Somebody new to XBox 360: Elite or Premium?

I'm one of those people who's held out and refused to buy into the 7th-gen systems. I've been just fine playing my PS2 ever since 2001 (I don't even even the original XBox).

Anyway, I'm seriously thinking about picking up a 360 in the next few days and I was wondering....other than the extra HD space and extra wireless controller, what does the Elite offer that would make me spend $100 more than the Premium. Keep in mind, I'm a gamer who plays mostly by myself (my friends are mostly casual gamers who suck at it) and I like playing online.

Then you really only have one question to ask yourself... Black or white? Other than the HD space, they're both the same.Terami

Exactly - now that the Premium comes with HDMI, there's not much reason to go with an Elite unless you want a black console and bigger hard drive. Oh and there is no HDMI cable with the Premium (there is with the Elite) but you can buy them online for under $10 at monoprice.com.

if you are going to use XBL wjich is a must have for anyone that has hi-speed internet and the best 50$ a year you will spend on internet service then 100% get the elite you will need the 120gb HDD

if you are going to use XBL wjich is a must have for anyone that has hi-speed internet and the best 50$ a year you will spend on internet service then 100% get the elite you will need the 120gb HDDlge777

1) Why do I NEED the 120 Gb? Does the 20 Gigs runs out quickly?

2) Also, can't the 120 GB HD be bought at a later date and installed onto the Premium?

[QUOTE="lge777"]

if you are going to use XBL wjich is a must have for anyone that has hi-speed internet and the best 50$ a year you will spend on internet service then 100% get the elite you will need the 120gb HDDByronMcKeeby

1) Why do I NEED the 120 Gb? Does the 20 Gigs runs out quickly?

2) Also, can't the 120 GB HD be bought at a later date and installed onto the Premium?

The 20 GB can fill up quickly if you download lots of stuff off the marketplace. So it really depends on what you pull down. The 120 GB drive can be bought later on, but it currently costs $180 so its actually cheaper to buy the Elite and get it up front for cheaper.

[QUOTE="ByronMcKeeby"][QUOTE="lge777"]

if you are going to use XBL wjich is a must have for anyone that has hi-speed internet and the best 50$ a year you will spend on internet service then 100% get the elite you will need the 120gb HDDwingman15

1) Why do I NEED the 120 Gb? Does the 20 Gigs runs out quickly?

2) Also, can't the 120 GB HD be bought at a later date and installed onto the Premium?

The 20 GB can fill up quickly if you download lots of stuff off the marketplace. So it really depends on what you pull down. The 120 GB drive can be bought later on, but it currently costs $180 so its actually cheaper to buy the Elite and get it up front for cheaper.

Well also u only actually get like 12GB to use as the rest is used for system memory and save games.

[QUOTE="ByronMcKeeby"][QUOTE="lge777"]

if you are going to use XBL wjich is a must have for anyone that has hi-speed internet and the best 50$ a year you will spend on internet service then 100% get the elite you will need the 120gb HDDwingman15

1) Why do I NEED the 120 Gb? Does the 20 Gigs runs out quickly?

2) Also, can't the 120 GB HD be bought at a later date and installed onto the Premium?

The 20 GB can fill up quickly if you download lots of stuff off the marketplace. So it really depends on what you pull down. The 120 GB drive can be bought later on, but it currently costs $180 so its actually cheaper to buy the Elite and get it up front for cheaper.

Well also u only actually get like 12GB to use as the rest is used for system memory and save games.

I'm one of those people who's held out and refused to buy into the 7th-gen systems. I've been just fine playing my PS2 ever since 2001 (I don't even even the original XBox).

Anyway, I'm seriously thinking about picking up a 360 in the next few days and I was wondering....other than the extra HD space and extra wireless controller, what does the Elite offer that would make me spend $100 more than the Premium. Keep in mind, I'm a gamer who plays mostly by myself (my friends are mostly casual gamers who suck at it) and I like playing online.

