Xbox 360 May Update - The Thread

[Romier S]

I thought it a good idea to create a consolidated thread for the soon to be released May update (due on May 7th). There has been a ton of info released on the update and there are some nice features being implemented for the dashboard. Here's all of the info I could find on the update thus far. Feel free to add anything I missed:

 

Playback progress bar indicates download completion.

 

Improved skip forward, skip back functionality during video playback.

 

Switchable aspect ratio now available during video playback (Auto to Letterbox, Zoom, Stretch, Native).

 

Player and friends lists now quickly show session presence information for quick identification of users that are joinable.

 

Support for streaming WM-DRM protected content from a PC

 

Folder view for video content on connected devices

 

H.264 video support: Up to 15 Mbps, Baseline, Main, and High (up to level 4.1) Profiles with 2 channel AAC LC and Main Profiles.

 

Added MPEG-4 Part 2 video support: Up to 8 Mbps, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC and Main Profiles.

 

Show folder hierarchy for video content played from all devices.

 

Video trick modes (fast forward, rewind, chapter skip) can now be used while downloading Video Marketplace content.

 

Skip forward and backward functionality has been improved to skip to the next or previous chapter. Each video is divided into 10 “chapters” allowing you to quickly skip around video content.

 

The information bar that is turned on via the On Screen Display (OSD) now shows you exactly where you are in the playback of the video file. In addition it will also show for Video Marketplace content how much of the file has been downloaded and where the “chapters” exist in the file.

 

Windows Media protected content (WM-DRM) can now be streamed from the PC to the console. If the WM-DRM license is missing or corrupted then a specific error message is displayed to the user. Bookmarking is also stored for protected content.

 

When the user is in the dashboard and an Xbox 360 game is in the console then the name of the game is displayed in the tray icon of the dashboard. If the user highlights the tray icon then achievements and gamer score are displayed for that game based on the signed in user. Xbox1 games show the name and image of the game.

 

Bookmarks are stored for each video that the user plays. The user can delete all bookmarks but this will reset all bookmark information for every video that the user has played. The bookmark database is exposed in the system/memory/system items

 

When a user selects an item for download from Marketplace then the system will determine if there is sufficient disk space for the item and, if not, will ask the user to delete content on the HDD. The system provides a sorted by size list of videos, game trailers, demos and arcade content to aid the user in the deletion process. The same list of items are also available from within memory so that users can quickly see which items are consuming the most disk space.

 

The console will block the user who attempts to download content onto a storage device that will never have the capacity to store the item without deducting any points associated with the content item.

 

The screensaver is disabled when playing photos from any source

 

Another announcement with details on Messenger and some overlap from what's listed above:

 

Instant Messaging Comes to Xbox 360, Expanding the Largest Social Network on Television

Xbox 360 owners can connect with more than 260 million Windows Live Messenger users on Xbox 360, Windows-based PCs and Windows Mobile-powered devices beginning the week of May 7.

 

REDMOND, Wash. — April 8, 2007 — Your Xbox LIVE? friends list is about to get a whole lot bigger. Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of Windows Live™ Messenger on Xbox 360™, connecting friends across Xbox 360 consoles, Microsoft? Windows?-based PCs and Windows Mobile?-powered devices. With this update to Xbox 360, friends and families can easily connect and chat directly from their television using Windows Live Messenger, a network of more than 20 billion relationships and more than 260 million active accounts.

 

Beginning the week of May 7, 2007, the Xbox 360 Spring Update will provide Xbox 360 owners worldwide with access to Windows Live Messenger features, broadening the communication options on the Xbox LIVE social network. Members of the 6 million-strong Xbox LIVE community currently send more than 2 million text and voice messages a day and can now use Windows Live Messenger to text chat with up to six people on their contact list at one time, while playing games, listening to music or watching movies. Text chat adds to the variety of options friends and families already have to communicate with on Xbox LIVE, including voice and video chat.

 

Current relationships on Windows Live Messenger and Xbox LIVE will be unified on Xbox 360 and users will see at a glance if their existing friends on Windows Live Messenger have gamertags, instantly expanding the breadth of connected experiences they can share online.

 

“Bringing the largest IM community in the world, Windows Live Messenger, to Xbox 360 makes sense, as Xbox LIVE has really become the largest social network on television,” said Jerry Johnson, product unit manager of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft. “For our growing community of 6 million on Xbox LIVE, using Xbox 360 is a very social, connected experience. They are using Xbox 360 to play games, music and movies while simultaneously communicating with one another through video, voice and text chat. With this announcement we are simultaneously expanding the access of Xbox LIVE users to existing friends and family while introducing Windows Live Messenger users to the benefits of Xbox 360.”

