Windows Media Center PC owners have it best, however: They can buy music online, record/pause/playback live HDTV feeds, and stream videos throughout the house.Īll Xbox 360 units offer CD-ripping and decent progressive-scan DVD playback capabilities as well. The prospect of beaming snapshots into the den may not excite you outright, but it beats going over family picture albums individually with each of your relatives the next time they come to visit. Photo viewing options are also possible, as are provisions for producing personalized slideshows complete with funky effects.
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(Provided, that is, you’ve sprung for a hard drive and aren’t trying to use tracks downloaded from iTunes, which are incompatible.) But more fun still is using Windows Media Connect software for your Windows XP desktop to beam over hit singles or albums into any room, then creating custom playlists or user-defined soundtracks for various games. Plug in a digital jukebox, PDA or PMP, and you can easily transfer music onto the console. Although, in fairness, we’ve yet to see scorch marks on our desk (or assault the neighbors’ kitty) so take such impressions with a grain of salt.Ĭonsider, for example, the unit’s built-in multimedia receiver capabilities. Systems seem to generate a lot of heat while in use as well, so be careful what you’ve got stacked on top of them. Holy crap – the thing’s so big and heavy you could use it to brain a cat. The only other major item worth mentioning in terms of physical/spatial details is the power supply itself. Powering it up or down can also be accomplished directly from the controller: Simply hold down the big X button in the center of the gamepad for a few seconds. You needn’t use the gigantic O-shaped button (a ring of light around which coincidentally designates which of one to four controllers are connected) on the Xbox 360’s front to turn the unit on/off either. Connection buttons and an infrared port also make it easy to synchronize with wireless gamepads and remote controls in seconds flat. Oh, and lest we forget, given that this is a next-gen console and all: The front-mounted ports are also used for attaching controllers. (Another, primarily intended for use with the wireless networking adapter, which clips right on, can be found around back.)
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Ditto for a pair of USB ports hidden behind a hinged flap, through which you can connect to and communicate with MP3 players, PDAs, digital cameras, laptops and other portable gadgets. Two memory card slots are present on the front of the machine. We’ll take a disaffected stance on the topic whether the option of popping off your console’s front and tricking it out with painted-on flames or looping swirls adds any value is entirely subjective. A dazzling array of further patterns and designs from Microsoft and its partners will be on offer soon too. Then again, face it – cream isn’t exactly a hue that fits instinctively with most home theater setups.ĭetachable faceplates, available in blue, silver, and woodgrain (each priced at $19.99) are also available for sake of system individualization. Measuring 3.3 (H) by 12.2 (W) by 10.2 (D) inches and weighing in at 7.7 lbs as opposed to Xbox’s 8.8 pound girth, it’s a slightly more attractive acquisition in terms of pure aesthetics. Capable of resting on its side or standing vertically on end – although, seriously, why bother – the unit’s smaller, albeit just barely than its boxy, black forerunner.
Which, ironically, is where Xbox 360 differs from all digital diversions that have come before: A scant few hundred dollars essentially buys you not a children’s toy or passing amusement, but honest-to-goodness high-end PC.įitting the all-white or “chill,” as designers call its frosty iPod-esque color, system into any entertainment center is easy enough. And, for that matter, the caliber of content users can expect from it. In the end, any console – even the most functionally versatile – is ultimately defined by the hands-on experience. Still, the facts, figures and feature lists don’t tell the whole story.
Ready to accept an Ethernet cable, 20GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g wireless networking adapter or cordless controller with equal ease, models are obviously manufactured with hardcore gamers’ and gadget freaks’ every need in mind. Custom playlist plotting, instant messaging, photo album features, connectivity with USB-compatible devices, and options for purchasing content on-demand? That’s a big 10-4.
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