HDMI Premium Xbox 360 caught on camera

by James Ransom-Wiley on Aug 8th 2007 5:50PM

Update: Shack is reporting that Microsoft has confirmed the inclusion of HDMI in Xbox 360 consoles (sorry, no Core model for now) stating, "Retailers are gradually introducing HDMI-enabled Xbox 360s into the channel to meet demand." Still no word on whether these systems use the new 65nm processors (is the power supply different?) Any retail employees able to survey the outside of one of the new Xbox 360 boxes and share tips on spotting them with the class?

Following renewed grumblings of a quiet initiative to install HDMI ports into all Xbox 360 SKUs, comes a convincing set of images that appears to show an HDMI-equipped Premium unit, manufactured on July 4th. The images allegedly originate from a Shacknews community member who purchased the console today at a Target in Atlanta, Georgia for the newly discounted price. Hey dude, mind crackin' it open and checking for the 65nm chipset?

Source

Tags: BreakingNews, hdmi, Xbox-360, xbox360

Reader Comments (92)

Yeah, but you are only using one eye :)

But it gives me night vision!

HDMI not important now? No, not for me either. But when I get my HDTV, it'll be nice for maybe a slight bump in picture quality or at least by simplifying the connection. I wouldn't re-buy a 360 for the feature, but since I don't own one, I will definitely make sure it's one with an HDMI.

i would assume that these at least have the new heatsink if they aren't 65nm.

Dang... makes me want to return/sell my 360 and buy a new Elite... (assuming it has the 65nm chips)

What, exactly, is the difference?

I want a 360... but this has no influence on me... its useless to me. I don't own any kind of fancy TV. I have a old 36 inch from 2001 or 2002.
But I supose its good for the people who want and can use it, and they don't have to buy the Elite. (I don't see why one wouldn't buy it though, 120gb and stuff I Think is worth it.)

I find it funny how they try to block the S/N when the S/N is in the Product number..

89098432 - 037209772707

Hmmm my message got cut off..

I find it funny how they try to block the S/N when the S/N is in the Product number..

89098432 - 037209772707 This is their Serial Number..HAHA. Quick, someone register it at http://service.xbox.com

If my Xbox 360 RRoD, does that mean I get a HDMI one when they refurb it?

$350 Xbox 360 w/ HDMI
$180 HD-DVD Player w/ remote
$15 Play 'n Charge kit
$545

$500 PS3 w/ HDMI
$25 Remote
$15 Headset
$540

+ cost of HDMI cables

why would any sane person want the HD-DVD add-on? its pretty much lost the format war.

why would anyone *need* the BT remote? Sixaxis gets the job done for controlling movie playback functions.

also add in $50 per year for Xbox Live for online gamers and $100 wifi dongle for people who need wireless due to location.

PS3's HDMI is 1.3 vs 360's 1.2. we dont know yet if the 360 Pro will come with an HDMI cable or not: the 360 Halo edition doesnt come with one.

even with the 360 price drops, for some people PS3 is still cheaper and vice versa: it depends on the individual needs of the consumer.

Jason, the horse is dead.

Every time there is a post involving the 360, some troll like you comes and makes the ol' "360 is more expensive when you add the price of all the accessories to it" post.

Seriously. I think I have seen your post 1000 times since 2005. Face it. The consumer ONLY CARES about the face price of the item. You add on the cost of the Play & Charge kit, but forget that not all 360 controllers are wireless, and rechargeable batteries are not required for the ones that are. You add the HDDVD drive and assume that EVERYONE wants high-def disc playback.

It's about choice man. People like choices, it gives them a feeling of freedom. In the end, Gears of War still plays the same on a core unit 360 with a wired controller, no HDD, and no HDDVD drive as it does on a fully loaded Elite model.

Get the point?

dsub FTW

For all those ppl saying that "HDMI is useless to me", "I'm content with my CRT"...believe me, some day you'll have an HDTV and you'll want HDMI. That's fact.

They keep saying they're satisfied because they haven't had anything better. I used to think only getting games for my birthday and Christmas was fine,until i got a job.
People used to be content with listening to the radio, until they went to a neighbor's house and saw an episode of the Honeymooners.

That day will be in early 2009 when analog TV broadcast will cease to air.

You don't need HDMI for an HDTV, the quality difference between HDMI and component is very small. It's much smaller than the anti-aliasing artifacts in the games, or the macro-block artifacts in the videos.

Component is equivalent to VGA in quality. PC gamers have been running even higher resolutions over VGA for years without any complaints. We have not reached the limit of analog, not even close.

@Evan
You are right, so erase the part where I say HDMI and put DVI/Component/VGA, the fact is, it's great to have the options, you don't know what the future will bring.

