I've been holding off on Xbox 360 mainly because I firmly believe Halo 3 should've been ready for launch instead of PD0; furthermore, I hate anything that ends in a cliffhanger and makes you wait 4 years to find out what happens next. Anyway, I basicly promissed myself I wouldn't buy one til the release date for Halo 3 was official and not changing. I'm glad I waited, since I hate white too.

So my problem is: where to buy? Circuit City is the only site I've seen that actually listed the price of the replacement plan for the 360 Elite ($150 for 2 years!). That's probably the most expensive plan around, but I've heard plenty of horror stories about Best Buy; plus, I just don't like Best Buy due to other issues I've had with them. So what experiences has everyone else had? What do plans cost elsewhere and are they as good? I want NO HASSLE, in-store returns. With CC, I believe you can bring the item back anytime within the 2 years covered by the plan and walk out with a brand new one. I refuse to ship anything anywhere or be stuck with refurbished crap. I've had enough refurbed computer parts to know I'm not going that route anymore; I don't even bother mailing in my defective HDDs anymore.

I'm also curious if there are any good addon cooling solutions that A) work on the Elite, and B) don't require standing the damn thing on its side.

I can't believe I'm even considering this.
$480 - Xbox
$200 - HD-DVD addon
$100(?) - replacement plan
$70 - Halo 3 preordor

That's $850 before I even buy a game to play that day. Not to mention the cost of HD-DVD movies. Hell, $900 after tax. :-|

The plan should be ~$60 I think, Best Buy has a good plan, but it overlaps with the MS one, so it does not extend it.

You see what people like myself have known for a while, cost of ownership for a 360 is not that low, they nickel and dime you instead Sony's $600 sticker shock.

Don't forget Play and charge kit or just a 4 set of NiMh AA with charger (look for >2600 mWh ones). Do you need the Wi-fi or a second controller? Don't forget $50 for Live.

With the prices of standalone players for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD dropping fast, I'd seriously consider skipping the addon for the 360 in favor of a standalone. I believe Toshiba has a father's day special going on now at Circuit City that can net you a player and 7 movies for $299 or something. Maybe even less. Blu-Ray players are dropping in price as well, and though there's not as great a deal right now I'd personally wait for one of those (going to get flamed, but I just can't get over the massive exclusive studio support that Blu-Ray enjoys).

The standalone player, for either format, will be preferrable to the add-on as it won't have to downgrade the audio to pass through the 360, and will probably be quieter and more reliable to boot. Plus you'll have a white add-on next to a black system which might also be a consideration.

You also have to factor in all the accessories. Think another controller, two rechargable batteries, something to charge them with, and Xbox live.

So add:

$50 extra controller
$12 battery
$30 Quick Charge + battery
$50 Xbox Live

... adding another $142 to the total. Is there a wired connection to your entertainment center? If not add another $100 for the official MS wireless adapter, or $20 for the logitech cube solution, which you can find at a lot of places. I spent $15 on mine.

The replacement plan is an absolute necessity. I'm on my 5th 360 now and I'm sure it's going to fail as well. I've had nothing but problems with Best Buy replacement plans, but no experience with Circuit City. If I had to do it again I'd go with CC just to see if they're better.

In the end, if I had to do it all again, I'd probably wait until the Fall when there are supposed to be redesigned motherboards available. There are reports that MS is adding heatsinks to defective 360s that fixes the 3-rings of death issue, but no word yet if they're adding them to new units as well. Might want to wait until Halo 3 is actually out in stores.

You're right, this adds up quick.

Gamecrazy if you have one in your area has two diffrent replacement plans a one year for $30 and a two year for $55.

Target's replacement plan is $30 for two years.

I don't think the price you saw for the replacement plan was accurate for Circuit City I'd call your local store to be sure though.

I have the Target one on my PS3 (not like it will need it), I called and they said they pay to ship it to a place that determines if it can be repaired. If not they give you a gift card I believe. Best Buy you can walk in and swap, so I hear, so less down time.

But, the Target one is an extension, so the 3 years I got tack onto the end of the Sony warranty, so it's four years for $50.

I'm not a patient person. If my Xbox fries while playing Halo 3 in September, I expect to be able to walk into the store and walk back out with a brand new one (assuming they can keep the damn things in stock by then). Can anyone confirm the cost of Circuit City's plans for the Elite?

Live is not an issue, since I live in an area that noone will provide broadband to. Neither are batteries. I prefer hooking up the controller like old systems; no recharging crap.

I would actually prefer a standalone player, but aside from the extra $100 it would cost me, I lack the HDMI inputs (and all other inputs at this point) to keep adding more hardware to my system. Having the top of the line sound isn't so much of an issue for me as having some nice looking video; hopefully some movies that were poorly released on SD-DVD. Maybe I could just hold off for now, since most of the movies I'd really want in HD haven't been released or have already been screwed up, IMO (Like BD of Terminator 2 and HD of King Kong not being the extended cuts).

