Big XBox 360 Update Tomorrow
 

Complete Dashboard Update Feature List

New Features

• HD 1080p video mode support over VGA and component cables.
• Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player support.
• Stream WMV video from a Windows PC running Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect.
• Play video from storage devices such as USB flash drives, Xbox 360 Memory Units, etc.
• Play video from CD or DVD data discs.
• Xbox 360 Wireless Headset support, including battery level indicator in the Xbox Guide.
• Video support for 50 Hz HDTV modes (DVD and HD DVD only).
• Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel support.
• Set up automatic downloads of newly released Xbox Live Arcade trial games.
• Support for upcoming release of XNA Game Studio Express (separate download and subscription required.)
• Stream music, pictures and video from a Zune device.

Xbox Live Arcade

• Lightning-fast enumeration and listing of all Xbox Live® Arcade games on the console.
• Find games quickly with two new sort options: Recently Played and By Category.
• Have all new Xbox Live Arcade games at the ready with auto downloads. Auto downloads optionally adds newly released trial versions of games to active downloads when you enter Xbox Live Arcade.
• View full achievement info in Xbox Live Arcade, including icons, achievement point details, and descriptions.
• Friends leaderboard: Compare yourself with friends and view leaderboard details right from the Xbox dashboard.
• Tell a friend: Send a message to a friend about your newest favorite Xbox Live Arcade game.

DVD Player

• Optionally disable notifications from Xbox Live while watching DVD movies.
• Improved support for audio streams on incorrectly authored DVDs.
• Better handling of unreadable discs.
• Updated count-down timer.
• HD DVD player support.
• Added zoom support for non-anamorphic content.
• Added support to Family Settings to block Unrated Content

Video Player

• Improved support for extended all black scenes in WMV content.
• Added support for Windows Media Video 9 Advanced profile video.
• Screen saver now becomes active when videos are paused.
• Now shares UI and player controls with DVD player.
• Improved video playback while downloading from Xbox Live.
• Added skip controls (forward approx. 30 seconds, back approx. 7 seconds).
• Improved messaging around unplayable video content.
• Added time elapsed and time remaining displays.
• Improved playback of high bit-rate HD content on fragmented hard drives.
• Improved visual quality of video playback.
• Added selectable display modes: default and letterbox zoom.

Localization

• New locale setting for China
• Improved German translations in console settings.
• Improved German translations in memory area.
• Improved Japanese translations in Family Settings.
• Added localized text for all supported languages in pictures area
• Improved Spanish translations in camera effects.
• Improved locale-specific decimal denominators.
• Added localization support for title menu and main menu in the DVD player.
• Added localization support for “Attempting to Read Media” system message.

Memory Area

• Added support for Xbox 360 HD DVD Player content..
• Added new page for viewing content size by category.

Other System Improvements

• Updated support for new Daylight Savings changes coming in 2007.
• Improved support for games to better handle host migration in multi-player matches.
• Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support for changing room lighting while zooming.
• Background downloaded videos appear in video area
• Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support while using VGA.
• Playing photo slideshows from PC now maintains picture folder hierarchy.
• Improved user experience when playing and deleting videos from the Games or Media areas.
• Improved handling of invalid characters during Xbox Live signup.
• Better handling of watermarks in gamer cards.
• Improved text for Windows Media Connect..
• Improved UI performance in Media Center Extender
• Improved connection support for Buffalo WZR-G108 wireless router when using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
• Redownload of deleted Arcade Games no longer re-enumerates all games on the Arcade page.
• Improved visual display of text in themes.
• Improved support for CD playback after signing up for Xbox Live and losing network connectivity.
• Improved support for long names of items memory area.
• Improved handling of gamer pictures downloaded from Xbox Live.
• Improved background download notifications when downloading many small items from Xbox Live.
• Improved support for custom backgrounds after returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the Account Management area.
• Improved network reliability between Windows Media Center Extender on Windows Vista and Xbox 360 consoles using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
• Improved voice chat quality in Xbox Dashboard and in-game chats.
• Improved messaging when failing to connect to Windows Media Center Extender.
• Improved USB keyboard support when using a USB hub.
• Improved consistency of user experience when deleting various types of content.
• Improved handling of low storage space for background downloads.
• Improved handling of Picture streaming from attached Digital Cameras over MTP protocol
• Improved error messaging for optional iPod support download when storage devices are full.
• Improved handling of multi-key repeating for USB keyboards.
• Expanded Family Settings to include support for blocking unrated DVDs and videos.
• Added ability to clear space from storage devices in download areas.
• Added support for low-speed and full-speed USB keyboards.
• Improved CapsLock behavior for USB keyboards.
• Improved look and feel in Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade areas.
• Added redeem code option to Xbox Live signup.
• Removed system message at the start of new downloads. Messages will be displayed for completed items.
• Added support for CCV credit card validation field in Xbox Live Marketplace purchase areas.
• Updated “More Information” instructions in the Xbox Dashboard for connecting an Xbox 360 console to a Windows PC to stream digital media content.
• Added auto-scroll to long text descriptions in Xbox Dashboard UI.
• Improved support for DVD insertion while playing a video file.

