Xbox 360 : No Digital Output
I’ve mentioned it on PS3Blog several times. The Xbox 360 has no HDMI output. Or DVI output for that matter. And Firewire/iLink/IEEE1394 never even comes up. (It doesn’t have that either.)
Nope, the Xbox 360, which does all its internal processing digitally and creates a digital image to display, converts that image to analog for you. Then you can do whatever you want with it. Like convert it back to digital again.
What’s that? If you have a CRT, analog may not be so bad. A CRT is an inherently analog device. But what if you have a DLP, LCD, LCOS/SXRD/D-ILA, or plasma display? Those are all digital. Gosh, it would be nice if they could have a digital connection to the Xbox 360 for the highest possible quality of signal and gaming experience.
But no.
Cost, of course, is the culprit. Only 10% or so of homes have an HDTV, so why bother with a connection that less than 10% of homes can use? But still, it’s a shame. It Microsoft really believed that HD was the next thing, like they keep saying, they could at least give us the best means by which to display it.
Check out our new sister blog on Home Theater, HTBlog.net
November 28th, 2005 at 1:19 pm
Actually, it does support hdmi/dvi. But as you said, w/ 10% of the market to have such a connection, why spend the money on manufacturing it unless your marketing the console to just 10% of the market. I know I wouldn’t worry about 10% right now, but such a connection does exist. Do your research, fanboy…. but this is a blog… I guess you can preach whatever you want::
Link
November 28th, 2005 at 1:22 pm
Todd Holmdahl (Corporate Vice President of the Xbox Product Group at Microsoft): “Xbox 360 will support HD component video output, which is compatible with nearly every HD-ready TV on the market today. We’re poised to hit the sweet spot of the HD market at launch and as the market matures, and we will provide an HDMI for our customers when it makes sense. The reality is, you don’t need HDMI for HD gaming.”
November 28th, 2005 at 1:29 pm
Just being a blog doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t post factual information. I’ve had this exact argument before, and the fact is that the Xbox 360 does not currently support HDMI. Though Microsoft might add this support to the box in the future.
See my article at PS3Blog about HDMI on XBox 360.