XBox Dashboard Update 11/01/10 (Formerly: Xbox Live Preview Program)

[quote name='dmaul1114']1. Not all of us can easily hook up a computer to our TVs and thus it's an easy way to get it on the TV--just like Netflix was when they added that.

2. They show a lot more games on ESPN3 than what are on their cable channels (ESPN 1, 2 ESPNU etc.).[/QUOTE]

The irony in my case is that I have to hook up my 360 to a computer to even be able to use ESPN3 on it. I usually use a Logitech Play Link to get on XBL. It works fine for playing games but is absolute shit for videos and slow as molasses for downloading big files. So I have to share a wireless internet connection with a nearby PC. At that point, I might as well just run a VGA cable from the PC to the TV (which I do as well).
BTW: Why *cant* you hook up a PC to the TV? Who doesnt have a laptop/netbook these days?

What I really dont like about ESPN3 on the 360 is that it's really hard to find a specific game or more directly, a specific team. I mostly was interested in it because a lot of Illinois basketball games have been on ESPN3 lately, so I wouldnt mind having that on the big screen. But if it's not listed on the "featured events" page, you potentially have to scroll through (as I saw in one category) 300+ events. It takes too long to scroll through all that. Ease of use is the primary requirement IMO. If it takes too much to use it, I'll likely just skip it. There needs to be an intuitive search function. Or at least in the "My Sports" category, and ability to not only select favorite sports, but also favorite teams. I'll put in the time to set it up if it will remain in my preferences. But if I have to dig through all the menus everytime, screw it!
 
[quote name='Otkon']The entire redesign is meant to lure children. It is geared for the motion controller nonsense that is the Kinect.

Think of how a child draws compared to an fully-artistic adult. Children have no sense of perspective. They do not understand vanishing point. Children use overly bright colors. They can't comprehend complementary hues.

And as a result, we are stuck with a kid-friendly, Fisher-Price UI for morons. The tabs/blades/menus had to be flattened for cursor navigability.
The brightness issues seem to be related to the Kinect not liking the dark. The colors are bold, over-saturated and tacky to attract young eyes. You know, not everyone has a stupid Kinect or kids. But hey, why care about that.

Everything in the updates is now in your face with its assault on your senses. It's All-Kinect Spotlight as your sign-in tab - that you can't change. It's ironed-out 2D. It's Donkey-schlong ugly, hard on the eyes, literally nauseating, and really has to change.

There is no reason that the 360 can't be more fully customizable at this point. Let us choose the color scheme, contrast, font. If you can do it on your smartphone, why not here. We certainly wouldn't pick neon-puke green and ultra-vibrant grayish-white. Oh wait, why would M$ do that when they can make easy cash selling us premium themes if we want a fix to this blinding nightmare.

This graphical aspect of this update should have only been mandatory (as punishment) for those idiots that bought the gimmicky Kinect. This was nothing short of a rushed, forced marketing disaster of a Pied Piper downgrade.[/QUOTE]

Wow that's a lot of letters to spell "I don't like it".

You do know that you can't do anything with the new dashboard with Kinect, right? So that theory doesn't work. (kinect has it's own dashboard, and everything is laid out in two rows of tiles.)
 
My friend's launch 360 freezes online and offline and disconnects him from games online after the update. Apparently it's happening to a lot of people with older 360 models according to the Xbox rep he spoke with on the phone. Just a heads up.
 
[quote name='hostyl1']
BTW: Why *cant* you hook up a PC to the TV? Who doesnt have a laptop/netbook these days?
[/QUOTE]

I have a Sony LCD rear projection TV that doesn't have a computer input. My laptop is just my work laptop--and it's a business design Lenovo Think pad so it lacks any other video outputs other than the RGB computer out (and doesn't support say an RGB to HDMI cable).

So too much hassle as I'd have to get a converter which reviews say are a mixed bag, or get a new TV or laptop.

I watch hardly any streaming video anyway since I have direcTV and a DVR and just get the sportspack for $10 or $12 a month or whatever to get all my college games since pretty much every WVU game not on national TV ends up on MASN or SNY.
 
[quote name='hostyl1']What I really dont like about ESPN3 on the 360 is that it's really hard to find a specific game or more directly, a specific team. I mostly was interested in it because a lot of Illinois basketball games have been on ESPN3 lately, so I wouldnt mind having that on the big screen. But if it's not listed on the "featured events" page, you potentially have to scroll through (as I saw in one category) 300+ events. It takes too long to scroll through all that. Ease of use is the primary requirement IMO. If it takes too much to use it, I'll likely just skip it. There needs to be an intuitive search function. Or at least in the "My Sports" category, and ability to not only select favorite sports, but also favorite teams. I'll put in the time to set it up if it will remain in my preferences. But if I have to dig through all the menus everytime, screw it![/QUOTE]

Seems like the quickest way to find what you want is to pull up any game of the same league/sport as your desired game. Once that starts, you can pull up the score bar at the bottom and quickly scroll through and see what's available to watch in that same league.
 
I like what Shipwreck said about about on the CAGcast, the new guide looks like an old cell phone menu. Yeah..it kinda sucks.
 
[quote name='gbeenie']Has anyone tried the U-Verse features yet?[/QUOTE]
Do you mean using your Xbox as a DVR? If so AT&T forces you to buy a "installation kit" from them to get the software for that. It costs about $150 if you're already a U-Verse customer.
 
I'm starting to really like ESPN3, but it's because I'd much rather watch rugby or cricket then football (either meaning). Cricket is whacky and just trying to figure out the rules is entertaining. Rugby is just a great game. But what I really long for is the good 'ol days of Wide World of Sports. You know, figure 8 racing, barrel jumping, etc. Whacky sports. I want that on ESPN3. Along with rugby and cricket.
 
My ~3 year old Elite (Falcon) was running like a champ. After installing the update, she seemed to become a bit sluggish: I was waiting longer for the initial dashboard, and after exiting a game. Spending a lot of time watching spinning circles.

Then the freezes started. And then, the 3 red lights.

Coincidence? I hope so...
 
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