Xbox 360 Elite Review

linkpwns

linkpwns

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So here I go. I'm pretty bored (I only have like 1 360 game), so I'm gonna review my Elite for my fellow CAGs.

Availablity: It was amazingly available. After seeing the prices on ebay, I thought it would be hell in a handbasket to try to find one in stores. I was wrong. I walked in to Toys R' Us, and they had about 7 of them. Then I walked into Best Buy, and they had around the same amount. (Of course, this was about 10 AM). So, I purchased my console, and left the store.

Presentation and Box Contents: The box is awfully nice. So shiny, and colorful, yet still portrays the Black image. I'm sure you have seen the box before. Now on to the actual system. It looks really nice. The finish if beautifully done, it isn't too shiny, yet not too bland. The Hard drive boasts a full 120 gigs. The chrome of the hard drive and the dvd tray cover doesn't look cheap at all. The box includes: A few manuals in different languages, The console, the black wireless controller, packaging materials, a headset (partly black), a rather long ethernet cable, power brick and power cable (not black), HDMI cable (wow, who knew!), and the component cables. To my dissappointment, the cables weren't black. Oh well. The controller is nice, and is shiny on the bumper buttons.

How It Runs: I've had an xbox 360 before, but it broke. I know what the xbox 360 is like. So, if you have seen an xbox 360 run before, you would know how the Elite runs. Just like any other xbox 360. The only real difference is the HDMI cables, which allows for dvd upscaling. Also, you won't EVER have to worry about running out of space on that Hard Drive, hell, 120 gigs is a lot!

Conclusion: This review, I know, was not necessarily written for someone who has never seen a 360 before. It is more for people on the fence between Premium and Elite. Ultimatly, the choice is up to you. Will you be doing A LOT of downloading and media uploading? Do you even HAVE a TV that supports HDMI? If not, then don't get the Elite. Unless you would spend 80 extra dollars to have your gaming console a different color. Also, as an extra note, if you were going to buy a core, then buy the 120 gig hard drive, it isn't worth it. Then I recommend stretching for the elite. Just think about it, if you EVER plan to get an HDMI supported TV, you will need the Elite, because the other systems don't support the cable (I am saying this because I don't see a port for it on my broken xbox 360 core).

Overall Score: I can't give it one. It is really dependant on what you need and what you have.
 
[quote name='linkpwns']
Overall Score: I can't give it one. It is really dependant on what you need and what you have.[/QUOTE]

fail -_-...........
 
[quote name='Zoglog']fail -_-...........[/quote]

Not really a failure. If you have a 360 already, then maybe it fails.
 
[quote name='linkpwns'] The only real difference is the HDMI cables, which, obviously makes games look better.....[/QUOTE]

How can you say this? Did you setup 2 360's side by side? An Elite with the HDMI and a 360 with component on the same exact HDTV and playing the same exact game? Or is it in your mindset that HDMI has to be a better picture then component since most people say it is.
 
"Also, you won't EVER have to worry about running out of space on that Hard Drive, hell, 120 gigs is a lot!"

- Famous Last Words.
 
[quote name='linkpwns']The only real difference is the HDMI cables, which, obviously makes games look better, and allows for dvd upscaling. Also, you won't EVER have to worry about running out of space on that Hard Drive, hell, 120 gigs is a lot![/quote]

if your tv allows 1080p through component (like mine does) then you cant tell the difference between 1080p HDMI and 1080p component....this is pretty widely known and the preference is all in your head....i get dvd upscaling already through my HD-DVD add on since im connecteds with VGA....and 120gigs is not going to last long once IPTV starts up



[quote name='Apossum']what about the noise, dvd drive, etc. etc.[/quote]

same amount of noise as the original....i think i heard the drive sounds different (different manufacturer?), but just as loud
 
