360 HDMI converter arrives in UK [News]http://www.360-gamer.com/

Uploaded By: Mark Podd | Published at 08:37 (GMT) on Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Enjoy HDMI on your old 360

If you’ve got an empty HDMI slot on your TV, but no corresponding port on your 360, then good news – Mad Catz has released its HDMI Conversion Kit for the 360 in the UK.

The kit comprises of a small box with plugs into your 360’s AV port, with optical and HDMI out ports on the back. The box then converts the 360’s AV signal from analogue into digital, and beams it up an HDMI lead into your telly.

Admittedly, with the box only converting the signal, it’s unlikely that it’ll be quite as good as the true HDMI output you get on more recent 360s.

That said, it will do all resolutions up to and including 1080p, and is compatible with the HDMI 1.3 standard.

Indeed, with the analogue signal having a considerably shorter distance to travel (theoretically making it less susceptible to interference) older 360 owners could well see a modest improvement in their picture quality.

According to Mad Catz, the kit will set you back a not-so-wallet-friendly GBP 49.99, although it does come with all the necessary cables.

And just in case you were wondering what it looks like, here’s a picture:

The HDMI conversion kit in all its glory

Useless... people should just get VGA output cable for the 360 instead if they feel component is holding them back.

Besides I don't see any difference on 1080p when I use component and HDMI...and this is on both PS3 and 360.

Apperently there is a difference in sound...but I have yet to hear it.

That's pretty cool I guess, but would it really make all that difference other than getting rid of some wires?

Mainly useful for those with no component or VGA input on their display and also using original Xenon production runs.

Pretty specific and rare instances.

Allows for a digital AV signal, but really only worth 50 quid if your home theater set up is all digital.

Important to note that DVDs won't upscale to 1080p via component, but assuming you had a high end set up, why would you be using your Xbox for anything but games?

i didn't think that that would make a difference. You gotta be outputting at 1080p to have HDMI otherwise you could convert old dvd players into HD

I agree with everyone else. Component vs. HDMI there is hardly no difference. I have a component 360 my friend has an HDMI 360 and Gears look the same on both our TVs (we have the same model TV)

I dont think most people care how they plug their Xbox or Playstation into their tv as long as it works.

I think the bandwidth is limited by the component cables anyway, so running them through a converter wouldn't increase it....and yes HDMI looks better than component. It's hard to tell the difference, but there is one. Something about the RBG quality. That's what the videophiles say, anyway, so that's what I got.

I don't have a TV just like mine for side by side comparisons, but if I did, I'd bet willing to bet it'd be hard to tell them apart.

how do you upload photos? edit nevermind

That was actually one of the more seemingly pointless upgrades for the 360, after MS previously stated HDMI served no purpose.

Fast forward a year and suddenly it's being marketed as a "premium" feature on an SKU, costing $100 more than the previous premium model in addition to a black case and an extra 100GB of HDD space.

Fast forward another 6 months, and now HDMI ports become a standard feature. Products get improved over time. Nothing new.

Ultimately, the HDMI port just provides additional connectivity for a wider range of displays. It makes it easier for consumers to connect their game box to their screen.

Is it a better connection? Technically, yes. Digital signals are cleaner than analog.

Real life application? Most people won't notice.

It makes a difference for 1080p HD-DVD output, but HD-DVD has left the house.