS3 output HDMI? I don't mind just he Dolby 2.0 going into the set as I will bypass it as well and go to the receiver.

Ya see folks , those who don't own these Sony sets, these set sonly take 1080p in via the HDMI inputs,( and the VGA with a window inset compromise ). But then as Darth pointed out, the audio that comes in via the HDMI is compromised ! Ah well, there are work arounds.

But I really did wait on this set a year until it had 1080p as a real input/output option. The previous year's set would output 1080p fine, but only would recognize up to 1080i as an input. Those sets would upsample 1080i to 1080p and had NO option for actual 1080p input. These newer sets do, but as we see Sony is still full of surprises.

I wonder if the JVC LCOS sets take 1080p through component ? Things to think about if your are about to buy a set, not AFTER

Yeah, I can work with my Sony , as all of us owners will. At lest we XBR owners have three dedicated HDMI inputs. That will help some. Now if Microsoft would release an X_Box 360 HDMI cable.......

 

[Cory Bevilacqua]

Do HD-DVD discs have multiple layers of information like SD DVDs? I ask because I think I caught a layer transition pause in the Mission Impossible 3 HD-DVD. When Tom Cruise's SUV flips over and the camera pans over his face while he's upside down in it and the smoke is blowing past his face - there's a slight pause there. I tried a 2nd copy that a buddy of mine had, and it did the same thing, so I take it it's not the disc at fault. Anyone else experience this (or a similar thing with a different movie) with the XBox 360 HD-DVD add-on?

 

[Romar Armas]

So I tried using the VGA -> Component adapter and it didn't work out too well. In the Xbox 360, I was only able to choose 640x480 and 848x480 resolutions. Nothing else worked. My TV is quite old and only accepts 480i/p, 540p and 1080i so all other resolutions are useless. So back to components for me.

 

[Seth=L]

Yes.

 

[ppltd]

I had not noticed this on the disks I looked at, but that is not to say that there wasn't a pause when the player switched layers. I wonder if the memory (512 in the xbox vrs. 1 gig in the Toshiba) does not allow enough buffer space to eliminate the transition? Maybe someone with more knowledge will now.

 

[DarthBeavis]

I think I have had cutovers on the Toshiba as well

 

[Ryan-G]

I would guess this could be a problem, especially if downconverting. Considering each frame is stored in the memory for at least 15-30 seconds of play, assuming 60fps for 1080p, that's a fair chunk of memory. Then downconverting each frame to say 720p, with a buffer of at least a few frames eating more memory, if the player had a slightly difficult time switching layers due to some manufacturing defect there could be a slight lag.

I mean, if my math's right, if each frame were just 256k in size, a 15 second buffer would chew up 225megs of memory. I'd guess each frame is bigger than that, and at 1meg a frame it'll chew 900megs of memory for a 15 second buffer. Before considering downconverting.

 

[Yumbo]

ok,

for anyone who has a panasonic L500 projector - do you get a darker picture?
It wasn't as stark a difference (darker) on the 50" plasma (Panasonic).

Resolution is 768 projected, and 1028 plasmaed.

Do I need to re-calibrate the projector?

Both tests were compared against SD disc of King Kong.

ps. where's the best online place to get a replacement bulb for L500?

thanks

 

[ppltd]

Try here. I have purchased two projectors and lamps from this reseller with very good results. Projector People L500 Lamp

thanks[/quote]

 

[Patrick Sun]

I recently got into the XBOX 360 HD DVD combo because the final price (after rebate and credit card bonus offerings at Microcenter) got down to $200 for the XBOX 360 premium system, and then I got a $40 coupon to work at Circuit City for the $200 HD DVD drive (came with King Kong and remote), so ironically enough the XBOX 360 HD DVD combo will be about $360 plus tax once the smoke clears in a few month.

Since I have an older HDTV RPTV with 1080i component inputs, the XBOX 360 is more my speed for now, and I'm hoping to squeeze another year or two of service from the RPTV if possible.

I directly connected the XBOX 360 to my 2nd component input and it works pretty well (but I had to fiddle with the video settings, mainly the color saturation had to be turn down lower than usual, and had to jacked up the brightness and picture settings a little, due to the age of my RPTV's guns, I suspect).

I was also to move one thin Philips DVP642 DVD player from one rack and sat it on top of my other Panasonic RP91 DVD player, and that left me with a space just tall enough to fit the XBOx 360 unit horizontally, and also the HD DVD drive lying on top of it. Whew! My tower of HT components is now finally all filled up.

I had to snag the TOSLINK cable from my neglected LD player input to get the audio from the XBOX 360 working (but I have another TOSLINK cable on order, and only use my LD player for playing CDs). The audio is a little low, so I pump up the volume a few dBs, but I can wait for my next pre/pro upgrade in order to sample TrueHD audio when I get a standalone HD DVD player with analog outputs later in a year or two.

So far I've only watched King Kong and the video is simply amazing to stare at (I typically skip about an hour and watch the rest of KK). Loved the KK/T-Rex battle.

The remote works well enough and I don't feel like I'm missing all that much from any other DVD player remote. I'm pretty impressed that the integration between the HD DVD drive and the XBOX 360 unit is pretty seamless. Besides loading up the drive's install CD, and getting an update from Microsoft, so far no problems, it just works. The bootup speed for the HD DVD is more than acceptable (I feared I would have gone nuts if I had to wait a minute per HD DVD to boot up if I were to get a Toshiba A1).

I've got 11 HD DVDs coming to me from taking advantage of the Google Checkout $20 off $50 order bonus from buy.com (multiple times), so I expect to watch a few HD DVDs over this upcoming holiday break.

 

[JGiampa]

Yea, KING KONG looks amazing! The best picture ive seen on my Sammy yet.

I have the XBOX set to 1080p and my tv supports 1080p through component but I am still only getting 1080i.

The only complaint I have so far is that the standard DVDs dont look any better in the HD DVD tray in comparison to the regular XBOX tray. Im annoyed that apparently I need a VGA to upconvert DVDs.

Overall tho I am VERY VERY impressed with KING KONG...Cant wait to get Superman Returns!

Joe

 

[Tim Glover]

Cool review Patrick.

 

[JGiampa]

I just purchases the VGA cord for 1080p capabilities and upconversion. Im not too impressed. It put small vertical bars on the side of the screen which is annoying, and I actually think the 1080i out of the components look better (they are actually gorgeous). If anyone else has any opinions on this id like to hear them.

Joe

 

[EricW]

alot of posters at the avsforum say the same thing - that component is better than vga on the 360. for me it's true too.

 

[Shawn Perron]

I recently received my Monster Cable component cables for the 360. If you are using the component cables that came with the 360, you are missing a LOT of resolution because of them. After using the monster cable components I can clearly see that the microsoft cables just didn't have the bandwidth for 720p video. It was night and day after changing the cables out. 720p requires about 40mhz of bandwidth, and whatever design compromises that were needed to make a component/composite cable seem to have prevented the cables from reaching this. If you are still using the cables that came with the 360, I highly recommend replacing them with something better.

 

[JGiampa]

Hmm strange, Im getting 1080i and it looks absolutely amazing....

I cant imagine the Monster cables being any better, but maybe I'll give it a shot.