Xbox 360 Console Core System (Includes: Xbox 360, wired controller and composite TV connection & SCART adaptor)

Hi there!

Just a few words to those wondering if the 360 is worth buying if you don't have a high defenition telly.

The 360 works fab on any standard TV made during the last seven years or so. As long as your telly accepts a 60hz signal, you're good to go. This is pretty important as some games will not be playable in 50hz (techy and boring, but it's all to do with screen refresh rates).

If you're planning to use the 360 on a standard telly, the AV cables you get with either the core, or premium system, won't do it justice.

For best performance, you should get yourself the official microsoft scart cable, which carries and RGB (red, green, blue) signal. This will give you a gorgeous picture - the best you can get on a standard TV. Trust me, the picture still looks amazing and, although Hi-Def is better, you'll still be beaming.

If you still crave Hi-Def, you can always hook your 360 up to a computer monitor with the official VGA cable. However, I really wouldn't be too fussed if your TV is 28' inches or lower.

Thanks for the memory?

Well, if you plan to connect up to xbox live, then a hard drive is the best option, as you'll be able to upload your gamer profile and download updates for your console (they do this a lot; very handy, although game-specific updates, apart from those designed to fix bugs, usually cost "microsoft points", which you can pick up at Virgin or HMV). Xbox live is top banana - especially if you play co-op with friends!

If you're not venturing online, then a memory card will work just dandy and will save a lot of game data (achievements, settings, etc.).

Hope the above helps! :-)

I have had an Xbox360 since release day. Initially I managed to get a core system through a friend but just before Christmas I got luck when I walked in Game and they had just got 1 in stock 5 mins before. I purchased this as I needed the HiDef cable (Im lucky enough to use a hidef 42" plasma) and wanted to play my old xbox games (Halo2 mainly!).

Since using the premium I have found it to freeze a lot more on xb live, especially when in a lobby area. I have found this with several games, namely PGR3, Quake 4 and Call of Duty2. As yet is hasn't froozen while playing Perfect Dark so maybe in a few updates it will be fine!

The core system should be adequate for most people and I think I actually prefer the plain white fascia of a core! If you are going to play original xbox games, want hidef and are going to store lots of info on the hard drive, fine go for a premium but if you just want to play games, have an ipod you can plug in the front for music and dont have a hidef tv then core should be ok (as previously mentioned you will need a memory card though). Also the core system controller can be used on a PC which is a bonus (quite liked having a decent controller on my PC for a change and Im going to buy another wired controller now!)

The actual console is very good but not perfect. Its not overly quiet with the fans and drive producing a fair bit of noise but once a game is loaded I have never noticed it, secondly the intial launch titles, although good are not superb. Sure the graphics are great and sound excellent but that is expected with a new console and so much power. But in all fairness how many consoles have a great lineup on launch? (People will now say Halo on Xbox and yes that was a good game but it was unexpected and unheard of). The console has lots of potential and should please most people.

The best part of the experience is XBox Live. Playing against real people in all the games brings everything to a much higher level. I dont play single player anymore as its so boring. People say quake is ok but in multiplayer its great (in many respects it outperforms Halo2 online as I suffer hardly any lag in the UK). Get a group of friends together and start up PGR3 and it takes the game to a new level (although playing against unknown people isnt as good as you end up racing with only the Ferrari F50 wheras when with friends everyone uses the same car which changes all the time is so much fun.

All in all a good console and with it being first off the mark should be well established when the PS3 is released and give it a run for its money (especially as Sony announced recently they are leaving online support down to developers which will cause problems and inconsistency) (but I would like to point out I am not loyal to any particular console and own a PSP (which I dont rate that highly), a PS2, and an original Xbox (as well as a lot older consoles!)

As an update to this review, having played the console a lot more, its true potential is slowly appearing. Only now can I say there are dedicated next gen titles that rely on the power of the console (dead rising, test drive unlimited just for starters), the original glitches I mentioned with live freezing have now been resolved and everything is working great and only getting better. Plus the upcoming exclusive next gen launches of Pro Evo and Fifa and the 360 is really setting the benchmarks that sony will find difficult to beat for originallity (I will admit I will probably at some point buy a PS3 but after owning the 360, there is no way I am going to rush out and get one as I cant see it having a perfect rival to xb live, being release with unoriginal games, and be a decent price (plus everyone stats how great the PS3 will be as it has a blue ray drive but I hate to point out that blueray has a rival and the modern betamax vhs war is only just starting!).

In conclusion now, I think the 360 has a great future as does the nintendo wii but as for the PS3, this generations Sega Saturn anyone!!!

Had the original XBOX, never had a PS2 so it was inevitable that I'd get a 360. I purchased mine at launch, and although I wasn't impressed with the quality of the launch games my opinion soon changed when the big guns arrived like Gears of War.

The graphics on the console are stunning, the detail as never been so intense and real. Gears of War, Call of Duty 3 and Fight Night Round 3 represent some of the best games visually and also in terms of gameplay. Obviously with the added bonus of high definition gaming it adds to detail, which offers almost surreal picture quality, although 720p is superior to 1080i simply beacause it's progressive and therefore offers smoother gameplay.

The 360 dashboard offers many feature you won't be finding on the PS3 such as connection to Windows Messenger to chat to your friends on their home computers and also built in Windows Media Center. Media Center allows you to get video, photo and sounds from all computers in your home and stream them to you TV. Above all the dashboard is very easy to use and navigate allowing you to access videos, images and music stored on the hard drive and browse files up for download on the web.

The controller differs only slightly from the original XBOX, which are larger than the PS3 ones but in my opinion it makes them more comfortable and easy to use.

I would have given the console a 5 but I've had a few technical issues with it. Not as many as other people thankfully. My system very rarely locks up but every now and again I do get the classic "Dirty Disc Error", not yet had the red ring of death (thank god)! My 360 does get roastin just like many have pointed out, and yes it's true you can pritty much fry an egg on it. My key issue has been with the DVD drive not opening when the console is stood vertically without a disc in the drive. So I have to constantely leave a disc in the drive as I don't have space to lye it flat. My other issue is how loud it tends to be, it seriously does sound like a fighter jet is taking off! The faceplates are also mass produced junk and the flaps that protect the USB and memory slots break off very easily - as I found. Microsoft did however provide a replacement.

One thing to avoid if your buying a 360 is being conned by the reduced price of the core system. Your more than likely going to purchase the extras. Infact to even save your games a memory unit is needed, which can set you back around 15 pounds. The console is nothing without the hard drive which will set you back around 70 quid. You will also lack the headset to talk to your friends if you connect up to the net and you'll have to cope with the wired controllers. Another issue is that if your buying the 360 for High Def playback then you need the component leads that come with the premium package otherwise you will also need to purchase those before you can get High Def graphics. Unless you simply just want to play a quick game and not even save it get the premium package it saves allot of money in the long run, I ended up spending around £100 more than I should have by getting the core and then upgrading later.

So to conclude, the 360 is a great console but has allot of technical issues.