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[Docpan]

They've been very iffy on the subject since before launch. In interviews dating as far back as June, they said they would release the HDMI cable, but not at launch.

Now there's still no official word, but many sites have a listing for it, such as Lik-Sang. http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=319&products_id=8540

The reason why it's important to me is because my home theater setup has run out of component inputs, and I have the option of either plunking down near $200 bucks for a quality switcher, or waiting for MS to release a damn HDMI cord, which would end up costing me a hell of a lot less.

It just doesn't make sense to me why they'd release a VGA cable but not HDMI...

 

[Wunderchu]

in terms of if it will actually be released.. these statements are from Team Xbox 's Xbox 360 FAQ:

Does the Xbox 360 support DVI or HDMI?

At the moment, Microsoft does not plan to offer a DVI or HDMI pack, but it may be available in the future. Todd Holmdahl, Corporate Vice President of the Xbox Product Group at Microsoft, elaborated, “We’re poised to hit the sweet spot of the HD market at launch and as the market matures, we will provide an HDMI for our customers when it makes sense. The reality is, you don’t need HDMI for HD gaming.” To read the complete interview, click here.

.. which kinda' may have been what you were referring to, saying "In interviews dating as far back as June..."






my pure speculation: I have a feeling that it might release to coincide with the release of the HD-DVD add-on, since I think alot of ppl will want to use HDMI for that .....

 

[Master Z]

pure speculation: I have a feeling that it might release to coincide with the release of the HD-DVD add-on, since I think alot of ppl will want to use HDMI for that .....

I think HDMI is required for HD movie playback due to copy protection.

 

[Jonnyram]

People keep saying the 360 doesn't have digital output, so HDMI wouldn't be possible in that case.

 

[meltpotato]

how could HDMI be possible? wouldnt it already have to be on the unit?

Or is this to mean a hardware revision? either way, seems like a fucked up situation...

 

[Wunderchu]

how could HDMI be possible? wouldnt it already have to be on the unit?

Or is this to mean a hardware revision? either way, seems like a fucked up situation...

it wouldn't need to be on the unit .... just need a cable .. However, if the fact that Xbox 360 doesn't output digitally is true.. then they would also need to have a DAC included as part of the cable

 

[Stinkles]

the GC component cable had (perversely) a DAC converter built-in. Same thing could be done to any analog HD output. And the Xbox 360 form factor for cables makes an ideal platform for it.

 

[Yusaku]

Yeah, someone was saying that the 360 uses an analog scaler, making HDMI impossible. Who knows how true that is, though.

 

[Kleegamefan]

My guess is: USB connectivity to HD-DVD "strap on pack" which will have its own PSU and HDMI outputs.....in other words, external PC HD-DVD ROM drive (with snazzy X360 styling) for the win...although Stinkles idea also makes sense too...

 

[hooo]

it woudln't need to be on the unit .... just need a cable .. However, if the fact that Xbox 360 doesn't output digitally is true.. then they would also need to have a DAC included as part of the cable

So you're saying that the 360 would output analog, and the DAC on the cable would convert that to digital? If that's the case, not only would it be pointless, but it would also wouldn't be secure which means no HD-DVD.

Since MS has mentioned a possible HD-DVD addon, that means there has to be some way to get an HDCP encoded signal out of the unit that is never converted to analog.

 

[Wunderchu]

So you're saying that the 360 would output analog, and the DAC on the cable would convert that to digital? If that's the case, not only would it be pointless, but it would also wouldn't be secure which means no HD-DVD.

it wouldn't necessarily mean no HD-DVD .. AFAIK, HD-DVD outputting in analogue is OK .. (but the signal may need to be 'down-converted' for security reasons; http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6300812.html )

 

[Kleegamefan]

So you're saying that the 360 would output analog, and the DAC on the cable would convert that to digital? If that's the case, not only would it be pointless, but it would also wouldn't be secure which means no HD-DVD.

Since MS has mentioned a possible HD-DVD addon, that means there has to be some way to get an HDCP encoded signal out of the unit that is never converted to analog.

Well, since there will probably never be any HD-DVD ROM *games* for the X360, that opens up the possibility the strap-on pack could be, in essence, a self contained DVD/HD-DVD movie player with its own power supply.....in this case, 720p X360 games (which don't need to be encrypted) would be output via component or VGA from the X360 itself to the TV....

Conversely, upscaled DVDs/HD-DVDs (HDCP encryped content) would be output directly from the strap-on pack which is also connected to your TV, albiet via HDMI


A USB connection between the two could be used for various data streaming and also as an excuse not to buy a stand alone Toshiba player

 

[inpHilltr8r]

So the strap on would use the X360 as, err, a stand?

 

[rastex]

So the strap on would use the X360 as, err, a stand?

No, software processing to decode the stream. The decoded stream goes back across the cable and is output by the strap-on. And that's most likely how they're going to offer HDMI. If there really is only analog video output (I'm still not convinced of that) then the cable directly from the 360 will include a DAC... which is quite stupid, but whatever. And the HD-DVD drive will have its own video output.

Sooo the ridiculousness of that setup (TWO video outputs from the same dame device?) leads me to believe that video can be output digitally some way from the 360. It'd just be too stupid not to.

 

[AgentOtaku]

The reason why it's important to me is because my home theater setup has run out of component inputs, and I have the option of either plunking down near $200 bucks for a quality switcher....

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6033758&type=product&id=1064000347511

Im getting this unit myself

8 components
3 optical audio
3 ethernet
changable faceplates
etc...

all for $99!

 

[Argyle]

No, software processing to decode the stream. The decoded stream goes back across the cable and is output by the strap-on. And that's most likely how they're going to offer HDMI. If there really is only analog video output (I'm still not convinced of that) then the cable directly from the 360 will include a DAC... which is quite stupid, but whatever. And the HD-DVD drive will have its own video output.

Sooo the ridiculousness of that setup (TWO video outputs from the same dame device?) leads me to believe that video can be output digitally some way from the 360. It'd just be too stupid not to.

Some back of the napkin calculations (I'm sure someone will correct my mistakes...)...

For a hypothetical 1080p30 stream, uncompressed video coming back from the Xbox would be

1920 * 1080 * 3 (assuming 24 bit RGB, or maybe some kind of YUV format, but generally assuming 24 bits per pixel) * 30 = 186,624,000 bytes/sec

USB 2.0 bandwidth is max 480 mbits/sec (or 60MB/sec) so there's not enough bandwidth to send the video back to the strap-on pack via USB.

I'm pretty convinced that there's no digital video output on the 360 - although maybe there is more than just analog video on the video port (it just isn't DVI/HDMI), we just don't know about it yet...

 

[aaaaa0]

I'm pretty convinced that there's no digital video output on the 360 - although maybe there is more than just analog video on the video port (it just isn't DVI/HDMI), we just don't know about it yet...

Who knows for sure (I don't), but there's a damn lot of pins on the A/V connector for it just to be analog video.

 

[cybamerc]

the GC component cable had (perversely) a DAC converter built-in. Same thing could be done to any analog HD output.

The difference being that the GC output was actually digital whereas the Xbox 360 output is analog. Sure you can convert the analog signal to digital but it seems kinda pointless. It also wouldn't solve the problem of how to extract a HD signal from the external HD-DVD drive.

HD era indeed.

I'm sure a 3. party will eventually release such a cable or converter though.