Buying an Xbox360 - Any pointers?

[THL]

Buying an Xbox360 - Any pointers?

I'm getting my kids one of these units for Christmas. I notice there are approximately 130 different bundles you can choose from, basic to elite and everything in between. Thing is, none of these bundles really seem like you're getting a deal. You could buy everything you want seperately and it would come out about the same.

Anyone seen any deals on these systems or is the price pretty much the same everywhere? Halo 3, 2 controllers, and HDMI are things I want. Down the road, I'd like to use it as a media server too.

And yes, I've done research, just want to hear opinions from people that actually have one.

 

[A.k.]

yes

get the best 1 and get it wireless, also but an extra controller or 2 both wireless as well. Make sure your x-box is complete with HD and every thing. Do not buy a core... get the ghost recon game gears of war and a few other war games they rock.

 

[TenMan]

We have the "x-Box elite" model (bundle, whatever) and the kids just love it. My kids are vidiots, both computer and gaming consoles, so if their happy, it must be good..lol!! I see them playing Gears of War mostly.

TenMan

 

[Preacher]

I have to elite too, the biggest thing you want to look for the to make sure it has a 20g hard drive or bigger if there is one..... now what type of media you plan on using it for.... Cause as a media centre I thought it sucked..... you want the altimate media centre get an original xbox...... the 360 is for gaming...

 

[THL]

Cause as a media centre I thought it sucked..... you want the altimate media centre get an original xbox...... the 360 is for gaming...

Why is that Preacher? I basically just want to stream music and video from my PC. Did you have problems doing that?

 

[Phreezer]

There isn't a problem doing that THL. just use Tversity on your computer and as long as you have a wireless network you should be able to stream audio and video easy enough.. however I'd advise that you go ahead and get the one with the hard drive so you can download updates for games. expansion packs, game patches, etc it also makes load times faster as you install a portion of the game to the hard drive. Without one it must read everything from the dvd which takes forever.

Also with you being a home theatre guy get the one with an HDMI output so you can play games in 1080P. The xbox 360 will also play HD -dvd's as long as you spend the dough on the HD DVD "adaptor" so you can get an HD DVD player out of the deal also. (The HDMI comes on all models now except the el'cheapo version.

Be leary on some bundles... and or versions.. for example the Xbox elite halo edition.. doesn't actually come with Halo.. it is just painted to look like the "chief's" armor.

 

[s7v7n]

My pointer, get the PS3...haha


Anyway, just kidding....a good friend of mine has the HALO version. It is pretty sweet - I dig it anyway....Here is a few things I suggest:

1. He only has one wireless, get all wireless controllers
2. 99 Knights, is sick....gotta buy it
3. Kane and Lynch rocks hard core, BUY IT!
4. HALO 3 is ok...
5. Get HDMI (as you said, the pic looks amazing...if it doesn't come with it, GET IT!)
6. Rainbow 6 VEGAS SWEET
7.

 

[THL]

Thanks guys. Looks like the best deal is at Walmart (I hate that place!). It's the Elite with 2 games plus choice of a 3rd, an extra controller, and some dumb bag. But it's only $50 more than what others have just the elite for, without the games or 2nd controller. All this will set me back $504 + tax and I still need to get the wireless adapter to stream stuff from my PC. Might just wait a while on that though, as we finally started building our house. I went up there tonight and looked at the basement footings for about 15 minutes, imagining how my theater will look when it's done.

 

[s7v7n]

Thanks guys. Looks like the best deal is at Walmart (I hate that place!). It's the Elite with 2 games plus choice of a 3rd, an extra controller, and some dumb bag. But it's only $50 more than what others have just the elite for, without the games or 2nd controller. All this will set me back $504 + tax and I still need to get the wireless adapter to stream stuff from my PC. Might just wait a while on that though, as we finally started building our house. I went up there tonight and looked at the basement footings for about 15 minutes, imagining how my theater will look when it's done.

Lucky bastard...I've been trying to get my own BUILT house for a while...it's so damn expensive...congrats man!

 

[Preacher]

There isn't a problem doing that THL. just use Tversity on your computer and as long as you have a wireless network you should be able to stream audio and video easy enough.. however I'd advise that you go ahead and get the one with the hard drive so you can download updates for games. expansion packs, game patches, etc it also makes load times faster as you install a portion of the game to the hard drive. Without one it must read everything from the dvd which takes forever.

