Video: 360 v.2 HDMI in action

X-S doesn't run hoaxes/fakes. There is no doubt in my mind that this is real. Maybe it'll get announced at CES.

"high def version of the ANA scaler" i think you mean hdcp enabled, an expensive encrption technology required by HDMI

What are those hugh holes in the back of the new xbox for?

Xbox Scene doesn't do fakes...

Although I'm not sure about the HDD. If they do, I shall be mighty pissed.

trahman, i hope you're not referring to the black electrical tape over the serial number.

I don't care about the 1080p or HDMI, mopst of us don't use it.

I am concerned about the larger HDD more

If this is not a hoax then I, and everyone else who bought a 360 should be pissed. This is why it doesn't pay to support these companies early on, if only a year after buying this expensive console they can switch the design and force those of us who were hoping for hdmi support to "upgrade" (read: pay another 4 large).

I'm not saying I don't want the added hdmi port model, but they've just screwed one of their early faithful.

Why is everyone in the habbit of calling this v.2? It's more like 2.1 if you really think about it. Initial release was 2.0 (being the second Xbox) and while they've had a few hardware changes already I'd say this is more deserving of the .1 increase.

So, Zephyr is 2.1

I still don't understand why people feel screwed over. Consoles go through hardware rivisions all the time. Heck, the PS2 went through revisions where features were actually taken out! Very few people actually need HDMI, and that is fact.

I've had a 360 since launch day and I couldn't care less about HDMI. My TV doesn't support 1080p and the HDMI input is already used up.

Larger HDD? Yea I could probably use one down the line but then I'm also sure MS will have some kind of upgrade program for existing customers since licenses of purchases will have to be transfered from the old to the new.

yeah.. well im planing on buying a 1080p tv next month (after CES announcments or wait a bit more for the newer models to come out).

The fact That I just bougt an xbox 1 month ago pisses me off because I need to go buy another once this new one comes out. I dont care about the larger hard drive tho so maybe I can get away with selling my old one with all the accessories from the new one at a good enough price that it would only cost me like $100 to upgrade. But I doubt that. Its gonna probably cost me at least $200

It's a modded 360. It's a hack/mod website and it is doubtful that Microsoft handed over some prototype 360 to them, unless it was with the intention of having this information leaked in some Rovian conspiracy.

Kalroy

Ok guys lets order these facts. This is true xbox-scene dont show fake stuff, ok. Mayeb its a small dev kit, anyone remember the boy tht got hold on the 360 kit??? anyone??? But, maybe not a retail model, im guessing its a heavy mod on somebodys xbox.Reason being that the person ahs hidden there xbox's id, and this has been timed very well, with the talkin with Jay at microsoft about a new xbox, looking at the hi-res images, it looks not like a retail modelbut you may say "HEY ITS A DEV KIT U IDOIT THATS WHY ITS A LITTLE DODGY", look this isnt a next level of a upcoming xbox, and proberly jsut some guy taking a year to build his own from scratch.

Thanks for your time

I won't believe it until I hear something straight from Microsoft.

And I think it's awesome they are adding HDMI port on to this new model. And I'm sure they're cooking up some sort of cable to output HDMI for the early consoles. I'm not too worried.

I am a little disappointed that they didnt have HDMI from the start. However, like #7 stated, my HDMI ports are used up as well. I have 2 HDMI inputs on my plasma: 1 is used for up-scale dvd and the other is for HD cable.

They better add a hddvd drive built in, my tv only supports 720p but it does have an hdmi input so i guess that would be better, hopefully a cable will be included cause the hdmi cables are 60+, But really i would go and get this hands down if they had hd dvd drive built in, and if there considering releasing a new suped up version anyway, why not add it in?

yeah... after everything i have seen, and i have been following this story since the moment it sprung up, it probably is real, and it pisses me off, but then again.... seeing as how microsoft has done a lot for its customers in the last year (releasing new accesories, updates, video marketplace etc.) i think they will come up with some kind of HDMI adapter that will have the new HANA scaler in it or something like that... or at least a new HDMI adapter or something... microsoft isn't the kind of company that would pull something bogus on their customers like that... they will probably also release the hard drive separately...

i wanna know how this person got one, i mean it looks like some scrote in his bedroom. hardly believable

I'm pissed off at this, and at the people who are forgiving MS for doing this too.

You know, it's because of all you apologists that the industry feels it can pull this sort of crap and get away with it.

