Xbox 360 for Dummies

by Johnson, Brian; Mackenzie, Duncan

• ISBN13: 9780471771807
• ISBN10: 0471771805
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-31
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Microsoft's Xbox now accounts for 37 percent of the game console market, and the new Xbox 360 is due out for the 2005 holiday season, months before Sony's PlayStation 3. When gamers take the new Xbox home, however, they'll soon discover that it's more than a just a game machine-it's a full-fledged home media hub with more power than most PCs. This friendly guide shows how to maximize both gaming and non-gaming features of this amazing machine. Topics covered include hooking up Xbox 360, taking advantage of HDTV and Dolby capabilities, using built-in digital video recording and wireless functions, storing media files, playing music, and displaying photos Shows how to have even more fun by taking an Xbox online for massively multiplayer gaming, instant messaging, and more Discusses the social potential of the Xbox, which people can use to make new friends, join groups and teams, and even throw fantastic parties Includes tips for securing the Xbox from online threats

Author Biography

<b>Brian Johnson</b>&#160;works for Microsoft Corporation as a content strategist for MSDN. He&#8217;s an avid gamer and has been playing on the Xbox since before the release of the system. Brian is the author of a number of books including <i>Microsoft Image Composer for Dummies, Inside Visual Studio .NET, An Insider&#8217;s Guide to Microsoft OneNote,</i> and others. Before working at MSDN, Brian was a technical editor for Microsoft Press where he worked on a number of successful titles. In the late 1990s, he was a columnist for <i>Microsoft Visual J++ Informant Magazine</i> and a technical editor for <i>Microsoft Office</i> and <i>VBA Developer Magazine</i>. Brian is a former Marine Corps journalist and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. <p> <b>Duncan Mackenzie</b> is a software developer at Microsoft. When the kids go to sleep, he fires up the Xbox.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
What's in This Book	1	(1)
How to Use This Book	2	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	2	(1)
Part I: Xbox 360 Out of the Box	2	(1)
Part II: The Xbox 360 Blades	3	(1)
Part III: Xbox 360 in Your Entertainment System	3	(1)
Part IV: Pushing the Outer Limits	3	(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens	3	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	3	(1)
Where to Go from Here	4	(1)
Part I: Xbox 360 Out of the Box	5	(34)
Meet the Xbox 360	7	(16)
Parents, Start Here	7	(1)
Playing with an Xbox 360	8	(3)
Games	8	(1)
DVDs	8	(1)
Music	9	(1)
Xbox Live	9	(1)
Communications	10	(1)
Extending your Windows Media Center PC	11	(1)
Xbox 360 Packages	11	(1)
Shopping Smart	12	(3)
``Premium'' Xbox 360 System buyers	12	(2)
Xbox 360 Core System buyers	14	(1)
Making Your Way around the Xbox 360	15	(3)
Down in front	15	(1)
Hiding in back	16	(2)
Connecting to Your Home or the World	18	(5)
Tuning into the TV	18	(1)
Introducing the Xbox 360 to your PC	18	(2)
Congregating with the community	20	(3)
Setting Up Your Xbox 360	23	(16)
Opening the Box	23	(5)
TV cables	24	(2)
Xbox 360 controller	26	(1)
Xbox 360 console	27	(1)
Documentation package	27	(1)
Planning Your Xbox 360 Installation	28	(1)
Controllers	28	(1)
Connections	28	(1)
Orientation	29	(1)
Connecting the Xbox 360 to a TV	29	(5)
Understanding the connections	30	(2)
Plugging it in	32	(2)
