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Week of December 7, 2008
EncodeHD 0.80 beta
>> From dcunningham.net:
[QUOTE]
It's been a week since EncodeHD was launched, and I'm bloody pleased with the progress so far. A massive thanks has to go to my primary testers who have been beating the hell out of the early betas, providing feedback and helping me solve a lot of bugs and quality issues.
0.80 beta (12th December 2008)
* NEW: Option to specify the Output Folder
* NEW: Advanced FFmpeg Flags option, for adding to the FFmpeg command-line
* NEW: MP4 Artwork (thanks to AtomicParsley). MyFile.Avi + MyFile.Jpg or Png = MyFile.Mp4 w/ArtWork! :)
* NEW: UI Enhancements and a brand new icon, thanks to the Simplicio Icon Set
* CHANGE: H.264 quality improvements. Slightly increases encoding times, but it's worth it
* CHANGE: Disabled H.264 remuxing due to av_interleaved_frame_write_error. Investigating workarounds...
* CHANGE: Removed AviSynth (AVS) as an encodable file-type, until I can implement a workable solution to MediaInfo handling
* CHANGE: Rewrite of output folder / filename validation code. Much more reliable now
* CHANGE: Lots of small bugfixes
* FIX: MPEG4 could fail with 'unable to assign thread' error
* FIX: Non-AC3 5.1 audio was not being down-mixed to 2 channel AAC
* FIX: A/V sync issues with certain XVid files
* FIX: Audio crackling issues on Apple trailers
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://dcunningham.net
Download: here
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(Saturday 13 December 2008 00:44 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Stir your friends up in the Xbox LIVE Snow Globe
>> From majornelson.com:
[QUOTE]
Earlier this week, we delivered the free Holiday Theme for Xbox LIVE members, If you missed go ahead and grab it but keep an eye out for the Xbox LIVE Holiday Snow Globe, which has just released in many regions. When you launch the snow globe, it will automatically populate with your friends avatars. You can shake the globe with A or press X to stir in another random set of friends. You don't have to download it, it will just appear in the Spotlight channel when you are connected to Xbox LIVE. With Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa just around the corner, this will give you a chance to enjoy a little Holiday spirit with your Xbox LIVE friends in very NXE way.
[/QUOTE]
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(Friday 12 December 2008 17:25 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
November NPD: 360 836k, PS3 378k, Wii 2.04m
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Hardware revenue was up 10 percent year over year to $1.21 billion, and 14 percent over 2007's year-to-date total.
Wii - 2.04 million
DS - 1.57 million
Xbox 360 - 836, 000
PSP - 421,000
PS3 - 378,000
PS2 - 206, 000
Video game software grew 11 percent year over year in November, representing 31 percent growth in year to date sales.
Gears of War 2 topped the month's top ten, selling 1.56 million units in November, and the NPD pegs its attach rate to the Xbox 360's install base at 13 percent.
The software top 10 for November is surprisingly broad-ranging:
1. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft, Xbox 360) - 1.56 million
2. Call of Duty: World At War (Activision Blizzard, Xbox 360) - 1.41 million
8. Left 4 Dead (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) -410,000
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamasutra.com
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(Thursday 11 December 2008 19:38 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
MS: Those with NXE can't get away with no avatars
>> From oxm.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
Aaron Greenberg says those that have downloaded NXE won't get away without an avatar for much longer.
Apparently, those who have made it onto NXE but not created an avatar have done so via a 'loophole' which Microsoft will be closing up soon.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: oxm.co.uk
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(Thursday 11 December 2008 17:15 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
MS: Xbox Live Christmas Crash Won't Happen Again
>> From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
With Microsoft sporting a cheaper console and the need to upgrade all new Xbox 360s to the New Xbox Experience come Christmas morning, it seems that a repeat of last year's Live crash is imminent.
Not so, says Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360.
"We've built a lot of infrastructure, a lot of behind the curtain no one sees," he said. "This is something that Microsoft is good at.
"We are well prepared for the type of growth we expect this holiday."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: kotaku.com
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(Thursday 11 December 2008 17:10 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Anandtech: A Look at the Jasper Xbox 360
>> From anandtech.com:
[QUOTE]
* Identifying a Jasper
The important text is the current rating on the 12V line, which is immediately to the left of the current rating on the 5V rail. The three options here are 16,5A, 14,2A and 12,1A. All that really matters is the last digit, if you see a 5 then you've got a Zephyr, if you see a 2 you've got a Falcon (most likely) or if you see a 1 you've got a Jasper (take it and run).
