Fall Update Tomorrow

[Quo]

Xbox Live's Fall Update will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 31st.

The update evidently includes numerous upgrades for the vidoe side of things, including 1080p playback. Evidently there are 85 different "upgrades". Most of the upgrades appear to be in the Live Arcade area, with enhancements to achievements & Friends Lists, streamlining in getting you in to a game, etc.

source

I have to say I'm a little disappointed. The video enhancements are great and all, but I was hoping for something more significant, like better organization of friends lists, group chat, etc.

Is it just me? Is anyone excited about this update?

[Wondermonkey]

New Features

* HD 1080p video mode support over VGA and component cables.
* Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player support.
* Stream WMV video from a Windows PC running Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect.
* Play video from storage devices such as USB flash drives, Xbox 360 Memory Units, etc.
* Play video from CD or DVD data discs.
* Xbox 360 Wireless Headset support, including battery level indicator in the Xbox Guide.
* Video support for 50 Hz HDTV modes (DVD and HD DVD only).
* Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel support.
* Set up automatic downloads of newly released Xbox Live Arcade trial games.
* Support for upcoming release of XNA Game Studio Express (separate download and subscription required.)
* Stream music, pictures and video from a Zune device.

Xbox Live Arcade

* Lightning-fast enumeration and listing of all Xbox Live® Arcade games on the console.
* Find games quickly with two new sort options: Recently Played and By Category.
* Have all new Xbox Live Arcade games at the ready with auto downloads. Auto downloads optionally adds newly released trial versions of games to active downloads when you enter Xbox Live Arcade.
* View full achievement info in Xbox Live Arcade, including icons, achievement point details, and descriptions.
* Friends leaderboard: Compare yourself with friends and view leaderboard details right from the Xbox dashboard.
* Tell a friend: Send a message to a friend about your newest favorite Xbox Live Arcade game.

DVD Player

* Optionally disable notifications from Xbox Live while watching DVD movies.
* Improved support for audio streams on incorrectly authored DVDs.
* Better handling of unreadable discs.
* Updated count-down timer.
* HD DVD player support.
* Added zoom support for non-anamorphic content.
* Added support to Family Settings to block Unrated Content

Video Player

* Improved support for extended all black scenes in WMV content.
* Added support for Windows Media Video 9 Advanced profile video.
* Screen saver now becomes active when videos are paused.
* Now shares UI and player controls with DVD player.
* Improved video playback while downloading from Xbox Live.
* Added skip controls (forward approx. 30 seconds, back approx. 7 seconds).
* Improved messaging around unplayable video content.
* Added time elapsed and time remaining displays.
* Improved playback of high bit-rate HD content on fragmented hard drives.
* Improved visual quality of video playback.
* Added selectable display modes: default and letterbox zoom.

Localization

* New locale setting for China
* Improved German translations in console settings.
* Improved German translations in memory area.
* Improved Japanese translations in Family Settings.
* Added localized text for all supported languages in pictures area
* Improved Spanish translations in camera effects.
* Improved locale-specific decimal denominators.
* Added localization support for title menu and main menu in the DVD player.
* Added localization support for “Attempting to Read Media” system message.

Memory Area

* Added support for Xbox 360 HD DVD Player content..
* Added new page for viewing content size by category.

