With the introduction of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 in 2005, the
HD gaming era was born. The system was the first to come equipped with high-def
component cables and HD support for all of its titles, a move that made gamers shrug
at the time. Two years later, the high-def landscape has grown enough to make
high-def gaming a possibility for just about anyone, and every popular console has some level of compatibility with HDTVs—some even double as high-def
movie players. Since gaming is now a near-expected component of any home
theater, learn about each console’s high-def capabilities, along with tips to
get the most out of each.

Xbox 360: Newer
versions of the Xbox 360 come with HDMI output for the highest quality audio
and video possible. If you own an older Xbox 360 (or order a used one online), it
may not have HDMI output, so you’ll need to use the system’s default component
cable instead. All Xbox 360s sport optical audio output for surround sound.

Does your Xbox 360 support HDMI? The system on the left does not, while the system on the right does. Look for the small HDMI slot just beneath the normal A/V slot.

The 360 can natively play standard-def DVDs, though it does
not upsample them. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is sold separately and connects easily to the USB slot. Though the drive is an affordable option for those who already own a
360 (and supports standard DVD-upsampling via HDMI), audiophiles take heed: This drive’s surround-sound capabilities max out
with standard Dolby Digital. Your sound system may not know the difference, but
if you want to take advantage of Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD movie
soundtracks, use a standalone HD DVD player instead. (And again, check
whether your 360 has an HDMI port or not, as HDMI output is key to the HD
DVD drive’s highest quality possible.)

Playstation 3:
Unlike the 360, the Playstation 3 comes equipped with a high-def movie player by
default. The PS3 sides with Blu-ray, and its price point currently isn’t much
higher than standalone Blu-ray players. Also, you won’t have to check whether
or not HDMI is there—the connection is a PS3 standard, as is optical audio. And
the PS3 is currently the only system which upsamples standard DVDs to 1080p without requiring an add-on.

Tips for both major HD systems:

More than movie formats. Each system has specific exclusive games, not to mention
different selections on their online download services. Unless you’re solely
interested in a high-def movie player, review each system’s game selection before making
the choice.


Connect them to the
Internet. In addition to online gaming, both systems receive numerous
firmware updates over the Internet that add to their multimedia capabilities.
The PS3 has recently been upgraded to the Blu-ray 1.1 standard, which will
allow features like picture-in-picture in future Blu-ray releases, while both
systems can now stream computer media files (MP3s, DivX video) to your living
room.


Check for remotes.
The Xbox 360 HD DVD drive comes with a remote control that can be programmed to
work with your TV and other hi-fi components. You can also purchase the Xbox
360 Universal Media Remote separately, or if you already own a universal
remote, try keying in any codes in your remote’s guide that are similar to “Media
Center PC.” The PS3’s remote, sold separately, will not work with most
televisions and receivers because it uses the Bluetooth standard. You can get
around this by purchasing a third-party PS3-compatible remote which adds a USB
dongle.

Nintendo Wii: If
the Wii’s blazing success can be blamed on anything, it’s not HD support. The
Nintendo Wii supports component cables for video (sold separately), but while
the system is widescreen-compatible, it maxes out at 480p—standard-def. Surround-sound
audio requires a Dolby Prologic II receiver, as the Wii only supports
analog/RCA cables. The Wii does not play any movies, but its
channel system includes a photo channel for displaying slideshows on your
living room screen, and its news and weather channels are robust
and convenient to browse through on the couch, provided they can connect through
the Wii’s default wireless card (an Ethernet adapter can be purchased
separately).

Sony Playstation 2:
The most successful system of the past generation is still affordable and
supported by new and old games alike. With an optional, add-on component cable,
the PS2 will output at 480p. A few games, like Gran Turismo 4 A-Spec, support 1080i resolution, but this is rare.
The system sports an optical audio output for surround sound and can play standard-def
DVDs (no upsampling), and while PS2 remotes are available, you can program a
universal remote with Sony remote codes to control most DVD playback functions.
--Adam and Sam

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