 

Beginning the week of May 7, users of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360 will text chat using the virtual keyboard accessible on Xbox 360, or by connecting a USB keyboard to the console. This summer Microsoft will launch a QWERTY text-input device, a new accessory that will connect directly into the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging.

 

Beyond Windows Live Messenger, the Spring Update for Xbox 360 includes hundreds of new features and enhancements including the following:

 

• A richer Achievement notification pop-up will showcase the name of the unlocked Achievement and the gamerscore value without needing to leave the game to check the Achievements list.

 

• Enhanced family settings features for Xbox LIVE communications enable different defaults for video chat and voice chat.

 

• A new Xbox LIVE Marketplace blade lets Xbox LIVE members access the content they seek — whether it is game content or TV shows and movies (available in the United States) — from one place on Xbox LIVE.

 

• Updates to Xbox LIVE Arcade allow owners to quickly see which Xbox LIVE Arcade games their friends are playing and join in the fun. Xbox LIVE members can also compare progress of leaderboard scores and Achievements directly with all friends on their friends list. Expanded Tell a Friend capabilities make it easier than ever to boast about Achievements and high scores.

 

• A new option in Auto Downloads provides faster access to the entire collection of free, trial-version Xbox LIVE Arcade games.

 

• New progressive download controls provide easy access to optimal viewing options by letting people fast-forward, rewind, pause and resume as their video is downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

 

• Extension of the background download functionality will allow owners to set their Xbox 360 console to turn off automatically after downloads are complete.

 

The Spring Update is free beginning the week of May 7 and is easily accessible to every Xbox 360 owner through Xbox LIVE or on Xbox.com.

 

Here's a few shots showing off the new features:

 

[ATTACH]3001[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]3002[/ATTACH]

(notice the small arrow next to the person playing Rainbow Six. That denotes they are "joinable")

 

[ATTACH]3003[/ATTACH]

 

Also here are two fuzzier screens showing off the new tray icon with a game inserted as well as the new marketplace blade:

 

 

 

Some interesting things with the marketplace blade and the other features:

 

-Hitting Y while navaigating the Marketplace will now bring you back to the initial Dashboard. No matter how deep into the menu system you are.

 

-Word is you will be able to finally remove XBLA demos you've played from your profile along with actual retail releases that you may not have kept etc. This will delete any existing points from your profile if you choose to use it.

 

Other features include a fix for the HD DVD version of Video Essentials. The disc should play properly after the May 7th update. We should also hopefully see a fix to the HD DVD drives sound issues finally.

[Union Carbine]

Lots of goodies there. :tu

[GunnerX]

-Hitting Y while navaigating the Marketplace will now bring you back to the initial Dashboard. No matter how deep into the menu system you are.

 

FINALLY!!! I recall asking for this feature here since it was implemented on the Video Marketplace but not on the main Marketplace.

 

I can't wait for this update, it has a lot of very nice features that I wanted.

[General Zot]

I'll need to login next week and get this + Catan. God of War II just won't shut up until I beat it utterly and completely

[boogieman]

Lookin good.

[Dave C]

When the user is in the dashboard and an Xbox 360 game is in the console then the name of the game is displayed in the tray icon of the dashboard.

 

One of my favorites. With my time shared between 3 consoles and an MMO, I often forget what I left in my 360 tray.

[boogieman]

When the user is in the dashboard and an Xbox 360 game is in the console then the name of the game is displayed in the tray icon of the dashboard.

 

Any idea if it will do the same with movies in the regular drive and the HD Dvd drive?

[Covak]

-Word is you will be able to finally remove XBLA demos you've played from your profile along with actual retail releases that you may not have kepts etc. This will delete any existing points from your profile if you choose to use it.

 

Sweeet. One of the first games I tried was PGR3, borrowed from work, and I was always annoyed that it hung around in my profile as if I owned it.

 

And I'll be happy to clear out all those XBLA demos.

[Peter O]

Agreed, it has always bugged me that just playing a trial version of an arcade game added it to your "permanent record."

[iainl]

miffed theres still no sign of the HDDVD sound fix.

[Tonner Cyn]

Did I miss mention of adding notes to your friend list? I thought I saw a screenshot of that in one of the other threads.

