if you dont want to drop an extra $100 for the elite, go for the premium BUT make sure its one of the new ones with the hdmi output (theres been TONS of posts about this).

these are hitting the shelves now (i picked up one at target on saturday) and are basically a white elite console with a 20gb HD (it even calls it a "zephyr" on the sku which was the elite's codename during development) . This is an especially good idea if you plan on dropping an xtra $100 or whatever it costs for the wifi adapter which is NOT included.

i considered getting an elite just for the huge 120gb HD but im glad that i didnt because i can access any video stuff on my pc and play it in HD on the 360 so all i really use the hard drive for is game saves and demos, and 20gb is more than enough for that. i suppose the hdmi cable included with the elite makes it a better value as well... but whatever, you can find those online or at radio shack for like $25 now.

overall, im SUPER happy with my hdmi xbox premium. i didnt have to buy ANY peripheral stuff so the $349 is all i had to spend. OH! did i mention you get a free 1 month subscription to xbox live when you sign up for the first time? so check it out and if you decide its worth paying for later, you can.

i love the fact that you can stream music from your pc and have it play on the music player while your playing a 360 game BUT...

is there any way to keep the sfx and dialog audio from the game on while i stream my own music or is it ALL or NOTHING?

adding your own apocalyptic soundtrack to DEAD RISING is totally fun, but it would be nice if i could here those zombies creepin up from behind while its playing.

lil help?

SUCCESS!!!

target seems to be the way to go just like my man said.

hdmi input + "zephyr" on the sku (manufacturing date of 7/2/07)

make sure you check the SIDE OF THE BOX for "hdmi output" because it does NOT say so on the front.

now if you'll excuse me ive got a mall full of zombies to kill.

Yeah, I just got one today. I had to say, something is strange about the console. One the MFR Date is: 2006-12-16. Second there are two fans, could it be possible that Microsoft didn't add on the new 65nm chip? And finally, the only way to identify if the console have a HDMI before purchasing is to look at the side of the box and look for the description of the 360 units, it should say it have HDMI port. There is NO huge sticker or logo on the box that stated the console contain the HDMI port, you must look at the description for that. So far, there is no problem. And the temp. of the console is low, due to the second fan.rain07ke

so you were able to find the premium (or "pro") model with the hdmi?

please share which store you got it from because i went to a bunch of stores yesterday looking for one and NOBODY had them yet (or just blew me off because they're lazy a$$es... circuit city, im looking at you!).

please, i cant wait to get me a 360!

thanks, at least now i know how to identify the new ones when they come out.

cheers!

With the recent price drop and announcement that the 360 pro would start coming with an HDMI port, I've decided its time to finally pick one up. But before I do I had a couple quick questions:

1- Has anyone been able to find the new 360 pro models with HDMI yet (especially in the bay area, CA)?

2- Are these new pro models w/ HDMI the fabled "falcon" we've been hearing about that should run cooler? If not, should I wait for these to roll out before I buy one?

Thanks in advance.