What do I need to know before I buy a X360

[Ruslan74]

1. I dont have a HDTV, will it look bad on my 74cm telly?

Dont despair, the X360 still looks good on your regular telly whilst viewed in SDTV, if you have a modern telly which has COMPONENT inputs ( dont confuse with COMPOSITE please ) you can even run it on EDTV mode which provides you with a higher resolution quality than SDTV.

For more info read on here.

2. Can I use my PC monitor with the X360?

Yes. You will need to purchase an accessorie called VGA HD Cable which will allow you to connect your X360 to your current LCD/CRT monitor. Note that many X360 games run at a native 16:9 (widescreen) resolution, so if you have a normal 4:3 (CRT) or 5:4 (LCD) ratio PC screen you will get a movie like effect (ie. black bars on top & bottom).

The best bet is for you to have a widescreen LCD monitor which are really not that expensive and can set you back between R2000-R2400 depending what make you buy.

Connection between PC & X360 is simple if your LCD screen has both DVI & analogue inputs. It becomes a simple matter of swapping out between sources on your monitor's OSD.

3. What Xbox 360 should I buy?

You get the Core & Premium ( called Pro in SA ) units.

The Core is identical in hardware to the Premium unit but doesnt come bundled with :

A wireless controller ( The Core unit has a wired controller )
A 20GB HDD
A shiny DVD face plate
An ethernet cable
A headset
A component set of cables ( The Core unit has the regular AV cable set )


Currently the Core in SA sells for around R2699 and the Premium for R3699 although many stores are having specials in which the Premium has been sold for as little as R3000.

The Premium unit stands as the best bang for the buck system to buy.

4. Can I play on the internet on the X360?

Definetly. Upon your first purchase you have 30 day free trial on the Xbox Live Service which basically is an enhanced version of MSN + Xfire ( just a comparison ).

With the launch of the Xbox 360, Microsoft's online gaming service, Xbox Live went through a major upgrade, adding a basic non-subscription service, Silver, to its already established premium subscription-based service, Gold. Xbox Live Silver is free of charge and allows users to create a user profile, join on message boards, access Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace and talk to other members. An Xbox Live Silver account does not generally support multiplayer gaming; however, some games that feature their own subscription service can be played with a Silver account. Xbox Live supports voice communication along with video communication, a feature possible with the Xbox Live Vision Camera.

Xbox Live Gold has the same features as Silver, plus online game playing capabilities. Microsoft has allowed for previous Xbox Live subscribers to maintain their profile information, friends list, and games history when they make the transition to Xbox Live Gold. To transfer an Xbox Live account to the new system, users need to link a Windows Live ID to their gamertag on Xbox.com.

When users go to add a Xbox Live enabled profile to their console, they need to provide the console with their passport account information and the last four digits of their credit card number, which is used for verification purposes and billing. An Xbox Live Gold account has an annual cost of US$49.99, CD$59.99, £39.99, or €59.99. As of October 18, 2006 Xbox Live has over 4 million subscribers.

Or read more here.

This is work in progress so feel free to post more queries.

[TG]

Q: Does owning a 360 hurt?
A: Yes, yes it does. Your wife has beaten you so badly that you spent a few weeks in hospital. Never mind though, I'm sure you can still play 360 when you get out, even with broken thumbs.

[SlappY]

OK, so how does the XBox live thing work in SA.
How much do I have to fork out???

[Ruslan74]

OK, so how does the XBox live thing work in SA.
How much do I have to fork out???

A XBL Gold subscription costs around R600 for a year sub depending on foreign currency rates.

It also works best if you get an unshaped prepaid account if you want to play online against international players. For local gaming a shaped account works just fine.

[doobiwan]

Q: Does owning a 360 hurt?
A: Yes, yes it does. Your wife has beaten you so badly that you spent a few weeks in hospital. Never mind though, I'm sure you can still play 360 when you get out, even with broken thumbs.

Or not, if your wife discovered Xbox Live Arcade while you were in hospital, you're never getting it back . . .

[SlappY]

Jeesh... do they want a kidney too?

[Ruslan74]

its true... since my wife discovered Hexic, Uno and Lumines on the XBL Arcade its been a tough battle to play my own games.

[Vexx007]

Most important question :

Where can I find the cheapest one?

[Ruslan74]

Well, keep your eyes peeled for opening store specials or Xmas specials from Game or Makro.

Just a couple of weeks back the BT Games store opened @ East Rand Mall and i picked up a X360 Premium for R3k for a friend. They only had 20 units for sale at that price. Currently Hi-Fi Corporation have ( or had ) the best price @ R3400 if i am not mistaken. But perhaps it was also limited stock.

[doobiwan]

The good news there, Vex is that BT is opening in Tygervalley on Friday! I'm sooo tempted . .

Besides that, HiFi Corp as the Core for R2599, Game has the Pro at R3599.

(I don't know if it would work, but CNA is also offering a R200 discount if you open an account and it's 6 months interest free to pay, so you may be able to wangle one for R3400)