Connecting Your Sound System	34	(1)
Left and right audio cables	34	(1)
Toslink audio cable	35	(1)
Connecting to the Internet	35	(1)
Flipping the Switch and Testing	36	(1)
Troubleshooting Error Messages	37	(2)
One red light flashes	37	(1)
Two red lights flash	38	(1)
Three red lights flash	38	(1)
Four red lights flash	38	(1)
Part II: The Xbox 360 Blades	39	(100)
Dealing with the Dashboard	41	(20)
Initial Setup	41	(12)
Choosing your language	41	(1)
Creating a gamer profile	42	(9)
Finalizing setup details	51	(1)
High-definition settings	51	(2)
Widescreen video	53	(1)
Introducing Blades	53	(4)
Navigating between blades	53	(1)
Xbox 360 Dashboard	54	(1)
Xbox Live blade	54	(1)
Games blade	55	(1)
Media blade	55	(1)
System blade	56	(1)
Multiple Gamers	57	(4)
Adding profiles	57	(2)
Switching profiles	59	(2)
The Live Blade	61	(22)
What's Xbox Live?	61	(12)
Let's go online	63	(2)
Gamercards	65	(3)
The Gamer Profile Screen	68	(5)
Send and Receive Messages	73	(5)
Gamer Profiles	73	(3)
Starting a private chat	76	(1)
Providing player feedback	76	(1)
Muting somebody	77	(1)
Using the Xbox Live Marketplace	78	(3)
Acquiring points	79	(1)
Spending points	80	(1)
Finding Out What's Happening Online	81	(2)
The Media Blade	83	(24)
DVD Movies	83	(4)
Console operation	84	(1)
Remote control	84	(1)
Parental control	85	(1)
Progressive scan video	86	(1)
Quiet mode	87	(1)
Accessing Your PC	87	(13)
Setting up your PC	88	(5)
Connecting with Xbox 360	93	(1)
Browsing and accessing media	94	(4)
Troubleshooting	98	(2)
USB Media Devices	100	(6)
Viewing photos	102	(2)
Ripping music from CDs	104	(1)
Media integration in the Guide	105	(1)
Videos	106	(1)
The System Blade	107	(20)
Setting Up with the System Blade	107	(1)
Console Settings	108	(8)
Display	108	(4)
Audio	112	(1)
Language	112	(1)
Clock	113	(1)
Locale	114	(1)
Auto-off	115	(1)
Screen saver	115	(1)
Remote control	115	(1)
System info	116	(1)
Family Settings	116	(2)
Memory	118	(2)
Managing memory	119	(1)
Network Settings	120	(5)
Test Xbox Live Connection	120	(2)
Test Media Center Connection	122	(1)
Edit Settings	122	(1)
Windows Connect Now	123	(1)
Restore to factory defaults	124	(1)
Computers	125	(1)
Listing connected PCs	125	(1)
Disconnecting PCs	125	(1)
Initial Setup	126	(1)
The Games Blade	127	(12)
Saying Hi to the Games Blade	127	(2)
Listing Your Achievements	129	(1)
The Achievements page	129	(1)
Showing off your achievements	129	(1)
Reviewing Played Games	129	(5)
Game Summary page	130	(2)
Stored Games page	132	(2)
Playing Games on Xbox Live Arcade	134	(3)
My Arcade Games page	135	(1)
Download Games page	136	(1)
Playing Demos and Viewing Trailers	137	(2)
Playing demos	137	(1)
Watching trailers	138	(1)
Part III: Xbox 360 in Your Entertainment System	139	(48)
HDTV, EDTV, Plain Old TV	141	(16)
Television Basics	141	(10)
Video performance	142	(6)
Video technology	148	(3)
TV sound systems	151	(1)
Thinking about a New TV	151	(4)
How much can you spend?	151	(1)
Getting the TV's specs	152	(1)
Lighting	153	(1)
Making your TV fit your room	153	(1)
Viewing angle	154	(1)
Getting the TV that works for you	154	(1)
Using a Computer Monitor	155	(1)
Recording Your Games for Fun and Posterity	155	(2)
Recording to tape	155	(1)
Digitizing your games	156	(1)
Getting the Best Audio Experience	157	(22)
Xbox 360 Game Sound	158	(1)
Hooking Up Xbox 360 Sound	159	(7)
Digital Xbox 360 audio	160	(3)
Analog Xbox 360 audio	163	(1)
Analog output	164	(2)
Great Sound Systems	166	(8)
Baseline audio	166	(1)
Subwoofer	167	(1)
Surround sound	168	(3)
Privacy	171	(3)
Buying a New Home Theater System	174	(5)
