15 years ago
Tue Jan 13 2009, 03:19pm
Reset your Xbox 360 video settings
Remember this one if you're in the habit of carrying your console to friends houses and hooking it up to different displays. It can end up trying to output the wrong signal, so you can't see anything or get a flickering screen. Fortunately, there's a fairly simple fix if this happens. Remove any discs from the tray and turn the thing off. Then turn it on using a gamepad. As it boots, hold down the Y button, then hit and hold the right trigger. The video settings will reset to default.
Connecting your Xbox 360 to two screens at once
If you've got one of the component/composite dual video cables – the one that comes in the box with most 360s – you can have your console display on two TVs simultaneously. The trick is to flick the cable's switch to Standard Definition but hook up the composite (yellow) cable to one screen and the component (the red, green, blue) cables to another. It won't be high-def, but it could be handy if you're staging a mini LAN party and want to set up a display for bored spectators to point their eyes at.
Play music from your iPod
Not a secret as such, but Microsoft doesn't exactly shout about the fact it plays nice with a device made by uber-rival Apple. Hidden in the depths of the Marketplace, you'll find a teeny download called 'optional iPod support'. Once you've grabbed that, plug in your iPod (iPhones aren't supported yet, sadly) and head to the Media Blade. You'll see your pod appear there, and can now browse its music by album, artist, genre or whatever. It'll also charge via the USB port, usefully.
Play any media file, plus online videos on your Xbox 360
Free app Tversity neatly sidesteps the pointless video/audio restrictions Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo alike slap on their consoles, making them able to play any format. Again, you'll need a PC on the same network, but it's a simple matter of installing the program and having it scan the folders you keep your media in. It'll replace the standard network file-sharing system Windows uses, but behaves pretty much the same way at the 360's end. As well as that, it'll convert unsupported files on the fly – though you'll need a pretty beefy PC to do this with large video files, otherwise you'll be waiting ages. You can also add online video URLs on the PC's end – including Youtube – and then access those from the console.
Makeshift web-browsing
Microsoft's continued refusal to add a web browser to the 360 is infuriating, but there are a few ways to stare at the internet with your console if you've also got a PC in the house and on the same network, and running either Windows XP Media Center or Vista Home Premium/Ultimate. There are several ways to do it, but perhaps the easiest is the MCE Browser plug-in. It's somewhat limited, but set it up on your Media Center PC then configure your 360 as a Media Extender and you can access your favourite web pages from it.
Using a keyboard
As it says , simply plug a USB keyboard into your Xbox , easier and faster to type your messages to friends .
Got my 360 a week ago-loving it!
4meg adsl with a lan connection and Skate.
<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
gamer tag 'frozenfireside'
I'll add TT soon.
TVersity is also a great program if you want to link up your pc to your xbox , it does all your streaming video etc, which you can then watch through your xbox . Had it for a few weeks and find it great to watch movies and series etc .
Frozen, i will keep a space open for you!!!
Gamertag is; TT25ZA
or just give me yours and i will find you!
Since there is only one frozenfireside, my gamer tag is it.
Hi , simple wuestion really , as xbox live is not officially in SA , my brother cant seem to get onto live , i was unaware of this , and need to found out from you clever people how you managed to connect your Xbox's to live and by what and how you did it . cost etc , as much info would be well appreciated .