Be Excellent To Each Other

Can't you run the One X HDMI through your amp?

No, it only has two optical audio inputs. They're actually branded as Pioneer 'XBox 360' speakers.

In fact, Amazon still have the listing for them. I got them when I got my 360, so back in early 2007. They still work perfectly and have a really nice sound. It was a bit of a faff getting all the wiring in properly (especially the rears) so I'm loathed to replace them if I can get away with it.

The original Bioshock on 360 was scary as fuck with full surround sound.

Optical SP/DIF has very narrow bandwidth by modern standards and can only carry 5.1 via some obsolete codecs. HDMI devices typically put out 5.1 or 7.1 via a modern codec or unencoded PCM. Neither can be directly re-transmitted via optical. Most TVs will downmix the HDMI carried audio to 2.0 and output that to the optical port. Some, if fed a compatible old surround codec like Dolby Pro Logic over HDMI, will output it over optical; but not many and probably no modern ones I suspect. Getting that working is a crapshoot.

As Vision says, the optical output on the Xbox is a better bet. But device switching may be difficult if the speaker set only has one input.
https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one ... dio-output

The GOOGLE-O-TRON agrees.

I spy an optical out.

Well, according to the official website it has IR out, if that is the same as optical out.

Cheers Doc very informative.

I think I'll be OK, the X could have one of the optical inputs on the speakers (so I'll get proper 5:1), and the feed from the telly can have the other for all other inputs, if they're rejigged to 2.0 then so be it.

Any reason you're not considering a PS4?

If I was choosing now between One X and PS4 Pro, I'd be going for the Xbox.

So would I. But it's entirely academic anyway.

How come?

Having a good chunk of my old 360 catalogue available is a big draw (especially the XBLA stuff), the X is undeniably the more powerful console, and I hate Sony's gamepad design but love Microsoft's gamepad design. (Always felt like that, right since the PS2/XBox days.)

Also, I quite like the industrial look of the X.

It's a better console imo.

How many console exclusives can you point to, though? How about if you remove stale iterations of franchise games? And how many cross-platform games that run meaningfully better on Xbox? And finally, how many friends do you have on Xbox as opposed to PSN?

I like the look of the X's hardware, but Microsoft has only un-screwed about a quarter of the pooch with nice hardware. It's stunning how expertly it ballsed this up.

State of Decay 2!


Much like Sony did with the PS3. It seems like only one company can get it right at once.

Unlike Nintendo who get it right all of the time!

Accuracy feex

There aren't none (that new pirates game looks swish too, and hey, maybe Crackdown 3 will be good although its long time in development hell isn't a good sign) but there's not a lot either. Nowhere near enough to justify £450 and a third console for me, anyway. I think if you're in the market for a second console after a PS4, a Switch is probably a much better idea.

Not if you want to play Burnie P.

I don't disagree with anyone, BTW, I was just curious.

I think that would be the key for me. I've no particularly allegiance either way between Microsoft and Sony and their consoles, so if I was choosing between PS4 and Xbox One, it's be PS4 as I hardly know anyone with an Xbox.

(Of course in the fullness of time I'll probably end up with both, but no rush)

PUBG
Halo 5 is fantastic co-op too. Really great fun.

The X1X is a great bit of kit though. It’s a great size, looks fab, has proper buttons, it’s quiet and doesn’t pump out too much heat. The PSPro is larger, not as aesthetically pleasing and really belts out heat out it’s back end. If you’ve got your console in a small enclosure like me you’ll probably worry about melting your wires at the back with the Pro.

A-fucking-men. I still couldn't tell you whether you fondle the top or the bottom of the PS4 to turn it on. I always manage to eject the disk.

I never touch the console at all just press the PS button on the controller to start it up

I chose an Xbox One over a PS4 because of the friends that I would play online with. I'm kind of glad I did now because the backwards compatible stuff is ace. I'm looking forward to more original Xbox games coming.

Don't get me wrong, it's not as good as the Switch and it's taken me a few years to come round to it but yeah, the Xbox One is alright.

