360 Fall Update Info Released! Update: Video Added

[Queasy]

Link

** Represents a new feature or change in functionality from the Spring 07 release.

**1. What exactly does the Xbox 360 support for AVI?

Xbox 360 supports the following for AVI:
· File Extensions: .avi, .divx
· Containers: AVI
· Video Profiles: MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple & Advanced Simple Profile
· Video Bitrate: 5 Mbps with resolutions of 1280 x 720 at 30fps. See question number 11 for more information.
· Audio Profiles: Dolby® Digital 2 channel and 5.1 channel, MP3
· Audio Max Bitrate: No restrictions. See question number 11 for more information.

List of updates/fixes - HUGE list

Xbox.com

As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360® just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 A.M. PST on December 4, 2007, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system.

Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile, and video features and Xbox LIVE® Arcade Hits.

This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than eight million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. If you don't have an Xbox LIVE account, you can easily sign up for the free network by connecting your console to a broadband internet connection. New features and enhancements include:

MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

* Xbox Originals:With this new service, announced on November 13, you can download-to-own full original Xbox® games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies®: High Road to Revenge?, Halo®, Fable®, Fuzion Frenzy®, Psychonauts?, and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
* Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits: On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off as some of the best-selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be Bankshot Billiards 2? and Lumines? Live!, which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms?, and Zuma® Deluxe, which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.

NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED

* Inside Xbox: A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing an easy, predictable entry point where you can discover what's new in game releases, events, Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers, and lots more.
* Enhanced online profile: If you're interested in sharing a few more details about yourself you can go beyond your motto and further personalize your profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to "Friends Only" or the entire Xbox LIVE community.
* Expanded Friends List access: A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.

ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL

* Enhanced Parental Controls: Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
* New video features: The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
* Easy-to-use navigation features: With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it.

Child Graduation to Adult Fix

In addition to the list of new dashboard features that were announced today, there are a few more that were not included in the press release that I think may be of interest to some longtime blog readers. After the update, there will be two new choices in the account management section of the dashboard:

The ability to change the Windows LIVE ID associated with and Xbox LIVE account.
The description pretty much says it all, but choosing this option changes the Windows Live ID associated with your Xbox LIVE account. It will also transfer all your Microsoft points to the new Windows Live ID as well. Here are some screen shots that show what this looks like in the dash.

Promote your Xbox LIVE child account to an adult account.
If you were not yet 18 when you signed up for Xbox LIVE, your account was designated a child account. Child accounts are tied to a parent's Windows Live ID to control Family Settings, and some features of Xbox LIVE are restricted. After you turn 18, (how about "Now, if you're over 18, or when you turn 18") you can promote your child account to an adult account. If you signed up for Xbox LIVE with a child account and have since turned 18, after the update you'll see a new option at the very top of the Account Management section of the dashboard. The 'Promote Child Account" will allow you to promote an Xbox LIVE account that is a child account to an adult account. This promotion removes the Family Settings and Xbox LIVE restrictions. To promote your account, you must agree again to the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and marketing opt-ins. If a parent's credit card was on your account, you must also enter a new one to replace it. (Yes, you can use pre-paid cards as well.)
Here are some screen shots that show what this looks like in the dash.

Another new feature that may be of interest to some: this update will also allow Under-18 Xbox LIVE members to now use Messenger on Xbox 360.

Update: GamerScore Blog Video of New Features
GameVideos.com preview of update

 

[warcrow]

I threw this info in your own original thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2123104&enterthread=y

 

[Queasy]

Eh...thought I'd just start a new thread since there is so much info regarding Divx, the child graduation fix, etc etc

 

[R Nilla]

AVI/DiVX/Xvid support is excellent news. Still no group voice chat though, which is disappointing.

 

[blurredvision]

Holy crap what a list. IMO, biggest update so far after reading through some stuff. Looks like performance of the dashboard will be increased 100%, and if I'm seeing that correctly, the dashboard options will change up quite a bit, even the friends list will look a bit different (although I'm not sure if it's referencing the dashboard list or the online list).

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: R Nilla
AVI/DiVX/Xvid support is excellent news.

I didn't see xvid listed anywhere. Am I missing something?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
Holy crap what a list. IMO, biggest update so far after reading through some stuff. Looks like performance of the dashboard will be increased 100%, and if I'm seeing that correctly, the dashboard options will change up quite a bit, even the friends list will look a bit different (although I'm not sure if it's referencing the dashboard list or the online list).

