Xbox Elite won't output Uncompressed/Lossless audio and deep color

[Nismobeach]

Amir spills the beans in Insider Thread

Hello everyone. Sorry for the late response. As I posted before, I was at a 2-day offsite with no net access (or time to use it!). Trying to catch up with all the questions asked.

Xbox 360 Elite supports HDMI 1.2 profile. For audio, you can select DD, DTS (at 1.5 Mbps), and WMA-Pro (Microsoft high fidelity multi-channel codec supported in some AVRs such as Pioneer). Since it is not based on 1.3, it will not support output of DD+ or TrueHD (even if it did, mixing would have been turned off).

PCM output is available but only for 2-channels (not 5.1). Please, please, don’t say you don’t like this. There is nothing you are going to say which we don’t know . Our goal was to provide a digital connection for video which people wanted for some of their TVs. And of course, single cable A/V connection. So if having analog video bothered you before, you can now use digital. If you lacked component/VGA on your TV, you are in business with Xbox 360 Elite.

Keep in mind that the spring software update for HD DVD substantially improves audio fidelity. Per above, you now have a choice of no less than three output formats.

If you are keen on having 5.1 PCM output, I recommend purchasing the Toshiba A2 player which after the price drop, will be much cheaper than Elite.

Answering other questions, both Xbox 360 Elite and current Xbox 360 units will have a spring (console) update which adds support for different video levels for VGA output (“7.5 IRE vs 0”). And as someone mentioned, using this setting you should be able to use computer monitors in addition to TVs with resolutions all the way up to 1080p with high fidelity and no issues with HDCP handshaking. So for current users, I highly recommend trying this update with your VGA connection to see if it does the job for you. Note that this is a console update and will work for both games and of course, HD DVD. The HD DVD software update is separate from this (and will be available on both Xbox Live and xbox.com).

On output video format, Xbox 360 Elite will perform a handshake and select the appropriate RGB/YUV settings over HDMI. You cannot select it yourself.

The spring HD DVD software update will fix all the lip sync issues that have been reported/we know of.

There is no support for the WMV-HD disc format but of course, you can put WMV files on discs and Xbox 360 will play them.

Lack o' HDMI 1.3 means lack 'o deep color support as well. Go.....S**tbox Elite!

[shido]

Originally Posted by Nismobeach

Amir spills the beans in Insider Thread



Lack o' HDMI 1.3 means lack 'o deep color support as well. Go.....S**tbox Elite!

And here I thought the Elite would at least allow TrueHD on 360. Oops, I guess Microsoft overlooked that one. I bet in the next 6 months we're gonna see a Super Elite model... lol But seriously, there's no real benefit from having HDMI, no built in wifi or HD-DVD drive, you still gotta buy a play and charge kit, and to top it off, they still haven't made the transition to 65nm CPU, nor have they changed the obnoxious DVD drive. I don't feel so bad about getting mine earlier anymore.

[Shin-Ra]

Microsoft are doing a great job of proving PS3's excellent design and value for money now.

[MrBogey]

Originally Posted by shido

nor have they changed the obnoxious DVD drive

Actually I believe in December they phased out the old drive for a quieter one.

[shido]

Originally Posted by MrBogey

Actually I believe in December they phased out the old drive for a quieter one.

Well that sucks. I got my 360 replaced in December, and it still has that obnoxious drive.

[BOSS10L]

Why should we be surprised?

My 360 Premium is looking better every day....

[Blu Tiger]

Originally Posted by Nismobeach

Lack o' HDMI 1.3 means lack 'o deep color support as well. Go.....S**tbox Elite!

What is deep color support?

[Blu Tiger]

looked it up:

Q: What is meant by the term “Deep Color™” and why is it important?
Deep Color™ lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors allowing consumers to enjoy unprecedented vividness and accuracy of color on their displays. Deep Color™ eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors. It enables increased contrast ratio, and can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by Nismobeach

Amir spills the beans in Insider Thread
Lack o' HDMI 1.3 means lack 'o deep color support as well. Go.....S**tbox Elite!

No TrueHD.
No DD+
No auto lipsync
No deep color
No 7.1
No PCM for 5.1

Um..what exactly is the benefit for the consumer again?

The only benefit is so they can say they have HDMI "just like the PS3" but the 360 consumers don't really have the HDMI benefits at all.