Now some Jaspers have been mislabeled as 14,2A, but no Zephyr or Falcon has been mislabeled as 12,1A. The explanation is simple, this rating indicates what sort of power supply you'll need to use with the machine. Zephyr and Falcon boxes can't run with only 12.1A on the 12V rail, you'd end up with a box that either crashed a lot, rebooted or had other undesirable behavior (assuming it would even start, assuming you could even find a power supply that you could plug into it). There's only one Xbox 360 power supply that can deliver a max of 12.1A on the 12V rail, that is the 150W power supply that is keyed to only work on Jaspers. Find a machine with 12,1A written on the back of it and you've got yourself a Jasper.
* Confirming Your Jasper
The first Xbox 360 (Xenon) needs a 203W power supply. Falcon needs a 175W power supply but can also work with the 203W unit (it just doesn't need to draw that much power so the 203W unit is overkill, but it'll work). Jasper needs 150W but can work with a 203W and a 175W. In other words, the Xbox 360 power supplies are forwards but not backwards compatible.
* Jasper Dissection
Xbox 360 Revision: CPU | GPU | eDRAM
- Xenon/Zephyr: 90nm | 90nm | 90nm
- Falcon/Opus: 65nm | 80nm | 80nm
- Jasper: 65nm | 65nm | 80nm
The new GPU is around 77% of the die area of the old GPU, but the eDRAM appears to be unchanged at 80nm (chalk up the difference of 4mm to differences in measuring the die with a ruler vs. calipers). Compared to the Xenon platform, the GPU is now 66% of the original GPU die size, meaning the GPU actually shrunk more than the CPU in the move to 65nm.
* Power Consumption
Xbox 360 Rev: Idle | Halo 3 | Rockband2 | Gears of War2 | BioShock
-Xenon : 2.3W | 155.7W | 177.8W | 167.7W | 177.1W | 172.0W
-Falcon: 2.8W | 101.4W | 121.2W | 112.8W | 121.5W | 115.5W
-Jasper: 2.0W | 093.7W | 105.9W | 101.0W | 105.9W | 098.1W
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: anandtech.com (5 pages)
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(Wednesday 10 December 2008 23:51 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
A look at a few post-NXE Xbox LIVE stats
>> From majornelson.com:
[QUOTE]
With the NXE launch behind us and the Holiday right around the corner a few data points just landed in my inbox that I though you might find interesting:
* If LIVE were a U.S. city, it would be the largest city with over 14-million members. The equivalent of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago combined.
* Since the New Xbox Experience launched on Nov. 19 the number of new friends added per Xbox LIVE member has risen by 33%.
* Xbox LIVE is not just games: With more than 45 global network and studio partners, and Netflix in the U.S., we offer more than 30,000 movies, TV episodes and music videos in both high and standard definition.
* In the past year the average number of unique visitors to Xbox LIVE each day has risen 66%
* Movie downloads increased 49% and TV episode downloads were up 30% the week after launch
* Xbox LIVE Arcade sales almost tripled in the first week after the New Xbox Experience launched
* Avatar-specific titles like A Kingdom for Keflings registered the second-best first week of performance ever
* UNO which was updated to include in-game Avatars, saw a 650% increase in sales in just one day
[/QUOTE]
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(Wednesday 10 December 2008 19:51 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Rumor: Zune Phone Is Coming to CES 2009
>> From wired.com:
[QUOTE]
After years of rumors and brusque denials, it appears the Zune phone is the real deal.
According to Trip Chowdhry, an analyst at Global Equities Research, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will announce a Zune-style mobile device during his keynote address at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, on January 7, 2009.
In an article in Barron's, Chowdhry claims that the company's new centerpiece will combine the best features of the Zune media player with the hardware design of Danger's mobile Sidekick, in addition to "motion enhancement features," like an accelerometer.
Basically, this means the device will come with a physical keyboard like HTC's G1 and will likely feature a larger screen to accommodate heavy multimedia elements. And since we're all here copying each other's mobile phone features, we'll be shocked if the Zune phone doesn't feature multitouch capabilities.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: wired.com
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(Wednesday 10 December 2008 13:59 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xecuter CK3 Probe - Final Version Images
>> From team-xecuter.com:
[QUOTE]
Here are pics of the CK3 Probe that we are shipping to retailers
RRP is set at $14.99 / £9.99. Keep your eye out for bundle deals.
This tool is perfect for those that cannot solder or who want to do a much faster / less fuss job. So we should no longer see any more of this...
