Posts
New Xbox 360 250GB
Sphere: Related Content
 Xbox 360 250GB |  Xbox 360 Elite |  Xbox 360 Arcade |
| Price | $299.99 | $249.99 (while supplies last) | $149.99 (while supplies last) |
| Color | Glossy black | Matte black | Matte white |
| HDD | Proprietary 250GB SATA | Proprietary 120GB SATA | None (256-512MB flash) |
| Dimensions | 10.6 x 2.95 x 10.39 in. | 12 x 3 x 10 in. | 11.5 x 3 x 10 in. |
| Weight | 6.3 lb. | 7.7 lb. | 7 lb. (approx) |
| Power | 135W | 175W (Falcon), 150W (Jasper) | 175W (Falcon), 150W (Jasper) |
| Wireless | 802.11n | Optional adapter | Optional adapter |
| Ports | HDMI, combo A/V, S/PDIF, LAN, Kinect, USB x5 | HDMI, combo A/V, LAN, USB x3, HDD x1, MU x2 | HDMI, combo A/V, LAN, USB x3, HDD x1, MU x2 |
| Bundle | Wireless controller, composite A/V cable, headset | Wireless controller, composite A/V cable, ethernet cable, headset | Wireless controller, composite A/V cable |
Though the new unit and all its accessories are technically labeled "Xbox 360 S," you'll never hear Microsoft marketers call it a Slim, and it turns out there's a pretty good reason for that. While the new Xbox 360 is 18 percent lighter, it's only a quarter-inch slimmer than its predecessor at the waist, and is practically the same width as the old unit measured at its widest point. Even as its stature has decreased 12 percent, the new Xbox 360 is deeper than the Elite. See the gallery below for comparison shots, but you can basically think about it this way -- Microsoft's taken its rectangular console and molded it into a square.
Perusing the outside of the unit, however, there are a number of pleasant surprises in store, including a dedicated optical audio jack (though the one embedded in older A/V cables works just as well), capacitive touch buttons and a snazzy new hard drive port. Since Microsoft's April firmware update brought USB mass storage to the console, we knew the life of Microsoft's proprietary Memory Unit was running out, and sure enough the new Xbox 360 loses the MU sockets in favor of two additional USB ports. Sadly, the extra USB are in the rear, right next to the Kinect port, so they'll be little use for plugging in Rock Band instruments if you house the system in a cabinet. Not that you'd necessarily want to leave it in a cabinet... but more on that later.
On the bottom of the system you'll find a removable panel housing the unit's hard drive. As before, the embedded 2.5-inch SATA unit isn't user replaceable, but this time we rather admire its plastic shell -- it's a handsome cartridge that slots neatly inside the system, surrounded by a fully cushioned cage that both silences and protects the hard drive. Capacitive touch buttons aren't everyone's cup of tea, and it seems odd to see them here after Sony finally phased them out, but Microsoft's implementation removes the uncertainty usually associated with touch by immediately responding to input. Both power and eject buttons play a chime as soon as your finger connects, and the DVD tray slides out far quicker than in Sony's slot-loading system. Just in case you're wondering, the new disc drive does not protect discs from nasty scratches this go around -- dropping a Savage Garden album in the tray and letting the console flop to one side (on a carpeted surface, no less) our album was truly, madly and deeply cut.
On the bottom of the system you'll find a removable panel housing the unit's hard drive. As before, the embedded 2.5-inch SATA unit isn't user replaceable, but this time we rather admire its plastic shell -- it's a handsome cartridge that slots neatly inside the system, surrounded by a fully cushioned cage that both silences and protects the hard drive. Capacitive touch buttons aren't everyone's cup of tea, and it seems odd to see them here after Sony finally phased them out, but Microsoft's implementation removes the uncertainty usually associated with touch by immediately responding to input. Both power and eject buttons play a chime as soon as your finger connects, and the DVD tray slides out far quicker than in Sony's slot-loading system. Just in case you're wondering, the new disc drive does not protect discs from nasty scratches this go around -- dropping a Savage Garden album in the tray and letting the console flop to one side (on a carpeted surface, no less) our album was truly, madly and deeply cut.
Heat, Noise, Power
| Current (ampere) | Power (watt) | Temperature (farenheit) | Noise (decibel) | |||||
| Elite | 250GB | Elite | 250GB | Elite | 250GB | Elite | 250GB | |
| Plugged in / power off | 0.06 | 0.03 | 2.7 | 0.5 | Room temperature | Reference | ||
| Idling at Dashboard | 1.34 | 0.9 | 93 | 73 | 113 | 108 | +5.5 | +1 |
| Playing Bayonetta (DVD) | 1.75 | 1.15 | 135 | 94 | 116 | 140 | +18.5 | +10 |
| Installing Bayonetta | 1.4 | 1 | 111 | 82 | 114 | 126 | +15.5 | +9 |
| Playing Bayonetta (HDD) | 1.54 | 1.1 | 121 | 88 | 116 | 140 | +14.5 | +2.5 |
| Watching a DVD movie | 1.09 | 0.77 | 88 | 62 | 112 | 119 | +7.5 | +2 |
via engadget
Brite-View launches CinemaGo BV-5005HD Mini CG HD media player
Sphere: Related Content
Brite-View's CinemaTube may have sufficed just fine for your home entertainment needs last year, but there's nothing like a little "Special Edition" to really get the gears turning in 2010. Launched today, the CinemaGo BV-5005HD Mini CG is mostly a revamped version of the CinemaTube BV-5005HD, boasting an eSATA interface, USB 2.0 socket, inbuilt WiFi, a BitTorrent manager and access to MUZEE internet radio channels. As you'd expect, the box is built to handle 1080p output and a cornucopia of file formats including MOV, WMV, MKV, AVI, VOB, DIVX, FLV and RMVB, and content can be delivered via locally attached hard drives or a home network / web connection. Best of all, the $149.99 MSRP is being trumped by a $109.99 pre-order price if you get in now, so really, you should probably get in now. Unless you hate saving money.
via engadget
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)