ByronMcKeeby

Honestly I've been reading what others have been saying - and it's all good... I think since you don't already have a Core or Premium Xbox since you are a first time Xbox buyer, I would go ahead and get the Elite. If you were like me and still had your premium in good working condition I would just keep it and maybe buy the 120G HD for it (like I did)... But since you have neither just go with the Elite. Trust me, if anything goes wrong with my Premium then I'm immediately getting an Elite.

The reason for the 120G HD is simply for more space, if you think you'll be on Xbox Live ($49.99/year - which I highly recommend) then you'll have access to the Xbox Live Marketplace where you can download stuff for free or pay for - depending on what it is. Anything from movies in HD and TV Network shows by episode, all the way to Demos, Game videos and also ways to personalize your Xbox Dashboard and profile with Gamer pics and Themes for your visual pleasure. For all this stuff you'll need some HD space...

Another thing, you said you play alone - Well you're the perfevt candidate for Xbox Live - you won't have to play alone anymore, but you can when you want too. Any multiplayer game you will be able to play with gamers from all around the globe. The 360 really takes gaming to another level.

So as far as Premium or Elite? It really depends on you rfinancial situation at the moment... If you can afford I recommend buying the Elite - Black, HDMI hook-ups, 120G HD, and runs cooler... $449.99 (I think) :arrow: Or you can go with the Premium - White, Gold-plated component hookups (looks great in HD regardless), 20G HD (and maybe purchase the $179 120G HD later), but make sure you buy a warranty with it!!!! :D

Either way buy one at Best Buy or somewhere that offers a IF-IT-BREAKS-WE'LL-SWAP-IT-OUT deal... any problems with your box you take it back to BestBuy, keep your HD, and they'll give you a new one in the box!!!

Anyways, by now you probably already left and bought one - as long as this message is, but maybe not, any other questions post them and we'll help as best we can... Late. :D

Hey =)

I wouldsay the elite as it is built better with the hdmi its definitely worth the extra cash, also Ive heard that the elite, and consoles with hdmi Port's (newer consoles in the u.s) apparently don't over heat as much as the previous consoles.

the HDMI cable came with Elite is really really good quality and the ones that can be purchased for $10, the quality isn't that good

i say you should get Elite

Then you really only have one question to ask yourself... Black or white? Other than the HD space, they're both the same.Terami

:roll:

I think your JVC will be fine for now, 480p still looks pretty great on an SDTVbut... I do think after you get the 360 you'll probably want to know what that 720p/1080p looks like and it may drive you to save for an HDTV. I know it did for me, anyway.

Just to add to someone's previous post, out of the box, you get the Silver membership by default, which gives you access to the marketplace. Depending where you live, will depend on how much is available to you.(ie: downloadable movies aren't available where I live.) You can delete game trailers or game demos to free up space on your HD, so in that respect, the 120G is not as essential to some.(ie:me) Game saves will go a longway even with music, demos and trailers on your HD.

The Gold membership addsthe ability to play online, that's it. You should also bet a 3 month trial for the Gold out of the box.

I think your JVC will be fine for now, 480p still looks pretty great on an SDTVbut... I do think after you get the 360 you'll probably want to know what that 720p/1080p looks like and it may drive you to save for an HDTV. I know it did for me, anyway.Terami

I plan on saving up for a HDTV somewhere down the road but no way can I afford it after I buy the 360. My main question is that....will I be underwhelmed by the 360's graphics (compared to what I'm currently used to, the PS2) on my current TV?

[QUOTE="Terami"]

I think your JVC will be fine for now, 480p still looks pretty great on an SDTVbut... I do think after you get the 360 you'll probably want to know what that 720p/1080p looks like and it may drive you to save for an HDTV. I know it did for me, anyway.ByronMcKeeby

I plan on saving up for a HDTV somewhere down the road but no way can I afford it after I buy the 360. My main question is that....will I be underwhelmed by the 360's graphics (compared to what I'm currently used to, the PS2) on my current TV?

