neXtBox Speculation!

[capcom_suicide]

I used Media Portal.

http://www.team-mediaportal.com/

I liked it. But these days I just boot into W7 and use Explorer to do what I want. I'll probably set up MP again once the W7 beta expires and I'm forced to do a complete re-install (hoping work does W7).

MP was mainly for the bird Now I'm home more in the evenings, it's not an issue.

Interesting.

We use a small PC downstairs for BlueRay and media, it uses ION and in combination with CyberLink 9.0 it's a great solution for film & photos.

http://www.asrock.com/nettop/overview.asp?Model=ION%20330-BD

I was most impressed with the fact it was near slient (26db) and also only ?340. I had the Cyberlink and OS already. (Windows 7)

We just selected the "Start when windows starts" option on Media Centre for the Mrs, and she then scrolls down with a mouse to the Cyberlink player extension in Media Center.

I also have the onscreen keyboard pinned on the task bar, so we can do surfing or searching without the need for a proper keyboard.

I use SyncToy to backup all files to an external harddisk, but if I get a gaming PC for upstairs I'll copy to that too.

Cyberlink 9 also has a "TV mode" you can boot into, and that's quite cool as it gives information on the film you have in the drive.

Anyway, I found Media Centre was good enough for us, (We don't download films, so just need music and photo browsing, plus DVD/Blueray) and I like the Upscaling of the standard DVD's.

The Atom/ION combination with hardware accleration enabled on Cyberlink means we use about 15% CP on each core when watching film.

I have a US playstation 3 and needed a EUR Bluray player, so I thought this box was a more flexible alternative. I have the earlier model without WiFi, but had a spare Wifi card to use anyway.



The unit without Bluray is only about ?200, so again a pretty good deal for folk with access to an OS (Windows/Linux etc) and the wish to have a HTPC.

[Matt]

Very nice HTPC's are great, I use it for everything - films and music, as well as work. I have a laptop for general internet usage.

And of course, that's the direction MS and Sony will be looking to push even more next gen. MS are in the games console market for the set top box market share, and the 360 Dash is increasingly geared that direction.

[trying to get it kinda back on topic there ]

[capcom_suicide]

Very nice HTPC's are great, I use it for everything - films and music, as well as work. I have a laptop for general internet usage.

And of course, that's the direction MS and Sony will be looking to push even more next gen. MS are in the games console market for the set top box market share, and the 360 Dash is increasingly geared that direction.

[trying to get it kinda back on topic there ]

I think that brings us really well back on topic. Things to expect from next gen hardware:

- It will be a HTPC, taking the best from XBL, Win7 and Sony's impressive PS3 software
- It will be as powerful as a mid to high range PC from early 2010
- It will have dedicated CPU and mainboard hardware like the 360, that allows developers to optimize code to get ever increasing performance over it's 5- year life span

[abigsmurf]

I think consoles will move more towards being a media player capability but, pending the Wii 2 being modestly powered, you won't see systems that size. It's not in the manufactuers interests to use ULV parts (although I could see them doing low power modes for media player usage).

[capcom_suicide]

I think consoles will move more towards being a media player capability but, pending the Wii 2 being modestly powered, you won't see systems that size. It's not in the manufactuers interests to use ULV parts (although I could see them doing low power modes for media player usage).

Agreed. The 360 has had three CPU die reductions and probably a forth with the forthcoming motion sensing capable device.

I think the chances are that Low Voltage components will cost too much and offer too little performance, so the same trend of "Big & Hot--> Big & Warmish --> Slim & Cool" will continue.

A low voltage "Media mode" is a great idea, both for fan noise and electrical costs. I hope they manage that.

[Matt]

I wonder how much of a factor noise will play next gen. I find the 360 absolutely dire - even my latest one (Jasper, internal memory card so pretty new) is poor, though much better than the first ones I had (though maybe because I install to HDD, so notice disc spin less?). Now, I couldn't use it for watching films for example, but I have several mates who use them daily for movies and music. I guess we all have different tolerances.

But as the media box concept expands and becomes an increasing sales proposition, will consumers accept a XB3 (I won't call it a XB720, I think that's stupid) with as much noise as the 360?

Hopefully next gen MS have quality control and get the noise down, like the PS3 (I hardly hear mine, it's just fanned up to speed once I think). I expect MS are now able to take their time with the new design and not rush, and financially they won't want to **** up with another huge failure rate, so we'll be safe

[Sam The Man]

The noise on my 360 bothered me also. I always load the game i want to spend time on to the hard drive as its much quieter that way and i could never go back to playing of the disk as its just waaaay to loud.

Hopefully the next XBOX (im going to call it XBOX FUSION) will have a huge HD to store all games on and whisper quiet fans.

[Tig]

I'm fully in favour of the idea that we each make up a different name for the Xbox Ultra 64 and stick to it until further notice from MS.

