14 DAY TRIAL // Don't close the page just yet because there are a couple more details about the black Xbox 360 Elite that weren't previously known. Up until now, there were a lot of rumors and speculations saying all sorts of things about Microsoft's new machine, some of them true and some of them not so true. The bottom line is that Microsoft will announce their new machine next week and what we already knew was that the Xbox 360 Elite's new features (the ones that actually count) would include a 120 GB hard drive and would be HDMI enabled.
Now, Jose Mercury News' Dean Takahashi brings two more details about the elusive machine coming from Microsoft in April (as the rumors say) and those are that the new 360 will have IPTV capabilities and chip redesign, dropping from 90 nanometer to 65 nanometer, thus making the new 360 a better machine in many ways (more silent due to lower heating level, cheaper to manufacture for the company thus cheaper for the customer).
As far as the Internet Protocol Television capabilities are concerned, the digital television service is delivered over a network infrastructure. For residential users, (like Elite users) IPTV is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand. Having an IP-based platform offers great advantages, such as the ability to integrate television with other IP-based services like high speed Internet access and VoIP. But its best feature is that it uses a more efficient compression standard than Free-To-Air digital television, resulting in lower bit rates for streams but sometimes higher compression.
Now, keeping in mind that the new Elite won't be pricey matching all these features, people might go for this system only, starting April, as it will provide exceptional performance, much like Sony's PS3 but at a lower price. Thus, actual SKUs might just see a price drop as well. Either way everyone wins, whether some may want the old 360 at a lower price or some may go for the ultimate gaming experience.