HDMI Premium Xbox 360 confirmed

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 9th August 2007
Comments (30) Stumble
HDMI Premium Xbox 360 confirmed

Microsoft has confirmed that new versions of the Xbox 360 Premium will have HDMI ports included.

The rumours have been circulating over the internets for the last day or two, with pictures occasionally leaking out to support the notion that Microsoft is going to be adding HDMI ports to all versions of the Xbox 360 console.

Now, those rumours are confirmed.

Microsoft released an official statement early today (or late yesterday, depending on where you are) confirming that Redmond will slowly be adding HDMI ports to both the Xbox 360 Elite and the Xbox 360 Premium. There's nothing confirmed for the Xbox 360 Core package at this time, or of possible price implications.

"Yes, we are offering an HDMI port for Xbox 360 simply as another choice in Xbox 360 owners' games and entertainment experience. Retailers are gradually introducing HDMI-enabled Xbox 360s into the channel to meet demand." Microsoft said, via an official spokesperson.

If you aren't sure just how to tell if your new Xbox 360 will support HDMI or not, Microsoft advises buyers to look at the box closely - all improved models will have a HDMI logo visible somewhere on the package for the benefit of 360 n00bs.

Engadget went ahead and quizzed Microsoft about whether these new HDMI versions would also have the 65nm chips and quieter DVD drives which are rumoured to be appearing soon, as well as the new heatsink. Microsoft were typically evasive though and refused to comment on the matter.

So, buying and Xbox 360 is now made even more complicated and consumers are presented with yet more choices. Core, Premium or Elite? HDMI or no? Wait for rumoured price drops? New heatsink? New chip? New drive? Sod it, just buy a PC instead.

Which model of 360 do you have and have you had any problems with it? Will these new hardware revisions convince you to update your model, or are you happy with a PlayStation 3? Answers in the forums, please.
Quote lamboman 9th August 2007, 10:31
This is good news, but doesn't that make the Elite a bit pointless, because the only reason people would buy the Elite over the standard models is because of the bigger included HD, black finish, and HDMI?
Quote ohdarklord 9th August 2007, 10:51
Your forgetiing its black and its got a bigger hardrive

Thats enough for your averge non technical person.
Quote mclean007 9th August 2007, 11:11
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohdarklord
Your forgetiing its black and its got a bigger hardrive

Thats enough for your averge non technical person.
Fixed :D
Quote fwalm 9th August 2007, 11:24
Wonder will they offer a trade in deal for people without an HDMI port since I wouldnt mind having one or Ill just buy the elite even though I have the normal premium. Just want black comp to match black tv, computer, look nice.
Quote cjoyce1980 9th August 2007, 11:26
had mind since launch working aswell as it did the first time i woke the breast

i would like that large HDD, but no bothered about HDMI as i have the HD VGA cable and that does 1080p anyway.
Quote GreatOldOne 9th August 2007, 11:29
And what about the rest of us that already have HDMI-less 360's? Shafted? Or will MS or someother 3rd party come up with some sort of HDMI dongle for the previous incarnations of the box?
Quote mikeuk2004 9th August 2007, 12:07
Oh well I bought mine far too early then with the added cost of a VGA lead to get 1080p.
Quote samkiller42 9th August 2007, 12:09
I think MS should take our old 360's, and modify it for us, free of charge.

Sam
Quote DougEdey 9th August 2007, 12:12
This is actually on all 360s now. It's cheaper to make one motherboard then two
Quote mikeuk2004 9th August 2007, 12:15
Anyone want to buy a premo 360 with VGA cable for the same price of a new 360??? :)
Quote perplekks45 9th August 2007, 12:20
Quote:
Originally Posted by samkiller42
I think MS should take our old 360's, and modify it for us, free of charge.

Sam

I agree even though I can see others (read: MS) state it won't happen as it's the same as with GFX cards. You can't send it in as soon as the Ultra model is released to let the company overclock the card for you, right? Not that good a comparism but you can see what I'm heading for, don't you?

But right now all I hope for is the 360 Premium getting cheaper by Jan '08 in Europe so I can actually start getting serious with it. :)
Quote Tibby 9th August 2007, 12:29
This is fecking annoying for everyone who supported Xbox from the start and went out and bought it to now get shunned.
Why didn't they produce them with HDMI from the start? Was it not viable because of costs or something?
Quote mikeuk2004 9th August 2007, 12:35
Doesnt this defeat the whole point of a console. A console is non upgradable to guarentee you all get the same expereince and every game can play. With Ms making so many different versions, everyone will have different expereinces. Cores cant save games or download games with out expensive memory cards. Elites get better sound and 1080p from the box. etc

So now Ms will have 5 different versions of the console. 1) Core 2) Prem 3) Elite 4) Core with HDMI 5) Prem with HDMI
Quote Hiren 9th August 2007, 12:49
Not really, manufacturers have always updated consoles. I remember the 32bit addon you could buy for the Megadrive, the PS2 came in different variations as well (hdd, USB / Fire / inbuilt IR etc).

