Fully Tested: The Xbox 360 Elite’s HDMI Video is the Best

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When the Elite show up sooner today , I make up one’s mind to burn to the chase and try the only affair that weigh on it : the HDMI yield . It ’s not a new cabinet . Almost everything about the Xbox 360 in bloodless stands unfeigned for the Elite : It theoretically does n’t draw cool , or quieter , or quicker , and you ’ve already seenthe stunner shots , videos , guttings , and more weeks ago .

Do n’t allow the black paint problem distract you ; the only matter you involve to postulate is if it improves the video quality . After seven hours of examination , with standard definition DVDs , HD DVDs , benchmark discs , WMV movies from Marketplace , game , and even photos , I have my verdict :

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The XBox Elite ’s HDMI output signal is the best around for all the formats I mentioned above .

Should you buy it ?

Gamers who have an Xbox 360 ? No !

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Videophiles count for an HD videodisk player ? No !

Videophiles expect to get into the Xbox springy video marketplace ? Yes , but know that this bitch is still loud .

cat like me who are gamers and telecasting flake ? Ya , this is for you . The fact that all that video and sound recording is being piped through a single HDMI cable is a bonus . And this is confirm by only one other Xbox elect proprietor , but I swear it ’s a touch cooler and quieter , but those differences could come from the quondam unit ’s worn buff bearings , and junk on heatsinks causing unreasonable heat retention . It ’s a washing .

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It ’s kind of technical , but if you really want to recognise why the HDMI is skillful , record on .

have ’s start with video . Playing back the Xbox 360 Marketplace drone of 300 ( 720p ) , I paused and photographed the WMV file at similar timestamps , and compared constituent and HDMI output of both using a Canon 30D DSLR : Shadow detail was better with the HDMI .

Then I ran through the HD videodisk player , using Tokyo Drift and the newly minted HQV Silicon Optics test disc — the rigorous test disc benchmarks bear witness the same flaw on both the HDMI and Component yield . Jaggies That means the video processor between the older and newer Xbox is likely monovular , or of selfsame quality . That ’s the processor , though . This is n’t a gamy - close HD DVD player . As for the outputs and what I saw with my own optic and confirmed with my camera . The HDMI ’s slightly better tail particular show itself . That item might be lost on a lesser idiot box or the untrained center . But recollect that the portion cables are limited to 1080i . So HDMI win at full 1080p with no compromise , but with VGA cable you have a drawing card .

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Then I move to the standard def HQV tests , which is a moot mental testing : The ingredient cables ca n’t upscale stock - def DVDs . They run at 480p , no matter what . The upscaling you ’d see is being handle by the television . We ’re really test the TV , not the component output . HDMI win , with another tie for VGA .

bring game , Command and Conquer and Virtua Tennis yielded no differences between the 1080p sign of all three cable — except the strange washed out colors that the VGA cables sometimes show ( GRAW and Gears of War , for starters ) . The HDMI again has that shadow detail hike that fare up over and over again . HDMI wins for a better scene , even though all cable do the 1080p dance with games .

photo . I loaded up some 1920 x 1080 images onto a thumbdrive and did back - to - back examination of both color bar and holiday photos . This is where the HDMI ’s fantasm details were most apparent . It ’s worth nothing that most LCDs and only some plasmas are going to have the great tincture item that this Aquos does . So a lesser television receiver will either do good from the low-down - end picture cost increase , or it ’ll miss it whole . Depends .

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But between that trivial hike , the unfitness for the analogue element cables to a ) upscale DVDs b ) do full 1080p output on HD videodisc , HDMI beat it . And while the VGA cables are capable of 1080p for HD videodisk and are subject of upscaling DVDs , the reported colour egress should give you pause . HDMI wins with no compromises .

Caveats : For all tests , the TV , a Sharp Aquos 52 - in 92 serial publication , had specify preferences on standard , dot - by - dot mathematical function , noise reduction off . The camera ’s pic was the same for both side - by - side shots .

It ’s potential the video had a unlike calibration for its constituent inputs versus its HDMI unity , but then that has to be the case on the plasma I tested it with for a bit .

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