By Dean Pullen:
VARIOUS SITES on the Interweb have revealed the possile presence of an Xbox 360 version 2.
Engadget have a report, with photos, of an Xbox 360 v2 dubbed 'Zephyr' which appears to have a newly added HDMI output on the rear of the console.
As if this wasn't proof enough of a possible HDMI-equipped 360 appearing, the report is backed up by Xbox-Scene who have further photographs of the exterior and interior of the HDMI-equipped console.
Below you can see the what appears to be a HDMI-out on the back of the Xbox 360, below the standard A/V output. Picture courtesy of our friends at Xbox-Scene.
Compare this with the existing version, below.
Even more interestingly, and adding some credence to the reports, Xbox-Scene have also allowed us to reproduce the pictures of the Xbox 360 motherboard, with the HDMI connector on board.
There's even a video of what appears to be a HDMI-equipped dev-kit working on a DVI equipped LCD monitor using a HDMI-DVI converter. Check it out on the ubiquitous Youtube here.Note the long boot time, which is said to be typical of Xbox 360 dev-kits, and is not a sign of a faked video.
Within the report, sources state that the current scaler within the 360, named 'Ana' and pictured here, has also been replaced in the new iteration of the console.
Allegedly the new chip which enables the digital output is called 'Hana' (people have speculated that the H stands for HDMI) and is photographed here in all it's glory. The photo makes the text on the chip look a little odd, but you can clearly see it in the interior/motherboard picture above.
As well as the new chip, various motherboard layout changes have also been noted, the majority of which appear to be insignificant.
Speculation is rife that this new Xbox 360 will also incorporate a 120GB hard-drive and the much-awaited 65nm CPU - meaning a launch date in the first half of 2007 would be unlikely considering the delay to the 65nm process shrink that Microsoft have had to endure.
It seems unlikely a more expensive 120GB HDD would accompany the lower price expected by the inclusion of the 65nm CPU (and Microsoft's recent successful round of cost-cutting ), seeing as MS will likely wish to push the console to the lowest price possible to compete with the PS3. But stranger things have happened.
Many have clamoured for the inclusion of the HD-DVD drive into the console itself as part of a console revision, but Microsoft continues to state that this will never happen.
We find it quite unbelievable that Microsoft couldn't foresee the need for some kind of digital connection for a console equipped with high-definition output, and could lose considerable face by launching a revised console.
The prospect of another, third, and different, SKU, may anger current Xbox 360 owners and confuse potential consumers even further.
It could be that this is simply a custom built dev-unit, or a revised console prototype, desgined to allow for an easily usable HDMI connection, and that the current scalers and image processing circuitry are more than capable of digital output using an adapter (or just a bog-standard cable) connected to the standard Xbox 360 A/V out. It's not entirely impossible that Microsoft could launch a revised 360, and an adapter for the existing box.
For now we can only speculate until Microsoft either confirm or deny the rumours. Interesting times for 360 users ahead
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