[quote name='Apossum']what about the noise, dvd drive, etc. etc.[/quote]

same amount of noise as the original....i think i heard the drive sounds different (different manufacturer?), but just as loud
 
but how about the black headset? does it sound better?

rolleyes.jpg
 
[quote name='pimpinc333']How can you say this? Did you setup 2 360's side by side? An Elite with the HDMI and a 360 with component on the same exact HDTV and playing the same exact game? Or is it in your mindset that HDMI has to be a better picture then component since most people say it is.[/QUOTE]
The OP shouldn't have to respond to this since the answer is so obvious. ;)
 
[quote name='linkpwns']Availablity: It was amazingly available.[/QUOTE]

I still don't get why people thought these would be hard to find.


However, for this generation I have to agree with never running out of hard drive space now. Since movies are rental-only, you're never going to have so many on there that they take up all the room. I suppose IPTV could be a factor, but I really don't think that's going to take off with the majority of people anytime soon.
 
I have one question: How is DVD playback?

The Xbox 360 (Premium) had horrible DVD playback over Component cables. The anti-aliasing was absolutely horrible.

Have you noticed a difference?
 
OK, I didn't want to start a new thread, so I'll hijack this one (just a bit)...



"Ebony and Ivory..."

Ah, they do look nice together.

Here's my initial impression from my very first day of ever playing an Xbox 360:

1) The thing is not nearly as noisy as I had expected it to be from everything I've heard here. It is noisier than the Wii, no doubt, but hardly overpowering.

2) My first ever Xbox 360 game was Big Bumpin'. This is solely because I wanted to put a throwaway game in there to see if I had one of the disc grinder systems (saw a video of an Elite chewing up a disc yesterday). My disc did not get ground up (and the drive was much quieter than expected too - it is the same Hitachi drive shown in all the Elite pictures).

3) My first ever 360 console lock-up was during our very first game of Big Bumpin' :shock:. I have since given it some time (about 2 hours of Lego Star Wars) and no further problems, so I'm going to assume that was just the game (unless it continues).

4) My first ever achievement was completing the first level of Lego Star Wars. Whoo-hooo!

5) Currently in process of getting my first download - Shrek the 3rd demo (yeah I know it is supposed to suck but the kids want to play it).

6) After seeing the 20 achievement points in Lego Star Wars my 7 year-old son instantly became an achievement whore and had to have his own account (and I had to give damn MS my credit card number to sign him up - dammit, I had avoided that with my own account).

7) D'oh! So much for the free month of Gold. I was looking all through the packaging for a 1 month code and couldn't find it, so I just entered one of the 12-month ones I bought. Then when I signed my son up I see that you have to pick Silver, then say "yes" when they say "are you sure you don't want a gold account?" - only THEN do you get the free month. Bastards... In true cheap-ass fashion I had wanted to tack my year onto the free month.

8) Whoo-hoo, after having an HDTV for nearly 4 years, now, I finally got to do something in 1080i. Though, have to say, it is somewhat underwhelming (at least in Lego Star Wars - I can tell I have HD because of the sharp edges, but it doesn't make THAT much difference. Will have to try some other games obviously).

That's enough for now - have to go back to watch my son rack up the LSW achievements on his own account (I was really hoping he'd get them on mine :cry:).
 
[quote name='io']
8) Whoo-hoo, after having an HDTV for nearly 4 years, now, I finally got to do something in 1080i. Though, have to say, it is somewhat underwhelming (at least in Lego Star Wars - I can tell I have HD because of the sharp edges, but it doesn't make THAT much difference. Will have to try some other games obviously).

That's enough for now - have to go back to watch my son rack up the LSW achievements on his own account (I was really hoping he'd get them on mine :cry:).[/QUOTE]


What TV do you have? I've seen some old rear projection HDTVs and they are very underwhelming, even with hd content. Try downloading a tv show or something from the live marketplace. I think the difference between HD and SD in video content is much more dramatic than in a game like lego star wars.

and about using a credit card for your kid's account, you had to enter that to make him a silver account?
 