Other System Improvements

* Updated support for new Daylight Savings changes coming in 2007.
* Improved support for games to better handle host migration in multi-player matches.
* Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support for changing room lighting while zooming.
* Background downloaded videos appear in video area
* Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support while using VGA.
* Playing photo slideshows from PC now maintains picture folder hierarchy.
* Improved user experience when playing and deleting videos from the Games or Media areas.
* Improved handling of invalid characters during Xbox Live signup.
* Better handling of watermarks in gamer cards.
* Improved text for Windows Media Connect..
* Improved UI performance in Media Center Extender
* Improved connection support for Buffalo WZR-G108 wireless router when using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
* Redownload of deleted Arcade Games no longer re-enumerates all games on the Arcade page.
* Improved visual display of text in themes.
* Improved support for CD playback after signing up for Xbox Live and losing network connectivity.
* Improved support for long names of items memory area.
* Improved handling of gamer pictures downloaded from Xbox Live.
* Improved background download notifications when downloading many small items from Xbox Live.
* Improved support for custom backgrounds after returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the Account Management area.
* Improved network reliability between Windows Media Center Extender on Windows Vista and Xbox 360 consoles using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
* Improved voice chat quality in Xbox Dashboard and in-game chats.
* Improved messaging when failing to connect to Windows Media Center Extender.
* Improved USB keyboard support when using a USB hub.
* Improved consistency of user experience when deleting various types of content.
* Improved handling of low storage space for background downloads.
* Improved handling of Picture streaming from attached Digital Cameras over MTP protocol
* Improved error messaging for optional iPod support download when storage devices are full.
* Improved handling of multi-key repeating for USB keyboards.
* Expanded Family Settings to include support for blocking unrated DVDs and videos.
* Added ability to clear space from storage devices in download areas.
* Added support for low-speed and full-speed USB keyboards.
* Improved CapsLock behavior for USB keyboards.
* Improved look and feel in Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade areas.
* Added redeem code option to Xbox Live signup.
* Removed system message at the start of new downloads. Messages will be displayed for completed items.
* Added support for CCV credit card validation field in Xbox Live Marketplace purchase areas.
* Updated “More Information” instructions in the Xbox Dashboard for connecting an Xbox 360 console to a Windows PC to stream digital media content.
* Added auto-scroll to long text descriptions in Xbox Dashboard UI.
* Improved support for DVD insertion while playing a video file.

[Wondermonkey]

PS: That's from the Xbox Press Release.

Starts at 2 a.m. PST on Tuesday...

[Quo]

Originally Posted by Wondermonkey2k

* Improved German translations in console settings.

whew. thank goodness!

Originally Posted by Wondermonkey2k

* Improved support for games to better handle host migration in multi-player matches.

I wonder what this means. Hopefully better support for outside servers i.e. EA (Madden) and Volition (Saints Row)?

[Quo]

oh, and thanks, monkey, for being a lot more thorough than I am... as usual!

[Wondermonkey]

Elle has an article up on xbox.com about the update.

Details on the November '06 Upgrade
At A Glance

* Elle reports on all the improved features and new enhancements in the latest Xbox Live update.

My, how time flies. It seems like only yesterday that I was writing an article about the May 2006 update, and now it's time for another. The teams here at Xbox® have been hard at work bringing you some more sweet updates. We hope you like it!

Xbox Live Arcade

I'll start off with the most immediately visible change: Xbox Live® Arcade. It's got a brand new look, plus some nice new features. There's a new logo, and the buttons got a facelift, too.



Check these changes out:

* Fast enumeration of games: Remember how long it took for all your games to show up on the My Arcade Games button? That's all in the past, because now it's lightning fast. (Hey, that rhymed.) You'll see your game count zip to the full number in an instant, and the listing itself after you select the button is also really quick.
* Auto downloads: There seems to be no end to the games coming to your Xbox 360 console. To keep up, you can set up your console to automatically check for and download trial versions of any new Xbox Live Arcade games. Pretty sweet, huh?
* Sort options: With games piling up so quickly, you need a better way to find them. You can now view your games with two new sort options: Recently Played and By Category.
* Achievements, leaderboards, and Tell a Friend: Enhanced achievement lists and friend leaderboards for Xbox Live Arcade games are now available. Get full details for achievements and view a top ten friends leaderboard for each game right in Xbox Live Arcade. Then there's "Tell a Friend." Select this from the game info screen to send a buddy a message about the game.
* Play now: The Play Now button that you see after downloading a game now launches the game rather than just taking you to Xbox Live Arcade. Now that's attention to detail.

HD DVD, DVD, and Video

A huge amount of work has gone into video playback for HD DVD, DVD, and videos. A lot of it was behind the scenes, but there are a few visible changes.