As far as waiting for redesigned motherboards, well... I won't be kept from Halo. Besides, the SKUs will still be the same, so if I have a 2 year replacement plan, I can hopefully score a brand new one with better hardware later.

p.s. Anyone know if the Halo 2 load times improve on the 360 compared to the old Xbox?

p.s. Anyone know if the Halo 2 load times improve on the 360 compared to the old Xbox?

No idea. Always played Halo 2 from the Xbox Hdd. :)

I'm not a patient person. If my Xbox fries while playing Halo 3 in September, I expect to be able to walk into the store and walk back out with a brand new one (assuming they can keep the damn things in stock by then). Can anyone confirm the cost of Circuit City's plans for the Elite?

Live is not an issue, since I live in an area that noone will provide broadband to. Neither are batteries. I prefer hooking up the controller like old systems; no recharging crap.

I would actually prefer a standalone player, but aside from the extra $100 it would cost me, I lack the HDMI inputs (and all other inputs at this point) to keep adding more hardware to my system. Having the top of the line sound isn't so much of an issue for me as having some nice looking video; hopefully some movies that were poorly released on SD-DVD. Maybe I could just hold off for now, since most of the movies I'd really want in HD haven't been released or have already been screwed up, IMO (Like BD of Terminator 2 and HD of King Kong not being the extended cuts).

As far as waiting for redesigned motherboards, well... I won't be kept from Halo. Besides, the SKUs will still be the same, so if I have a 2 year replacement plan, I can hopefully score a brand new one with better hardware later.

p.s. Anyone know if the Halo 2 load times improve on the 360 compared to the old Xbox?


HDMI or component on the 360, it makes no difference except for cable clutter. The sound is no better. The 360 Elite just hacks DD streams into the HDMI video signal. It is not capable of doing LPCM or anything better than the DD that the Premium or even Core do.

The only reason to go for the Elite is if you need the larger hard drive and want the black color. Both interesting to me, BUT not interesting enough to pay that price premium.

I suggest going down to the Premium and using component video with standard Dolby Digital cabling (is it optical or digital coax on 360? I can't remember, so long since I messed iwth mine) to save yourself money. You'll lose nothing in cabling and still have that HDMI waiting for a standalone HD DVD player.

And yeah, the 360 is a very poor alternative to an HDMI-equipped standalone HD DVD player since if you have an HDMI receiver, you very well could be listening to TrueHD lossless tracks with your standalone HDMI to receiver. Something you can't do with the 360 Elite.

Circuit City's replacement plan for game consoles is NOT an in store swap out. You send in to someone, they determine if it's broken or not, then they send you a check for the amount that you paid.

I'd pay the extra $80 just for the black case and bigger HDD. Besides, I'm out of component inputs on my reciever. There's never enough of anything. I'm still annoyed my 4th optical input is on the front of the reciever where the cable will constantly get hit by anyone walking by.

In any case, I'm thinking I might just get a 360 at Walmart. It's been my experience they pretty much take returns/exchanges on anything for nearly any amount of time. Do they even look at purchase dates? I keep hearing so much garbage about Circuit City and Best Buy refusing to simply hand over new devices in exchange for defective ones even when you pay for the protection plan. I've heard Target/Gamestop are the same way. So what's the point? I'm not shipping the damn thing somewhere to end up with a fixed/refurbished one if it breaks. If it fries the week Halo 3 is out, I intend to have a new one the same goddamn day.

Just out of curiosity, why do you want a larger HDD if you dont have broadband to download content off XBL?

Just out of curiosity, why do you want a larger HDD if you dont have broadband to download content off XBL?

Well, if I ever mod it I'll have plenty of space to store porn or whatever. I dunno. Point is there's no way I'd buy a fugly white one when there's a black option. Spray paint seems sort of like risking dumping water on an electronic device. Besides it's a hassle. It was my original plan though, before I heard about the Elite. lol

Can anyone confirm if Walmart offers replacement plans in-store? The website lists them, but they're marked as "Online Only." I don't understand that.

I'm not a patient person. If my Xbox fries while playing Halo 3 in September, I expect to be able to walk into the store and walk back out with a brand new one (assuming they can keep the damn things in stock by then).

Having read the terms and conditions of Best Buy's replacement policy, that's not technically true. You're supposed to mail it in and wait for a replacement, making it no different than MS' warranty. It's probably going to depend on which store you buy it from. If they're cool, you likely would be able to walk out of the store with a new unit. If they're going to be pricks, you'd probably have to mail it in. Knowing the horror stories I've read about BB's extended warranty enforcement, I didn't risk it when I bought mine. I'm taking a chance with the standard MS warranty, plus my credit card duplicates it for an extra year once that expires.

Can anyone confirm the cost of Circuit City's plans for the Elite?

Just go the product page on CC's site. They list the cost right there. I think it's $99 for a two-year replacement plan ($10 more than BB) and $149 for one that covers accidental damage. Both are a rip-off as far as I'm concerned.