I'm glad you finally made the plunge, io. You've been talking about getting one for a long time now. Unfortunately, the two games you have played are both xbox 1 games... you will enjoy the visuals on some of the non-ported games, I'm sure of it. I would recommend the following demos -

NBA Street Homecourt
GRAW 2
Lost Planet
Crackdown
C&C3
Burnout Revenge
Fight Night Round 3
Dead Rising
Kameo (very underrated IMO)
PGR 3
Saint's Row

That should keep you busy until you buy some games!
 
[quote name='Milkyman']What TV do you have? I've seen some old rear projection HDTVs and they are very underwhelming, even with hd content. Try downloading a tv show or something from the live marketplace. I think the difference between HD and SD in video content is much more dramatic than in a game like lego star wars.

and about using a credit card for your kid's account, you had to enter that to make him a silver account?[/QUOTE]

It is an old Sony rear projection TV (51"). Looking at Lego Star Wars II a bit more (this is an Xbox 360 game, not an original Xbox game unless you are saying the two are identical, captmurphy - I may not have said II before but I assumed you all would assume that ;) I never had an original Xbox so I wouldn't have had the original LSW on that).

Yes, I had to use the credit card for his Silver account to "verify" that I was an adult signing him up. I will assume nothing will be charged and if it is it will be disputed. But it is annoying nonetheless (though I can see why they do it). I could have just lied about his birthdate and gotten around it though, so it is kind of dumb (any kid creating an account could just do likewise).

Another note about the noise. The thing was blasting away (full disc spin and fan) the entire time we had LSW II paused while my son ate dinner. He played a bit after and as soon as he was done I ejected the disc and the system because as quiet as could be. It stayed that way as I played Hexic. Why the disc had to be in full spinup during the extended pause I have no idea... Now it is quietly finishing the Shrek download (well, not silent, but no more noisy than my laptop).

I also noticed that the LSW II disc had some marks on it after taking it out. They aren't scratches by any means. It is almost like it is fogged up a bit with a couple of clear rings within the fog. And it doesn't wipe off. Very strange, I'm not used to my systems doing anything to my discs that is noticeable like that. We didn't have any problems with the LSW II disc for 2-3 hours there (no freeze-up or anything).
 
Yeah, I was just commenting on how LSW II for the 360 is just a higher-res version of the xbox 1 game... a graphical powerhouse it is not.
 
[quote name='captmurphy']Yeah, I was just commenting on how LSW II for the 360 is just a higher-res version of the xbox 1 game... a graphical powerhouse it is not.[/QUOTE]

Ah, gotcha - yet it does seem different on the edges of objects, and perhaps an effect or two that seemed different (shimmering reflections off of metal objects, etc). I'll have to fire up the GC version and flip between the two to compare. That's the only game I'll be able to do that with.

The Shrek the Third download (over 700MB) just finished and now I'm getting Virtua Tennis 3 (over 800MB). I do have to say that the larger hard drive is great, and well worth the $80 I'm paying over a premium. I tend to be a packrat so I'll appreciate being able to keep all these demos and such. My kids will probably play them every so often too, so that's bonus (any game that doesn't require them putting a disc in is a good thing to have).
 
I too picked up an Elite today after owning a premium since last December.

The Elite gets alot of hits here and on the press about being "needless" for most people that have a 360 but I disagree. My TV (Sony XBR KDSA60A2000) is incapable of doing 1080p over VGA or component. Therefore, the TV had to upscale everything to 1080p. Also, I could not take advantage of the 360's upscaling capabilities since VGA was nto an option for me.

Now everything is upscaled to the 1080p native resolution of the Sony. I know it isn't the same as true HD, but it is much, much, much better than what I saw previously out of the XBOX DVD with non-HD material (I have the HD-DVD add on).

TexTuna
 
[quote name='TexTuna']I too picked up an Elite today after owning a premium since last December.