Which is nice :)

Mmmmmm.... upscaling to 1080p! :)

Will be nice to finally hook the 360 up to my Dell widescreen monitor to get the best picture! :D :D

Nice updates! :D

about time too :D

Dan

Not to mention some scary security updates and checks :nono:
*probably* :D:lol1:

Probably one of the greatest functions, the ability to update a console with so many tweaks with out a recall.


In your face SONY:razz: :D

Updates look good , looking forward to my HD DVD drive now DVD's look proper poo when stretched out to 6ft wide on the projector :eek:

Yeah - since when have Sony managed anything like this! It's not as if Sony added Web browsing, RSS feeds, location players, WMA & AAC support, customisation facilities, etc etc etc to any of thier consoles after release......




... Unless we are couting PSP, obviously. ;)



But yeah, nice update list - Nice to see WMV streaming available through MP11 and not having to have WMC
:)

Great updates :D

Not having to have WMC to stream WMV etc is great, as is being able to play video off a USB drive :D

No clan support? :rolleyes:

the 360 updates, does it do it automatically? Or do I have to go and look for it and install etc etc?

Should detect it and do it automatically as soon as you connect to live (it'll ask you if you want to install the update).

Yup - the only update it doesn't do automatically is the iPod support one. No idea why, presumably some form of anti-competitive law.

Nice one, will connect to live tonight then, wanting the update for the friends leaderboard. Spent hours playing a mate on live friday night and was dissapointed to not see a score kept.

When it says streaming of WMV video, does it mean just that or are other codecs supported too?

Not really, this is a company that has it's O/S on 95% of the computers on the planet and has been distributing updates for the last 10+ years, you'd expect it of them.

I would imagine just WMV - If DivX etc were supported I think they would have made a point of mentioning it.

Well all the porn ive been testing so far seems to have worked :o so maybe it does support it :luxhello:

:luxhello:

Cool!

Maybe it's one of those thing that doesn't get advertised due to the shall we say, somewhat grey area DivX is usually used for.

holly sheet .... are you saying that Divx streaming works now ?

1080p works fine. :)

We just need some 1080p software to make the most of it and as already been said..... upscaling to 1080p software that was written for 720p dont make jack difference.

Perhaps people will now see the uselessness of 1080p display for games..... unless software is written for that res. Sony selling point for the games 1080p thing has been shot in to the stratosphere, until games come out for that (which by all accounts will not be many titles)! ;)

I can confirm DivX does indeed work on the 360 after the update.
Just put a film on my 2Gb USB stick and it worked :D

Are you sure it's a DIVX file ? I just tried one and it doesn't show up on the file list ?

Reports on xbox.com say that Divx (avi) still doesn't work via the streaming route :confused:

I'm at work so can't test it myself :(

Hello

Someone please go and test the DivX .... I'll go and buy one finally if it works :)

Thanks,

Steve

Tried DIVX still not working only supports WMV files

Tried DIVX via streaming and DVD, doesn't work.... :(

Oh. Thank you for trying :(

Steve

Why buy a console that's capable of playing HD purely to watch crappy divx???

If you have to ask then there's no point him explaining :)