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http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2005/tc20051201_142613.htm

Xbox: A Winner Only at Games
The 360's graphics are fantastic, but despite Microsoft's Media Center ambitions, the device isn't ready to rule the living room

The Xbox 360, released to frenzied hordes of buyers on Nov. 22, is charged with a dual mission for Microsoft. Coming out several months ahead of Sony's (SNE) PlayStation 3, the new Xbox is aimed at letting Microsoft (MSFT) dominate the game-console market as well as giving the company control over the digital living room. It is more likely to succeed at the former than the latter.

NETWORKING. It is important to Microsoft that the new Xbox integrate well into the living room or family room because it's the vanguard of the company's latest charge into digital entertainment. In addition to playing games, the Xbox 360 serves as a DVD player and, when networked to a Windows Media Center PC, can display photos or play music stored on the PC and even show live or recorded TV.

The heart of Microsoft's vision is a PC running Windows XP Media Center Edition, which can dispatch music, photos, live or recorded TV, or other videos to different devices on your home network. The new Xbox fits right in, pulling TV signals from your PC, for example, and showing them on any screen. It's simple to set up, and you can get it connected in less than five minutes. Although video quality suffers a bit from the compression required for moving it on the network, it's not bad, even over wireless -- provided you have a strong signal.

There are some shortcomings: The Xbox makes a racket -- especially its cooling fan. This is O.K. during game play but not when you're watching TV or listening to music. Worse,there are some basic flaws in Microsoft's grand vision. Media Center has very limited ability to handle high-definition programming. And if you have the Xbox sitting there next to your HD display and cable or satellite set-top box, you don't need the expensive Media Center setup.

Microsoft may be overreaching in its ambitions for the new Xbox, but it's really about the games: The company expects to sell 3 million or so of them in the next month.

Overall they are impressed by the graphics and the games, but not the media features due to Microsoft's self imposed limitations. Also, seems like it's loud enough that they found it worthy to mention. They must have gotten their hands on one of the noisy models (?) Haven't heard one yet so I don't know.

 

[Sathsquatch]

I thought that it was only loud when it was playing games?

 

[Redbeard]

When you're not playing a game it's very quiet.

 

[Speevy]

Well, I think MS will take just ruling the video game market, if even that's a realistic goal.

 

[xsarien]

Well, I think MS will take just ruling the video game market, if even that's a realistic goal.

It really isn't, but I'm sure it's a nightly dream of Allard's.

 

[Tenacious-V]

Hmmm, were they watching a dvd or something? Cause with my system the damn thing is pretty much completely silent if the drive isn't givin er during gameplay.... The fans are quiet, it's the dvd drive that's loud to me.

 

[fartblast]

typical article paid for by sony

 

[xsarien]

typical article paid for by sony

 

[AniHawk]

typical article paid for by sony

YOU FANBOY

 

[VALIS]

How odd is it that corporate establishment news sources like FoxNews and NY Post and MSNBC and Business Week are giving 360 a tough time, yet typically big-business skeptical alternate/liberal pubs like The Village Voice and the NY Times have been giving it the thumbs up? Well, that makes this lib happy, anyway.

IF YOU BASH THE 360, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE BILL O'REILLY!!!1

 

[Deg]

How odd is it that corporate establishment news sources like FoxNews and MSNBC and Business Week are giving 360 a tough time, yet typically big-business skeptical alternate/liberal pubs like The Village Voice and the NY Times have been giving it the thumbs up? Well, that makes this lib happy, anyway. IF YOU BASH THE 360, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE BILL O'REILLY!!!1

Oh my...

 

[VALIS]

Oh my...

I'm half kidding around here, but the details have been true, oddly enough. FoxNews, MSNBC, NY Post, Business Week = generally negative articles. NY Times, Village Voice = generally positive articles.

 

[neptunes]

They were singing the PSP's praises just a little while ago

 

[Joe]

i definitely have a loud model. when im in the dashboard i still hear it...a lot.

 

[HokieJoe]

I'm half kidding around here, but the details have been true, oddly enough. FoxNews, MSNBC, NY Post, Business Week = generally negative articles. NY Times, Village Voice = generally positive articles.

Well, Fox has a stake in this battle.

It's called Bluray.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

pff my modded xbox has better features than 360

 

[Mrbob]

I must have a magical 360.

I can't hear the system at all unless I have everything turned off and I set about 2 feet away. Then I can hear the fan. Otherwise it is quiet.

 

[cvxfreak]

For me, the fan ain't quiet but it ain't that noisy either.

 

[Rhindle]

Do the dumbest, sloppiest reporters on the staff always get assigned to write about games? Every other sentence in the article is flat-out wrong.

In addition to playing games, the Xbox 360 serves as a DVD player and, when networked to a Windows Media Center PC, can display photos or play music stored on the PC

Uh, no, you don't need a Media Center PC for that.

Although video quality suffers a bit from the compression required for moving it on the network.

No it doesn't, and there's no additional compression involved.

There are some shortcomings: The Xbox makes a racket -- especially its cooling fan. This is O.K. during game play but not when you're watching TV or listening to music.

The system is virtually inaudible when "watching TV or listening to music."

Worse,there are some basic flaws in Microsoft's grand vision. Media Center has very limited ability to handle high-definition programming.

What the hell does that mean? It's the most capable HD recording system on the market right now.

And if you have the Xbox sitting there next to your HD display and cable or satellite set-top box, you don't need the expensive Media Center setup.

Unless you want to record or play back an HD signal on your HD set, in which case you samn well do nedia the media center setup.

Microsoft may be overreaching in its ambitions for the new Xbox, but it's really about the games: The company expects to sell 3 million or so of them in the next month.

Uh no, they expect to sell that many in the next quarter, not the next month.

 

[TheDuce22]

Do the dumbest, sloppiest reporters on the staff always get assigned to write about games? Every other sentence in the article is flat-out wrong.

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Is that a popular website?