Xbox Live - Dash Update OUT NOW

offline · Post by **offline** » 27 Nov 2007 04:11 pm

Microsoft is making it even easier to expand your Friends network on Xbox LIVE®, starting with the Fall Dashboard Update on December 4. You'll be able to check out the friends lists of fellow Xbox LIVE members right from the Dashboard. With this new feature, members can find old friends or connect with new ones within the community of more than eight million people on Xbox LIVE around the globe and send messages and game invites, as well as compare games and Achievements.

With the prevalence of social media websites such as MySpace and FaceBook, this type of capability has largely come to be expected from consumers as a means to relate in an online community. Xbox LIVE continually seeks new ways to better serve the expectations of its members, which often result in free enhancements made available through the bi-annual Dashboard updates.

Friends List

- Settings
When the Fall Dashboard update is distributed on December 4, the new default setting on Xbox LIVE will be active, enabling members to see the Friends lists of other Xbox LIVE members. If you'd like to keep your friends list private, you can take the following steps to change your settings beginning today:

Log in to http://www.xbox.com/fof" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and select one of the three options available for your Gamertag:

* Everyone (only available to members 18 and older)
* Friends only (available to members 13 and older)
* Blocked (available to all members, and automatic for anyone under the age of 13)

Stay tuned for more information about the Xbox 360 Dashboard Update later this month!

- http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/new" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... oflive.htm

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Good idea or not? That is the one thing I dislike about Steam at the moment (not that I have many friends on that - I still play public daily).

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At least it confirms that the "Fall Dash update coming next week (Dec. 4th.)"

- http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2007" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... c-4th.aspx

GreyWizzard · Post by **GreyWizzard** » 27 Nov 2007 04:14 pm

I am guessing that is why the website was up and down this morning.

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 27 Nov 2007 04:34 pm

oh well... Candy will love the feature... he can add to his 'metro boyfriend' list....

crap feature if i ever heard one......

how bout giving us something useful like group chat in the dash or a graphic interface for games so you can check your stats from the dash (like the Halo 3 service record etc)

I spose they've gotta account for the emo's out there who will cut themselves up if they cant see their friends friend list (ala Facebook/Myspace)

pilonv1 · Post by **pilonv1** » 27 Nov 2007 04:38 pm

Or how about adding more friends spots for people? Or being able to group our friends?

Shaneus · Post by **Shaneus** » 27 Nov 2007 04:48 pm

Um, I'm sure it's not the *only* feature getting added in the update. Chill people, chill.

amba · Post by **amba** » 27 Nov 2007 05:21 pm

You can already see it through the Zune 'social', because Zune tags are your Gamertags and vice versa.

http://social.zune.net/member/replacethiswithgamertag" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But's it difficult to log in if you're a dirty, dirty foreigner like us.

jizzlobber · Post by **jizzlobber** » 27 Nov 2007 07:53 pm

good idea imo, esp for people new to live

offline · Post by **offline** » 01 Dec 2007 04:12 am

In case anyone missed the post by Major Nelson, here is the rest of what to expect from the update.

2007 Fall Dashboard Update

Published November 30, 2007

As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360® just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 A.M. PST on December 4, 2007, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system.

Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile, and video features and Xbox LIVE® Arcade Hits.

This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than eight million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. If you don't have an Xbox LIVE account, you can easily sign up for the free network by connecting your console to a broadband internet connection. New features and enhancements include:

MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

* Xbox Originals:With this new service, announced on November 13, you can download-to-own full original Xbox® games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies®: High Road to Revenge™, Halo®, Fable®, Fuzion Frenzy®, Psychonauts™, and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
* Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits: On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off as some of the best-selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be Bankshot Billiards 2™ and Lumines™ Live!, which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms™, and Zuma® Deluxe, which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.

NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED

* Inside Xbox: A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing an easy, predictable entry point where you can discover what's new in game releases, events, Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers, and lots more.
* Enhanced online profile: If you're interested in sharing a few more details about yourself you can go beyond your motto and further personalize your profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to "Friends Only" or the entire Xbox LIVE community.
* Expanded Friends List access: A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.

ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL

* Enhanced Parental Controls: Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
* New video features: The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
* Easy-to-use navigation features: With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it.

