It's Finally Official - Xbox Elite

[Entroper]

windbane said: Honestly, I don't think the HDMI is very important. Someone remind me what the rule is for watching HD movies without HDMI. Does it go down to a lower resolution? And that's note even implemented yet, right? Anyway, the 360 already has a VGA connection which to me is more convenient because you can connect it directly to a monitor. I had to buy an adapter. Also, VGA gives you the same resolutions that HDMI does, and higher. The signal is virtually the same quality. Digital versus analog is not really an issue there. VGA has been used for years with monitors that output at much higher than 1080p (that's just 1920x1080 in monitor terms, btw, and I've run 1600x1200 for years).

Digital vs. Analog is something I see downplayed a lot, and it bothers me because I think most haven't seen the difference. Yes, VGA gives you the same resolution, but that doesn't mean you get the same image. The more pixels you try to cram into an analog signal, the more interference you get. Ever seen an LCD monitor with VGA, right next to the same LCD monitor with DVI? The difference is instantly noticeable -- with DVI you get the exact contents of the framebuffer, with VGA you get an approximation. Anyway, that aside... I still think the Elite isn't going to be much help for MS. I don't think people who are buying a PS3 instead of a 360 are basing their decision on the size of the hard drive, or HDMI support. I also don't think anyone was waiting for the 360 to become more expensive; personally, I'm still waiting for it to get cheaper. And the fact that it doesn't include wireless is just absurd. Nintendo is the one who doesn't have their act together in terms of online support, yet the Wii includes wireless and a game for $250, and the $480 Xbox 360 Elite doesn't. I'll be damned, they want me to pay $100 for a $25 piece of hardware as an accessory. No thanks.