The Elite gets alot of hits here and on the press about being "needless" for most people that have a 360 but I disagree. My TV (Sony XBR KDSA60A2000) is incapable of doing 1080p over VGA or component. Therefore, the TV had to upscale everything to 1080p. Also, I could not take advantage of the 360's upscaling capabilities since VGA was nto an option for me.

Now everything is upscaled to the 1080p native resolution of the Sony. I know it isn't the same as true HD, but it is much, much, much better than what I saw previously out of the XBOX DVD with non-HD material (I have the HD-DVD add on).

TexTuna[/quote]

Does it look better in 720p and/or 1080i?
 
720p, - No In my room and on my TV 1080i and 1080p are both better.

1080i and 1080p I never noticed much difference with this particular TV.

The difference I refer to above is with non HD material. Previously the TV had to upscale it, now the XBOX does - and it does a better job.

With the elite it sets itself at the best resolution your monitor supports - 1080p in my case. And then it will upscale everything to that resolution. Given my TV, I'm not going to change that as if I do - the TV will then upscale and/or deinterlace what is sent to it to 1080p as that is its native resolution - everything displayed on the TV is at 1080p.

TexTuna

[quote name='LinkinPrime']Does it look better in 720p and/or 1080i?[/quote]
 
[quote name='spoo']The OP shouldn't have to respond to this since the answer is so obvious. ;)[/quote]


sigh, i should correct myself. Let me go on record and fix that. I wrote it after I got it, I was a little excitied. The difference wasn't all that noticable. You may see one or two things looking nicer and clearer than before.

Also, the system is just as noisy. It is the same drive. However, you get adjusted to that noise everntually. Trust me, some people make it like it is the sound of the game you are playing. If you are playing gears of war, you won't be distracted from getting that last kill.
 
After playing more last night I have to say the drive noise is getting unbearable. I think my ears were ringing afterwards (I kept hearing the noise even after I turned the system off).

I didn't realize this until I actually had one (though I had heard it a bit): the noise is *entirely* from the drive. Thus, 65nm chips aren't going to help a damn thing. The system is relatively quiet when I'm playing games off the HD (very slight fan noise there that might be cut with the 65nm chips but that won't make too much difference). But as soon as I put a game in the disc drive starts getting ready for takeoff and it's like being in an airplane the entire time. This will be HIGHLY annoying on "quieter" games where you need to listen to dialog or sound clues, etc... And note that I'm a good 15 feet away from it when I play.

What I don't get is people have said it is noisy only when accessing from the disc. Mine is not like that, at least with Lego Star Wars II. It is noisy from the minute the disc is put in until the minute I exit to the dashboard. Only then does it ever spin down and shut up. Even on pause for an hour it stayed noisy. I could deal with the noise if it was only an occasional disc-access thing. Perhaps it is just this game that is so bad? It didn't seem so bad at first when I tried the Burger King game. I'll have to try another this evening and see how it is.

Is there a chance it will be quiter if I position the 360 horizontally? I guess I'll give that a shot too. It is too bad - I like the way it looks vertically, but on the other hand, putting discs into the tray sideways is very akward and I can see them getting dropped frequently.
 
Oh, it is always noisy...

just try raising your volume lol

It is only from the drive though. It only makes noise when a disc is in/playing a game.
 
I never understood the big deal. It sounds just like a PC. Who plays in such low volume that the only thing you can hear is the machine/drive working? Pump up the juice on your receiver and its all good. That's why they make games suport Dolby 5.1, so take advantage!
 
[quote name='LinkinPrime']I never understood the big deal. It sounds just like a PC. Who plays in such low volume that the only thing you can hear is the machine/drive working? Pump up the juice on your receiver and its all good. That's why they make games suport Dolby 5.1, so take advantage![/QUOTE]

I'm sorry but it is WAY noiser than my PC. It is about equivalent to my PC when it is NOT playing a disc-based game - ie, the normal CPU cooling fans. Those are just fine - no problem there (thus 65nm chips won't get me anything there). But it is a bit ridiculous when playing a game. Maybe I'll see if I can make a video of it and see if you guys think it is normal noise or if mine is "exceptional" ;).

