Is the Xbox 360 Pro HDMI capable?

[Sam Bos]

Hi there. I was reading an article in the August 2007 issue of NZ PC World magazine, pages 40-45 “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hi-Def.”

On the sidebar on page 45, “The Problem With HDCP,” it say near the bottom, “Xbox 360 users (excluding those who’ve bought the new HDMI Equipped Xbox 360 Elite) for example, are limited to using analogue component output when watching HD movies. Should HDCP protection ever be implemented (and one assumes it must one day) they’ll be left high and dry.”

What I don’t understand is the fact that it says 360 users are limited to using the component video output. Yes, my 360 does have component video output, but it also has an HDMI port directly underneath where the standard AV cable plugs in.

Is this a misunderstanding on my part or on the writer’s part? Or would they possibly have meant that the normal 360 consoles (the arcade and the pro) do have HDMI but that it is not HDCP compliant? That would make more sense to me.

Also, in NZ PC World’s Gear Guide 2007, page 23, it says “My first impressions of this new iteration of Microsoft’s two-year-old game console are generally positive – particularly with regard to the dramatically improved integration of the optional Xbox 360 HD DVD Player....”

To my understanding, this means that the disc drive inside the xbox 360 elite is capable of playing HD-DVD’s, compared to other 360 console where you have to buy the add-on USB HD-DVD player in order to play HD-DVD’s.

But later on in the article, it says “The Xbox 360 Elite’s $799 price tage – not counting the extra $249 you’ll pay for an HD-DVD Player add-on drive – means it won’t be anyone’s first choice solely for its high-def video playback.

So my question is, is the 360 Elite capable of playing HD-DVD’s on its own, or do you have to have the add-on drive for it to be able to play HD-DVD’s?

One last question, what is the difference between the Xbox 360 Pro and the Xbox 360 Elite, apart from the 120GB Hard Drive and the colour?

Thanks for your help!



Keywords: xbox 360, xbox, 360, elite, hdmi, hdcp, xbox 360 hdmi, xbox 360 hdcp

[Tukapa]

Hi Sam

The Xbox 360 Pro does not have HDMI. It has a 20GB hard drive and is white. You need the add on HD DVD player to watch HD movies.

The Xbox 360 Elite does have HDMI. It has a 120GB hard drive and is black. You still need the add on HD DVD player to watch HD movies.

That's it in a nutshell.

I have both (well for a few more days anyway )

[Sam Bos]

But my 360 console does have a HDMI port. directly beneath the standard AV cable port. and it even says HDMI next to it as well.

I went to the Xbox NZ site and looked in the catalog. The info for the Xbox 360 Arcade System says it has an HDMI port, but the info for the Xbox 360 Core and the Normal Systems (pro systems) don't mention an HDMI port.

maybe the earlier 360 Pro's dont have an HDMI port but the later 360 Pro's do? because the 360's have come to NZ in a few diferent configurations.

There was the 360 core which had No hard drive and just a composite AV cable and Wired controller.
Then they have the Arcade which is basically the same as core except it has a Wireless controller.
Then there's the Pro which has 20gb hard drive, component AV cable and wireless controller.

And the microsoft website clearly states that the Xbox 360 Arcade has an HDMI port, and my Xbox 360 Pro (which I bought at Christmas just been) definitely has an HDMI port. It even mentions it in the user manual under the setup/connecting to the TV. So my guess is that maybe all the latest 360 models include an HDMI port?

correct me if im wrong...

thanks

[Tukapa]

Obviously you are right if you have one of the white consoles and it has HDMI! I haven't seen one myself.

That would piss off people who upgraded to the Elite for high definition reasons. Microsoft kept that pretty hush hush!!

That would make the only difference (apart from colour) between your HDMI equipped pro system and my elite the 120GB hard drive. Still - they charge $229 for the 120GB hard drive.

[Sam Bos]

yea well it does work out cheaper to buy the elite rather than buying a white pro and a seperate 120gb hard drive. but i have a feeling that the white versions with HDMI might not be HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compliant. I know that the Elite's do support HDCP. but yea not a lot of difference between the two then..

if only they integrated the hd-dvd player into the elite...

[kenj]

yea well it does work out cheaper to buy the elite rather than buying a white pro and a seperate 120gb hard drive. but i have a feeling that the white versions with HDMI might not be HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compliant. I know that the Elite's do support HDCP. but yea not a lot of difference between the two then..

if only they integrated the hd-dvd player into the elite...

Like the PS3?

Ken

[Tukapa]

Like the PS3?

Ken

Thats Blu-Ray.

But yeah - it is integrated into the PS3.

Have been looking into this and I had heard a rumour a while ago about the Xbox 360 Ultimate. The next iteration of the console which will supposedly have the HD-DVD drive built in and a 320GB hard drive. It was only a rumour but also in that rumour was that they were going to start putting HDMI onto the premium (or pro) consoles.

If you have a Xbox 360 Premium with HDMI then maybe the rumours about the Xbox 360 Ultimate will turn out to be true.

And that will mean it was a waste of time (and money) for me to upgrade from the premium console to the elite two weeks ago!!

[Greven]

I think the xbox way of doing next gen movies is the better way - it makes the console a lot cheaper for gamers who just want to use it for games.