UPDATED: 3/27/08

Judging by my own traffic patterns and given the number of questions I see on the Intartron, there’s much confusion regarding the Xbox 360 and its support of high definition. This has only increased recently with the release of the HD-DVD addon, the Elite models and the various dashboard updates. I’ve gathered the various pieces of information into one, easy-to-find, well-spidered place.

Q. Is it true that I have to use a high definition television with the Xbox 360?

A. This is false. The Xbox 360 supports many different connections to many types of televisions, from composite connections for standard televisions to component, VGA and, with an Xbox 360 Elite, HDMI connections for high definition televisions and computer monitors.

Q. Do all games for the Xbox 360 support high definition?

A. Yes, all games that are genuine Xbox 360 titles must support at least 720p. Every indication from Microsoft is that every game that is ever released for the platform must support at least 720p. Please note that some games render internally to a smaller framebuffer — most notoriously Project Gotham Racing 3 which renders to a 1024 by 600 framebuffer — so take this with a grain of salt.

Q. Do I need any kind of set-top box to play games in high definition on my Xbox 360?

A. No, you need no external hardware to enjoy Xbox 360 games in high definition. The only “extra” thing you’ll need is either the Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable, the Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable or the Xbox 360 HDMI AV Cable if you have an Xbox 360 Elite.

Q. I have an HDTV, I have an Xbox 360… how do I get high definition?

A. First you need to plug everything in. If you’re using the component HD AV cable you plug the red, green, and blue RCA cables into the respective inputs on your display. With the HDMI AV cable, plug in your HDMI cable. If you’re using the VGA HD AV cable, you’ll plug the single connector into the respective input.

If you’re using component, be sure to flip the switch on the Xbox connector side to the “HD” setting. If you don’t, you won’t get high definition resolutions available in the dashboard.

Once you’re plugged in, turn on the Xbox 360 and navigate to the System blade of the dashboard and go to the Console Settings. Here, select the Display option and choose the Resolution. The available resolutions depend on which cable you’ve installed.

Q. What about Xbox games like Halo and Halo 2 played via the backwards compatible mode? Will they be displayed in high definition?

A. Yes. Actually, all backward compatible games will be upscaled and support FSAA. That said, there is some confusion whether Bungie has done something additional with Halo and Halo 2 to have it actually render to a 1280×720 internal framebuffer instead of merely being upscaled. However, it is almost certain that it is only upscaled as direct questions to Bungie regarding the precise process have gone unanswered.

Q. Will games look terrible on anything but high definition televisions?

A. No, games will not look terrible on standard televisions. Given that the graphics in Xbox 360 games will have greater overall detail in terms of polygon counts and texture sizes, Xbox 360 games will almost certainly look better than games from previous generation consoles, even on standard televisions. As an example, Xbox games look considerably better than, say, Playstation 1 games due to the amount of detail the Xbox was capable of producing in comparison with the Playstation. Similarly, Xbox 360 is more capable of producing detail than any preceding console.

Q. Are all games displayed in widescreen or letterboxed on all displays?

Some games will be displayed in letterbox format on standard 4×3 displays. Game developers can choose to support widescreen and full screen in their games, it’s entirely up to them.

Q. Can I use my computer monitor as my display for the Xbox 360?

A. Yes, depending on the type of monitor you have. And you will likely be able to play games in high definition too. The Xbox 360 supports the following resolutions when using the VGA AV connector: 640×480, 848×480, 1024×768, 1280×720, 1280×768, 1280×1024, 1360×768, and 1920×1080. In order to use your monitor you will most likely need to purchase the Xbox 360 VGA HD Cable or the Xbox 360 HDMI AV Cable and connect it to the respective port on your monitor.

If you don’t have a free VGA port on your monitor, you will either need to switch back and forth or purchase a VGA switcher.

Support for 1920×1080 was added during the Fall Dashboard Update in October 2006. There are many reports of some incompatibilities with various nominally 1080p displays including the Dell 2405.

Q. What about my laptop? Can I plug the Xbox 360 into my laptop and use its screen?

A. No, you cannot plug the Xbox 360 into a laptop and use the screen. If you’re laptop has a video input, you can plug the composite cable from the Xbox 360 into it and view it, but it will not be in high definition making it likely worse than even a moderately sized standard television.

Q. But if I use my monitor, how will I get sound?

A. With speakers, of course . Both cable packages provide a pair of stereo RCA cables for standard stereo sound as well as an optical digital audio connection (optical digital audio cable not included). You will therefore need at least a set of powered, stereo speakers that accept a pair of standard stereo RCA connections or a fancier surround sound model (e.g. the Logitech z680) that can accept an optical input for the sophisticated gamer.

Another option if you have a sound card available on your PC is to use an external converter and plug the stereo sound output directly into the sound card. That way all of the sound from your Xbox 360 is routed through your computer’s standard sound interface.

Q. My HDTV only supports 1080i but I’ve heard that most games are programmed for 720p. Will I be able to play games in high definition?

