**Official New Xbox Experience Thread** - Poll Added

[Kabob]

Much thanks Nohr, I'll give it a whirl when I get home. Anyone know about the Marketplace code use?

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: R Nilla
Is anyone able to sign in to Xbox.com? The Sign In link isn't showing up at all. I thought maybe I could browse the Marketplace from there, but I guess they don't have that up and running yet.

The login and stuff was working fine around 6:15 EST this morning, but it's since been taken down. I think they are trying to work out some kinks and/or adding the online Marketplace stuff. When I was online this morning, they didn't have the online Marketplace up and going yet even though the update was being pushed to consoles.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: Jahee
This is fucking shit.. Avatars? What am i 12 now? Really not happy with this new interface and the fact it was forced on us.. The game installs etc can only be good but the user interface is horrible. I liked the simplicity of PS3 and the original interface much much more.

You're the only one. The interface is great, you're just not used to it. If you still absolutely loathe it in a month or so then your opinion might be more valid.

 

[Nohr]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: erwos
Community games are now online, but I didn't see any free ones. I'm really hoping that we don't get charged for them all...

If I'm not mistaken, Microsoft requires all XNA developers to charge a minimum for their games, which is $2.50. I could be wrong, though.

I saw one that was 800 points, though. That's a little over the top.

$2.50 as a minimum isn't so horrible, I guess, especially if we're able to figure out the good from the bad before we buy (review site?).

I do see at least a couple 200 point community games so perhaps there's something to that $2.50 minimum thing.

 

[TKE899]

I haven't had a chance to play with this at all. So is there an option to disable the avatars and just revert back to a gamer pic? Just can't get into avatars.

 

[Kabob]

You don't have to use the avatar as your gamer pic. You can if you want though. I made an avatar but kept my original gamer pic.

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: Jahee
This is fucking shit.. Avatars? What am i 12 now? Really not happy with this new interface and the fact it was forced on us.. The game installs etc can only be good but the user interface is horrible. I liked the simplicity of PS3 and the original interface much much more.

You're the only one. The interface is great, you're just not used to it. If you still absolutely loathe it in a month or so then your opinion might be more valid.

First impressions are everything...

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: Jahee
This is fucking shit.. Avatars? What am i 12 now? Really not happy with this new interface and the fact it was forced on us.. The game installs etc can only be good but the user interface is horrible. I liked the simplicity of PS3 and the original interface much much more.

You're the only one. The interface is great, you're just not used to it. If you still absolutely loathe it in a month or so then your opinion might be more valid.

First impressions are everything...

I don't understand how anyone could not like this more than the old xbox experience.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: R Nilla
I was hoping to setup Netflix so I could browse the HD selection but the Netflix activation page says "Device activation is temporarily unavailable. Please try again in 2 hours." Oh well, I'll just have to try it out tonight when I get home.

Yeah, I got the same message. Bummer.

Speaking of HD streaming, is there any way to force it to show you the SD version? Other than setting your TV to 480i/p. I don't want to waste bandwidth watching stuff in HD unless it's something that benefits from being in HD (i.e. The Office is just as funny in SD).

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: Jahee
This is fucking shit.. Avatars? What am i 12 now? Really not happy with this new interface and the fact it was forced on us.. The game installs etc can only be good but the user interface is horrible. I liked the simplicity of PS3 and the original interface much much more.

You're the only one. The interface is great, you're just not used to it. If you still absolutely loathe it in a month or so then your opinion might be more valid.

First impressions are everything...

Dude... it's a fucking machine not a human being

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: mugs
1. I now have to select my video source every time I want to watch videos. Previously it would automatically use my last selection.

I agree that this is weird. My guess is that they were getting nailed with a ton of support calls from people who didn't know how to change their video source. In any event, it's no worse than the PS3's implementation.

2. I believe fewer videos/folders are displayed on the screen at one time when scrolling through video folders.

I'm not sure about that - I don't think it's the case. It would certainly be nice to be able to tell it "hey, my eyesight is good, squeeze 'em in".

3. IIRC, previously when you hit A on a video file, it would start playing (or prompt you to resume or restart if you had previously watched part of the file). Now it always takes you to an additional screen where you have to click play. WHY???? There is only one option on that screen! Yeah, I would occasionally accidentally start a video on the old dash. I can live with that though!

Did you try hitting Y? Hitting A will select, but Y is clearly labeled as the play button.

Ah, I have to get in the habit of doing that. The room with my TV is a bit chaotic right now, and the bottom left corner of my TV is currently obstructed.


Edit: I'm using a Harmony remote, so it would have been nice if they left it the same. Oh well.

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: bl4ckfl4g

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: Jahee
This is fucking shit.. Avatars? What am i 12 now? Really not happy with this new interface and the fact it was forced on us.. The game installs etc can only be good but the user interface is horrible. I liked the simplicity of PS3 and the original interface much much more.

You're the only one. The interface is great, you're just not used to it. If you still absolutely loathe it in a month or so then your opinion might be more valid.

