AfterDawn: Tech news

"New Xbox Experience" coming November 19th

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 09 Oct 2008 1:33 User comments (31)

"New Xbox Experience" coming November 19th Microsoft VP John Schappert has confirmed today at the Tokyo Game Show event that the Xbox 360 "New Xbox Experience (NXE)" dashboard revamp is coming on November 19th to 26 countries and in 19 languages.
The NXE will completely transform the intrerface of your console but the biggest change is the move to cover flow-esque navigation, working the same way Vista's Aero task switcher does. From there you can cycle through various channels (avatars, demos, new movies, Netflix, etc) and it appears there will be an expansion of channels, from the current 5.

NXE will certainly include Netflix support with the ability to stream over 15,000 movies, concerts and TV shows to your 360. You can also "stream the movie with up to seven other consoles in a 'party' you can also haul around the dashboard, in and out of movies or games."



The NXE also adds Mii-like avatars where gamers can customize a character to look like them (or anyone else) including the face, hair, body and clothing and accessories.

More notably, NXE will give you the ability to copy your retail purchased game to the hard drive, which slows down load times and also saves your drive's laser in the long run.

NXE officially adds 16:10 plus 1440x900 and 1680x1050 widescreen VGA and HDMI support. Fans should applaud this as it will remove most black formatting bars and will offer high resolutions for VGA and HDMI users.

The new interface update will also include a new channel called "Xbox Live Primetime" which is basically a party game (think GSN) channel for XBL members.

All of your current content including themes will be backed up and moved over flawlessly, says Microsoft.


GTA IV running off the HDD compared to DVD




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31 user comments

19.10.2008 14:12

that's pretty awesome! but how will the "NXE" know if you have a retail copy of a game that you own? what's to stop us from copying our friends games to our 360?

i don't know much about data encryption on console discs, so it's just something to think about. all in all, i expect(hope) this change to radically change the way we use our 360's. i'm a member of netflix as well so i can't wait for the update so that i can take advantage of the added functionality.

29.10.2008 14:51
djdoubt03
Inactive

Anyone know if this update will be downloadable to PC via Xbox.com, like the past updates? As I don't use live and it's the only way for me to update.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 09 Oct 2008 @ 6:00

39.10.2008 15:31
jaybob
Inactive

Originally posted by R01010100:
that's pretty awesome! but how will the "NXE" know if you have a retail copy of a game that you own? what's to stop us from copying our friends games to our 360?

i don't know much about data encryption on console discs, so it's just something to think about. all in all, i expect(hope) this change to radically change the way we use our 360's. i'm a member of netflix as well so i can't wait for the update so that i can take advantage of the added functionality.
I would imagine you have to have the drive in the xbox to spin up once.

49.10.2008 16:05

Quote:
I would imagine you have to have the drive in the xbox to spin up once.
Yep pretty much, but why would you copy over games to a 20gig hd anyway.
that 747 of a DVD drive in the xbox, i dont see the lazer burning out, unless the terrorist hijack it^^.

59.10.2008 16:44

Quote:
Quote:
I would imagine you have to have the drive in the xbox to spin up once.
Yep pretty much, but why would you copy over games to a 20gig hd anyway.
that 747 of a DVD drive in the xbox, i dont see the lazer burning out, unless the terrorist hijack it^^.
the 60gb and 120gb users may have some nice extra space for the games.

69.10.2008 17:30

Quote:
but why would you copy over games to a 20gig hd anyway.
Quote:

the 60gb and 120gb users may have some nice extra space for the games.
lmao @ trying to store them on a 20 GB.
not everyone is cheap..

also the laser can burn out.. its happened many'a times before.

79.10.2008 17:41

What I'm curious about is how long it will take someone to figure out how to use the game ripped to the HDD to make backups. I also think it is kind of retarded for micro$oft to take this long to implement that feature. It should have been something done right out of the box. That feature (on hacked XBOX 1's) was one thing alot of people were expecting on the 360. It's part of what helped the original XBOX (hacked) last as long as it did. (That I still use daily. More for XBMC video streaming than gaming. Downloaded movies and TV shows. Although I occasionally play an old game.) And also led to many copies of games circulating around. Granted backups can already be done with a 360 game. They may also be trying to eliminate the excuse that people are using backups to preserve the original disk of a frequently played game. Although I wonder how long it will take to do this with a game and how many times it can be done.
Scenario: I buy a game. Rip it to HDD. Play it for a while. Either get bored with it or get another game I'm interested in more. Erase it from HDD to make room for new game. Will I be able to put that back on the HDD some time in the future If I so choose.
I would also like to know if they used any of the same or similar encryption algorithms that Real used for their RealDVD app for the extra layer of DRM that was promised with it.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 09 Oct 2008 @ 5:46

89.10.2008 18:33
Zaboo
Inactive

Netflix and Commie, I meant Comcast, sorry you have exceeded your bandwidth limit. You may of course wait until next month to watch any movie again.