Yep. Look at the video I posted in the OP to see how the dash has changed.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: R Nilla
AVI/DiVX/Xvid support is excellent news.

I didn't see xvid listed anywhere. Am I missing something?

No. Xvid is not listed. It may be supported by default because of Divx...we'll just have to see I guess.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: R Nilla
AVI/DiVX/Xvid support is excellent news.

I didn't see xvid listed anywhere. Am I missing something?

No. Xvid is not listed. It may be supported by default because of Divx...we'll just have to see I guess.

Yeah that is what I'm hoping for.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: blurredvision
Holy crap what a list. IMO, biggest update so far after reading through some stuff. Looks like performance of the dashboard will be increased 100%, and if I'm seeing that correctly, the dashboard options will change up quite a bit, even the friends list will look a bit different (although I'm not sure if it's referencing the dashboard list or the online list).

Yep. Look at the video I posted in the OP to see how the dash has changed.

Awesome, I'll check it out when I get home from work.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: R Nilla
AVI/DiVX/Xvid support is excellent news.

I didn't see xvid listed anywhere. Am I missing something?

No. Xvid is not listed. It may be supported by default because of Divx...we'll just have to see I guess.

According to Joystiq:

There are also some notable updates on the video side. Small update: full-screen previews. Megaton update: MPEG-4 Part 2 video codec support. Specifically, MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP (advanced simple profile) and SP (simple profile) in an AVI container. What does that mean to us humans? Greenberg decodes, "What that basically means is that our users should find that most of their DivX and Xvid files will work because they're under that umbrella of the MPEG-4 Part 2 codec."

Greenberg is Aaron Greenberg who works for Microsoft.

 

[yllus]

*head explodes*

If not for the emulators on my original Xbox, I'd be tempted to chuck it entirely!

 

[tw1164]

Is Divx from the dashboard, or can you stream it too?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: R Nilla

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: R Nilla
AVI/DiVX/Xvid support is excellent news.

I didn't see xvid listed anywhere. Am I missing something?

No. Xvid is not listed. It may be supported by default because of Divx...we'll just have to see I guess.

According to Joystiq:

There are also some notable updates on the video side. Small update: full-screen previews. Megaton update: MPEG-4 Part 2 video codec support. Specifically, MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP (advanced simple profile) and SP (simple profile) in an AVI container. What does that mean to us humans? Greenberg decodes, "What that basically means is that our users should find that most of their DivX and Xvid files will work because they're under that umbrella of the MPEG-4 Part 2 codec."

Greenberg is Aaron Greenberg who works for Microsoft.

Yep. From my first link in the OP

**15. What types of AVI files are supported?

The Xbox 360 supports files encoded using MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple and Advanced Simple Profile. These files are often referred to as Xvid or DivX® video files. Many common PC DVD authoring tools, cameras, and camcorders are capable of encoding files using MPEG-4. Note that some files authored for DivX devices may also contain additional functionality(menus, subtitles, multiple audio tracks, etc). The Xbox 360 will attempt to play these files, but does not support any of the additional functionality and in some cases will be unable to play the file.

There's more in that link that has the '**' in it relating to this update.

 

[Queasy]

Wait. Does this mean we can play videos from USB HDDs connected to the 360?

**18. Does the Xbox 360 support video artwork when browsing my collection from a USB 2.0 FAT32 removable drive or optical media?

For all video types we will search for a corresponding .jpg file and use that as the artwork. For example video1.avi would display the artwork in video1.jpg if it existed. In the absence of this file, for the mp4 container, we will search if the video file has embedded album artwork and display that instead. Please note you cannot use this method when streaming from Windows Media Player 11 or the Zune PC software. See question number 21 for more information.

**21. What is a sample way of organizing my video hierarchy so that I can best utilize artwork and folder structure on the Xbox 360 for my personal video collection?