Also with you being a home theatre guy get the one with an HDMI output so you can play games in 1080P. The xbox 360 will also play HD -dvd's as long as you spend the dough on the HD DVD "adaptor" so you can get an HD DVD player out of the deal also. (The HDMI comes on all models now except the el'cheapo version.

Be leary on some bundles... and or versions.. for example the Xbox elite halo edition.. doesn't actually come with Halo.. it is just painted to look like the "chief's" armor.

I had the tversity and transcode 360 and ffshow codecs plus lots of other codec packs.... But if you download alot of diffrent types of movies, such as .avi .xvid .divx. tos so on you will find the xbox 360 does play all types of vids. Now if you want the xbox 360 just as a media centre get an original xbox it is the best media centre you will ever buy.

I have modded both my xboxes and still find the original is the best for media. It plays any movie or tv show while still in the .rar file it will play recorded, downloaded and live internet radio such as anything from shoutcast.

You buy the x360 for games
you buy the original xbox for media.

 

[s7v7n]

I had the tversity and transcode 360 and ffshow codecs plus lots of other codec packs.... But if you download alot of diffrent types of movies, such as .avi .xvid .divx. tos so on you will find the xbox 360 does play all types of vids. Now if you want the xbox 360 just as a media centre get an original xbox it is the best media centre you will ever buy.

I have modded both my xboxes and still find the original is the best for media. It plays any movie or tv show while still in the .rar file it will play recorded, downloaded and live internet radio such as anything from shoutcast.

You buy the x360 for games
you buy the original xbox for media.

I have a very good friend that did this. His XBOX is fully his media center...everything is ran through this. He has his whole wire-less network included in the transforming of this media center shit....I was like, GEEK...but when he showed me everything he could do...I was, COOL GEEK!

 

[THL]

Lucky bastard...I've been trying to get my own BUILT house for a while...it's so damn expensive...congrats man!

Thanks! We are doing the general contracting ourselves plus a lot of the work on the inside. That's the only way we could afford it. Going from the cheapest bid we had to do the whole thing, we are saving about $40k, but it will be a shit load of work.

 

[THL]

I ended up getting the Elite bundle at EBgames today. They were the ONLY ones in our town that had one, and at 1st they didn't think they did either. The guy went into the back and found a shipment that just came in with 2 of them. It's even the newer one, with the upgraded mother board that supposedly doesn't overheat. Got an extra controller, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, and the 2 games that came with it. I wish I could play it.

 

[Preacher]

Thanks! We are doing the general contracting ourselves plus a lot of the work on the inside. That's the only way we could afford it. Going from the cheapest bid we had to do the whole thing, we are saving about $40k, but it will be a shit load of work.

Who's doing the drywall, you need a drywaller..... Is it warm where u live?

 

[THL]

Who's doing the drywall, you need a drywaller..... Is it warm where u live?

I'm hiring that out. It would take me weeks to do what pros can do in a couple days. I live in Michigan, so yes, it's colder than a well diggers ass in January.

The framers got the basement walls built yesterday and 3 of them up (it's a wood basement). The lazy bastards took today off to go hunting though.

 

[Preacher]

Michigan's not a nice place for me to give up my services..... If you lived say Florida then I would board and tape for you for the price of room and board..... and plane ticket..... and beer.... cause I don't come cheap......

Ya Drywalling is never a fun tast...

 

[THL]

Michigan's not a nice place for me to give up my services..... If you lived say Florida then I would board and tape for you for the price of room and board..... and plane ticket..... and beer.... cause I don't come cheap......

Ya Drywalling is never a fun tast...

So you're a drywaller eh? Hmmm, would placing some faux palm trees around the yard be close enough to being Florida? It will be warm in the house!

 

[Preacher]

So you're a drywaller eh? Hmmm, would placing some faux palm trees around the yard be close enough to being Florida? It will be warm in the house!

LOL ummm no....

 

[ian smith]

I'm getting my kids one of these units for Christmas.

Got my Little bro a PS3 for Christmas ,, picked it up about 1 week ago,, been playing ever since,, have to hide it when he comes over though.. Gonna hate given it up on the 25th.. He's 14, Im 35 lol..

 

[thick]

i dont mind drywalling but finishing that shit is horrible. THe good guys do it w/o sanding. I am not in that category