Ever since XCM announced it would build a new HDMI cable for vanilla Xbox 360 word hit the web - then slightly contorted, as words often do. Confusion started when some stories referred to XCM’s new cable as a 1080P. This insinuates that 1080P video is not possible without the HDMI format. This is technically not correct.
We just covered some info on XCM's new HDMI cable for Xbox 360 in our last post. This time we'll dig a little deeper into exactly what it all means.
Component video cable system, used by original Xbox 360, is capable of full 1080P/60 (1080 progressive lines of resolution at 60 frames per second). The trouble is that component cannot cope with copy protection requirements outlined for HDCP. So, it can but it may not as in component doesn’t have permission of the AACS to do so.
Confused? Read more about AACS and HDCP.
What all this means to you as an Xbox 360 gamer is you will need the HDMI upgrade cable only if you want to watch movies on your HD DVD player in full 1080P/60. You won’t need it for games. I don’t know of any Xbox 360 games that are made to take advantage of 1080P. In fact – very few 1080P titles are even planned for PS3 which was touted for its full 1080P capabilities out of the box.
My advice … if you’ve got a 1080P display and want to watch HD DVD movies in full 1080P you might be interested. If you have 1080P display and only play games – HDMI won’t do a thing for your viewing enjoyment. And, if you’re using a 720P display you’ll never have any need of an Xbox 360 HDMI cable.
Despite the sales pitch, HDMI is only for HDCP compliance, not for better viewing quality over Component.