First impressions are everything...

I don't understand how anyone could not like this more than the old xbox experience.

I died a little inside after reading that.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: Jahee
This is fucking shit.. Avatars? What am i 12 now? Really not happy with this new interface and the fact it was forced on us.. The game installs etc can only be good but the user interface is horrible. I liked the simplicity of PS3 and the original interface much much more.

Really the Avatars aren't too central to the whole NXE, pretty easy to forget about if you don't like em.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: mugs
I'm kind of annoyed that they've gone backwards in some areas.

1. I now have to select my video source every time I want to watch videos. Previously it would automatically use my last selection.
2. I believe fewer videos/folders are displayed on the screen at one time when scrolling through video folders.
3. IIRC, previously when you hit A on a video file, it would start playing (or prompt you to resume or restart if you had previously watched part of the file). Now it always takes you to an additional screen where you have to click play. WHY???? There is only one option on that screen! Yeah, I would occasionally accidentally start a video on the old dash. I can live with that though!

They seem to have sped up the sidebar and the XBLA game list (but they still haven't improved the interface to XBLA games to the point where it was before they screwed it up). Netflix is fantastic. Other than that, I don't like this interface any more than the old interface, and in many ways I prefer the old interface.

I have to wait till tomorrow, but I'll throw in my 2cents anyways:
1.) yeah, that's pretty annoying and really had no reason to be changed
2.) I don't see how that should be a problem? You have to scroll down to the same file anyway regardless of how many are displayed onscreen at a time.
3.) That's plumb fuck retarded. I hate the double (and sometimes more) confirmation shit on the PC, and now it's making its way to the consoles.

erwos covered number 3. Also number 1, which is what I was thinking myself (people are too dumb to figure out how to switch). That kind of highlights one of my problems with consoles in general - not enough settings. I'd love to be able to change that setting and have it work the way I want it to work.

On number 2 - extrapolate it out to one item being displayed on the screen at a time, or two items. Surely you can see how having more items displayed at a time is better (to a point, and assuming you have good eyesight). I like to scroll through the list and "take an overview" of what's scrolling past (like you're trying to determine if you can see a red dot on a white sweater, but you already know the dot is there). If I know what I want to watch, it's no big deal. If I'm trying to pick something to watch, it's better to see more at one time.

Side note - is there a "page down" button when you're viewing a list from a media server? I hate the way the scrolling accelerates based on how long you've been scrolling.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: R Nilla
I was hoping to setup Netflix so I could browse the HD selection but the Netflix activation page says "Device activation is temporarily unavailable. Please try again in 2 hours." Oh well, I'll just have to try it out tonight when I get home.

Yeah, I got the same message. Bummer.

Speaking of HD streaming, is there any way to force it to show you the SD version? Other than setting your TV to 480i/p. I don't want to waste bandwidth watching stuff in HD unless it's something that benefits from being in HD (i.e. The Office is just as funny in SD).

Hrmmm, that's a good question which I'd guess the answer right now is no, the only way to lower the quality is to give your Xbox lower bandwidth.

 

[tw1164]

On a side note, I can't seem to find the login link on Xbox.com this morning.

 

[Queasy]

Well, I can't say I'm that impressed with the Netflix streaming selection at this point. Some movies and TV shows that appeal to me but I don't know if there is enough there right now. Hopefully, their library will really grow.

 

[Kabob]

I didn't really check the Netflix part of it, how much does it cost (anyone got a site that tells the rates and such?)

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: kabob983
I didn't really check the Netflix part of it, how much does it cost (anyone got a site that tells the rates and such?)

yup, netflix.com

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: kabob983
I didn't really check the Netflix part of it, how much does it cost (anyone got a site that tells the rates and such?)

$8.99/month for streaming and 1 disk out at a time
$13.99/month for streaming and 2 disks out at a time
$16.99/month for streaming and 3 disks out at a time

There is a two week free trial too.

As gocorps said, netflix.com.

The interface is really slick and updates are made instantaneously. I was re-ordering my instant queue with Netflix up on my 360 at the same time and the 360 queue was re-ordering just a few seconds after I updated my queue on Netflix.com.

 

[erwos]

Someone else pointed out that the number of discs you can have out also correlates to the number of streaming devices you can have going at the same time.

 

[Kabob]

So if I get the "one disk at a time" I can stream as many as I want??

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: kabob983
So if I get the "one disk at a time" I can stream as many as I want??

yep

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Originally posted by: tw1164
On a side note, I can't seem to find the login link on Xbox.com this morning.

It's back again

 

[Gooberlx2]

Got it this morning. Took about 3 minutes to download and install. Setup my and my wife's avatars, fun...I like the variety. Tried Netflix, works *hooray!* (the wife has been itching for that one). Kinda perused around the new interface...I like it.

Then I had to run off to work. I didn't have a chance to find where I could set the auto-login to my profile. Anyone know?

avatar. Close enough...minus the elf ears and hat.