I'm not sure I like the look of the new system. I wonder if I could just refuse the updates indefnitely?

falandil

Lets start opening wagers on whether home comes out before or after the novemeber dashboard update. I got home coming out 3 weeks after.

snakepliskin

Anyone else exicted that the jet engine microsoft calls a disc drive will be silenced with this update? I could care less about the UI change, I'm all over being able to burn my games directly onto the 120GB HD I thought I'd never fill.

mruler360

Man, it seems everyone is hopping on the 3D avatar bandwagon, I'm looking forward to home for the PS3 though. But yeah, hopefully I can switch back to the blade, this system looks ok, but the blade is just so familiar.

jackfrost132

@Jason Chen: So the limit will be lifted before the "big" update? If so, great! I still like the newer cleaner look though :)

termitehead

Is it just me or does that UI look pretty good?

I am anxious to see how this works out.

Also, anyone heard about IPTV support? It was suppose to be in last fall's update.

yoshi

@praevalesco: What the hell do you do with your XBOX, traverse menus all day?

I use mine to play games.

diabolusunknownTheSecond

@termitehead: The problem with the current blade system actually isn't that it uses too many resources, it's that they only allocated 16MB to it for some reason. They're lifting that arbitrary limit now, so it should be a lot faster.

Jason Chen

Can't wait for the new update... Absolutely despise the resource chugging blade system. Hopefully the new system will be much smoother! No more waiting 20 seconds to look at my achievements in a game!

termitehead

How many Microsoft points will it cost me to have my Xbox automatically revert to the old menus without my eyes gazing this monstrosity?

praevalesco

weak, i thought this was coming a bit sooner than this. Oh well the netflix streaming is going to be sweet!

xxenclavexx

@shiftyeyedgoat: Use of the AVATARS is optional; this interface will replace the blades with the update.

Did we ever find out what Microsoft will do for those who purchased themes? I know that I've seen themes with the new interface, but will they port from the blades?

drewkkake

@Strong Arm: Wow, uh, yes, it's optional.

In regards to the update, November? We haven't had an update since LAST November... Microsoft is getting slow on its "biannual updates".

shiftyeyedgoat

@ZetaCrossfire: Wait, this is a replacement for the blades? Ahhhh! I thought this was just the new XBL aesthetics! I hope this is optionary. =(

Strong Arm

cant wait, but i will miss the blades

ZetaCrossfire

diabolusunknownTheSecond : I use mine to play games.

I use mine to download videos of games.

Then, I download demos of games.

Then, I play the demos of games

Then I buy the good games.

Then I play the good games.

lordargent

@falandil: Sure. Just disconnect your network connection and never use it again.

@Jason Chen: "Technically" it could be as late as Dec. 20 and still be Fall, but who's counting...

Chimaera

@ford4life: Yelling won't take the blinders off the fanboys, but well done nonetheless.

I'll create an avatar and either like it or loath it and continue from there, I expect most gamers to do the same.

Selcouth14:41htuocleS

REMEMBER YOU CAN STILL USE THE OLD BLADE SYSTEM THE NEW UI IS AN OPTION.

ford4life

@drewkkake: Call me crazy, drewkkake, but I seem to recall the entire shebang being an option:

[www.ripten.com]

shiftyeyedgoat

As close to winter while still being fall is Dec 20, 2008. That's when this year's winter solstice happens (it varies each year between Dec 20-23). If MS gets the update out by Nov 30, ~22% of fall will still be left. If you are going to be "technical", at least take the care to be accurate.

TooYellow

@ripfire: @Strong Arm: oh and you'll still have the radio.

ripfire

@Strong Arm: Well it would've been, could've been worse than you'd ever know...

ripfire

I wonder if the Media Connect feature will use the "Cover Flow" interface?

Anyone know?

sgt_sm00th

@ford4life:No, I'm pretty sure you can't. As it's already been said several times, just the Avatars are optional. The new UI is NOT.

mruler360

@snakepliskin: I'd give them 3 days.

mruler360

@TooYellow: shhh microsoft might hear you and push it back

poorGeek

@mruler360: The blades will be the new Guide. Pressing the Guide button will bring up a smaller version of the current blade system.

Chimaera

@shiftyeyedgoat: Last time I heard it was mandatory update if you use XBL. Correct me if I'm wrong but thats the impression I was getting since people couldn't change back with the last update with marketplace getting its own blade. I like the new update coming in November it reminds me of Cover Flow, not sure if thats a good thing or not?