Actually, I think the Pro has buttons too but they’re a bit shit.

For anyone thinking of a X1X, you might wish to consider the special editions if you like buttons (and who doesn’t). When you turn on your Xbox you can get specific sounds. I’ve seen the Minecraft edition which makes a Minecraft noise when you turn it on and off. I can’t tell you what it was cause I’ve never played Minecraft but it was still aces.

Oh yeah, so do I normally. But sometimes I'm nearer to the console than I am to a controller.

It does, and they are.

Try polishing a regular PS4 without turning it on. Impossible.

Why the fuck would you be polishing a PS4?

Huh? Dust.

So if your clearing dust off it is that not called 'dusting' ?

Friday tuneage.

There was a tweet the other day that said "if you broke into my house and pointed a gun at me and told me to eject the disc from my PS4 on my first attempt or you'd kill me, I wouldn't even try, and I'd just tell you to shoot me right now."

And a followup "If the first guy had a go and got it wrong and got shot and I saw it, I still wouldn't like my odds of getting it right."

Come on, you hail from Scotland. There’s no way you call it “dusting”. Us common folk say polishing.

No way! Polishing is for brassware and knobs.

Power button is next to the power light is how I remember it.

Polishing involves polish

DEFEATED by the Mrs Hearthly boss!

I was all ready to get my freak on with a telly and an X after work, when Mrs Hearthly WhatsApped me to remind she's out this evening and would I be home by 6pm.

As such I just had to come home after work and my shopping extravaganza was cruelly DENIED.

I'll go telly and X shopping tomorrow morning.

EDIT - It's a good thing she did WhatsApp me really, as I'd completely fucking forgotten about her going out. So me turning up with a car full of new shinies when she's late for going out would not be a good look, and would severely reduce my chances of some action later on when she gets in.

On the other hand, at least you would have had a new console. She'd have come round eventually.

I got this TV just before Christmas, and it's ace.

https://www.richersounds.com/samsung-55 ... lus-2.html

Cor, that's a tempting price

I don't understand why anyone is caring about physical buttons on the PS4. Under what circumstances would you ever use them?

If you’re going over to the console to change/insert a disc pressing a button is more convenient than trying to spaff out the disc using the menus.

I have the slightly smaller model. It's also ace

These appear to be my 'off the shelf' choices (i.e. in stock so I can buy one and take it home) in the 49/50 inch category, within a price range I'm comfortable with.

Anything beyond 50 inches is too big, and I've had a 40 inch for the last 11 years so it'll be nice to get a size upgrade. Also, the bezels on my trusty old 720p Samsung are so massive that a modern 50 incher won't actually be that much wider.

That Samsung one in the middle at £549.99 seems to be a pretty keen contender.

Yeah, but no. I have a 55” and I’d go bigger if the price didn’t go funny past that size.

42" was perfect at my flat and the new house. I had a 50" at my old house and it was too big. It's all about the viewing distance. Otherwise you get the "front row of the cinema" syndrome of having to move your head from one side of the screen to the other.

I have just done MEASUREMENTS and I'll be about 8 feet away from the screen, TBH I've never felt the 40 inch is too small, it's not like squinting across the room to see a blurry 4:3 20 inch CRT telly in the corner, listening to sound that appears to be piped through a broken coffee filter.

Also, the corner of the room where the telly is going will accommodate a modern 50 incher just about perfectly (it'll be slightly wider than the old prodigiously bezelled 40 incher), 55 would require different positioning and this would irritate me.

I'll see what they have available, and maybe the salesman will be able to schmooze me into getting something gargantuan.

Oh yes, another key factor is the fact that it'll have to go in the back of the car as I don't want to wait for delivery. Having a practical estate car finally pays off!

I'm basically getting ready to spend over a grand here for Burnout Paradise Remastered and my old 360/XBLA collection. (Still cheaper than a new car, I must keep telling myself.....) I'm sure there will be other good things on XBox One X though. Positive.

I got the 55" one in the back of the Focus.

I did have to drive home with my knees by my ears, though.