"Oh gee, Big Chad had non-consensual relations with me in the showers again, but that's to be expected when you go to prison! It's the way the system works."

I love this:
Day 1 - MS announces it sold over 10 million Xboxes.
Day 2 - MS announces to all those new owners that they just bought an outdated system. But don't worry! They'll send you a free bottle of vasoline.

Anyway you look at it, you're going to have 10 million really pissed off customers.

I see a lot of people comparing this to buying a car and the auto industry in general.

It's a flawed analogy.

First, because year-to-year the differences in car models are usually very neglible, save ever 4 years when a model gets upgrade (did you notice that number there? *4 years* for major upgrades? Never just one year).

Second, BECAUSE THE CUSTOMER IS AWARE THIS HAPPENS. How much do you want to bet that all those people who bought the system before Christmas would have still done so if they'd known an upgraded console was going to be available a few months after? When buying cars, the customer has their eyes open ahead of time to the fact that new models come out yearly. Only gaming nerds who read sites like this would have any idea that this sort of thing is happening in the gaming industry too. It's about expectations and I (and probably the majority of consumers) would expect a gaming PC to be outdated in 6 months. Not a new "next-gen" console.

That 500 dollar hole in my wallet isn't feeling very forgiving right now.

I have been waiting for Microsoft to release a cable for the 360 that will allow HDMI connection to my TV and now finally... they screw me over.

Im not 100% convinced that this will see the light of day. 10 million 360 owners will be pretty pissed off. Including me. I am a one console kinda guy. Always have been but if MS release this (and I can only see them doing so if HDMI connection via the existion AV port is not possible). I will dump my 360 and buy a PS3. I will then never ever buy another Microsoft product. I can't be the only one who feels this way so surely Microsoft must know what kind of reaction this will recieve from the majority of the 10 million people who support their platform. Why piss off your bread and butter customers?

I don't get all the anger spewed at MS for their intention of updating the 360 with HDMI. Is component video suddenly _that_ bad that people can't wait to get rid of it?

Yes, I'd have liked an HDMI output as well. The more video options the better, but the difference between component and HDMI is not really that earth shattering on a good tv with good cables. I'm perfectly happy with the current component output which also provides a stunning picture on my LCD tv.

Okay, Tails... You wanna see apologists, look at the folks frothing to buy a new updated DS Lite. Because, in it's second year, MS, WHO STILL HAS NOT ANNOUNCED ANY OF THIS, is shipping an updated model of the 360.... But an HDMI port is more of an upgrade then a smaller form-factor, brighter light, and more battery life.

Second.. this new scaler everyone is talking about.. you telling me that the scaler that is up-converting my games from 720p to 1080i... is not HD? C'mon people, stop letting these idiots think for you.. we clearly have as much information as they do.

This video confirms nothing of the 120 GB HDD... or if that'll even be included. Second, let's look at other HW revisions. Sony, PS1 5xxx series to 7xxx series removes the serial port that was used for some devices. Also changed the video inputs from the 1xxx series to 2xxx series.. In the PS2, removed the firewire port, and in a later revision, removed the ability to plug in the HDD. Nintendo, for the cube, removed their digital out port. I say we came in lucky.

But lastly.. since we're assumeing what this is... being unnanounced and unconfirmed by MS.. let me make some predictions about this. HDMI port is secondary, or for those who want to plug in the HDMI cables they already have. MS will release a HDMI adapter for the current output plug...The secondary HDMI adapter may be for those who want to plug into an audio source, while the main one plugs into the video source.

As for built-in HD DVD, don't count on it, unless you really want the 360 dead. The backlash from rescending their whole statements about not tethering console users to one format, and denying their users choice... it would kill the 360 immediatly.

Are you an idiot Talis? So what you're telling me is that Microsoft shouldn't improve their system because it hurts your feelings? That's insane! Will you complain again when they make the system even smaller? Or when they release one with a diffrent color shell? The accuall system isn't any diffrent that what we have now... it will not play the game any better than we can play them now.

If this is true, yes I will be upset. Granted, it was my choice to purchase the box knowing it has no hdmi, but I won't be upset about that, I will be upset at microsoft for not informing us of this earlier so those of us have huge tv and would like to get the best resolution possible will wait.

So, I really hope this is not real and that at CES they are announcing a HDMI output for our current boxes instead

love the background mix

Everybody DOES know that this will not make a difference - dont they?