- http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/syste" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... efault.htm

westical · Post by **westical** » 01 Dec 2007 09:06 am

The full list (it's huge) can be found here http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... pdate.aspx

Some highlights -

Added support for richer profile viewing including Real name, Bio, Locations, etc
Added support to show friends a real name
Added support to not write trial-version Arcade games to user's played games history (this is only for newly downloaded games after the Dec'07 update is released)

Xbox 360 supports the following for AVI:

· File Extensions: .avi, .divx

· Containers: AVI

· Video Profiles: MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple & Advanced Simple Profile

aka Xvid

Now THAT is how you do a firmware update Sony.

Video Walkthrough - http://gamevideos.com/video/id/16421" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nath · Post by **Nath** » 01 Dec 2007 10:22 am

Here is an FAQ for the video support in the new update
http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... k-faq.aspx

Shaneus · Post by **Shaneus** » 01 Dec 2007 10:25 am

FUCK YES.

Mavy · Post by **Mavy** » 01 Dec 2007 10:55 am

Strange how MS aren't splashing the DivX support across everything like Sony did. Its a very quiet release.

It says in the FAQ that they don't support anything older than DivX 5.0. I think I'd still have a stack of stuff coded in DivX 3.0.

Still good news though. Will be interesting to see how this compares to my original Xbox. I wonder if this will get Sony to hurry up with the DivX support too?

Cardsy · Post by **Cardsy** » 01 Dec 2007 10:59 am

Wikidnuss!! May finally be able to retire XBMC.

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 01 Dec 2007 11:09 am

Mavy wrote:Strange how MS aren't splashing the DivX support across everything like Sony did. Its a very quiet release.

It says in the FAQ that they don't support anything older than DivX 5.0. I think I'd still have a stack of stuff coded in DivX 3.0.

They've basically added support for MPEG-4 ASP in an AVI container. Since only Divx 5 and greater are based on an actual MPEG-4 ASP codec it'll be the lowest version that can be played.

You could already play most Divx and Xvid content if it was in an mp4 container. This just supports the absolute molesting of the AVI container format that Divx and Xvid do to stick an MPEG-4 stream inside it.

Faraday · Post by **Faraday** » 01 Dec 2007 11:20 am

That is Awesome. The 360 now offers me EVERYTHING I wanted on a console!

Shaneus · Post by **Shaneus** » 01 Dec 2007 11:25 am

But what about reliability? [/Pat]

ObSoLeTe · Post by **ObSoLeTe** » 02 Dec 2007 08:37 pm

im waiting for a GH3 update that fixes the starpower frame rate lag

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 03 Dec 2007 12:08 am

Cardsy wrote:Wikidnuss!! May finally be able to retire XBMC.

yep.. was just thinking the same thing.... gunna free up some room in my TV cabinet.....

Cardsy · Post by **Cardsy** » 03 Dec 2007 08:23 am

Good work Blotts, knock a side shelf out and grab that HD plasma!!

mech · Post by **mech** » 03 Dec 2007 11:09 am

If my 360 were quieter than my Xbox, I could get rid of it

I will definitely give this a bash though

Kabal · Post by **Kabal** » 03 Dec 2007 01:17 pm

I can't help but feel this will still suck as a media player. Also it wont play the good stuff through the Media Centre interface. Plus the 360 is too loud. It's a little sad how XBMC is still better than anything else. I think im just gonna build a HTPC in the new year and foget messing around with these things.

ObSoLeTe wrote:im waiting for a GH3 update that fixes the starpower frame rate lag

Yes please!

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 03 Dec 2007 02:38 pm

Cardsy wrote:Good work Blotts, knock a side shelf out and grab that HD plasma!!

its a pity that side bit that affects the size of TV that goes in the cabinet holds everything up

jizzlobber · Post by **jizzlobber** » 03 Dec 2007 07:31 pm

the drive won't be in use though, it shouldn't be too loud.

Cardsy · Post by **Cardsy** » 03 Dec 2007 10:07 pm

Can you connect a hdd via USB and play divx/xvid off that?

General Chaos · Post by **General Chaos** » 03 Dec 2007 11:12 pm

I think the consensus us yes and there are some trick formats to use to get extra file size, HDD size out of it too.