Gizmodo
If you haven't already, go grab your Xbox 360 Dashboard update now. With it brings 1080p support over component and VGA, HD DVD player support, WMV streaming from WMP11, file playback from external storage, and much much more.
Check out the big list of updates after the jump.
New Features
- HD 1080p video mode support over VGA and component cables.
- Xbox 360 HD DVD Player support.
- Stream WMV video from a Windows PC running Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect.
- Play video from storage devices such as USB flash drives, Xbox 360 Memory Units, etc.
- Play video from CD or DVD data discs.
- Xbox 360 Wireless Headset support, including battery level indicator in the Xbox Guide.
- Video support for 50 Hz HDTV modes (DVD and HD DVD only).
- Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel support.
- Set up automatic downloads of newly released Xbox Live Arcade trial games.
- Support for upcoming release of XNA Game Studio Express (separate download and subscription required.)
- Stream music, pictures and video from a Zune device.
Xbox Live Arcade
- Lightning-fast enumeration and listing of all Xbox Live Arcade games on the console.
- Find games quickly with two new sort options: Recently Played and By Category.
- Have all new Xbox Live Arcade games at the ready with auto downloads. Auto downloads optionally adds newly released trial versions of games to active downloads when you enter Xbox Live Arcade.
- View full achievement info in Xbox Live Arcade, including icons, achievement point details, and descriptions.
- Friends leaderboard: Compare yourself with friends and view leaderboard details right from the Xbox dashboard.
- Tell a friend: Send a message to a friend about your newest favorite Xbox Live Arcade game.
DVD Player
- Optionally disable notifications from Xbox Live while watching DVD movies.
- Improved support for audio streams on incorrectly authored DVDs.
- Better handling of unreadable discs.
- Updated count-down timer.
- HD DVD player support.
- Added zoom support for non-anamorphic content.
- Added support to Family Settings to block Unrated Content.
Video Player
- Improved support for extended all black scenes in WMV content.
- Added support for Windows Media Video 9 Advanced profile video.
- Screen saver now becomes active when videos are paused.
- Now shares UI and player controls with DVD player.
- Improved video playback while downloading from Xbox Live.
- Added skip controls (forward approx. 30 seconds, back approx. 7 seconds).
- Improved messaging around unplayable video content.
- Added time elapsed and time remaining displays.
- Improved playback of high bit-rate HD content on fragmented hard drives.
- Improved visual quality of video playback.
- Added selectable display modes: default and letterbox zoom.
Localization
- New locale setting for China.
- Improved German translations in console settings.
- Improved German translations in memory area.
- Improved Japanese translations in Family Settings.
- Added localized text for all supported languages in pictures area.
- Improved Spanish translations in camera effects.
- Improved locale-specific decimal denominators.
- Added localization support for title menu and main menu in the DVD player.
- Added localization support for "Attempting to Read Media" system message.
Memory Area
- Added support for Xbox 360 HD DVD Player content.
- Added new page for viewing content size by category.
Other System Improvements
- Updated support for new Daylight Savings changes coming in 2007.
- Improved support for games to better handle host migration in multi-player matches.
- Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support for changing room lighting while zooming.
- Background downloaded videos appear in video area.
- Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support while using VGA.
- Playing photo slideshows from PC now maintains picture folder hierarchy.
- Improved user experience when playing and deleting videos from the Games or Media areas.
- Improved handling of invalid characters during Xbox Live signup.
- Better handling of watermarks in gamer cards.
- Improved text for Windows Media Connect.
- Improved UI performance in Media Center Extender.
- Improved connection support for Buffalo WZR-G108 wireless router when using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
- Redownload of deleted Arcade Games no longer re-enumerates all games on the Arcade page.
- Improved visual display of text in themes.
- Improved support for CD playback after signing up for Xbox Live and losing network connectivity.
- Improved support for long names of items memory area.
- Improved handling of gamer pictures downloaded from Xbox Live.
- Improved background download notifications when downloading many small items from Xbox Live.
- Improved support for custom backgrounds after returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the Account Management area.
- Improved network reliability between Windows Media Center Extender on Windows Vista and Xbox 360 consoles using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
- Improved voice chat quality in Xbox Dashboard and in-game chats.