I have a PS3. I was contemplating buying a 360 or an HDTV. I decided on a 360. Some people say that playing next-gen games on a standard tv is a waste. I strongly disagree. Well made games like Bioshock and Resistance look notably better on standard def tvs than games from last gen. They still have gorgeous looking environments. The only thing you don't want to do is go from HDTV back to standard tv, cause I heard thats a big pain in the ass. Its like watching DVD movies and then trying to watch a VHS tape.

I bought the Elite just so I would never have to worry about space. I heard you can only use 13 out of the 20 on the premium and thats not a whole lot.

The 360 will still look miles better then your PS2. I own both systems so there's no bias there. Youshould be happy with what you see on your JVC and you'll be even happier when you finally get your HDTV because it will feel like a hugeupgrade going from 480p to 720p/1080p.

Just a little something I'll add here... When I finally got my 1080p HDTV, it made my PS2 look like the PSone games, no joke. I'm told the PS3 upscales the PS2 image, so we'll see how that turns out.

[QUOTE="ByronMcKeeby"][QUOTE="Terami"]

I think your JVC will be fine for now, 480p still looks pretty great on an SDTVbut... I do think after you get the 360 you'll probably want to know what that 720p/1080p looks like and it may drive you to save for an HDTV. I know it did for me, anyway.NavigatorsGhost

I plan on saving up for a HDTV somewhere down the road but no way can I afford it after I buy the 360. My main question is that....will I be underwhelmed by the 360's graphics (compared to what I'm currently used to, the PS2) on my current TV?

I have a PS3. I was contemplating buying a 360 or an HDTV. I decided on a 360. Some people say that playing next-gen games on a standard tv is a waste. I strongly disagree. Well made games like Bioshock and Resistance look notably better on standard def tvs than games from last gen. They still have gorgeous looking environments. The only thing you don't want to do is go from HDTV back to standard tv, cause I heard thats a big pain in the ass. Its like watching DVD movies and then trying to watch a VHS tape.

I bought the Elite just so I would never have to worry about space. I heard you can only use 13 out of the 20 on the premium and thats not a whole lot.

I'm seriously siding with the Elite after reading your replies. I'd really, really like to buy a HDTV but I just can't do it at this moment in time. I was in BestBuy a couple weeks ago and while I was looking at the HDTVS, my jaw dropped at how great the picture looked. My goal is to have saved up for one by the time GTA4 comes out. I heard that'sgonnalook absolutely insane with 1080p.

Another question...does the wireless controller has any response issues or does it react as seamlessly as a wire controller?

get the premium, if your the average person who doesn't go extreme on downloaded hundreds of movies, arcade games or tv shows. i went with pro, i hate the black color, and the pro's are going to have hdmi

dont buy an hdtv at best buy, they're rip offs. i got 2 at circuit city their prices own and they carry a better variety. i went with a samsung plasma and 1080p lcd. today is the last day for a hitachi 1080i plasma for $999.99, which is a good dealwwe_ownage

I wasn't saying that I was brwosing BestBuy for the TVs. I just kinda stumbled into the TV section. Anyway, the Hitachi deal sounds good. I just don't know if I can afford it. I'll probably have better luck waiting for the Thanksgiving sale when everybody has sick prices on TVs.

[QUOTE="wwe_ownage"]dont buy an hdtv at best buy, they're rip offs. i got 2 at circuit city their prices own and they carry a better variety. i went with a samsung plasma and 1080p lcd. today is the last day for a hitachi 1080i plasma for $999.99, which is a good dealByronMcKeeby

I wasn't saying that I was brwosing BestBuy for the TVs. I just kinda stumbled into the TV section. Anyway, the Hitachi deal sounds good. I just don't know if I can afford it. I'll probably have better luck waiting for the Thanksgiving sale when everybody has sick prices on TVs.

