Smart Home Lifestyle

November 11, 2006

New Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 Blend Gaming and High-Definition Entertainment

If you still think PlayStation and Xbox are just about Miss Pac Man and Centipede, think again. These days, game consoles are sophisticated, simpatico with your home theater system, and soon to be seen in high-definition.

According to Sony, “With Blu-ray Disc, the PlayStation 3 system offers game developers unprecedented power to express their creativity and a larger canvas to create a level of interaction, sophistication, and reality that has never existed in gaming. As a result, consumers can experience a whole new generation of high-definition gaming.”

But HD gaming is just the beginning. Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, both to be released this month, will include HD DVD players. And true to their “competitive form,” each has chosen a different high-definition format. In one corner- Playstation 3 and Blu-ray. In the other- Xbox 360 and HD DVD. And the winner is? No telling, yet, but each has its own advantages.

PlayStation just may take the prize, thanks to its HDMI input and high-definition resolution of 1080p. Remember, an HDMI cable carries both multi-channel audio and uncompressed high definition video in all the HD formats like 720p, 1080i and 1080p.

But, while Xbox 360 only displays up to a 1080i resolution, it will be a lot easier to get your hands on one, especially if you’re looking to have one under the tree this holiday season. Plus, Xbox will soon offer the Xbox Live network option, giving even easier access to HD programming.

On November 22, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console to provide standard and HD TV shows directly to gamers in their own living rooms. Full-length TV shows and high definition movies will be available for download from the Xbox Live network.

“This groundbreaking announcement is a win for everyone,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “It connects our partners with one of the most coveted audiences in entertainment today, and provides even greater value to our Xbox Live community, allowing them to enjoy the games and entertainment they want, when they want it.”

TV shows and films available for download will include CSI, Survivor, The Real World, and various shows from The Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. HD movies include The Matrix, Nacho Libre and Superman Returns.

Maxed out on movies? Another perk of the Xbox 360 is its media management. Since Xbox is Windows based, Xbox 360 can share photos, video files and music with a Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PC. Not only can you play music CD’s, but you can rip them to your Xbox 360’s 20 GB Hard Drive. And that’s not all, now you can easily stream digital photos and home movies from your Media Center PC to you Xbox 360.

So, what about compatibility? Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will down convert when it comes to playing your current DVDs. The PlayStation 3 even allows you to play PlayStation 2 games, DVDs and CDs. Just remember, in both cases, your need a TV with a resolution of 1080i or 1080p to be able to view the true 1080i or 1080p resolution from your HD DVD player.

Author: Diana Kostigen, Marketing/Public Relations Director, Comtec