[PeteJ]

Noise and reliability are my only faults with the 360, if it wasn't for these (pretty serious) issues I'd rate it as the best console ever. I use mine as a media centre and I can almost ignore the noise now, but I'd much prefer it silent. As for the reliability...I don't expect when I buy a console to have to replace it four times.

For the next one I'm happy with more of the same but more powerful. Inbuilt Natel etc is a given but that doesn't interest me so much. As I said at the beginning of this thread, I don't want the big three to be talking next gen for several years yet. This one still feels new.

[EvilBoris]

this generation is going to be cool, finally having some consoles that are around long enough for some truly spectacular things to be squeezed out of the hardware

[Brad]

Much more interested in the games rather than new tech. Hate the XBox pads (analog sticks too stiff amongst other things) but I doubt they'll change that as 99% of people seem to love the vile thing! Anywya, I'll call the next Xbox:

XBox Natura

It's poncy so fits in with MS's current naming scheme.

[Matt]

this generation is going to be cool, finally having some consoles that are around long enough for some truly spectacular things to be squeezed out of the hardware

But moving to the next gen would yield more spectacular things quicker Why struggle squeezing every last ounce of power out of a piece of hardware, when a next gen jump would give you say 5 times the power right out the door

Most of the truly spectacular stuff is happening on the PS3, the 360 is being left behind - I'm talking Kill Zone 2, Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, etc. Graphically here, of course. Is there a need for 360 / multiplatform devs to really push things as they've got the market share, and a rampant consumer base? The only 360 exclusive title I can think of that looks to be pushing forward graphically is Alan Wake - there's bound to be more, I just can't think of them right now.

Me, I'd like the next round of consoles appearing next year, or the year after. I like advancements, particularly this time round as it allows MS to take everything they've learned and make something reliable. Fix all of the problems. We'd get a better interface, 1080p, better graphics, AI, and physics, and it will be backwards compatible so you can still play new 360 releases.

Role on the next gen, that's what I say

Edit - I forgot to speculate on a title. So for this post I'm going to call it the XBox Smooth.

[EvilBoris]

Well when the power starts to dry up you start seeing people trying harder to make games look visually impressive with nice art and clever techniques.

Plus surely the pressure of running out of sheer grunt just leads to even more clever and efficient code being written which then translates into the next gen?

I speculate something more casual friendly like the Xbox LOL

[Matt]

XBox LOL - quality!

To date, efficient code from one gen hasn't really translated over to the next gen due to many factors.

On one hand, devs never really pushed the original XB as it was dropped far too soon. With the shared PC tools on it, I don't think many got to the "metal" to really give it a push. It was such a jump over the PS2 that they didn't need to either.

PS2 on the other hand, devs really go into that, but of course the hardware in the PS3 was completely different.

Next gen as you say though, things may be different. If Sony stick to the Cell, devs can probably get an improved engine from PS3->PS4 up and running in very little time - it would certainly make sense for Sony to continue with the Cell to recoup the original development costs, and allow devs to get to grips with it much faster. Plus you get a 3x upgrade to the Cell processor power, better bandwidth and a decent GPU and you've got insane power (imagine if the Cell was used purely for gamecode and the GPU was powerful enough to do top graphics, we'd have some great physics based titles for example).

There's also the point that we're only on mult-CPUs now. Devs are learning how to utilise these so we hopefully won't hear as much moaning next gen

As an aside, with the PS3 now selling well and graphically going places the 360 hasn't [yet], will MS start to encourage first and second party devs to push harder?

[Brats]

this generation is going to be cool, finally having some consoles that are around long enough for some truly spectacular things to be squeezed out of the hardware

This times infinity.

The best quality run of any console comes after it's been going a few years (in terms of actual playability rather than just looks). If the next gen is some way off, then we'll have an extended period of these better quality games.

This generation has been excellent so far, so we're in for a real treat.

Sod the technical crap, we all know gameplay > graphics. Once the consoles start to get maxed out, developers have to become more creative with gameplay innovations to become noticed. Once everyone's doing specular highlighted thingamy-bobs, it becomes more of a level playing field on the visual front. Plus we are know that art is vastly more important than tech now anyway (hence why ODST looks gorgeous in places).

We've reached a point with the tech now where anything is possible from a gameplay perspective. Let the developers mature with the hardware and we'll get better playing games (rather than just better looking games).

It takes two years at least for developers to stop fannying around with new hardware. Has anyone forgotten how at the beginning of this generation, most were moaning that the games we were getting were just slightly better looking versions of last gens games? When you update the tech, that's what we have to put up with for a few years.

Look at a game like Forza 3, which is a dream to play. It might also look very pretty, but it's the care and attention that has gone into the game rather than the tech that's what makes it special. If Forza 3 had been released on a new XBox (XBox Dergnir ) the number of tracks, cars and gameplay options would plummet. It might have that 'new game smell', but the game itself will be inferior (as PGR3 was to PGR2 imo).

When I think of my favourite games this generation (Rock Band, L4D, Oblivion, Braid, Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports) very few are the most technically advanced games. I'm chuffed that the console manufacturers seem to be sticking with this generation for much longer.