Xbox 360 Home Entertainment, As well as delivering a true next generation gaming experience the Xbox 360 is also the ultimate digital amplifier for music, movies, pictures and more.

As well as delivering a true next generation gaming experience the Xbox 360 is also the ultimate digital amplifier for music, movies, pictures and more. Amidst the inevitable marathon gaming-sessions it would be easy to miss the Xbox 360's potential but in the long term it will sit at the heart of a home's digital entertainment network.

Parental Controls:

Parental controls (family settings) are key to the the Xbox 360 experience, Microsoft have insisted that ratings are burned onto every game disc at point of manufacture and therefore parents can be confident that all next-gen content is covered.

The settings menu is accessed via the dashboard and is password protected for added peace of mind and onlya few button presses are required to set exactly the content you wish to allow for particular users.

In the UK the Xbox 360 fully supports and recognises PEGI and BBFC ratings on all 360 software - if it's set up only to allow games rated 3+, anything higher simply will not load.

Music:

Create custom soundtracks and play your own music in game, plays CD's or rip music to your hard drrive and stream tracks from any MP3 player or Windows XP PC. Play with cool visulisations whilst your tunes play.

Pictures:

Connect a digital camera and display the latest photos on the TV screen. Creat slide shows and add music. Connect to a Windows XP based PC and access pictures stored there also.

Movies, DVD's and TV:

Play DVD's in progressive scan, or for the ultimate experience connect to a Windows XP Media Center PC and watch and record live TV, movies on demand and access all your digital media content from the comfort of your couch.

Xbox LIVE:

One of the key features and services offered by Microsoft with the original Xbox was Xbox LIVE. With the Xbox 360 the Xbox LIVE service evolves allowing new levels of chat and play with friends online. Download demos, trailers and new content for the games from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

In addition to the parental controls (family settings) available Microswoft has implemented a range of adjustable parameters to control the connected experience, too. So, for example you can prevent a user from chatting online, or onlyallow them to speak to people on their frineds list, stop them from playing games online or play but not chat etc etc.

Xbox LIVE Arcade:

Xbox Live Arcade is your destination to find, download, try, and buy smaller games for your Xbox 360 console. Discover a variety of genres, including puzzle games, card and board titles, retro arcade faves, and action games. It's easy to get started. Just go to your Xbox 360 Games Blade and choose the Xbox Live Arcade option.

      • Sample all Xbox Live Arcade games for free before you buy.
      • Games are small enough to fit on your hard drive or memory unit.
      • Xbox Live Arcade games support high-definition output, achievements, gamerscore, and leaderboards.
      • Multiplayer play is supported by most games (including some retro titles) via Xbox Live.

Wireless:

The Xbox 360 console supports up to 4 wireless controllers simaltaniously and also the ability to connect via a wireless network adaptor to either a home network or broadband connection.