So, If my Xbox 360 is being sent in for repair a day or two from now.....What are the chances of me getting the HDMI Xbox 360 with the lovely 65nm core if I asked the supervisor if the tech support for the newest console possible.

Indeed, I want HDMI for the HD-DVD player.... HD-DVD isn't dead and with the Xbox 360's player being only $170 with 5 free HD-DVDs.....It is worth the risk.

I agree. The format war may finally be seeing a clear cut leader, but HDDVD is far from dead. With sales at 65% to 35%, HDDVD will easily be around for another year or two, probably longer even if blu-ray wins. Laserdiscs stuck around for YEARS after they died off.

Maybe they'll also release a smaller lighter power supply. That way I can use the old one as excersize equipment. People say Wii Sports will help you lose weight, but lifting the 360 power supply is the way to gain muscle.

Don't know if it's universal or not, but my pal bought a 360 today with Table Tennis. The Circuit City bundle, and it had the new premium. So, that's probably a good starting point for some of you folk.

@James Ransom-Wiley: "is the power supply different?"

Look at the photo... 12V DC 16.5Amp, 5V DC 1Amp.

"an HDMI-equipped Premium unit, manufactured on July 4th",
Not only does MS put out shabby product, but they make their workers work on Independence Day!

360's aren't made in the US. They are made in countries like Taiwan where most people probably don't even know what the 4th of July is.

(sorry, no Core model for now)

That's because noone is buying these to find out if it has HDMI or not :D

this is obviously true. why?

because it makes obvious financial sense. It's probably cheaper and easier for MS to just manufacture one basic hardware unit that is the same across the board than it is for them to keep making multiple scaler chips and stuff for two different types of hardware. It makes sense to just stick with one.

We've been out of 360's for quite a while at the gamestop I work at and we're getting alot of them in tommorrow (including cores) so I'm anxious to see if they will be the updated hardware.

Gamestop is taking pre-orders on the Halo 3 360's tomorrow august 9. We recieved an email stating this today

Good idea on Microsofts part.

Makes it cheaper to manufacture, as now they only have to make one type of mainboard again, as well now they only have to deal with one type of case molds.

I'm sure the Core will get HDMI when they run out of the white cases and old style mainboards, if it hasnt already.

^^^^

It is looking more and more like console gaming is going to take on the negative aspects of PC gaming. Namely, you buy something today, and 6 months later you feel ripped off.

PS3 and 360 are both great gaming systems, I'm not trying to hate on them, but the reason we are console gamers as opposed to PC gamers is that we want a stable hardware system for at least 3 years and we don't want to keep having to upgrade.

The 360 has 3 "SKU's" right now and is introducing a 4th this fall to celebrate Halo 3.

PS3 has been out less than a year and they've already had 3 "SKU's".

This gamer does not like the way console gaming is going. Not at all.

I really don't understand how you feel "ripped off" nor do I see your comparison to PC gaming.

Bioshock will play and look the same on a launch 360 as it will on a new 65nm revised unit. The core components are still the same.

In PC gaming, hardware literally doubles in power every year. Console gaming is not going the way of PC gaming, it's just that for some reason this time around everyone is making such a big deal out of a damn hardware revision. They've been doing this shit for decades.

$35 for that (sony) headset plus $30 for Sony HDMI cable. 580 vs 545 without wifi.

Oh! So this - and the price drop, and all the best games coming out between now and Christmas - is why I haven't bought a 360 yet!

Yes, and this is why I bought mine at launch.

Wait..

So now can the premium 360 upscale dvds to 720p through hdmi and vga?

I just got my replacement XBOX 360 from Microsoft; it has a build date newer than the one pictured in this article. Does this mean their producing both HDMI included and not included models? That would refute the idea that ALL XBOX 360's are getting HDMI.

Adding the cost of an HDMI cable is funny.

Monoprice.com -- $5, done.

Anyhow, we got new systems today at my Gamestop, and the back of the box lists 4 usb, 2 memory slots etc., nothing about HDMI.

Honestly, most people in this thread probably don't even have a TV that will play 1080p, thus, you aren't going to be worried about HDMI connections. You 360 will do 1080p over VGA, you just can't upscale DVDs with it.

I've got an HDDVD attachment for mine, so I'm not going to fuss over upscaling DVDs at all, but I'd like to have it just because I have a good TV, I'd like the best signal.

It's just funny that they keep releasing all these new revisions of their system, screwing over anyone who's buying a 360 too early.

Jynxycat does is really say that it has 4 usb ports? Because 360s have only had 3 ports since release, so is that a possible indication that the new HDMI models have an extra usb port as well? ...or did you just mistype and put down a 4 instead of a 3?

Damn me for buying at launch!

Yep

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HDMI Premium Xbox 360 caught on camera

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