The HDMI port wont make the console any nicer - maybe just make the picture sharper AFTER it has left the console!

And about the HDD....it will be available as an addon!

Heck, wouldn't surprise me if some other company is copying the Xbox 360's hard drive shape, and fitting it with a 2" 200GB drive!!

But at the end of the day....they are just replacing the CPU with a slightly thiner version!

If you have enjoyed your console over the last few months, and if it hasnt had problems - you will be fine!

Unless....you NEED a HDMI port - in case you do...SELL YOUR CONSOLE ON EBAY NOW!!

And Im not joking either, 360v1 will be worth far less when the new version is out! Especially if it comes with a 120GB HDD! :P

I've never heard so many whinging fanboys in my life.

What the hell do you mean by "we should always be pretty pissed off"? With what? I bought my 360 and HDTV in full knowledge it didn't have HDMI, and that an HD-DVD add-on would be out shortly.

As long as my 360 outputs in HD, and - *gasps" - plays games, that's all I care about.

Don't tell me I should feel screwed over, simply because you do. If they were updating it because of an design flaw, then yeah, I'd be pissed, but their aren't.

RIDICULOUS!!!!!!! so frigging fake, micheal jackson looks real. modded to the max. Dont get me wrong, awesome and god knows i want one buuuuuut FAKE FAKE FAKE. and im down with the linux = hacker assumption because IT FRIGGING DOES!!!

Am I the only one wondering how a separate A/V out (HDMI) will work on the 360? I mean, it would make more sense if the motherboard was revised to output digital data (if v.1 truly can't in the first place) and STILL use the current A/V out port with an HDMI port added to the actual connection (same way you hook up the optical audio out). Because if you have a separate HDMI port on the motherboard, how would you hook up your 5.1 surround? Have the regular component A/V pack still hooked up just to use the toslink port? That seems ridiculous. "But HDMI includes audio transfer!" Yeah, but it goes straight to your TV- which does NOT usually have an audio digital out for 5.1 Dolby for your receiver. So basically, the addition of an HDMI port on the mobo without adding an additional port for digital audio seems suspect to me. So I won't believe any of these "leaks" until MS comes out with an official statement. If it turns out to be true, connecting a 360 via HDMI and toslink will be kind of messy.

"If this is true, yes I will be upset. Granted, it was my choice to purchase the box knowing it has no hdmi, but I won't be upset about that, I will be upset at microsoft for not informing us of this earlier so those of us have huge tv and would like to get the best resolution possible will wait."

Just listen to yourself. Do you know what Market and Business is. Thats EXACTLY what MS doesn't want you to do....is WAIT for the new shit to come out. They want people to buy out the existing stocks. God don't you get it? Why the hell do they always regret everything and then re-announce it the last second? I even doubt they will say anything at CES about HDMI because they aren't mass producing them yet. They will like a week before.

If the HDMI will make the image sharper then that would be considered a difference would it not? And to us Home Theater gamers a big plus. Let us not forget that HDMI has the ability to not only carry digital video but also audio including the new Dolby HD and DTS HD standards that are NOT supported via optical. So if you value your 360 as a true HT component then the inclusion of HDMI is most desirable. And lets not forget that we will also reduce the number of cables we need.

HDMI was never there to make an image better, it was created to meet the demands of the media companies in an act of self-deluding anti-piracy. You will barely be able to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p while flipping back and forth repeatedly, sitting really close to the display and being wrong almost as many times as you are right.

Don't worry that you are only using your xbox 360 with a 1080i monitor. The difference isn't worth the money of "upgrading"- buying a new game or three would be a far better use of your dollar.

To 18: Cueil

Am I an idiot? At least I can actually understand what I read. Where the hell did I say I didn't want MS to upgrade the 360 because of my "hurt feelings", you moron? My post was about dropping 500 dollars on an item and then being told within a few months that what you paid for has become obsolete.

It was also about idiot apologists like you who applaud moves like this, and seem to enjoy being worked over by large companies like MS while happily feeding them with your wallet.

HDMI is a digital connection, component cables are analog. In these days of digital projectors it is desirable to eliminate as much conversion between analog and digital as possible. Using HDMI will result in a better picture. To those of us who play in home theaters and want to use the 360 as a ht component this matters.

What do people expect MS to do? Not support HDMI and have a completely obsolete box within a year? For better or worse HDMI is going to be the defacto standard for A/V connections. It is the only to get the new HD audio standards and it greatly simplifies set up by eliminating lots of cables.