Yes, the game audio drowns it out a bit, but I have two issues there. One, I am often playing late at night and can't have the game above normal TV type volume because everyone else is sleeping. Second, as I said above, for games where there are quiet parts or where you need to listen for subtle sounds it will be annoying.

I haven't hooked mine up to my receiver yet (still using TV speakers) because I need some more optical cables (damn Fry's is useless for that kind of stuff - they have aisles and aisles of cabling but it all seems to be way overpriced). I also haven't hooked up the DVI - running off component for now, got no problems with that (as I'm new to this whole HD gaming thing ;)).
 
I agree with Linkin. I don't remember anybody complaining about the Dreamcast being too loud, and that system was a beast compared to the 360 in terms of noise. Either people are too sensitive or have some rouge decibel-busting unit.
 
Amen to that bro....my PC has 5 180mm case fans, a large CPU fan, and 2 fans on the video card...the 360 (premium or elite) sounds like well, nothing compared to that behemoth. Like others, I just turn up the sound on the audio system - 8 large speakers and 1000 watts tend to drown out anything coming from the 360.

[quote name='LinkinPrime']I never understood the big deal. It sounds just like a PC. Who plays in such low volume that the only thing you can hear is the machine/drive working? Pump up the juice on your receiver and its all good. That's why they make games suport Dolby 5.1, so take advantage![/quote]
 
[quote name='captmurphy']I agree with Linkin. I don't remember anybody complaining about the Dreamcast being too loud, and that system was a beast compared to the 360 in terms of noise. Either people are too sensitive or have some rouge decibel-busting unit.[/QUOTE]

I never had a Dreamcast. Here's what I have to compare it to:

1) Fairly large laptop PC. I'd say normal cooling fans are about twice as loud on the Elite. Disc drive many times louder.

2) Gamecube - heck, does that thing even make noise? I've never heard it.

3) Slim PS2 - same as GC.

4) Wii - makes a little bit of noise when reading from disc (which is what I thought the 360 would do too). But no way is there a constant noise that I can hear.

I guess I'll have to make a video. First I'll try some other games and try it horizontally to see if that makes a difference. On the one hand, it is good to hear they are generally so noisy, as perhaps it means mine isn't so different. But I really have to hear another to compare.
 
[quote name='Apossum']what about the noise, dvd drive, etc. etc.[/QUOTE]

Same exact noises, everything sounds the same.

It's a black 360 with a 120 GB HDD & a new HDMI port, nothing else is even close to different.

If you already have a 360 just buy a new HDD if you want more space. Otherwise, only nab the elite if you don't already have a 360.

[quote name='io']I never had a Dreamcast. Here's what I have to compare it to:

1) Fairly large laptop PC. I'd say normal cooling fans are about twice as loud on the Elite. Disc drive many times louder.

2) Gamecube - heck, does that thing even make noise? I've never heard it.

3) Slim PS2 - same as GC.

4) Wii - makes a little bit of noise when reading from disc (which is what I thought the 360 would do too). But no way is there a constant noise that I can hear.

I guess I'll have to make a video. First I'll try some other games and try it horizontally to see if that makes a difference. On the one hand, it is good to hear they are generally so noisy, as perhaps it means mine isn't so different. But I really have to hear another to compare.[/QUOTE]

NGC makes significant amount of noise, especially on load up.
 
[quote name='-Never4ever-']


NGC makes significant amount of noise, especially on load up.[/QUOTE]

Well, then that is more troubling news for the 360 as I have never really noticed noise from my GC (thus I'm not overly "sensitive") yet I can't help but notice the 360 ;).
 
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