Customer Reviews

Microsoft XBox High Definition AV Pack

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It surprises me how some people think they know what they are talking about... This is a great product first of all. It comes with component cables, but if you want you can use "better" cables. You will need an optical digital cable to get 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound out of your games. DTS is only available for movies that support it. Games can't use DTS so don't expect it. The component cables that come with this work just great and you don't need to spend alot more money on Monster cables. Do you really think that Microsoft would release somthing that could make their system look bad? Unless you have some insane electrical and/or radio interference then you might want to get cables that are even better than Monster's. Another misconception is that just by using these cables with an HDTV you will get HD resolutions of 1800i with all games. That is just not true! Most games such as Halo only use 480p. There is about 1 maybe 2 games (right now) that go as high as 1080i and I that at least one if not both are football games. That's not to say that 480p is bad because it's not. It's a great resolution and seeing as how most launch games didn't have anti-aliasing, but still looked great proves it. Bottom line great product at a great price.

If you have an HDTV or a 5.1 surround sound system, you'll need this to experience the XBox to its fullest.

For only (about) $20, this gives you all the cables you need. However, if you want to use the optical digital output, you'll need to supply your own cable. Also, if you're a cable snob you might want to pick up some higher quality cables. Personally, I think the cables included are just fine.

I saw this in the store the other day and decided to try it out since I have a 53inch HDTV. I wasnt expecting much but I was really suprised at the difference in pictures vs. the standed AV cable that came with the XBOX. After hooking it up, I went to my XBOX control panel to enable 1080i. While I didn't see much difference in Rainbow Six 3, when I popped Madden in, I immediately noticed a difference. The picture seems a lot crisper and sharp, I must say I am plesantly suprised. I then decided to try NCAA football. With the standard AV cable I always found NCAA to be rather grainy and sort of blurry, but after playing the game with the HDAV Pack, the game looked much much better. No more graininess, the picture is as clear as can be. I will have to play Halo for the 100000th time to see if I notice a difference in that as well.This product is worth all 1,999 pennies that it costs. For those that say you can't tell the difference I don't know what to say. Remember to enable it in your XBOX control panel or it won't work. I'm not sure how this works with regular TVs if at all, so that may be your problem too. This is a must have for HDTV owners.

OK I am so stupid. Nearly 3 years after getting this thing, I just now realized that this pack also has an optical connection for digital audio sound. I have no idea why it took me so long to realize this, but now that I have, I plugged in an optical cable to my receiver, and my XBOX games are now able to be enjoyed all over again, true surround sound, the way XBOX games are meant to be played. This makes this even more worth the money.

I am not sure what everyone is talking about needing another cable, my HD pack came with a cable. There is no optical cable for 5.1 dolby digital, but for [amt] what do you expect. The cable that comes with it allows you to hook up the component video and stereo. Currently all XBox games only output 480p, so all this talk about 1080i is non-sense. The first game that rumor has it will support 1080i is Madden Football. 480p though looks incredible though and this product is a must have if your TV/projector supports component video. The Monster solution may provide a bit better quality solution, but that in no way diminishes the value of this.

But from what I've seen the Monster Cable pack runs $60 and requires a special $35 optical cable to get dolby digital. The MS HD pack runs $20 and uses a standars optical cable which can be picked up for under $20.

If you plan on hooking up your Xbox to your top-of-the-line TV set and 5.1 Dolby encoded receiver, then this is the way to go. You don't even need a HDTV to achieve great results from this AV Pack. If your TV has 'Component' inputs, then you can take advantage of this product and the better color it produces. Monster Cable also makes a similar AV pack, but this one is better for several reasons: 1) it is much less expensive 2) The Monster version doesn't include a jack for digital audio (Dolby 5.1). You have to purchase a separate adapter, as well as the Optical cable, which adds considerable expense. (why Monster did this is beyond me. If you are spending the cash to upgrade your video, why would they only include standard RCA cables for audio?? My guess is because they want more money from your pockets!) 3) with this AV pack, you still have the option to use any Component wires you wish, although it does come with their own. For instance, you can still use standard Monster Component cables if you desire. 4) it is made by Microsoft, who makes the Xbox, so you are using OEM equipment.

If you have an HDTV you can't miss out on this (or if you have a bit more cash, the component monster cables). When compared with the standard video cables that comes with Xbox, this is awesome. I noticed a great difference in picture and sound quality (when using a fiber optic cable). Make sure to go set up the xbox properly after you connect the cables. (Go into the settings and turn on the high definition capabilities and the dolby/dts sound)
If you are into quality then you cant miss this product.

There seems to be a lot of misinformation with regard to this HDAV Pack. After having installed and played with it, I will try to set the record right. The pack is all-inclusive. That is to say for twenty bucks, it contains all the cables you need to connect to your HD ready TV. The cables that are included are very basic unshielded component video (3) and RCA audio (2). With this pack, the best you can do right now is a vertical resolution of 480 lines because the output of the setup screen and all the current games, even Halo, are only NTSC and do not take advantage of the potential capability of 1080 lines of resolution. So don't believe those who claim to run Halo at 1080i. That is not to say, however, that Halo at 480 lines isn't gorgeous. Ultimately, if you have an HDTV, you need this pack to take advantage of it.

i just got the hd-av pack today and hooked it up to my hd tv,and the results are awesome.i tried the matrix since it comes in 1080i and it looks unbelievable.i don't see why some people say that its not worth it.great investment for 20 bucks.

I looked around for third party component cables for my XBOX before deciding on this one. I was glad I did. Both the picture and sound quality improved so much that I now just leave it connected to my basement front projector.

Initially I had used the RCA audio cables. Then I decided to use the optical cable and connect it to my Onkyo 7.1 Surround Receiver. The difference in sound was noticeable. I was switching between the analog and digital sound source from the AMP and it is definitely better.

The games have so much BASS now that it shakes the room. I have the SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer the entire experience is exceptional.

First i want to sent the record straight because of an error a previous reviewer had about the Monster Cable. The monster cable does in fact have fiber optic audio output for your dolby digital amp.

Ok the MS HD is good and ya it LOOKS cheaper than the Monster version. But you'll need to purchase high quality composite cables to go from the MS splitter unit to your TV. You'll also need to buy a fiber optic cable to get your dolby digital into your amp.

The monster cable on the other hand does away with the messy splitter box giving you a better signal. It also has the cables already provided for video. So there's nothing extra video wise to purchase unlike the MS one which needs extra cables. Audio side though you'll need to purchase the monster lightwave fiber cable.

So overall i think both work out to be about the same cost in the end. The monster might be 10 bucks more or so. I'd recommend monster over the MS one though simply because it's a direct connection, no splitter boxes.