About to get XBOX360 HD-DVD add-on: 3 Questions

[120inna55]

1. The manual says to free up the console's rear USB port by putting the wireless network adapter on one of the HD-DVD drive's ports, then connect the HD-DVD drive to the rear USB port on the console. My wireless network connection works flawlessley now and I'm able to share media with my desktop PC. However making the 360 and the desktop see each other was initially a big headache as it was for many others. Is it likely this little change in location of the wireless network adapter will screw that up?

2. If I have the latest dashboard update, do I still need to use the HD-DVD drive's installation disk?


3. RE: the $179 deal with the 5 free DVD's. Is the 5 free HD DVD's offer a microsoft thing (i.e. is it included in the box), or do I have to purchase the add-on from a specific retailer?


Also, I assume nothing has changed with the fact that the max HD DVD resolution via component (with the 360 add-on) is still 1080i?

 

[BrianMis]

1. It shouldn't screw anything up, all the HDDVD addon has in it is a USB Hub. Your Wireless adaptor should stay configured as long as the 360 can find it. Although it is a piece of MS hardware. so you never know.

2. Yes you will till have to use the install disk. It prepares the 360 to use the HDDVD drive.

3. I don't know the answer to this one, sorry.

The max res via componet is and will always be 1080i.

 

[Ramy]

3. It is a mail in offer. You will choose the ones you want and mail it off and get them back in the mail.

 

[meStevo]

http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd/data/pdf/Toshiba_Online_Rebate_R08.pdf

 

[BMcKen1912]

I still have my wireless adapter plugged into the back and the HD-DVD drive plugged into the front. It works that way for me.

Also, you can do 1080p over component if your TV will accept the signal.

 

[120inna55]

...Also, you can do 1080p over component if your TV will accept the signal.

My TV supports 1080p over component.

However, I'm a little confused over this issue. You're not the first to say that the XBOX will deliver 1080p over component if the TV supports it. How would the XBOX know if the TV supports it? There's no handshake with component as with HDMI. I was under the impression that it's a copyright issue.

This article supports your statement. It says, "you should be able to get equal picture quality to 1080p if your TV processes the incoming signal correctly" (full article here). What is meant by "if your TV processes the incoming signal correctly"? My TV, being a native 1080p set, obviously scales everything to 1080p (even cruddy SD), but it can't make it look like 1080p native content. Using that logic, I can connect an SD VHS player via S-Video to the TV and call it 1080p.

It's probably all academic anyway, I probably wouldn't be able to discern between 1080i scaled to 1080p and 1080p passthrough anyway.

 

[Ramy]

If you set your 360 to output 1080p and use the component video cables you will either see the picture or a black screen.

 

[120inna55]

If you set your 360 to output 1080p and use the component video cables you will either see the picture or a black screen.

Yeah, and I'm doing that now as has been the case since they released the update enabling 1080p. I never questioned the ability to get 1080p from 1080p games. I'd just heard that due to some copyright laws, HD DVD movies (via the add-on drive) would max out at 1080i via component despite the disk's encoding. Of course my TV will scale all content to 1080p, but that's different.

 

[BobMurdoch]

Most TV sets won't accet a 1080p signal over component inputs and require an HDMI output for DRM issues. There may be a few sets that dodge the issue, but they are few and far between....

 

[120inna55]

Most TV sets won't accet a 1080p signal over component inputs and require an HDMI output for DRM issues. There may be a few sets that dodge the issue, but they are few and far between....

My TV does accept 1080p over component. That was actually a selling point. The question, does the XBOX 360 actually deliver 1080p over component. I've yet to see definitive data regarding this issue.

 

[Ramy]

My TV does accept 1080p over component. That was actually a selling point. The question, does the XBOX 360 actually deliver 1080p over component. I've yet to see definitive data regarding this issue.

If you set your 360 to output 1080p then yes it does. My TV will not accept 1080p over component so all I see is a black screen.

 

[120inna55]

One more question: Since adding the HD DVD drive uses the only USB port on the rear of the console, you're essentially forced to move your wireless ethernet adapter to the HD DVD drive. No problem! Except the pictures I've seen of the drive seem to show that there's not any "slots" for the adapter "dongle" to clip into as with the console? What are you doing about that? Just letting the "dongle" dangle?

 

[highspeed57]

There is a clip on the back of the hd dvd drive for the wireless adapter.

 

[BobMurdoch]

Yup, Mine is clipped nice and neat on the back of the HD DVD drive....

 

[120inna55]

The pics I saw just didn't appear to have the slots. I was considering double-sided tape.

Thanks for the reassurance, guys!