Xbox 360 Dashboard update tonight/tomorrow - 1080p !!!!!

[:J:]

About 2am I think

Complete Dashboard Update Feature List - DUE TOMORROW!!!

New Features

* HD 1080p video mode support over VGA and component cables.
* Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player support.
* Stream WMV video from a Windows PC running Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect.
* Play video from storage devices such as USB flash drives, Xbox 360 Memory Units, etc.
* Play video from CD or DVD data discs.
* Xbox 360 Wireless Headset support, including battery level indicator in the Xbox Guide.
* Video support for 50 Hz HDTV modes (DVD and HD DVD only).
* Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel support.
* Set up automatic downloads of newly released Xbox Live Arcade trial games.
* Support for upcoming release of XNA Game Studio Express (separate download and subscription required.)
* Stream music, pictures and video from a Zune device.

Xbox Live Arcade

* Lightning-fast enumeration and listing of all Xbox Live® Arcade games on the console.
* Find games quickly with two new sort options: Recently Played and By Category.
* Have all new Xbox Live Arcade games at the ready with auto downloads. Auto downloads optionally adds newly released trial versions of games to active downloads when you enter Xbox Live Arcade.
* View full achievement info in Xbox Live Arcade, including icons, achievement point details, and descriptions.
* Friends leaderboard: Compare yourself with friends and view leaderboard details right from the Xbox dashboard.
* Tell a friend: Send a message to a friend about your newest favorite Xbox Live Arcade game.

DVD Player

* Optionally disable notifications from Xbox Live while watching DVD movies.
* Improved support for audio streams on incorrectly authored DVDs.
* Better handling of unreadable discs.
* Updated count-down timer.
* HD DVD player support.
* Added zoom support for non-anamorphic content.
* Added support to Family Settings to block Unrated Content

Video Player

* Improved support for extended all black scenes in WMV content.
* Added support for Windows Media Video 9 Advanced profile video.
* Screen saver now becomes active when videos are paused.
* Now shares UI and player controls with DVD player.
* Improved video playback while downloading from Xbox Live.
* Added skip controls (forward approx. 30 seconds, back approx. 7 seconds).
* Improved messaging around unplayable video content.
* Added time elapsed and time remaining displays.
* Improved playback of high bit-rate HD content on fragmented hard drives.
* Improved visual quality of video playback.
* Added selectable display modes: default and letterbox zoom.

Localization

* New locale setting for China
* Improved German translations in console settings.
* Improved German translations in memory area.
* Improved Japanese translations in Family Settings.
* Added localized text for all supported languages in pictures area
* Improved Spanish translations in camera effects.
* Improved locale-specific decimal denominators.
* Added localization support for title menu and main menu in the DVD player.
* Added localization support for “Attempting to Read Media” system message.

Memory Area

* Added support for Xbox 360 HD DVD Player content..
* Added new page for viewing content size by category.

Other System Improvements

* Updated support for new Daylight Savings changes coming in 2007.
* Improved support for games to better handle host migration in multi-player matches.
* Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support for changing room lighting while zooming.
* Background downloaded videos appear in video area
* Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support while using VGA.
* Playing photo slideshows from PC now maintains picture folder hierarchy.
* Improved user experience when playing and deleting videos from the Games or Media areas.
* Improved handling of invalid characters during Xbox Live signup.
* Better handling of watermarks in gamer cards.
* Improved text for Windows Media Connect..
* Improved UI performance in Media Center Extender
* Improved connection support for Buffalo WZR-G108 wireless router when using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
* Redownload of deleted Arcade Games no longer re-enumerates all games on the Arcade page.
* Improved visual display of text in themes.
* Improved support for CD playback after signing up for Xbox Live and losing network connectivity.
* Improved support for long names of items memory area.
* Improved handling of gamer pictures downloaded from Xbox Live.
* Improved background download notifications when downloading many small items from Xbox Live.
* Improved support for custom backgrounds after returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the Account Management area.
* Improved network reliability between Windows Media Center Extender on Windows Vista and Xbox 360 consoles using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
* Improved voice chat quality in Xbox Dashboard and in-game chats.
* Improved messaging when failing to connect to Windows Media Center Extender.
* Improved USB keyboard support when using a USB hub.
* Improved consistency of user experience when deleting various types of content.
* Improved handling of low storage space for background downloads.
* Improved handling of Picture streaming from attached Digital Cameras over MTP protocol
* Improved error messaging for optional iPod support download when storage devices are full.
* Improved handling of multi-key repeating for USB keyboards.
* Expanded Family Settings to include support for blocking unrated DVDs and videos.
* Added ability to clear space from storage devices in download areas.
* Added support for low-speed and full-speed USB keyboards.
* Improved CapsLock behavior for USB keyboards.
* Improved look and feel in Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade areas.
* Added redeem code option to Xbox Live signup.
* Removed system message at the start of new downloads. Messages will be displayed for completed items.
* Added support for CCV credit card validation field in Xbox Live Marketplace purchase areas.
* Updated “More Information” instructions in the Xbox Dashboard for connecting an Xbox 360 console to a Windows PC to stream digital media content.
* Added auto-scroll to long text descriptions in Xbox Dashboard UI.
* Improved support for DVD insertion while playing a video file.

[scorp]

Updated mine at lunchtime today - 1920x1080(VGA) works fine on my plasma tv. Pointless though since its native resolution is 1360x768...

Best feature is the ability to stream video from your non media centre PC! From what i tried out earlier it seemed flakey however.. (WMV only, and some WMV's i tried had decoding errors)

Edited by scorp on Tuesday 31st October 15:35

[pentoman]

Awesome!