A. Absolutely. Some HDTVs do not include a built-in scaler to handle non-native resolutions. The Xbox 360 has the needed built-in scaler that will scale the output to any resolution you need. In the case of HDTVs that only support 1080i, the game might render to an internal 720p frame buffer, but the output scaler will scale that output up to a 1080i signal that your HDTV can display. Yes, it will still be gorgeous. As an example, both ABC and ESPN-HD broadcast their high definition content in 720p, so if you’re receiving that content there’s scaling being done somewhere in your equipment chain.

Q. Do I need anything else to play DVDs from my Xbox 360 (like the DVD remote and dongle for the original Xbox)?

A. No, the Xbox 360 plays DVDs out of the box with no additional purchases required. You can control the DVD player with the game controllers, with the included media remote in the $399 Xbox 360 package, or with the expanded remote available separately.

Q. Does the Xbox 360 upscale standard DVD movies?

A. Absolutely, but only if you’re using the VGA or HDMI connection. During the so-called “Spring Dashboard Update” Microsoft enabled DVD upscaling over the VGA connection — and upscaling over HDMI has been there since the introduction of the HDMI AV cable — so if you’re using VGA or HDMI you’ll see movies in whatever resolution you’ve set in the dashboard. However, this is only over VGA or HDMI. Also, with Fall Dashboard Update, standard DVD movies will be upscaled to 1080p on displays that support it, again only over the VGA connection or the HDMI connection.

Q. What does the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player do for me?

A. Why, play HD-DVD movies, of course . The Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player is a software-based solution, meaning all of the decoding and other tasks are all performed on the 360’s triple-core processor. This has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s easy to update the software over Xbox Live if needed as compared to a hardware solution and it should be fairly flexible. It will, however, work the Xbox 360 harder than just about anything on the market as the entire process of using an HD-DVD in software is actually fairly complex, requiring 4.7 million lines of code solely for the HD-DVD processing.

You still use your built-in drive to play games on the Xbox 360. Microsoft continually states that they will not use the HD-DVD drive for game discs in the future. You’re welcome to play your standard DVDs in either the built-in drive or the HD-DVD drive, there’s no functional difference.

Note also that with the HD-DVD Consortium dropping out of the race, the HD-DVD player will eventually be most useful for holding cups and weighting down papers.

Q. What kind of resolution do I get out of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player?

A. Everything up to 1080p, depending on various factors. If you’re using the VGA or HDMI connection you’ll get up to 1080p on everything from games to standard DVDs to HD-DVDs. If you’re using component you’ll get up to 1080p on games, but only up to 1080i on HD-DVD movies and only up to 480p on standard definition DVDs.

Q. Can I use the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player to play my games?

A. No, all games are still played using the internal drive on your Xbox 360 console.

Q. Can I use the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player with my computer?

A. Yes, though it requires some work. Please see this reference for more information.

Q. Is the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player region-free?

A. For HD-DVD movies, yes as are all HD-DVD players. For standard DVDs, no. A lot of people were hoping the HD-DVD drive might provide a loophole to watch out-of-region standard definition movies on the Xbox 360. However, the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player assumes the region of the console itself when it comes to standard DVDs.

Q. Do games look that much better on an HDTV compared with a regular television? Is it worth the money?

A. Yes, most people that have experienced HDTV resolution would say it’s worth it. High definition television displays a 1280 x 720 progressive picture in 720p, a 1920 x 1080 interlaced picture in 1080i or a full 1920 x 1080 image in 1080p for up to six times the overall resolution compared with standard 480i. To make an example, think of playing a game on your computer in 640×480. That’s approximately like playing at standard resolution. Now change the resolution to 1280 x 720 or 1600 x 1200 (or 1920 x 1080 if you have it). The amount of information in the picture is vastly greater. In addition the connection technology used for high definition — component, VGA, or HDMI — is traditionally capable of transporting a clearer, sharper image than composite or S-video.

Q. Will there be an HDMI/DVI connection on the Xbox 360?

A. Yes, there already is one available on the Xbox 360 Elite models. The Xbox 360 Elite (black) comes with the HDMI cable bundled.

Q. Can I use an HDMI connection with my original (non Elite) Xbox 360?

A. No, HDMI is only supported on the Xbox 360 Elite model.

Q. Why not?

A. Microsoft hates you? No. The original Xbox 360 models didn’t support HDMI on the motherboard. The Elite models propagate the appropriate signals to the built-in HDMI port. The original models are completely incapable of this.

Q. Which cables support digital, multi-channel surround sound?

A. All of them except the composite cable have connections for an optical digital audio cable. The optical digital audio cable itself is not included in any package.

Q. Which cable should I get? Which one has better quality?

A. In general VGA and component are about the same in terms of picture quality. If you have an Xbox 360 Elite model, the HDMI connection, being a completely digital signal chain, will provide a better image especially at higher resolutions. In most cases the VGA or HDMI connection provides more options, especially when viewing movies on DVD or HD-DVD.

A special caveat about the VGA implementation: if you have an HDTV that only accepts a 1080i input signal, the VGA connection will not work for you. The 360 will not output a true 720p or 1080i HD signal over VGA, only computer resolutions of 640×480, 848×480, 1024×768, 1280×720, 1280×768, 1280×1024, 1360×768 and 1920×1080 (progressive).

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