HD xbox? help needed?

Mr.V · 13 Oct 2011 at 19:39

I'm looking for something i can stream my movies and music from my file server and ive come across this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ULTIMATE-...onsoles_VideoGameConsoles&hash=item35b5e7f9b9

ive always wanted a xbox with xbmc

what does the seller mean by HD? it comes with all the cables needed

what do you guys think? it will only be for a few months until i build a proper HTPC.

thanks.

lucid · 13 Oct 2011 at 20:04

Original XBoxes don't have HDMI. They use component video for HD picture quality.

Component is connected to your TV by three phono cables. The sockets are coloured red, green and blue and are often mistaken for RGB. As long as your TV has a component input then an XBox with a HD video cable kit will give 480p, 720p and 1080i resolutions.

The official Microsoft HD video cable kit and the Chinese copies had the XBox media connector on one end to three phonos (component) plus sound connections. This XBox doesn't come with that cable. Instead the owner has modified it to fit component sockets on the back and what looks like a digital coax connector for audio.

Mr.V · 13 Oct 2011 at 22:57

Thanks for that Lucid, that was a big help!! much appreciated.

I have the cambridge audio Azur 640R which has 3 component outputs, i have 1 spare left. Am i correct in saying i could connect the digital cable and get 5.1 surround sound? are they easy to setup for streaming?

lucid · 14 Oct 2011 at 01:46

You're welcome.

Your C.A. Azur doesn't have three component outputs. They're inputs. It's what a signal goes in to... hence the name "input".

Now you know about inputs then you can see how it is that we call sockets where a signal comes out of something "outputs". So, the XBox has a Component output and a Digital Coax output. Your amp has three Component inputs and one Component output, and we hope your TV has a Component input.

If it was me I would hook up just the Digital Coax for sound to the Azur AV amp. I wouldn't bother hooking up the Component video; I'd plug that in to the TV directly. AFAIK the amp can't convert Component to HDMI anyway so it might as well go from the XBox to the TV direct for picture and let the amp deal with just the sound.

As far as streaming on XBox you'll have to seek answers from other more knowledgeable people on that.

Mr.V · 14 Oct 2011 at 14:34

lol sorry mate, got inputs and outputs mixed up! but really appreciate all your help.

Columbo · 14 Oct 2011 at 15:46

The original Xbox's will not play HD content as far as I'm aware, they dont have have enough grunt to do it.

My old one didnt even like high bitrate avi's, for HD stuff I'd be buying something more modern.

Mr.V · 14 Oct 2011 at 18:28

ManCuBuS said:
The original Xbox's will not play HD content as far as I'm aware, they dont have have enough grunt to do it.

My old one didnt even like high bitrate avi's, for HD stuff I'd be buying something more modern.

i read the same, its ok with AVI's up to 1.4 gig.

most of the movies i have ripped from my dvd collection are 1gig for standard AVI and 1.4gig for the ones with DD 5.1

It will only be temporary solution until i have the funds to build a proper HTPC with HDMI

Im collecting mines tomorrow, ill let you know how it goes