Well here's my two cents.
If it is indeed a mod, hats off to the modder.
If you look at the video and the high-resolution pictures on XS one will note that this box lacks anything that would call it a mod. No dodgey cutting, rough edges, the way the bevels line up with the existing ones dead on, and so on. Also another hats off goes to the modder for the work on the 360 motherboard.

I'm not saying that this could be real or fake but if it is fake this guy deserves the attention.

More than likely MS will make a HDMI adaptor for the people who have the "first" 360. They are not going to piss all the people that 10 million 360's.

^wow that confirmation email took a loooooonnnnnnngggggg time to arrive

Will you still be able to play all the new games on your old 360? Yes? Then quit whining.

You could just wait forever and never buy anything.

OMG! This company just had a $50 price drop the day after I bought my system! SO RIPOFF!

Obselete? Do I have the permission to say anyone calling the first 10 million Xbox 360s sold 'obselete' a complete and total moron? Because you are. In what way, shape or form would my 360 be considered 'obselete'? Its gonna suddenly lose capibility to play Halo 3 now or something? The some 100 million PS2s and growing laugh in your face, as will God of War 2. HDMI, 100 GB HDD, whatever... I'm fine with my system. Fact is I bought it knowing what it did and didn't do, and how much it would cost. Did you people whine about the DS Lite? Will you whine about the next literation? I don't care how many years pass, you know there's always something better coming out.

"I have been waiting for Microsoft to release a cable for the 360 that will allow HDMI connection to my TV and now finally... they screw me over."

How do you figure?

This isn't a microsoft announcement. I repeat, this isn't a microsoft announcement at all. You haven't been screwed; HDMI isn't available today on the console you have and HDMI won't be available any time soon; even if the end result is no HDMI for older xboxes but newer ones will have it, newer xboxes won't be out until the summertime, and you will still be able to play all of the games those newer machines can.

Why would you ditch your 360 because of HDMI being made available now? HDMI is a nice feature that the 360 should've had but you people are blowing this all out of proportion.

Will you ditch your ps3 for a Wii when Sony upgrades the wifi to 802.11n, leaving your ps3 hampered with ancient tech?

Oh and for those with short memories:
http://xbox.joystiq.com/2006/10/04/xbox-360-can-support-hdmi-but-will-it/

If they did decide to integrate the HD-DVD drive into the new revision I would go out tomorrow and purchase it. Although for the early supporters of the 360 I think that M$ would be obligated to provide either a hefty discount on a HD-DVD add on or something comparable in return.

I too am angry that MS didn't put this out earlier. I bought my 360 about a month ago and, had there been any inews of them releasing an HDMI 360, I would have waited.

Dear Microsoft,

I have just bought your lovely HD DVD drive add-on. I must admit I was a bit dubious about this as you were yet to announce an HDMI solution at the time you released the drive and I was concerned about the IMAGE CONSTRAINT TOKEN facility on HD DVD's. But you guys said not to worry about it and that it would never be implemented by the studios.

I though "well MS must have a fair amount of clout here so what they say must be true and I shouldn't worry". So I went ahead and bought the drive and a dozen movies. A fair investment as Im sure you'll agree.

But now pictures of a new 360 with a separate HDMI port appear and I must confess I'm a little nervous. "Why would Microsoft go down this route to provide an HDMI connection?" I'm thinking.

Is it because you've realised that it IS actually important and that you were wrong? The movie studios ARE going to implement ICT on future HD DVD releases after all?

Also, surely you realise how pissed off 10 million Xbox360 owners will be at you making a hardware revision of the unit itself to provide HDMI? Especially when these 10 million owners realise that you wouldn't have done this if it were possible to just release a new cable with the standard "puck" at one end and an HDMI connector at the other?

Why would you put yourself the bad PR and the flood of complaints unless you really have made a balls up and the movie studios are telling you "No HDMI = No 720p / 1080i"?

Actually the mere thought of all this is making me dizzy with anger...

I think the main frustration is this: Microsoft knew that DRM was looming on the horizon when they released the 360. IF they do not offer a way to output via HDMI on the current 360s or (as some have said) it is impossible for the boxes to output digitally, then it seems irresponsible and "dirty" for Microsoft to have released the 360 as such and then offered a truly "next-generation" version so quickly afterwards. ESPECIALLY considering that all the marketing and rhetoric from MSoft have been about how "the next-generation is now" and "our console is just as future-proof as the PS3", etc. Furthermore, consoles are a bigger financial investment these days, so when a company makes fundamental changes to its console in the middle of a generational cycle, many people are justifiably going to be pretty pissed off.