What do you need your new system to do?	175	(1)
Budget and timeline	176	(3)
Customizing Your Console	179	(8)
Faceplates	179	(2)
Removing the faceplate	180	(1)
Attaching the faceplate	180	(1)
Dashboard	181	(2)
Your own photos	181	(1)
Xbox Live themes	182	(1)
Wireless Accessories	183	(4)
Game controller	184	(1)
Media Center Remotes	185	(2)
Part IV: Pushing the Outer Limits	187	(56)
Parental Control	189	(22)
Rating Systems	189	(8)
United States	189	(6)
Other countries	195	(2)
Controlling Access	197	(4)
Picking a code	198	(2)
Movies	200	(1)
Games	201	(1)
Xbox Live	201	(7)
Creating your children's account(s)	202	(3)
Adjusting Xbox Live settings	205	(3)
Family Rules	208	(3)
LAN Parties	211	(14)
What's a LAN Party?	211	(1)
Play Games with Your ``Real'' Friends	212	(4)
Why the Xbox 360 makes an excellent LAN party console	212	(1)
Planning your party	213	(3)
System Link	216	(6)
Direct Xbox 360 connections	217	(2)
Standard network connections	219	(3)
Going Mobile	222	(3)
What the well-dressed guest is carrying	222	(2)
Take me to Partytown	224	(1)
Windows Media Center Extender	225	(18)
What Is Media Center?	225	(5)
Digital video recorder	225	(3)
Music and photo features	228	(1)
Custom applications	228	(2)
Extenders	230	(2)
Setting Up the Xbox 360 as an Extender	232	(3)
Comparing Media Center with TiVo	235	(2)
TiVo, the household name in DVRs	235	(1)
Media Center Edition 2005 (with the Xbox 360)	236	(1)
Getting Windows XP Media Center Edition	237	(1)
Using Media Center Through Your Xbox 360	237	(6)
Watching TV	238	(1)
Scheduling a recording	239	(2)
Looking for movies	241	(1)
Viewing the spotlight applications	241	(1)
Third-party applications	242	(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens	243	(62)
Ten Great Web Sites	245	(12)
www.xbox.com	245	(3)
http://forums.xbox.com	248	(1)
www.bungie.net	248	(1)
www.majornelson.com	249	(2)
www.joystiq.com	251	(1)
www.activexbox.com	252	(1)
www.teamxbox.com	252	(1)
www.officialxboxmagazine.com	253	(1)
www.g4tv.com	254	(1)
www.xbox4dummies.com	255	(2)
More Than Ten Great Games	257	(12)
Perfect Dark Zero	257	(2)
Kameo: Elements of Power	259	(1)
Project Gotham Racing 3	259	(1)
Top Spin 2	260	(1)
Gears of War	260	(1)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter	261	(1)
Quake 4	262	(1)
Dead or Alive 4	262	(1)
Halo Series	263	(2)
Call of Duty 2	265	(1)
Condemned: Criminal Origins	265	(1)
Gun	266	(1)
Full Auto	266	(1)
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland	267	(2)
Ten Tips for Parents	269	(10)
Gaming Safely	269	(6)
Content	270	(1)
Time	270	(1)
Contact	271	(4)
Communicating with Your Family	275	(4)
Learning about gaming	276	(1)
Playing together	277	(2)
Ten Ways to Make Friends	279	(12)
Xbox Live	279	(5)
Play right	279	(4)
Groups	283	(1)
Online Communities	284	(3)
Xbox.com forums	285	(1)
Discussion boards	286	(1)
Blogs	286	(1)
The Real World	287	(4)
Work and school	287	(2)
Gaming conventions	289	(2)
Ten Great Accessories	291	(14)
Memory Devices	291	(4)
Xbox 360 hard drive	292	(2)
Xbox 360 Memory Unit	294	(1)
Wireless Gaming	295	(4)
Wireless controller	295	(1)
Batteries	296	(1)
Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote	297	(1)
Wireless Networking Adapter	298	(1)
Xbox 360 Headset	299	(1)
Windows Media Center PC	300	(2)
Video Connections	302	(2)
Component HD AV cable	302	(1)
VGA HD cable	303	(1)
Faceplates	304	(1)
Appendix: Original Xbox Games	305	(10)
Hard Drives	305	(1)
Software Downloads	306	(1)
Broadband Xbox 360 download	306	(1)
Computer access	306	(1)
Compatible Xbox Games	306	(9)
Index	315