Think Forward

XBOX 360 is hot - Literally

As I have been playing my XBOX this past week, I have noticed that not only is it very loud because of the fans, it is also by far the hottest running piece of equipment in my electronics rack.  I was wondering last week as I was noticing this if it was going to be a problem.   Apparently there are some blog sites stating that thier XBOX 360 is crashing and overheating.   I personally have had no problems with it so far.   But I am wondering what the long term affects of running such a hot device will have on the unit.   I am continuing to talk to Microsoft about this as they monitor the issue with their support department.   

Microsoft to add Cable Card Support

I just read an annoncement today between Microsoft and CableLabs.   The deal is that now PC OEM's can built PC's with CableCard slots just like digital TV's.   This means you can buy a media center PC or Home Theatre PC and call up your cable provider and simply have them give you a card to put in your PC and Viola you get your digital cable, even HDTV.  This completely eliminates the need for set-top box provided you from your cable provider.  This is a huge step forward for Microsoft and PC OEM's trying to position the Media Center as a hub for the digital home.   I've said it all along that an XBOX or media center PC with a cable card slot would be the ultimate device for my home.   The only bummer is that it is for one-directional cable which means no Pay per view or VOD.   So still the carrot of bi-directional CableCard is still out there.   

XBOX 360 - What a difference Hi-Def makes

Out of all the games I got, NBA 2k has the most noticeable graphic difference.    All the games however looked amazingly better in high definition.   I hooked it up to a non-HD TV just to see and there was definately a difference.   Some of the things I really noticed about the NBA players in this game was how realistic they looked.   Thier clothes moved and swayed as they ran or jumped.   They started off clean and got more sweaty as the game went on, it was amazing.   I could definately tell more graphical detail and things about the crowd and players on my HD set, that I couldn't see on the standard TV.    Moral of the story is gaming in HD is worth every penny of an HD set.   

XBOX Hands On - First Impressions

I can't believe it but my 360 is here and I have been glued to it for the past 24 hours.   Install was easy other then the power adapter being gigantic and the size of a brick.   On the provided component cable there is a switch that allows you to set it for an HDTV or standard TV.   Once you set it to HDTV you can then configure the display settings to 480p, 720p or 1080i.   I got it all set up for my HDTV and the menu looks great in HD.   The next thing I did was try out the glorious media features.   I plugged in my digital camera and was amazed at how quickly it discored the camera and allowed me to browse my digital photos and play a slide show.   I have to say the pictures looked awesome in HDTV as it displayed close to the true resolution of digital photo's.  Microsoft also provided me with the software for PC's that allow the XBOX to connect to any PC in the house and share digital media through the XBOX.   Set up for that was quite simple and in a short period of time I was putting movies and pictures on my XBOX.   I also have a Media Center PC and using the XBOX as a Media Center Extender is quite fantastic.   It is like having a Media Center in my living room.   I've said this before and I'll say this again, if the 360 had a bi-directional cable card in it and a duel HD tuner it would be the ultimate set top box for me. 

Now for the gaming features.    All of the games I was given were pre-retail so I am using the provided de-bug unit to play the games.    I have played, NHL 2k6, NBA 2k6, Peter Jackson's King Kong demo, and Amped 3.   I'll say one thing games in HD are fantastic.   You see so much more detail in all of the games.   The graphics are fantastic and the physics of the games are really powerful.   I'm still exploring all the graphical power so as I get more detail I will post again.

XBOX 360 is almost here

I got the word that my XBOX 360 is on it's way.   It is hard for me to believe that in a few days I will be playing the coveted 360.   I am already getting early software, burned CD's with XBOX games on it.   Hopefully I will get a couple of retail titles with the package.   Anyway I will start posting my thoughts as soon as I get it.

New Emmy for Mobile Video

I was just reading that there will be a new Emmy category for original content created for mobile devices.   This is a great development beacuase it will help motivate people to actually create the kind of content people want to experience on mobile devices, which is content they can't get anywhere else.  I am hoping that producers and content provders alike begin to think about this seriously and consider mobile devices as a platform in and of themselves to create quality original content for.   I also hope that it becomes much easier for individual users like myself and others to capture video and share it on mobile devices as well.   Sometimes user generated content is some of the best.   Just look at the Star Wars Kid.