Does it install to a memory card if you don't have the hard disk? Or what.

[mark 7]

That's just what i need, now just to get the thing to work and stop flashing red lights at me!

[Altrezia]

ace, my tv does 1080 - i'll download this later

[jezza l]

Altrezia said:

ace, my tv does 1080 - i'll download this later

that must be one expensive tv you got there! I thought there were only a few stupid money tv's that supported 1080.

[scorp]

jezza l said:

Altrezia said:

ace, my tv does 1080 - i'll download this later

that must be one expensive tv you got there! I thought there were only a few stupid money tv's that supported 1080.

My TV supports 1920x1080 in VGA and its quite low-end, most PC monitors handle it no problems too. The question is, is the native display resolution 1080 pixels high.

[fidgits]

jezza l said:

Altrezia said:

ace, my tv does 1080 - i'll download this later

that must be one expensive tv you got there! I thought there were only a few stupid money tv's that supported 1080.

no, im pretty sure mine does!

[:J:]

Mine does 1080i, but not p

I thought it did

Anyway, it does one form of 1080 and only cost £650, hardly silly money.

Maybe the 1080p ones cost more ?

[pentoman]

1080p is 1920x1080 (or close enough) I believe.

I didn't think many HD tvs supported this. My new samsung does 1360x768 maximum resolution with a VGA connection. Is this equivalent to 1080p?

[Mr E]

pentoman said:

1080p is 1920x1080 (or close enough) I believe.

That's big resolution for a telly.

[:J:]

I've got the samsung le32r74bdx with the 360 hooked up to it through component. Set the 360 to the new 1080p setting last night and it went horribly wrong, had the rhs of the screen duplicated on the left with a black haze all over the screen.

Looked up spec today and it doesn't do 1080p, don't know how I missed it when buying it, kicking myself now.

However, despite the size of the picture on the screen, I am hard preesed to see the difference between 720p and 1080i, so I imagine, nay hope, that I am not missing out on too much between 1080i and 1080p

[mark 7]

WARNING,do not do this update for at least 48 hrs.
My repaired Xbox was returned yesterday and upon reconnecting it downloaded the update and crashed.The screen showed a system error E71.Upon phoning the support line i was told this is due to a corrupt download which Microsoft are repairing in the next 24 hrs.
Meanwhile my xbox has to be returned again

[Altrezia]

Cheers for the warning - I havent bothered to do this yet.

My telly is a toshiba, does full 1080, not 768 like some of the current 'HD' tvs.

I decided to go for one that I wouldnt need to change in a years time.

[tybo]

mark 7 said:

WARNING,do not do this update for at least 48 hrs.
My repaired Xbox was returned yesterday and upon reconnecting it downloaded the update and crashed.The screen showed a system error E71.Upon phoning the support line i was told this is due to a corrupt download which Microsoft are repairing in the next 24 hrs.
Meanwhile my xbox has to be returned again

Snap !!

Turned mine on an hour ago,downloaded the update,and promptly crashed.
Turned it off and on again,now all i get is three flashing red lights.
Which i've since found out...is a serious hardware problem of some kind !!

This is my second Xbox.The first one died a few weeks after having it !
This one was constantly crashing,and has now followed the first.

What a piece of shit !!

[:J:]

Just to defend MS (a joke in itself, I know), I downloaded the patch, along with most of the 70ish people on my friends list, and no problems at all with any of them. Not one person on the clan site I belong to has reported a problem either.

Strange that Microsoft say it is an error with the patch considering the amount of people that have taken it and had no issues ??

[Steve_Evil]

Might have to try it with mine as it's one of the very original ones that has suffered no real ill effects so far and I know that about 2 weeks after the warranty goes it is gonna go pop.

[scorp]

pentoman said:

1080p is 1920x1080 (or close enough) I believe.

I didn't think many HD tvs supported this. My new samsung does 1360x768 maximum resolution with a VGA connection. Is this equivalent to 1080p?

Sounds the same as mine, my tv handles the 1920x1080 mode but its going to have to downscale the image, so its a waste of pixels really. 1360x768 (WXGA) is selectable in the screen settings menu, and gives the clearest picture for me anyway.

[jezza l]

Steve_Evil said:

Might have to try it with mine as it's one of the very original ones that has suffered no real ill effects so far and I know that about 2 weeks after the warranty goes it is gonna go pop.

Those were my thoughts exactly. So i downloaded it last night and it worked like a charm.

On the 1080i/p stuff. my Plasma cost me a fair amount about a year and a half ago and i don't believe it support 1080p. Although perhaps i am wrong as once i got it all setup the way i wanted i've not touched any setting since. I shall have a play about tonight.

[pentoman]

:J: said:

I've got the samsung le32r74bdx with the 360 hooked up to it through component. Set the 360 to the new 1080p setting last night and it went horribly wrong, had the rhs of the screen duplicated on the left with a black haze all over the screen.

Looked up spec today and it doesn't do 1080p, don't know how I missed it when buying it, kicking myself now.

I have the same TV, but the 26".

They don't support 1920x1080 (i.e. 1080p), as neither do most of the HD models on sale today or in the past. So don't be downheartened, I don't think you missed anything - TVs which support 1080p are few and far between.

Mr E said:

pentoman said:

1080p is 1920x1080 (or close enough) I believe.

That's big resolution for a telly.

As this bloke says, it is a very big resolution for a telly. Even LCD monitors have hardly reached this height of resolution.