99.10.2008 18:52

what could stop you from renting a game and ripping that to the hdd?

109.10.2008 19:58

Maybe it won't sound like an air craft carrier when I'm playing games anymore

119.10.2008 20:25

Ok, my theory has been for some time now, and I emphasize, its just a theory, is that Microsoft would wake up and realize that in the future they can't keep up with the playstation. Fact: currently there are no games that realize its (the ps3) full potential and if you look at the specs it is more powerful. Fact: everyone here is going to argue after this is all said and done lol. Now, what I think is that they will 1. open up the hard drive so the user can replace it (like sony)(current newegg price is $149 for a 500gig) 2. enable you to upload games onto the hard drive 3. Offer higher quality games (now that you aren't limited to the 9.4 gig dual layer dvd - you can now use more than one disk since its all going on the hard drive anyway). This enables them to compete with the amount of game data that sony offers with the blu-ray disc (50 gig DL) Now they are in a better position to compete and everyone doesn't have to buy a new console, just update the drive :). Again, take it for what its worth but this is my 2 cents and it would be one of the smartest things microsoft has ever done.

129.10.2008 20:55

Miis and cover flow.. hardly a revolution.

139.10.2008 21:07
spamual
Inactive

im sure to get around the piracy, each game must have a special key when ripped, and when tried to be played a call to MS made, to verify that there is only one unique key per xbox. as for rentals, im guessing they would get a special version of the game which cannot rip, or it will have to be pre ripped into a HDD at block busters, etc, so it can only be played with a disc.

149.10.2008 21:41
Faugs
Inactive

sounds cool... My xbox sounds like a jet taking off too!!!!

1510.10.2008 01:54

curious if playing games off of hdd is maybe a way around the overheating issues? & you will prolly have to have the game in to start it up! even if you play it on your hdd!

1610.10.2008 02:56

u still need to have the game in the drive it just plays off the hdd... It loads from the orginal game yet u need the game in it to load the game....i know i thought the same thing rip a game u rent or something like that but it doesnt work that way it runs faster off harddrive...the only thing that gets me now is how reliable are the harddrives now that they are going to get over worked by playin games off your hdd.

1710.10.2008 03:35

It's good to see they are trying to improve the existing software. The Netflix thing isn't for me but I might give the Mii-like avatars a go. I like the new dashboard and look forward how custom themes and wallpapers will look on it. Installing games is impossible for me as all I have is 20GB and I'm not upgrading unless they cut the prices for their HDD's severely.

So all in all, a good move.

1810.10.2008 09:45

Originally posted by b18bek9:
...the only thing that gets me now is how reliable are the harddrives now that they are going to get over worked by playin games off your hdd.
You ever play a computer game?

1910.10.2008 11:59
emugamer
Inactive

Originally posted by b18bek9:
...the only thing that gets me now is how reliable are the harddrives now that they are going to get over worked by playin games off your hdd.
Both my PS2 and XBOX 1 HDD's are pushing 3 years, and are fully loaded. My game habits in that time border console abuse. They are still kicking.

Well, I hope that HOME gives me a reason to stand by Sony on this one.
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 10 Oct 2008 @ 11:59

2010.10.2008 12:10
varnull
Inactive

It's possible to put any hdd you want in that enclosure.. llamma did it within days of the first 360 release, but people have forgotten how by the looks of it.

As for the rest.. at last the long promised updates.. about checking for original media.. been around for years, probably defeated with the flashed drives, then again.. maybe not. Wait a month or so for others to get banned before trying o second guess M$ with that one.

2110.10.2008 15:00

LMAO... Miis and Coverflow... so true!

It still looks slick. I hope my (banned) 360 can get this update via xbox.com!

Defgod, you are correct buddy. My hacked Xbox 1 had all of the same features as the 360 has. Loading games from the HDD, streaming movies and music via XBMC, etc. You would think MS would go with the flow and include this from the start? (Including the size of the original!)

Now I have an Easy Bake Oven that sounds like my furnace kicking on. It still won't play half of the video formats I can stream with a PC (even Divx doesn't work properly.) I have a paltry 20gb HDD, when my original had 10GB and is much older!

Yes, I'm on a tirade. MS came out with the Arcade bundle and duped users into believing they didn't NEED the HDD to play games. Now we're going to load everything onto the HDD, which if OVERPRICED. They flip more than a fish out of water!

