Xbox 360 - some issues

[Ronin Storm]

Been having trouble recently with my X360, which after the more glowing reviews and details I've provided earlier should start to provide some counter-balance.

The console plays stuff that's on its hard drive just fine. However, intermittently and randomly, it decides that it can't read DVDs, either for games or movies. I get a "disc is unreadable" error, which tells me to clean the disc and check for scratches. I do, but it is clean and scratch free; the games are new!

Been on the phone to Microsoft Support this morning (after they didn't reply to my email, though I did only give them 24 hours). After speaking to some American woman who was really quite difficult to understand over the phone (nasal accent), they've agreed to take my console back and replace it. Apparently they'll send me an email in the next 24 to 48 hours detailing what I need to do.

Fortunately, it's all covered under the 90 day warranty, but now I'm seriously considering taking out the extended 2 year warranty, just in case this is a repeating problem across multiple consoles. Some, in other forums, apparently have had two or even three problematic consoles. Rumour indicates that there is a problem with one source (of three, allegedly) for the DVD drives and that if you get a console with that problematic part then you're doomed to have issues. Or so they say. I'm not sure how anyone has actually arrived at this information so maybe they're just making it up... still, there is an undeniable failure rate on the 360 so prospective buyers be warned.

Here's to hope for a speedy turn-around for my 360 so I can actually play Dead Rising for more than 30 minutes at a run...!

 

[PsiSoldier]

The 360 was rushed from what I hear to fill up gamers time so that when the PS3 comes out they're too busy to get it.

 

[Phryxus]

Ah, bad luck Ronin, but it looks like you've got it sorted (for the moment at least). I must admit, I had exactly the same problem with my original Xbox after having had it for a year or so - the "your disc is dirty or damaged" statement showing up intermittently, mostly on new games that were in fact far from dirty or damaged. In my case, it was the disc drive and there were numerous problems reported with drives from different sources (as you mentioned in your post for the 360) failing or degrading over time. There was actually a way to check what make and manufacturer your console was using, by entering the serial number on the base of the console into the official site, which would then give you a breakdown of the aforementioned specs and generation of the system itself (mine was a gen #1 i think, which is why there was a problem later on).

I'm not sure if this is a feature they carried over for the X360, but it's worth a look to see if there is such a sticker this time around. There might also be information on the official forums (which I would bet you've tried anyway).

On an unrelated note, you really do need to be able to play Dead Rising for more than 30mins a stretch - i've been playing it for a while now and you need to be really careful with your saves so that you don't end up accidentally failing a main case due to lack of time. If you don't have any objections either, depending on how much time I have I was thinking of writing a review for it as well.

One last thing, I was hoping that when I go to Uni in about 2 weeks, I would be able to use my laptop monitor as a screen for my X360 so that i didn't need to take a big TV with me. However, my brother was saying i'd need it to have a video in, whereas it only has a video out at the moment. I can give more detailed specs of the laptop if it's needed, but any help/solution would be appreciated.

 

[Ronin Storm]

So, got my 360 back yesterday afternoon. Yay! I was able to play Dead Rising for two/three hours at a run. Yay again!

Was a relatively painless support case, really. However, still got a final problem that is worth sharing 'cause it'll bite some other people too...

I have bought and downloaded some Xbox Live Arcade games. The DRM on these games means that they require authorisation. When they were originally downloaded, both my Xbox Live account and my console were authorised for those games, meaning I could play them offline on that console, or that I could play them while connected to Xbox Live Arcade using my account on any console anywhere.

Sounds fine to start with... but my console was replaced, not repaired. I've now got a new/refurb base unit and so its serial number has changed and it's no longer authorised for those games. This means that I can only play my purchased content if my account is signed into Xbox Live, and not at all offline.

Bleurgh, the trials of DRM. I'm holding in the queue to speak to a MS Support Rep as the workaround that has been advised on the Xbox forums is to contact Support and they'll ask you to set up a new dummy Silver Xbox Live account (that's the free one) to which they'll credit the number of MS Points you spent. That new account can then redownload the games and thus reauthorise your console (your old account can't because Xbox Live knows you own those games already). Hopefully it's as straight-forward as that...

 

[Ronin Storm]

Not sure how I missed this first time around...

i'd need it to have a video in

Yep, that'd be about right. I've never had a laptop that had that as standard. You'll be looking at some sort of PCMCIA TV-in card, or even HD-in, which I feel sure should exist.

However, as to what specifically you need I really don't know.

 

[Ronin Storm]

So, after a 20 minute queue and 30 minutes on with an MS Support Rep, they've escalated my case to a supervisor who'll get back to me. Looks like the Xbox Helpdesk needs some improvements to their helpdesk software because even with me knowing what the solution was in advance of the call, pretty much two thirds of the call was spent trying to find the right words to put into the helpdesk system to identify the correct problem.

Still, I'm pretty hopeful and it looks like the dummy Silver account is the way forward. Just got to wait for the supervisor to call me back... sometime next week... uhm, when I'm away...