Gizmodo
If you recall, yesterday Microsoft released the latest update for the 360, this was the long awaited update that added 1080p capabilities to the console.
After a day of testing there are some particular strange things going on. People on the AVS forum are reporting that 1080p is not working with component or VGA cables on the Sony XBR2/XBR3 line of HDTVs, which are touted as some of the better 1080p HDTVs out. Also, before I get flamed, the XBR series can support 1080p over said cable, according to the manual.
We presume Microsoft just dropped the ball and fucked something up, but it is nice to think it was done purposely to spite Sony and the PS3. Read the full complaint after the jump.
Something fishy is going on with the 360's dashboard update from yesterday. Sony's XBR2/XBR3 line of televisions are pretty universally regarded as top of the line when it comes to 1080p displays, but despite that, the 360 will not display 1080p resolution, either with component cables or VGA. Via component, after selecting 1080p, the screen just turns to a distorted/static picture for a few seconds before reverting to 1080i. With VGA, the picture is severely cut off on both sides of the screen, and a prompt on the TV displays "Invalid Signal—Check Your PC Output." Several owners of the TV claim that it will NOT accept 1080p over component, so that should take care of that factor. However, there is no conceivable reason these two pieces of equipment shouldn't work together via VGA. Any other VGA device I've tested works fine on the set, and other competing sets (Samsung, Sharp) display the 360 in 1080p without any issu! es.I don't want to throw the blame out before more is known, but I will say the Sony has been out for several months now, and the dashboard update is about 12 hours old at this writing, so it seems like the ball is in Microsoft's court. The XBR2/3 series is extremely popular so I don't buy that Microsoft "didn't test it" with one of those sets. If MS did intentionally sabotage it, this is easily on par with any scummy activity in the video game industry this year. If they didn't intentionally sabotage it but knew of the issue beforehand and didn't say anything, it's not much better.
I'm anticipating some finger pointing here, but I don't care who did what. I want my damn $4000 TV and my damn $400 video game console to work together like they should. This kind of news doesn't exactly help anticipation for the 360's HD-DVD player, and these kinds of scumbag tactics don't help either side. If it's confusing to the hardcore, imagine what it's like to clueless consumers.
-Nick
AVS Forums Thread [Via Kotaku]
Comments
They prolly just need to use Monster Cables. Should fix the problem.
I remember when the original Xbox launched, people were having issues with 480p on Sony tube tv's.
Did they download the latest drivers for the tv?
You should always check that first.
Everyone's favorite culprit is now the Sync-on-Green functionality. Supposedly MS uses it but that Sony TV and a couple others don't support it.
That's why the VGA at 1920x1080 doesn't work on the TV ... that's the current theory anyway.
Sigh, most 1080p televisions cant accept 1080p via component, however, as msg007 stated, it could be drivers for the televisions. I would be more convinced of foul play if other 1080p televisions were tested as well to see if it works. If it doesn't, then its obviously the drivers. Someone should try hooking up their 360 via VGA to a 1920*1200 monitor and see what happens, too. If that doesn't work, than it is clearly the update having issues.
I think it's a bit early but predictable of Nick to assume MS is doing this on purpose.
I tried it on my Sony XBR800 34" HDTV which doesn't support 1080p just to see what would happen and it just went dark and switched back to the 1080i.
The TV doesn't support 1080p via the PC input. According to the manual for the KDS-55A2000 the max resolution the TV will accept via the PC input is 1360x768. The component inputs are listed as accepting 480i/p, 720p, and 1080i.
My Mitsubishi LT-37131 (1080p) HDTV accepts a 1080p signal via the DVI-I input, but only from a digital source, which VGA is not.
So I posit the question once more, which TVs can actually utilize this update?
I work at an AV company, and we've been testing the new XBR2/3 line in our office. The only way to display 1080p on the new Sony LCD's is using HDMI, and for HDMI -> DVI conversion, only on input 8 in back of the TV. Once you've made it that far, you'll probably need to update your video drivers. My nVidia 7800GT needed an update before it would ship 1080p. I don't know of a current TV which will display 1080p on anything other than the HDMI input. Total Bummer.
TWIST ON THE CONSPIRACY THEORY:
Maybe $ony, anticipating the 1080p standard to be used by Micro$oft, made their TVs incompatable with 360s by requiring extra drivers that are only contained on the PS3!!!
"They prolly just need to use Monster Cables. Should fix the problem."
You are kidding, right? ...I hope.
Hey all, they are correct in regards to the XBR Sony TV sets. A group of us have confirmed that the Sony XBR3 does not display the image. However the Sharp 37D90U does, therefore the update did work. I doubt the conspiracy about drivers has anything to do with this. And... just in case anyone out there cares, there was no noticeable difference between the 1080i and 1080p settings.
It is my monthly stupid question, folks: So, the Xbox 360 now supports 1080p. So? What does that mean? Are there actually games available that support 1080p? Does that mean the HD-DVD add-on will display in 1080p? I suspect the answer to both questions is 'no', which begs the question of why anyone would be concerned about hooking this thing up at 1080p? Is it simply so Xbox 360 owners can say to their PS3 owning friends 'well, yeah, mine outputs at 1080p, too!', or is their a real purpose to this madness?
Reiji - yes, I was kidding. I just thought it was an appropriate joke considering the post about Monster cables the other day.
I have no problem displaying 1920x1080 from a mac mini hooked up to a 46XBR3 via VGA.
it plays WMV movies in 1080p, because this update adds WMV support. not that anyone without a huge-ass RAID server has any room for 1080p movies, but I assure you bill gates, with all his money and whatnot, has a multi-petabyte server hooked to his 360, and watches movies in fill high-def. WITHOUT DRM.
Right, this is all part of Microsoft's brilliant plot to one-up Sony by making people who have already bought 360s angry at Sony because their 360 doesn't work.
You can get WMV-HD movies with some DVDs these days, and they almost always have 1080p support. I removed the DRM from them (I don't know why they bother - the license generator for it was on the DVD!) via FairUse4WM. Very nice on a 1080p screen! (But boo to Windows Media Player because the instant the mouse enters, it shrinks the image so the controls can be displayed. This is on a 1080p screen, not a 1920x1200 screen...).
Hmm.. My original XBox would never output proper game surround sound when connected to my Sony receiver. It would work when playing a DVD, though.
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