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://team-xecuter.com
Buy Xecuter Connectivity Kit v3 Probe: mrmodchips | shopneo
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(Tuesday 09 December 2008 21:59 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Netflix Streaming Battlemodo: TiVo vs. Xbox 360
>> From gizmodo.com:
[QUOTE]
Now that Netflix's Watch Instantly is on both TiVo and Microsoft's Xbox 360, the natural question for you, Señor and Señorita tech enthusiast, is which one of these two should YOU use to watch Netflix on. The answer, surprisingly, is whichever one you want.
Video Quality: Tie.
Navigation: Tie.
General UI: Tie.
What these ratings mean for you is that you're fine watching Netflix on whichever device you currently have, and shouldn't feel the need to go out and buy the other one. If you've got TiVo and Xbox 360, we'd prefer TiVo's implementation because of the fast forwarding and rewinding feature.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gizmodo.com
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(Tuesday 09 December 2008 21:43 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft Sued Over Scratched Xbox 360 Game Discs Again
>> From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
A Madison County, Illinois man has had it up to here (hand at chin level) with the Xbox 360 that scratched three of his video game discs. He's suing Microsoft, seeking more than $50,000.
Xbox 360 owner Jason Johnson filed suit against the company after his console scratched his copies of Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV, rendering all three unplayable, according to the Madison County Record. Johnson claims he heard "unnatural, grinding noises while the game disc was spinning," determining that his console was defective and to blame for the damage.
The complaint contends that Microsoft "violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act" and that Microsoft stands to profit from issuing paid-for replacement discs to compensate those harmed by Microsoft's own product.
Microsoft was hit with a class action suit for the same issue in 2007.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: kotaku.com
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(Tuesday 09 December 2008 21:38 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Lite-On iXtreme coming soon....
>> A iXtreme firmware is soon to be released for the Xbox360's LiteOn DG-16D2S drive.
Release is scheduled for the day before Christmas. More details will be available upon release. In preparation of the release, it is recommended that you purchase some of the available hardware listed below to assist you in the process of extracting the key. If you already possess and are capable of using a RS232 to TTL converter (serial) then you do not need to purchase any of the hardware listed below. If you have already dumped your key, no other modifications will be necessary.
Both Xecuter and Maximus offer Solderless (with the usage of the "Spear" or "Probe") methods to extract your key.
If you already own a Xecuter Connectivity Kit v3, a tutorial on how to extract the key is listed here
If you already own a Maximus 360 Xtractor, the manual may be viewed here for usage.
Buy Xecuter Connectivity Kit v3 PRO: mrmodchips | divineo | consolesource | shopneo
Buy Xecuter Connectivity Kit v3 LITE: mrmodchips | divineo | consolesource | shopneo
Buy Xecuter Connectivity Kit v3 Probe: mrmodchips | shopneo
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(Monday 08 December 2008 23:06 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 Has More Hits This Year than PS3, Says Analyst
>> From dailygame.net:
[QUOTE]
Sony, which manufactures both the PS3 and PSP, is facing some tough times compared to its hardware competitors this fall -- and maybe for the year -- based on November sales estimates from the industry analysts at Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR). According to the firm, only Resistance 2 drove good PS3-exclusive sales in November, while the PSP is expected to decrease year-over-year software sales when sales data is made public.
Considering the usual holiday-season push for hardware and software sales, the result may be declines in total Sony hardware sales for the year, says EEDAR, even as the PS3 had several solid hits earlier in the year.
While the PS3 doesn't have the exclusive-game sales, says the report, the Xbox 360 is currently benefiting from sales of Gears of War 2 -- which is expected to have sold 2 million units in November -- and Left 4 Dead, another Xbox 360-exclusive game. Call of Duty: World at War, a multiplatform title, is doing well on both consoles, while Animal Crossing: City Folk is leading the way for Nintendo Wii.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: dailygame.net
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(Monday 08 December 2008 17:39 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
XBMC for Xbox 2008-12-07 SVN rev16491 build - T3CH
>> T3CH released a new SVN compile (rev16491) of XBMC for Xbox(info).
This T3CH-compile is a complete snapshot of what is in SVN at the time the build was compiled, with just a few small additions.
Special Notes and Noteworthy/XML/Script changes:
* Due to the slowed down development in the Xbox branch, I will no longer release new SVN builds as often as I did before. So I will still build (the best) new XBMC SVN builds for Xbox but just on an irregular basis.
* Note that I removed the MediaStream skin due to its significant addition to the package.
Keep in mind this is a SVN snapshot of the current development tree. It's not an official (stable) point release. Use only if you know what you are doing.
Official XBMC Site: http://xbmc.org (manual and FAQ)
Official T3CH Site: http://t3ch.yi.se (release RSS feed)
Downloads: Xbox Bins (n/a - built with XDK) | other platforms | sourcecode
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