But DRM only matters for the HD-DVD player, not for playing games.

BTW a quick reminder to people ready to rend their clothes in horror over this news, especially if they, like me, bought a 360 2 weeks ago.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/08/hdmi-port-coming-to-the-xbox-360/3#comments

Note the date. July 2006.

For those of you who are upset about the possibility... would you still be mad if this new version was offered at 500-600 dollars in total?

And don't you think they would HAVE to offer a trade in program or a way to upgrade for 100-200 dollars?

I think they realize that they have a good shot at a majority share in this generation of consoles and won't jeopardize it.

Plus this is the big news at the moment, but if it does come to fruition then it probably won't be till Christmas time or 2008.

I still laugh at all the posts that say they're pissed. This is merely MS acknowledging the widespread consumer need/want for HDMI and 1080p. I personally have a 1080i Widescreen CRT and love its picture but wouldn't mind having a nice 1080p Plasma or lcos. But I don't and many still are rocking some decent 480 SD CRT's so if the masses had these types of tvs then yes MS would of equipped XBOX with HDMI or at least digital out but they didn't because... component was fine and applause to MS for working out a way with VGA but the box was already getting expensive and especially the console industry being a loss leader you cant just put things in the people wont need. If you have a damn 1080p 50" plasma and DTS HD recievers and whatnot then It wont be a problem to sell your current XBOX and buy a new one. I am on a budget but I got my CRT for damn $200 bucks. So I am in no way rich or wealthy. If you are more power to ya. Most damn Plasmas and lcds merely support 1080p not natively display 1080p so think about that. Your worrying about all that resolution when again the sweet spot right now is 720p. Maybe when prices fall and tech things like "native" 1080p will be widespread like HDMI maybe next year in '08 then I'll side with you.

Now the hard drive thing is another story. I can't fathom how hard it would be to release a dang 120GB hard drive and how fast I would buy it. Now beyond the fact I can't just use an ordinary external drive to store things, and the money MS would make off that I can't understand the delay.

I was given an Xbox 360 for Christmas. I also have a Sony 50" sxrd. I had been looking forward to playing the Xbox at 1080P when I discovered the only input on my Sony that accepted 1080P was the HDMI port. Once I saw this leak I returned the Xbox (thank god for Fry's liberal return policy). I now hope that this is NOT a hoax and that the updated console will be available soon and at a reasonable price.
I am NOT angry with MS for coming out with this. Seems like a reasonable upgrade and they need to stay competetive. Face it, 720P and 1080i look terrific and the games will continue to be playable on both systems.

"Very few people actually need HDMI, and that is fact."

Uh huh. Care to share with us your source on that "fact?"

The only "fact" you need to know is HDMI is on, for all intents and purposes, EVERY SINGLE HDTV SOLD for well over 12 months now. The sales of HDTVs have ramped up a lot in that time.

VGA ports are not on every HDTV. With those two being your only ticket to 1080p on the 360, they should have had this HDMI port on the 360 in the first place. But no, they were too stubborn and didn't want to pay for it.

...so we (the early adopters) up paying for it instead.

As I see it, all of us "early adopters", knew that MS would eventually come out with a larger HDD. I believe they even stated it was a possibility. A year ago, a 120GB laptop drive would have significantly driven the cost of the 360 up, now they cost damn near what a 20GB did then. And HDMI, MS said they would address it when the market dictated a need for it. They probably realize now with the impending release of the 65nm processor, that cost wise, integrating the hdmi interface at the same time wouldn't cost that much and was probably "easier" to do than an analog to digital HDMI adapter. Yes, I'm a little miffed, but I'll get over it. I'm all for an American company doing whatever it takes to better themselves and become more successful in the gaming hardware market. MS is a business, not a charity. They're in it to make a buck, not for the betterment of mankind.

"I now hope that this is NOT a hoax and that the updated console will be available soon and at a reasonable price. "

Right now this hasn't been announced by MS yet, and it's been rumored since last September so there's no telling when an HDMI equipped 360 will come out. At the earliest, when the new 65nm CPUs are released, which is expected sometime this summer.