Any it's just a extra connector no fundamental change.
Quote proxess 9th August 2007, 13:28
Quote:
just buy a PC instead
Quote Firehed 9th August 2007, 13:49
Quote:
What Hiren said
Thanks - I'm glad someone else caught on to this. Adding an HDMI port to future models will in absolutely no way affect gameplay of current systems, just whether you're playing in HD with an analog or a digital signal. People who bought the core knew full well that they'd have to buy a memory card for it (or should have, anyways) and have no right to complain about its lack of hard drive. Just as you also knew that you wouldn't be getting HDMI. Sure, it's the principle of the thing I suppose, but if it cuts their costs so they can put more money into developing the Xbox 3 and make it better, cheaper, or more efficient, you won't complain.

Oh, the Sega 32-bit brings back memories. Can't honestly say I remember whether they were good or not, but I picked mine up for about twenty bucks and was able to make a ridiculously tall cartridge stack with it. And unlike with this case, there WERE games that required that add-on to play them.

If I buy a console, it's so I can play games without worrying about the latest and greatest hardware and not having to worry about buggy drivers and nonsense like that. It'll play my games just as well out of the box as it will five years from now, and they'll look just as good. At this point I'll probably wait for the HDMI version to be in the channel before picking one up (it was an awfully damn stupid thing of them to announce this two days after a price cut), but I'll end up using component video anyways.
Quote Joeymac 9th August 2007, 20:41
That 3 year warranty is looking mighty useful now..... if mine dies in 6 months or so... yay!! new 360 with HDMI, cooler running etc.
Quote Da Dego 9th August 2007, 20:51
I fail to see what all the griping is about. If you go buy a graphics card and then a new one comes out, it's not like they owe you that. Nobody who bought a PS2 a year and some before the slim model came out was owed a new one. Products get refreshed over time or become cheaper, and usually it's a combination of both. HDMI was not all that popular even a year ago and people were already grousing about the cost of the consoles - so why would they add in a (then) expensive and superfluous extra?

How many of you snicker when you know someone who bought a high-end PC part to find out that they refreshed the lineup just a couple months later with something marginally better? Same deal...early adopters did/do/will always get shafted. A pound's a pound the world around, consoles aren't future-proof either.
Quote Bungle 9th August 2007, 21:08
Quote:
Originally Posted by Da Dego
I fail to see what all the griping is about. If you go buy a graphics card and then a new one comes out, it's not like they owe you that.
I've known people to complain about free coffee. People complaining has always been popular, why they even make a department for them. :D
Quote sandys 9th August 2007, 21:23
I'm surprised that more people aren't pleased with the announcment, I mean they could have just left HDMI to the elite, its good that all the machines are getting it, I know my 360 doesn't look as crisp at 1080p as my PS3 does due to analog v digital so this HDMI lark is a welcome introduction, get your 360s on ebay before the price drop with the odd lame game and you'll get enough dosh to pretty much cover the new one, mine went for £245 the other day.
Quote Vash-HT 9th August 2007, 21:54
I wonder if they will start sending back HDMI models for people who send in their dead 360's. I got the RROD yesterday, it would be pretty sweet if I got an HDMI one as a replacement. THe only thing I dont like about the HDMI port ont he 360 is that they don't have a seperate output for audio. I would rather have my audio going straight from my system to my receiver than through my TV then to my receiver.
Quote devdevil85 9th August 2007, 22:49
Why would HDMI matter vs. VGA? Is there really THAT much of a difference (only of course if you have like a $5000+ TV could you probably tell a difference)?
Quote sandys 9th August 2007, 23:02
Much like DVI vs VGA once you go to higher res VGA/Component doesn't look as good.
Quote lamboman 10th August 2007, 10:17
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohdarklord
Your forgetiing its black and its got a bigger hardrive

Thats enough for your averge non technical person.

Considering that I said that people would only buy the Elite because of the bigger included hard drive (HD) and black finish, I think that I remembered that it is black and its got a bigger hard drive. Read the posts before commenting on them.

Personally I don't see much point in HDMI for some people. I think it would be quite useful if they actually put a DVI port on it aswell. A lot of gamers have their 360's by their PCs. But, HDMI is a great way, obviously, to minimize cables around your TV.
Quote devdevil85 10th August 2007, 15:24
I thought Component could reach just as high of resolutions as DVI/HDMI?
Quote DougEdey 10th August 2007, 15:25
It can, but there's a problem in the 360 analogue output, it won't work over component (major design flaw) but works fine over VGA
Quote sandys 10th August 2007, 15:28
1080p over component works fine on 360 .
Quote DougEdey 10th August 2007, 15:29
Not on my 2405, at least not last time I tried.
Quote sandys 10th August 2007, 15:31
Your 2405 (which was mine ) does not support 1080p over component but the Xbox does.
Quote best49erfan 11th August 2007, 07:02
I "upgraded" from the Premium to the Elite for the HDMI because I already had the HD DVD drive and my TV would not do 1080p over component. I sold my premium to a friend for less than a new one, so i got some of my money back and he got what he wanted.
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