The following example uses the sort option ?Sort by Title? on a USB hard drive connected to the Xbox 360:

· Genre 1 (Folder)
· Genre 2 (Folder)
· Video 1.avi (File)
· Video 1.jpg (File) (Artwork)
· Video 2.mp4 (File) (Artwork embedded in file)
· Video 3 (Folder)
· Video 3-1.wmv (File)
· Video 3-2.mp4 (File)
· Video 3-2.jpg (File) (Artwork)
· Video 3-3.wmv (File)
· Video 3-3.jpg (File) (Artwork)
· Genre 3 (Folder)

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Wait. Does this mean we can play videos from USB HDDs connected to the 360?

**18. Does the Xbox 360 support video artwork when browsing my collection from a USB 2.0 FAT32 removable drive or optical media?

For all video types we will search for a corresponding .jpg file and use that as the artwork. For example video1.avi would display the artwork in video1.jpg if it existed. In the absence of this file, for the mp4 container, we will search if the video file has embedded album artwork and display that instead. Please note you cannot use this method when streaming from Windows Media Player 11 or the Zune PC software. See question number 21 for more information.

**21. What is a sample way of organizing my video hierarchy so that I can best utilize artwork and folder structure on the Xbox 360 for my personal video collection?

The following example uses the sort option ?Sort by Title? on a USB hard drive connected to the Xbox 360:

· Genre 1 (Folder)
· Genre 2 (Folder)
· Video 1.avi (File)
· Video 1.jpg (File) (Artwork)
· Video 2.mp4 (File) (Artwork embedded in file)
· Video 3 (Folder)
· Video 3-1.wmv (File)
· Video 3-2.mp4 (File)
· Video 3-2.jpg (File) (Artwork)
· Video 3-3.wmv (File)
· Video 3-3.jpg (File) (Artwork)
· Genre 3 (Folder)

I think you can do that currently

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: tw1164
I think you can do that currently

LOL. Well, I missed that one!

 

[nycxandy]

HALLELUJAH!

 

[DaveSimmons]

This is why competition is better than a one-console world.

Sony offers free map packs for R6 Vegas, the 360 price changes from $10 to $0.

Sony announces divx/xvid suport, MS announces divx support

MS offers a consistent online experience (for $50/year), Sony . . . . will get back to you soon

 

[Modeps]

This update is going to finally make me figure out why I cant connect my 360 to my desktop computer.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
This is why competition is better than a one-console world.

Sony offers free map packs for R6 Vegas, the 360 price changes from $10 to $0.

Sony announces divx/xvid suport, MS announces divx support

MS offers a consistent online experience (for $50/year), Sony . . . . will get back to you soon

While I dont disagree that competition is great... your points are a little invalid. R6 Vegas maps were timed in terms of how long people would have to pay for them... they were that way from the beginning. And the Sony DivX support wasnt announced by Sony, it was leaked by the people behind DivX.... where it was also noted that it was coming to the 360 as well

 

[Oyeve]

Keyboard? Mouse? bleh!

 

[DaveSimmons]

> "Sony DivX support wasnt announced by Sony, it was leaked by the people behind DivX.... where it was also noted that it was coming to the 360 as well "
My mistake, I'd read about and seen confirmation of the Sony support while the MS support was still just a rumor.

IIRC, the second R6 map pack was going to be $10, and was even accidentally sold at that price for a day, but it was pointed out that they were already included free in the PS3 version. If the PS3 version didn't exist the maps would have been paid DLC for awhile before changing to free instead of being free from day 2.

But anyway, the point is that MS has responded to both the wii and PS3 with changes they probably wouldn't have made without the competition.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Originally posted by: Oyeve
Keyboard? Mouse? bleh!

I thought it always supported those. It is just that game developers aren't including it....or am I wrong?

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
This is why competition is better than a one-console world.

Sony offers free map packs for R6 Vegas, the 360 price changes from $10 to $0.

Sony announces divx/xvid suport, MS announces divx support

MS offers a consistent online experience (for $50/year), Sony . . . . will get back to you soon

While I dont disagree that competition is great... your points are a little invalid. R6 Vegas maps were timed in terms of how long people would have to pay for them... they were that way from the beginning. And the Sony DivX support wasnt announced by Sony, it was leaked by the people behind DivX.... where it was also noted that it was coming to the 360 as well

It was never announced, but MS had a working showcase/announcement/demo with the new media center extenders successfully supporting Divx/Xvid. It would have been a huge disappointment if that feature had been left out of the 360, yet again....especially considering it is a media center extender.

I'm stoked, and totally surprised by the addition of 5.1 mp3 audio support.