Fall 360 dashboard update details

[sionyboy]

Evidently Kotaku are hearing that the next update will include a "parental timer control".

What a rocking idea! I'm sure I saw a third party device that controlled how long the Playstation/Xbox could be on for, but to implement it in the firmware is a top idea. No more cries of "Let me just get to the end of the level....2 more minutes...just gotta beat the boss". Now, the machine tells you when enough is enough.

 

[Tap In]

Evidently Kotaku are hearing that the next update will include a "parental timer control".

genius

 

[Shifty Geezer]

You'd seriously need to implement that as a hibernate mode though! If it doesn't pick up exactly where you left off, they'd be murder! If that's the case, it'd be a great addition. And if that's the case, they should implement it a a switch-off mode as well. I've had serious issues with JRPGs that don't have save points when you want to stop. Forcing a player to keep going is very bad practice that generates ill-feeling towards your title. And always-available stop-and-carry-on mode is an ideal addition to a console.

 

[TrungGap]

hibernate mode

Freaking genius. I really really want that...So instead of shutting down, I could just hibernate. Now only if MS/Sony/Nintendo are listing to you....

 

[Graham]

hibernate mode

Which would suddenly make the Core better value.. What terrible timing

 

[AlNom]

Wouldn't you need a hard drive for hibernate or at the very least, an empty/dedicated 512MB memory card?

 

[infinity4]

Hibernation would be good. Maybe part of reserved space could be used for hibernation if i am not missing anything. But the only thing I desperately want is 16:10 resolution addition.
Vertical stretch is really pissing, and my question is if they have common sense to support monitors, why can't they support widescreen monitor resolutions? Is this too complicated work?

 

[sionyboy]

Hibernation would be good. but the only thing I want is 16:10 resolution addition.
Vertical stretch is really pissing, and my question is if they have common sense to support monitors, why can't they support widescreen monitor resolutions? Is this too complicated work?

I'd also like to know this. Can they not scale to say 1440x900 whilst still maintaing aspect ratio, thus keeping black bars top and bottom? IIRC the upscaling solution in the 360 is based on an early version of AVIVO, and I know my X1300 can do that job when playing games and movies.

 

[Rainbow Man]

Freaking genius. I really really want that...So instead of shutting down, I could just hibernate.

Yes that would be absolutely rocking great hehe.

The 360 has that already in a fashion anyway..while playing DVDs.

You stop playback..take disc out and put in a game..turn power off..put movie back in. No matter what, playback resumes right where it left off. Awesome.

PS3 could learn from this! It only resumes as long as the console isn't turned off/firmware isn't updated and disc remains in the driv.e

Oh, well I forgot that the Wii's virtual console has "hibernate" support too.
Peace.

 

[nintenho]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/06/microsoft-debuts-extenders-for-windows-media-center-adds-divx-a/

microsoft announced xvid and divx support for media center which means it'll probably be supported on 360 soon.

 

[J_Saint]

So I take it that those with Windows Media Center 2005 will need to upgrade to Vista if the 360 gets this new extender support.

 

[Rangers]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/06/microsoft-debuts-extenders-for-windows-media-center-adds-divx-a/

microsoft announced xvid and divx support for media center which means it'll probably be supported on 360 soon.

Seriously? This would be incredible.

I had heard 360 could never get Divx (or Xvid, cant recall) because the license terms would require the whole 360 dashboard to be made open source, or something like that.

When the 360 gets to be a good streaming box for flick on my PC, it'll be truly awesome. As of right now it's just not user friendly enough nor support enough formats.

 

[Fu3lFr3nzy]

Not that this has anything to do with the Fall Update, but I noticed as I actively download stuff from marketplace while the console is "off"(or using little resources) that the GPU side of the rear fans is still the hot area.

One would think that it should be the "CPU" doing all the work when it comes to download right? or is it because that darn GPU just gets hot at any opportunity?

Luckily I have an external fan(plugged via wall socket) that pulls hot air out of the X360, so my console wont turn into an overnight oven and wake up to ROD(or hoping anyway...)

 

[Tap In]

Live will be down early morning of the 10th so either it is in prep of the dashboard update or perhaps the update itself?

 

[jb]

That or they could be getting the servers ready for the infux of all the new Halo3 players as I am sure you will see a huge spike in live on Sept25th. Or could be just a normal maintiance cycle where they have to take it down for a bit ever 5/6 months...

 

[Rainbow Man]

One would think that it should be the "CPU" doing all the work when it comes to download right? or is it because that darn GPU just gets hot at any opportunity?

Considering the GPU is also the chipset/northbridge/memory controller uin the 360 it seems unavoidable that that side would also get warm during operation.

After all.. The system couldn't function very well without these resources.
POeace.

 

[plat]

Hibernation would be good. Maybe part of reserved space could be used for hibernation if i am not missing anything. But the only thing I desperately want is 16:10 resolution addition.
Vertical stretch is really pissing, and my question is if they have common sense to support monitors, why can't they support widescreen monitor resolutions? Is this too complicated work?

yes yes yes!!

come on MS where is the 16:10 support :|

 

[evilsonic665]

Yup 16:10 support would be greatly appreciated

 

[Zaphod]

I had heard 360 could never get Divx (or Xvid, cant recall) because the license terms would require the whole 360 dashboard to be made open source, or something like that.

They'd only have to open-source the dashboard if they were to use Xvid source code. They could support both Xvid and Divx encoded videos as much as they want to using their own decoder without sunning afoul any software licenses. Of course they'd have to pay the applicable MPEG-4 patent royalties, as well as probably having to pay Xvid and Divx directly through some certification program if they wanted to use their respective logos and brand names in marketing.

 

[vblh]

Any news with regards to the Fall Dash Update or did i miss it?