Just more efforts to pull the wool over peoples eyes. Hello? The competition has all those capabilities you don't have in ALL of their SKU's - not good enough.

Part of his solution is go and buy a standalone HD-DVD for movies..because the HD-DVD add-on isn't good enough I guess .. too funny.. of course that doesn't help for next gen games either and it's at odds with the PS3 is too expensive mantra being touted...oh boy.

So now a MS insider is telling those original owners not only do they need to buy a new 360 to get HDMI but the HD-DVD add-on they bought doesn't benefit from it anyway so go buy a standalone HD-DVD player as well .. if you don't like it tough. What customer service.

[Rio]

Microsoft -- provideing good enough solutions, not cutting edge solutions

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by Rio

Microsoft -- provideing good enough solutions, not cutting edge solutions

Microsoft - not providing good enough solutions intentionally to wring more money out of people
Sony - providing reliable and better solutions at a lower cost to save you money

You know it's funny the "cutting" edge solutions provided by Sony are more reliable than the "proven" unreliable M$ technology

Cheers.

[Steverhcp02]

is HDMI 1.3 a spec that only uses a variable in the putside product IE PS3 or 360, is there a way to check if my TV's HDMI is 1.3 or 1.2 or is it simply the accessories outputing 1.3 or 1.2?

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Steverhcp02

is HDMI 1.3 a spec that only uses a variable in the putside product IE PS3 or 360, is there a way to check if my TV's HDMI is 1.3 or 1.2 or is it simply the accessories outputing 1.3 or 1.2?

It's almost certain your set doesn't have HDMI 1.3. I don't think there is one yet.

Look for sets supporting xvYCC. HDMI 1.3 supports the meta data to indicate to the set the signal is xvYCC instead of normal YCrCb.

Gary

EDIT: The other thing that probably would indicate HDMI 1.3 is support for "deep colour".

[blitz6speed]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

It's almost certain your set doesn't have HDMI 1.3. I don't think there is one yet.

Look for sets supporting xvYCC. HDMI 1.3 supports the meta data to indicate to the set the signal is xvYCC instead of normal YCrCb.

Gary

So far, only Epsons 1080p projectors are HDMI 1.3. I do not know of any other display device using it.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

So far, only Epsons 1080p projectors are HDMI 1.3. I do not know of any other display device using it.

48-bit colour. Sweeeeet.

[Steverhcp02]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

It's almost certain your set doesn't have HDMI 1.3. I don't think there is one yet.

Look for sets supporting xvYCC. HDMI 1.3 supports the meta data to indicate to the set the signal is xvYCC instead of normal YCrCb.

Gary

EDIT: The other thing that probably would indicate HDMI 1.3 is support for "deep colour".

So when i hook up my HDMI i wont get the lossless audio regardless?

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Steverhcp02

So when i hook up my HDMI i wont get the lossless audio regardless?

Hook up to what?

HDMI 1.3 is backwards compatible. So, LPCM output over HMDI gives you lossless audio. That can be the direct LPCM, or a decoded TrueHD or DTS-HD MA.

HDMI 1.3 also adds the ability to send the undecoded lossless codec streams to a receiver.

Gary

[Blackraven]

I do hope that by next year, they would have already shifted to the 65nm processor chips (they should've done it with the upcoming launch of this 'Elite' version).

I still won't forgive MS though for only using HANA scaler chips with only HDMI 1.2a (and not 1.3a) that's for sure.

[Steverhcp02]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Hook up to what?

HDMI 1.3 is backwards compatible. So, LPCM output over HMDI gives you lossless audio. That can be the direct LPCM, or a decoded TrueHD or DTS-HD MA.

HDMI 1.3 also adds the ability to send the undecoded lossless codec streams to a receiver.

Gary

My HDTV via PS3, since my TV doesnt have HDMI 1.3 will i still get truHD audio via the HDMI?

Im just really uninformed on the audio aspect of HD or HDMI.

[Blu Tiger]

Originally Posted by kiddtigger

looked it up:

Q: What is meant by the term “Deep Color™” and why is it important?
Deep Color™ lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors allowing consumers to enjoy unprecedented vividness and accuracy of color on their displays. Deep Color™ eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors. It enables increased contrast ratio, and can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

In order to take advantage of deep color, wouldn't you need a moniter that is capable of displaying billions of colors?