Get rid of all but 2 SKUS: one with or without a HDD and let us upgrade the drive on our own! It's only a laptop SATA drive; if you're savvy enough, it shouldn't be too difficult.

2210.10.2008 15:25
varnull
Inactive

Yeah.. way to go prodigy.. I was admin on llamma at the time all this happened. the big hdd and the $10,000.. hahaha.. ask Scot if you don't believe me,.

We ain't gonna tell them tho eh>? (make too much doing it for nubs to let thet genie out of the bottle)

2310.10.2008 20:09

I think part of the reason this wasn't implemented to begin with was they hadn't had "good enough" DRM for them to feel secure with it. With the streaming thing they only want you to use their formats. Back when I first heard about the 360 coming out I researched everything I could about it. I found out they barely had any of the improvements a hacked xbox1 had I said what's the point other than new games.

2410.10.2008 21:31

that's nice and all, especially the 16:10 support and hdd-only play.

as it turns out, though, the update is going to require 128mb of storage "somewhere."
microsoft is saying they'll have "storage solutions."

it's no problem for the consumer who already has a 360 hdd,
but what about owners of the original core model or the current arcade?
the arcade comes with a 256mb memory card, which would suffice but be halved.
the core model came with a 64mb memory unit, which wouldn't work at all.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 10 Oct 2008 @ 9:32

2510.10.2008 22:53

Originally posted by defgod:
I think part of the reason this wasn't implemented to begin with was they hadn't had "good enough" DRM for them to feel secure with it. With the streaming thing they only want you to use their formats. Back when I first heard about the 360 coming out I researched everything I could about it. I found out they barely had any of the improvements a hacked xbox1 had I said what's the point other than new games.
My DirecTV HD-DVR can have it's HDD removed and replaced with a stock SATA drive in order to upgrade it. Their software in on a firmware chip, just like the 360. If you take the drive out of the DVR and to a PC, it cannot read the format. What would be so hard about implementing this with an Xbox? Yeah, it will probably get hacked, but how many people will do it? We're not speaking to the masses here!

2611.10.2008 03:59

i have a 160 slapped on my xbox360 right now, i was just giving the scenario of 20GB's units witch almost everybody as unless you going to buy the 60-gig sku or already bought the elite with 120GB unit.

it was 4 years ago that i went to Wal-Mart and was forced to buy the core unit cause every thing else was sold out but guess what mine still works 100%.

about 2 years ago i modded it clear blue case got some nice blue talismoon fans 3 speeds btw.

its nice i like it.

and the heat problem, i think its not do to gpu or power or even the tri-core processor. i think the heat problem is bad case designing, crappy fans that they put in, and the horrible heat pipe layout.

There is only a handful of useful updates to begin with the Mii thing i don't see being used all that much, maybe good for younger audiences, and alot of the other stuff is eye candy.

Sorry M$ you might please some people. i for one Don't plan on staying on the dashboard long enough to care about all the fancy extra's.

Also about the disc on hdd thing Maybe you have to be logged on live to use that feature. if you wanted to play a game off your hdd it would be tagged to your GamerTag.

much like i cant barrow my friends memory card and transfer the halo3 armor unlocks to my profile.

2711.10.2008 04:54

Quick question, is there a limit as to what size of hard drive you can have on your xbox 360 before you get banned from xbox live. I heard you can not exceed 160gb. Is that true? Sorry just reading the thread and got curious. Thanks for our help in advance.

2811.10.2008 05:17
13thHouR
Inactive

tsk, just as lame as "life with playstation".

Why don't they call this what it is, shove advertising down your throat and make you spend money?

BTW THANKX TO Whatever mod deleted my Signature, i guess the riaa/mpaa don't like to be named or am i just not allowed to name SONY as one of them!

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 11 Oct 2008 @ 5:24

2911.10.2008 18:05
varnull
Inactive

Here you go.. http://360.xbox-hq.com/xbox-tutorials-print-17.html

Looks easy enough, but I don't know how people with a core system will manage unless they can get an official addon drive to clone. I think they come supplied with some process installed which the xbox uses to lock down the drive the first time it's installed.

3011.10.2008 20:11

Originally posted by 13thHouR:
BTW THANKX TO Whatever mod deleted my Signature, i guess the riaa/mpaa don't like to be named or am i just not allowed to name SONY as one of them!
Looks like a week off for insulting other aD members as well as staff didn't teach you anything? There are more than enough complaints about you already so go right ahead and keep it up, the rules will be enforced. As you where warned before ~ No more games.

3114.10.2008 20:54

I'm looking forward to it. I think it'll be cool.

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