As for what you can afford, you could always try for financing with a down payment on the TV. You'll have some low monthlypayments but you'll have that HDTV sooner.

I understand the "3 S's" thing but you can't beat the value of the Hitachi.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=176988&catOid=-12869&c=1&cm_re=home-_-Top-selling%20Products-_-1

It all comes down to how you look at it when you make your purchase. I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for". Sure, some products charge more for name brand but look at the specs of the display before thinking that great buy is so great. If I am spending that kind of money, I want exactly what I want.

For example, when I made my purchase, I wanted to be able to connect everything from my PC to my consoles, to my DVDto my TV with no issues. I wanted HDMI ports, component and VGA. I wanted a TV that was capable of displaying 1080p across all channels. I wanted a decent contrast ratio(mine is 10,000:1).

The thing is, if I'm spending over $1000,I don't want to regret it later on down the road, wishing I had of spent another $200-$400 more on what I should have purchased.

Just two minor gripes with the Hitatchi for me would be, 1) It's a plasma and that means the possibility of burn in on the screen. 2) according to the stats, you can not connect a PC to it. I saw no information on contrast ratio.

What ever you decide to go with, make sure to do some research on it first and get what you know you'll be happy with. Other then that, good luck. :)

What HDTV would you recommend that isn't grossly expensive?

What HDTV would you recommend that isn't grossly expensive?

ByronMcKeeby

[QUOTE="ByronMcKeeby"]

What HDTV would you recommend that isn't grossly expensive?

13and0

Well really thats kind of a high price for a tv with 720p native. Dont waste your money like that. There is a reason for the seemingly great deals at Walmart. If you were to go into a real store and see that tv next to a real one you would see what Im talking about.

[QUOTE="CorporateHammer"]Just a thought but you could get the premium and sceptre Naga Gamer LCD for $200 22 inch widescreen 1680 x 1050 1080p. If you are wanting to play in high def and dont care about size. LCD monitors have really dropped in price and if you are not entertaining friends I would highly recommend a nice 22 inch LCD. Just browse LCD monitors at www.tigerdirect.com.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to check that out. If I put the TV in my bedroom, the 22-inch would be a good fit. However, if I put in my living room then the 22-inch wouldn't cut it.

[QUOTE="CorporateHammer"]Just a thought but you could get the premium and sceptre Naga Gamer LCD for $200 22 inch widescreen 1680 x 1050 1080p. If you are wanting to play in high def and dont care about size. LCD monitors have really dropped in price and if you are not entertaining friends I would highly recommend a nice 22 inch LCD. Just browse LCD monitors at www.tigerdirect.com.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to check that out. If I put the TV in my bedroom, the 22-inch would be a good fit. However, if I put in my living room then the 22-inch wouldn't cut it.

ByronMcKeeby

True. Something like a 50"+ would be the ULTIMATE living room experience. But as for your which 360toget question: Elite is more reliable, worthy, and just plain better. And with your HDMI and VGA cables included, you'll live the perfect HD gamng experience(IMO). But if you are willing, wait a few more weeks for the July and beyond models to hits shelves, as they have the 2nd heatsink, which may eliminate the RoD. I may save up for one myself. 13and0

1) What are the most important specs of a HDTV to look that in judging the picture? Some people say 1080p is better and others say 720p is better.

2) I know you say that there are newer 360's that will soon hit stores but my opinion is that if I buy at today from BestBuy and it breaks in a ocuple months, I can swap it out for a new one anyway.

Native resolution would be most important. Meaning a TV can support 1080i but if native resolution is 720 it is upscaling not true 1080. If you go the LCD route (monitor) response and contrast ratio are important.CorporateHammer

Is 1080 the best or can the case be made that 720 is? I've heard people say that they 720p is great for video games while movies/TV are better with 1080. Is there any truth to that?

Thanks for the info. I'm looking at some 1080p HDTVs that are affordable (or least something that I'll be able to make payments on without worrying about missing them).