[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

Here is a PS3 question. If I play a DVD that is in 4:3 the PS3 is stretching it to widescreen. How do I keep it on 4:3 for those types of disks?

Shouldn't you be setting that on your TV?

Or are you talking about upscaled to 1080i?

What about 4:3 Blu-ray material (like the extras on your Corpse Bride disc)?

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker 

Shouldn't you be setting that on your TV?

Or are you talking about upscaled to 1080i?

What about 4:3 Blu-ray material (like the extras on your Corpse Bride disc)?

I dunno what I am supposed to do. I put in some star trek DVD"s that are obviously 4:3 so i want black bars on the side of the screen when they play.

I thought you normally set this on the DVD player no? I never change the screen ratio on the TV as it is always set to FULL. If when watching TV i want 4:3 and not stretched the TV receiver lets me change it.

Haven't tried the extra's on a Blu-ray yet.

[screamingFit]

I guess all I can say at this point is: Typical Microsoft. Why on earth I finally gave them money for one of their products (X360) is beyond me. I should of known better. Never again.

My 360 is connected via VGA to a front projector (720p). Looks great. Upscaled DVDs look great. It became my only DVD video player. All around a happy camper (save GoW resolution problems over VGA but that is Epic's horrific QC ****-up). I downloaded the lastest 360 update last week without a problem and stuff even looks better than before. Even fixed a nagging resolution problem I had. I was pretty happy.

Over the weekend, which is really the only time I have to play games, the 360 locked up. Not once or twice but all the freakin' time. I didn't have anytime to investigate so forgot about it. Until I stumbled across this tonight on Engadget:

While Xbox 360 users with 1080p displays enthusiastically greeted last week's dashboard update, it seems some folks are finding that the update is causing more problems than it fixes, with reports of random crashes, bricked consoles, and various display issues filling the forums on the official Xbox site, among other sites. From the looks of it, the majority of problems appear to be coming from those using VGA connections and resolutions less than 1080p, though there seems to be no limit to those affected. Amending his initial post on the update, which also saw a flurry of complaints from disgruntled 360 users in the comments section, Microsoft's Major Nelson says that the company is aware of the problems and that they are investigating it, although there's no indication when a fix for the fix will be available.

I am not an XBOX beta tester so please, Microsoft XBOX Division, PLEASE STOP TREATING ME AS ONE! I have a useless piece of hardware now until they get their **** together. Hooking up component will cost me hours fishing the wire back to the projector. It is NOT an option.

I know it's been brought up before, somewhere in the murky depths of this thread, but I'm pissed and need to reiterate: QC for video games and systems is abhorant nowadays when things can always get "updated" after a release. I have 25 year old video game systems that still work - you plug it into the AC, hook it to a TV and turn it on and play. What a novel idea!

"That's just the way things are nowadays", is a pathetic attempt to give these bastards the green light to keep producing and selling ****.

If this is next-gen, I think I'm going to bow out of gaming at this juncture and go actually play a game - on my Odyssey.

[icruise]

As much as I don't like to be in the position of defending Microsoft (and don't get me wrong, it sucks that your Xbox is out of commission, even temporarily), I don't think it's reasonable to expect these things to be perfect. Game consoles are now computers in every sense of the word. They have operating systems and access the internet and incredibly complex machines in general. We're long beyond the point where you could just plug in a cartridge and go, so to compare them to the consoles of 10-20 years ago is really not fair.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by icruise 

As much as I don't like to be in the position of defending Microsoft (and don't get me wrong, it sucks that your Xbox is out of commission, even temporarily), I don't think it's reasonable to expect these things to be perfect. Game consoles are now computers in every sense of the word. They have operating systems and access the internet and incredibly complex machines in general. We're long beyond the point where you could just plug in a cartridge and go, so to compare them to the consoles of 10-20 years ago is really not fair.

If what you're trying to get at is that the console makers have bitten off more than they can chew, I can only suggest they should not have done so. They have more control over the whole package than Apple does, for crying out loud.

[starman]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

If what you're trying to get at is that the console makers have bitten off more than they can chew, I can only suggest they should not have done so. They have more control over the whole package than Apple does, for crying out loud.

I have to agree with icruise on this one. Console makers are at the mercy of an ever-changing environment. Cut them some slack.

[screamingFit]

Originally Posted by icruise 

As much as I don't like to be in the position of defending Microsoft (and don't get me wrong, it sucks that your Xbox is out of commission, even temporarily), I don't think it's reasonable to expect these things to be perfect. Game consoles are now computers in every sense of the word. They have operating systems and access the internet and incredibly complex machines in general. We're long beyond the point where you could just plug in a cartridge and go, so to compare them to the consoles of 10-20 years ago is really not fair.

