HDMI Cable For The Xbox 360

Baine

Baine

Baine

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Well, during my monthly run through ebgames to check for any previews to write. I found an interesting item come up to display while searching.

GameStop Universal Premium HDMI Cable

At first glance, I said to myself “what, HDMI is not possible for the Xbox 360.” I also do not claim to be a techno guru with the T.V department but that what they were selling. I was searching around the xbox forums to see if this is old news and an interesting tidbit led to quote from anandtech posted by Nielo TM:

"Originally we assumed the chip below was a TV encoder, but we've since found out that the TV encoder on ATI's Xenos GPU is identical to what is on the ATI Radeon X1000 series of PC graphics cards - meaning the Xbox 360's TV encoder is located on the Xenos GPU itself and makes use of ATI's Xilleon display engine.”

"The display engine also features the hardware that actually drives the display output, and Avivo has a number of enhancements here. Dual 400MHz 10-bit per component DAC's remain, as in previous graphics implementations, however this time the TV-Out display engine has been lifted directly from ATI's consumer electronics Xilleon processor (this engine can be found to be driving the displays of many Sony televisions, for example). The last generation of Radeon products only integrated a single link, 165MHz, TMDS transmitter for DVI output, however Avivo products will feature two integrated dual link transmitters, hence two digital panels can be independently driven to 2048×1536 @ 75 Hz or 2560x1600 resolutions."



To reiterate what the above quotes mean is that the Xbox 360 is capable of producing digitial image/audio output. Hopefully I'm not breaking old news to everyone but it is still going to be a interesting view of a Xbox 360 HDMI Cable. The GameStop Universal Premium HDMI Cable is schedule for release on December, 1st 2006
 
Will be interesting, if it is in fact coming out, but I'll be a little wary for a bit until MS actuall come out and officially say anything about the HDMI interface. It's a good thing, just I'll wait and see first.
 
Kreeeee said:
These aren't compatible with HCP (I think that's the acronym) enabled DVI ports on PC monitors are they?
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HDCP?

I thought HDMI ports were just DVI with audio as well (a bit like Composite -> SCART I guess, but digital)

Not sure why Microsoft would keep this quiet for so long if the console could do it from launch, but if it can output via HDMI then it's obviously not a bad thing.
 
DVI-D is backward compatible with HDMI, just it can not pass sound or some control data through the DVI-D port, as HDMI has a little bit more stuff going through it than a DVI-D connection does.
 
I'd be very surprised if the 360 is not HDCP compatible. I would also be surprised if it could not use one of either HDMI or DVI in the future, its just there is no real need for these cables yet, and I suspect that MS will make more money on these cables when there is a high demand. Not a moderate/low demand.
 
I suspect that MS will make more money on these cables when there is a high demand. Not a moderate/low demand
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I suspect the demand could be there already especially with the growth in HD tv's, they're selling like hotcakes.
 
UKflames said:
I suspect the demand could be there already especially with the growth in HD tv's, they're selling like hotcakes.
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Yes but if you already are able to connect it up using component and it looks just as good. Why purchace a HDMI cable? It is only the anal people such as us forum members that would do such a thing (then argue for 40 pages over which looks better HDMI, VGA, Component).

The common consumer will not rush out to buy this straight away.

I would imagine however it would be more benifitial after the HD-DVD Player is released.
 
After using the component on my TV, i've seen its limitations which are likely down to the quality of analogue signal, and I'd like a digital signal from HDMI to see what kind of difference it really would make... but I am one of the few people out there that is anal about these sorts of things ;)
 
I'm sure I read somewhere that the 360 isn't capable of digital video output. I'd have to search for the link but if it's correct then yes the HDMI cable would only be beneficial for the add-on HD-DVD player.
Although, after reading this on Xbox Scene it looks like nobody but MS & ATI know.

"MS has stated that at launch they will not be supporting digital formats however if there is sufficient demand DVI and/or HDMI will be available later.
At the IDF conference MS made a note that the Xbox360 is capable of outputting in HDMI and that an HDMI adapter might become available later in the console's life. It has yet to be proven whether or not the Xbox 360 is actually capable of digital video output."

If the 360 can output digital video, why would MS keep this quiet? Seems a bit bizzare to me.
 
Given the 360's general spec, it's time of release and the PC counterparts it would be hard to beleive it didn't have HDMI/DVI hardware in it (given that DVI has been around for 2-3+ years, and HDMI is DVI + digital audio, and we know that the 360 can do digital audio).

I suspect it's just down to the right connector for the 360, and MS just haven't said anything officially/concrete about it yet as they don't see a need to.
 
Kreeeee said:
These aren't compatible with HDCP (I think that's the acronym) enabled DVI ports on PC monitors are they?
Click to expand...

Probably not the hdcp spec wasn't finalised until after the 360 was released.
 
I wont be getting one HDMI port on TV already taken by Sky HD and DVI port already taken from DVD player with HDMI to DVI cable
 
MrMoon said:
I wont be getting one HDMI port on TV already taken by Sky HD and DVI port already taken from DVD player with HDMI to DVI cable
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Just get a HDMI splitter cable or switch box. I think switch boxes are a bit pricey though.
 
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