Microsoft's current response doesn't yet explain how the company can rectify its claimed support of 1080p with the fact that the 360 doesn't support the connection (HDMI) that will actually allow most 1080p HDTVs to display the signal. While the VGA solution may work for a minority of 1080p HDTV owners, we're left wondering if Microsoft is promoting this new 1080p capability primarily to blunt the onslaught of the PlayStation 3, which supports HDMI and 1080p. Direct information regarding whether or not the current X360 hardware is able to output a digital signal would clarify the entire situation, but Microsoft hasn't been able to answer this question.
Back in the days before the 360 launched, Microsoft stated that HDMI wires for the Xbox 360 would be released "when the market called for them." If the Xbox 360 is really going to be a 1080p machine, we're pretty sure the market is calling for HDMI wires right now. The next question is whether Microsoft will hear it.
M$ is going to eventually provide an hdmi cable to allow 1080p to be enjoyed anyway.
This article is, as usual, IGN's attempt to find problems with the 360 that don't exist:
"They are also subject to interference if the cables run too close to masses of power lines."
Give me a freakin' break. Have any of you _ever_ experienced analog interfernce? This is _theoretically_ possible, but any well designed cable handles this issue with basic shielding, which isn't an issue to begin with.
"The really big problem with Xbox 360's lack of HDMI support, however, is the that only a limited number of 1080p-capable HDTVs can accept the signal via analog inputs."
Compared to the a) massive number of 1080p televisions on the market and b) massive number of Hi-Def tvs that have HDMI to begin with?
"A few more 1080p HDTVs will accept an analog 1080p signal via VGA, but often only with the addition of a VGA-to-DVI dongle. "
OH NO! A dongle! Will I be able to afford the $10.
"Microsoft's current response doesn't yet explain how the company can rectify its claimed support of 1080p with the fact that the 360 doesn't support the connection (HDMI) that will actually allow most 1080p HDTVs to display the signal."
Ummm, I think the Microsoft Statement from the same article pretty much answers this...
"We can offer 1080p support through both the VGA connection and the Component connection."
To sum up this article and it's ridiculous headline, IGN says that even though they agree MS can output 1080p over BOTH component and 1080p, there aren't _enough_ televisions tat support this and therefore it is considered crippled.
Given the extremely low adoption of 1080p televisions with HDMI at this point, and given that the single largest segment of HDTV sales and the single greatest growth rate are both attribute to 720p, how is this a "crippled" issue.
The 360 supports 1080p IF you have a compatible television is the summation of this article, which must be the most absurd example of "crippled" in all of consumarism.
Microsoft clearly released the 1080p support to shut up Sony, so it is about time they just release the damn 1080p cable so we can just get over this absurd argument once and for all. We have now changed from...well the PS3 is better because it supports 1080p to the PS3 is better because it supports 1080p on slightly more televisions. THIS is the great debate between the two consoles?
I don't know how most people feel about it but I don't really feel like Microsoft planned to do this the whole time but rather a way of showing that the system is capable of doing the so called "true HD". IMO it just shows that ps3 had a good idea with using 1080p because it made some casual gamers think that it made games incredible. I don't care for sonic or tennis in 1080p, I just wish for more good games that aren't rushed. I think both 360 and PS3 have the ability to make revolutionary games, it just takes more than visuals
"GN : Does the Xbox 360 have the internal bandwidth between CPUs and graphics processors necessary to move a full 1080p image? There's a big difference between 1080i and the 3GB/s of 1080p.
Microsoft: No Comment."
I wonder why they would avoid this question? I guess 720p games upscaled to 1080p is a lot easier to do than actually calculating and rendering true 1080p.
That said, the article is true in saying the 1080p support is crippled by a lack of an HDMI cable. It's not saying the functionality won't work once the cable is out, just that it seems odd for M$ to promote the functionality without releasing the appropriate cable to go with it.
(2) I agree about the high power power lines comment.. My old house was meters away from power lines and I never had issues with my analog cables..
No news, because MS will put a HDMI cable on the market around this Christmas I bet. Maybe even put one in the box with the HD-DVD addon