Whilst I agree with most of your statement, it's not like reproduction of the problem is rocket science: Hook VGA cable up to 720p display, apply latest update and bingo. You can go on all day about the "complexities" of today's technology but this problem is utter lazyness and shitty QC. I am in a tech job for a living. Have been for years. If I sent out an update to the corporate network that started bricking machines, I would expect to be fired.

At least mine boots. There's a whole **** load of people who got the red light ring of death after applying the update - so if there was a fix (to the fix of the fix), they couldn't apply it. MS's answer? $140 for repair.

GoW was a similar problem. They never tested it on a 720p display with VGA so they didn't know the game resolution was all distorted. "Oh, whoops!". Hopefully my $60 will help fund some more untrained monkeys for your QC lab, Epic.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by starman 

I have to agree with icruise on this one. Console makers are at the mercy of an ever-changing environment. Cut them some slack.

An "everchanging environment"? Did the wiring in the Xbox suddenly up and mutate? Are these problems occurring because people are randomly installing different processors in there? No, Microsoft broke something with a software patch and is being lax about fixing it. The only "change" came from Microsoft.

[icruise]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

If what you're trying to get at is that the console makers have bitten off more than they can chew, I can only suggest they should not have done so. They have more control over the whole package than Apple does, for crying out loud.

Apple is a good example. Every software update that Apple brings out seems to cause a problem with someone's setup somewhere. Admittedly there are a lot fewer variables with a games console in terms of how it is used and the accessories that are used with it, but I don't really see why console makers should be expected to be perfect when computer/OS makers are not. They are producing very similar products, when all is said and done.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by icruise 

Apple is a good example. Every software update that Apple brings out seems to cause a problem with someone's setup somewhere. Admittedly there are a lot fewer variables with a games console in terms of how it is used and the accessories that are used with it, but I don't really see why console makers should be expected to be perfect when computer/OS makers are not. They are producing very similar products, when all is said and done.

The only time Apple did anything like this is the iTunes installer that wiped secondary hard drives, and that wasn't responded to with, "Oh, well, we don't know when we'll get around to fixing that. We'll probably do it sometime, maybe." And even then, nobody acted like it was OK and to be expected for iTunes to wipe your drive, like everybody is doing here.

Like I said, they don't have to be absolutely perfect (all complex systems have problems). But if they can't handle this kind of commitment — at the bare minimum, by not breaking people's Xboxes — they shouldn't be getting into the market and charging $400 for it.

[icruise]

Apparently you don't keep abreast of the problems that Apple's software updates cause. The major ones pretty much ALWAYS break something for a limited subset of users. The most recent 10.4.8 update has caused a lot of trouble with Airport stability for some people's Intel Macs, for example. I'm not really trying to excuse Microsoft's incompetence in this case, since clearly they shouldn't have released something that would cause a problem like this. What I am responding to is the idea that console makers should be held to different standards than computer makers. That makes no sense to me.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by icruise 

Apparently you don't keep abreast of the problems that Apple's software updates cause. The major ones pretty much ALWAYS break something for a limited subset of users. The most recent 10.4.8 update has caused a lot of trouble with Airport stability for some people's Intel Macs, for example. I'm not really trying to excuse Microsoft's incompetence in this case, since clearly they shouldn't have released something that would cause a problem like this. What I am responding to is the idea that console makers should be held to different standards than computer makers. That makes no sense to me.

It makes sense to me. Console makers make the OS. They make the hardware. Neither the OS nor the hardware is meant to be modified in any way by anybody else. They have basically one target configuration here. That's a degree of control even Apple would be envious of. Why should they be held to the same standards as a kind of company that has to deal with hundreds of times more complexity?

[starman]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

An "everchanging environment"? Did the wiring in the Xbox suddenly up and mutate? Are these problems occurring because people are randomly installing different processors in there? No, Microsoft broke something with a software patch and is being lax about fixing it. The only "change" came from Microsoft.

Um, so, you're telling me that every peripheral, every TV, every network protocol from now until 2016 is all ready to go in the PS3, Xbox, and Wii?

Right?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by starman 

Um, so, you're telling me that every peripheral, every TV, every network protocol from now until 2016 is all ready to go in the PS3, Xbox, and Wii?

Right?

No. Are you telling me a protocol that doesn't exist caused Xboxes to fry?

What you're telling me is, "Well, the environment might change in the future, and then Microsoft would have a legitimate excuse for things not working, right?" And to that I say: You're right. But that isn't the situation here. Microsoft can't blame its problems on things that haven't happened.

[starman]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

No. Are you telling me a protocol that doesn't exist caused Xboxes to fry?

Where did I say that?

Consoles aren't static machines anymore.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by starman 

Where did I say that?

Consoles aren't static machines anymore.

And? What does that have to do with the situation at hand? It's not like somebody hacked some cutting-edge chipset into these Xboxes and that's what caused them to break. If anything, the fact that Microsoft can't get its **** together in optimal conditions makes me worried for how Microsoft will handle it when radical changes do come.

[starman]

They'll fix it. Chill.