- Improved messaging when failing to connect to Windows Media Center Extender.
- Improved USB keyboard support when using a USB hub.
- Improved consistency of user experience when deleting various types of content.
- Improved handling of low storage space for background downloads.
- Improved handling of Picture streaming from attached Digital Cameras over MTP protocol
- Improved error messaging for optional iPod support download when storage devices are full.
- Improved handling of multi-key repeating for USB keyboards.
- Expanded Family Settings to include support for blocking unrated DVDs and videos.
- Added ability to clear space from storage devices in download areas.
- Added support for low-speed and full-speed USB keyboards.
- Improved CapsLock behavior for USB keyboards.
- Improved look and feel in Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade areas.
- Added redeem code option to Xbox Live signup.
- Removed system message at the start of new downloads. Messages will be displayed for completed items.
- Added support for CCV credit card validation field in Xbox Live Marketplace purchase areas.
- Updated "More Information" instructions in the Xbox Dashboard for connecting an Xbox 360 console to a Windows PC to stream digital media content.
- Added auto-scroll to long text descriptions in Xbox Dashboard UI.
- Improved support for DVD insertion while playing a video file.
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Xbox 360 Updated [Crunchgear]
Comments
all your base...
okay.... so they're offering 1080p over VGA/Component cables... sounds more like a bid to try to say "we offer it too" before the PS3 comes out. Exactly how many receivers/tvs actually support 1080p over non HDMI/DVI connections? I don't think even the PS3 is going to actually output games at 1080p over it's HDMI connector, given the amount of processing power/bandwith required to push 4x the amount of data vis-a-vis 1080i.
Further, even with the HD-DVD upgrade that's supposed to be coming out soon, didn't the MPAA and the DVD consortium agree that HDCP had to be in place for the higher levels of HD-quality video? Last time I checked, VGA and component connections didn't offer that... was this "upgrade" feature actually a feature, or just bragging rights developed by the marketing people -- with no foundation in practical application. It's a real shame since the rest of the improvements they've put in this patch seem to actually be just that -- an improvement.
I'm really happy to see this update. The streaming using only the windows media connect was a pleasant surprise. I actually went through the headache of installing Media Center on my file server about a month ago, but due to the system's low specs, the results were not all that great.
This update will allow me to use my powerhouse desktop system to stream video to my 360, which will be really helpful for those times when my Comcast DVR acts up and doesn't record a show I had scheduled.
Its easy to hate Microsoft, but sometimes they do deliver.
ever since XP came out ive HATED microsoft, but when i bought my 360 my views of them changed. This update took the 360 to a new height, i can play my downloaded movies from my external hardrive on my television!! thank you microsoft! PSSST... i would still buy a mac over a windows based computer any day tho... :)
Thank god for not having to wait a full minute for my arcade games to load.
So does anybody have a list of the TVs that actually support 1080p via component? Or even via VGA (I know some TVs that will have a DVI-I port that will accept a 1080p signal from a digital source, but VGA is analog)...
in response to xxenclavexx,
All your base are belong to us.
Mmmm....video-streaming-tastic.
Now, at last, my 360 can stream HD Porn (you're damned right it's available, and has been for some time).
Lets see the Sony PoS3 do THAT!
Does anyone else have the problem of when they use their iPod as a disk drive to play videos, the 360 doesnt connect it?
Seeing as i use my iPod for everything storage related, its a bit of a piss take i have to use a 1GB stick rather than my 30GB iPod.
I finally got the Vista Beta to work on my computer and the Windows Media Center it comes with works GREAT on my 360. This update makes everything run even more smoothly. The download thing for the arcade games is a little lame though...
I would buy an xbox360 if the price lowers to 200 dollars or get one used....xbox live is gone forever, cause playing online is fun, but not when you have to pay monthly.
Yeah man those $4 a month could really be better spent.
Yeah! 14 cents a day for unlimited online gaming is utterly rediculous! I could be using that money on..... (sorry couldn't think of anything I can actually get for 14 cents.)
Dammit, still not a more robust video codec pack. C'mon microsoft.
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