As you may know, the Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player is due out soon. A big part of this update is to support the HD DVD player, and the DVD player also got a little boost. These are a few things to look for:

* Disabled Xbox Live notifications while watching movies.
* Improved countdown timer.
* Zoom controls for letterboxed content.
* Support for 50-Hz HDTV modes.
* Playback for videos also received an update. Video now shares playback controls with the DVD player, so you get new things like skip controls and zoom modes. Plus, you also get:
* Screen saver active when videos are paused.
* Visual and performance improvements.

Streaming Video

Previously, the Video area on the Media blade of the Xbox Dashboard only played back videos from your hard drive. No more! Stream video from a PC, portable device, or Memory Unit.

The Video area now looks very similar to the Music and Pictures area, which already let you stream music and pictures from various sources. Select your console, data disc, computer, or portable device as the source of video content.

Windows Media Player 11, Zune, and Windows Media Connect

Part of the change to the streaming story is the addition of Windows Media Player 11 and Zune™ as supported PC streaming software. If you install WMP 11 or Zune, it takes over for Windows Media Connect, and you manage connections from within the player itself (look for Media Sharing in WMP 11 or the Zune software). You can, of course, continue to use Windows Media Connect if you don't install WMP 11 or Zune.

1080p

I just thought I'd bubble this one up because 1080p display mode was under discussion recently. As it turns out, Xbox 360 can indeed do 1080p. You need a TV capable of this, but if you're lucky enough to have one, you're set.



The Future Is Now

The November update includes a lot of stuff for new products that'll be available over the next few months. Here's a sampling:

* New accessory support: If you've been living under a rock lately, let me be the first to tell you that three new accessories are coming to Xbox 360. There's HD DVD, which I mentioned already, plus the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset and Wireless Racing Wheel. Naturally, the console has been updated to support these. If you get a wireless headset, you'll notice a new display in the Xbox Guide for battery strength of the headset, too.
* Zune: You may also have heard something about an upcoming portable media player called Zune. Yup, the update includes support for that, too. There's support for streaming from the Zune software, which I mentioned previously, plus there's support for connecting the device itself to your console. The screens should be familiar—once you plug it in, select the device in Music, Pictures, or Video, and away you go.
* XNA Game Studio Express: Wow, we're chock full of new stuff these days, aren't we? Finally we come to XNA Game Studio Express, a way for all you budding game developers to create games for Xbox 360. You'll be able to access these games through the old Demos button, which has been relabeled, surprisingly enough, to Demos and More.

Other Stuff

You'd think that would be enough, but no. There's even more to look forward to:

* New locales.
* Improved translations for several languages.
* Visibility of content size in memory area.
* Improved multiplayer host migration.
* Improved Xbox Live Vision support.
* Improved voice chat quality.
* Expanded Family Settings for unrated movies.
* New credit card validation (CCV) field in signup and purchase areas.

[KEEZY]

So we can stream video now? That's good. I just wish it wasn't restricted to WMV, but I see why they would.

Also, I'm wondering if the "host changing" is in reference to games like Halo 2, where the host changes based on connection speed?

[Crippler]

So, I STILL can't stream all my mpeg4 videos. What the hell is the point of restricting all this shiznit. What device actually records in WMV? I would like to stream all the videos my wife captured with our digital camera. Come on MS.

[CoryB23]

I'm very happy to see this list of upgrades. Though I'm not going to have a device capable of displaying 1080p for some time, I'm happy to see the 360 support it.

[BrewCityUpstart]

Originally Posted by Crippler

I would like to stream all the videos my wife captured with our digital camera. Come on MS.

Oooooo.. too easy!

[WormholeXtreme]

This sounds like a SWEET update. Looking forward to it. Then my HD DVD add ons should show up next week along with GOW.
I just hope the VGA has 1680x1050P support also.

[SpOoNmAn]

Stream wmv now without wmc? sweet

[Crippler]

Originally Posted by BrewCityUpstart

Oooooo.. too easy!

Touche. I guess I did leave that one wide open. The videos of my kids we have taken over the yrs.

[Jon Liu]

it seems like it'll be pretty good! Lookin' forward to the wireless headset now!