CrashOverride777

@diabolusunknownTheSecond: Hahahaha that was definitely comment of the day! Made me laugh out loud, and realize that often when I write LOL, I don't actually laugh. Kudos to you my friend!

TheGeekInPink

ok, could you guys go easy on me. I feel really stupid asking this, but I cant seem to get my eggs in a line, so to speak.

I want to get my xbox to run my DLs from the old PC, and I dont have media center, so i went out and copped a external hard drive. but when i USB it up, the xbox doesnt seem to recognize the drive is there. I checked the formatting. It is not FAT32. I read I have to convert it to that. I went to partition it as such, and it said I'd lose everything on it that i already have. I'm not worried about that, everything i need is still on the PC, so I could replace it. I've just never done this, so, i guess my question is about a two-and-one-half-parter.

Am I correct in my conclusion that I need to partition this thing as FAT32 or whatever such format I was reading about, and is there a special way I need to do this so that the xbox will read that specific partition (as in, do I need to go about setting it as the first partition, only putting video files in there, etc.)My buddy had a Mac formatted drive and it read his just fine. Should I find a way to just partition the whole thing? (it is 320 Gs. I mention this because I understand I may have to pay to format something bigger than a certain size)

I appreciate any information the gods of the comments can bestow upon me. I'm just having more trouble than I should be with this stupid thing. Again, thanks in advance.

mynameisDJ

@Chimaera: Thats pretty cool I hate the current Guide system.

CrashOverride777

I don't think they are giving you the option of using the old blades. I might be wrong though.

nitromic

@mynameisDJ: If your movies and content is all under 4 gigs, then you can format with FAT32 and you should be good to go.

TBH, the best format to use on a XBOX 360 is "cough" HFS. The 360 recognizes it, unlike NTFS, and that format will allow for files greater than 4 gigs in size.

Does anyone even know why this is the case? There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason.

diabolusunknownTheSecond

I believe the 4GB file size limit is a limit imposed by the design of the FAT32 system- something to do with byte sectors, address space and other such terms I have little understanding and care for.

I know that it's an antiquated file system, that is inherently inefficient in today's modern computers with multi GB media files, but persists due to its ubiquitousness and to maintain backwards compatibility. The sooner MS consign it to the dustbin of history in favour of a more modern file system that can cope with large files and multi-terabyte drives the better. HFS, HFS+ even NTFS but preferably ZFS

jimbowyer

i think im the only one that likes the blades here, i think the new UI looks to much like itunes and wii-esq. thats just me though i guess

halfpastme

When are they releasing the update that beams my thoughts directly from my brain into the system, so I can just sit in a vegatative state and stare at the tv and play my games ? Using a controller is too much work.

elvindeath

This may have already been addressed, but given that this will replace the current dashboard setup, how much extra, less hard drive space will this give me?

when i hcecked the capacity of my 20gb hard drive, it said there was roughly 14gb, meaning 6 is reserved for system usage, (i.E game operating, and dashboard etc..) So how large is this file? and how large is the current dashboard?

Sexpun Tocome

@jimbowyer: I was always under the impression that since the 360 used a modified version of Windows 2000 (that doesn't support NTFS) that's why it was FAT32.

@mynameisDJ: I had this same problem with my external HD. I actually called Xbox support and it took three supervisors before anyone understood that I wasn't talking about a 360 HDD, but an external USB HD. Also, may I ask why you don't just get WMP 11/TVersity/Orb and stream from that? You don't have to have Media Center to stream to the 360 anymore, and if you're a Mac or Linux user there are options for streaming as well (though I don't know them). Plugging and unplugging the external HD to switch up video/audio files is just such a pain in my opinion.

Enochrewt

screw this.... ps3 owns!

urbanturban666

@snakepliskin: I hear it's supposed to be out October, they're ramping up beta users too, so I suppose they're stress testing the network at this point... At this point I'm still waiting for my Qore SOCOM and Resistance 2 Betas to start. =\

jackfrost132

@Enochrewt: Thanks for the great direction, friend. Looks like TVersity is exactly the kind of app I've been searching for. Kudos to you.

mynameisDJ

@mynameisDJ: Glad I could help. I don't know what you're running, but TVersity hates Windows Firewall. Or at least it did the last time I tried it out.

Enochrewt