[ChrisBardon]

Did I miss mention of adding notes to your friend list? I thought I saw a screenshot of that in one of the other threads.

 

Yeah, I heard about that one too. Hopefully the feature is mirrored on Xbox.com, so I can update the gamertag->Real Name mappings from my computer.

 

Looking forward to this update-lots of little fixes that should help. The game name in tray, achievement popup, and removing demos from played games are all great features to have!

[Dave C]

miffed theres still no sign of the HDDVD sound fix.

 

Since there is no mention of it, perhaps they consider that a separate issue (a separate firmware update rather than it being part of the dashboard improvements). Did they ever mention it would be part of the dash update?

[dogbert]

Since there is no mention of it, perhaps they consider that a separate issue (a separate firmware update rather than it being part of the dashboard improvements). Did they ever mention it would be part of the dash update?

 

Amir et al said the HD-DVD sound update was coming seperately so they could push it out sooner than this dash update. Oh the irony

[iainl]

That's the thing annoying me, yes (sorry - last post was on the PSP). Amir and co rather strongly implied the reason the HD-DVD update was seperate from the spring one was so it come sooner, not later...

[Gary P]

Last he said was that it was "days" away from being available. Of course he said it was "weeks, not months" away about two months ago:) Bottom line, he more or less hinted it would be ready before The Matrix hit shelves, so hopefully we can count on it this month.

[JoeyN]

Yeah he said days on Tuesday. So hopefully tonight or tomorrow for those who have the drive. Looking forward to the update and all it's little tweaks. Expecially the sleep mode while downloading at night feature

[Lutter]

Sure does have a lot of bulletpoints but, overall, is it really that amazing of an update? My first-gen DVD player from 1997 can show the (abbreviated) disc title, what's the big deal about implementing that?

 

I just want the HD-DVD fix.

[JoeyN]

Sure does have a lot of bulletpoints but, overall, is it really that amazing of an update?

It does a lot of little fix's people have been asking for, as well as a few other things like the chat integration, etc.. It's looking like the Fall update is going to be the one with bigger features this time around from how things sound. As for saying what's in the disc tray, its a small thing, but something a lot of people want. Myself included.

[Romier S]

Sure does have a lot of bulletpoints but, overall, is it really that amazing of an update?

Does it matter? I don't think anyone's bothered to call the update amazing in this thread last I checked. It sure does pack a whole bunch of small useability features that will make navigating and using Xbox Live and the Marketplace that much simpler and more effective. Not to mention the added video support for those that use the streaming features of the 360, streaming video content while downloading, better autodownloading and auto shutoff options, resolutions to vocal issues users have been complaining about for some time (removal of games from your profile for one), and more. Is it amazing? No. Am I looking forward to the added features? Yes.

 

My first-gen DVD player from 1997 can show the (abbreviated) disc title, what's the big deal about implementing that?

So go pop your Xbox 360 games into your 1997 DVD player and then rub yourself with whip cream and butter in celebration of all the functionality it's given you in the years past;). Seriously, I completely understand not caring about certain additions in this update but the only one making a "big deal" about said implementation is you.

 

Regardless, one thing I do wish Microsoft would add back in very soon is group voice chat. I'm hoping that is one of the bigger features added in the next update.

[GreenMonkey]

Hopefully it is smart enough to realize I have a game in the drive all the time. I'll power on the console and go to join a game of Gears via invite or something. "Insert the game disc into the drive".

 

So I have to get up, eject the disc, uneject the disc so the stupid console knows it is in the drive. Or start the game and accept the invite again.

[JoeyN]

Regardless, one thing I do wish Microsoft would add back in very soon is group voice chat. I'm hoping that is one of the bigger features added in the next update.

 

From the last interview with the Dashboard Team on Major Nelson's podcast, it sounds like they have heard loud and clear and will be working some kind of group chat into the dashboard in the future

[weremichael]

To Romier: "Wow this update is amazing!!!"

 

I could care less about most of the new features, but know what disk is in my 360 is great and removing demos from my gamercard list is fantastically amazing.

[Romier S]

Atari\Temple of Elemental Evil

You went and did it didn'tcha?

[foogledricks]

This is a great iterative tweaking for the 360. The reason it is now awesome is because the whiz bang new feature, chat with Windows IM, is something no one really cares about. I mean, it is a very big feature, I could just care less. And I bet most people could care less. I think Microsoft might have thought it was more important than it is?

 

Anyway, they clearly want to integrate Windows with 360 and this is a big step. Just one I'll never use.