I just purchased my plan thru MS... We got a heck of a deal offered by them so why not? :)

got my elite at walmart tonight. wlaked in, saw one, adn impulse bought it :)

havent had any issues with my premium. ill take the chance. jsut liek with my PS3.

no extended warranty for me. i have a year to get one on my TV if i want it

I was planning on buying my 360 from Sam's Club so I could just return it for a new one if it breaks in the first year. Does anyone know if Sam's Club checks if you've opened the case before they take it back or is it an unconditional thing and they'll take it back regardless. If my 360 dies I may try the thermal paste fix but if I screw it up I still wanna be able to take it back.

I got a question...I just picked up a Xbox 360 Premium last night at Target and I got the extended warranty for $29. I would have preferred the Elite as my TV (Sony KDS-50a2020) will only do 1080p over HDMI. But anyways, I asked the sales guy that if my xbox breaks, do I just bring it in and get a new one with out any hassle and he said yup, we just exchange it straight out for one off the shelf here. So FWIW that's what I was told at Target...


But another question I have is I am thinking that when my Target has a Elite in stock finally that I might just "break" my current Xbox and then bring it in and upgrade my system to a Elite for another $80. Just trade up to it.

I would be surprised if they would allow you to trade up if they have the model you purchased in stock also.

Live is not an issue, since I live in an area that noone will provide broadband to. Neither are batteries. I prefer hooking up the controller like old systems; no recharging crap.

I would actually prefer a standalone player, but aside from the extra $100 it would cost me, I lack the HDMI inputs (and all other inputs at this point) to keep adding more hardware to my system. Having the top of the line sound isn't so much of an issue for me as having some nice looking video; hopefully some movies that were poorly released on SD-DVD. Maybe I could just hold off for now, since most of the movies I'd really want in HD haven't been released or have already been screwed up, IMO (Like BD of Terminator 2 and HD of King Kong not being the extended cuts).

Only the Core package ships with wired controllers and I'm not sure if MS even sells black "Elite" wired controllers. So the only way you will be plugged in is with the play & charge kit which you would have to purchase.

I have the HD-DVD add-on and I don't think I would suggest anyone purchase it at this time due to the rapid price drops of the standalone versions. If cabling or whatever is an issue for you and there are some must have movies then maybe consider getting one. If you bought a standalone version you could probably ditch your current DVD player and gain some connections to your system.

As for your replacement plan concerns I'm not sure how easy it would be to swap out a broken Elite in-store due to the ongoing lack of stock. I've only seen one in stock on release day at Target and online at Costco.com. It remains to be seen if the Elite will ever be fully stocked or if it is a limited time sku. Also, most any place that you purchase it will take your broken system within the first 30 days and swap it for a new one so your release week Halo concerns aren't a big deal.

My 360 gave up a couple of weeks ago. Purchased Mar, 06 from CC and for some reason I also purchased the extended warranty.
Sent the 360 in on June 7 via UPS(which CC paid for) and received my gift card last Sat. (covers original price and tax). Quicker than I thought I would receive it. Not getting new 360 because my lovely wife got me an Elite for Father's day.

I don't know why anyone would go with Best Buy for their replacement plan knowing the risk of the system possibly getting 3 red lights. It's a one time swap. So if you swap, you have to buy a new replacement plan for the new system. Why would anyone go that route? I understand the need for wanting a walk in and swap, but the fact that it doesn't transfer is a deal killer I think.

Also, most any place that you purchase it will take your broken system within the first 30 days and swap it for a new one so your release week Halo concerns aren't a big deal.

They are if I buy it now when I make my Halo 3 preorder, which I intend to do. I'll probably wait another week til Bulletproof comes out on HD-DVD and buy everything at once. Speaking of HD-DVD, does anyone happen to know how CC's free HD-DVDs offer works? Like are there two specific movies, or do you get some choice? Is it some lame ass rebate thing or are they free on the spot? Doesn't say on the website, just mentions it as an in-store deal.

Running someone over with a Warthog, priceless.

Best Buy: as far as I am aware, if your unit fails within the mfg warranty period (ie. 1 year), they will replace the defective unit and you still have the remainder of your policy left. After the 1 year, you get a replacement and the policy is dead. To me, that is worth the price.

I don't know why anyone would go with Best Buy for their replacement plan knowing the risk of the system possibly getting 3 red lights. It's a one time swap. So if you swap, you have to buy a new replacement plan for the new system. Why would anyone go that route? I understand the need for wanting a walk in and swap, but the fact that it doesn't transfer is a deal killer I think.

The MS plan is $50 for two years and they'll replace the system as many times as necessary. Putting it in that context, it makes the BB one even more worthless.

The MS plan is $50 for two years and they'll replace the system as many times as necessary. Putting it in that context, it makes the BB one even more worthless.

Never. Manufacturer's warrenties are garbage because they won't give you a brand new unit, only refurbished ****. Not to mention the fact you have to wait for it. To me, the whole point of in-store replacement plans is to avoid shipping, waiting, and hassles. If a store's plan isn't good enough to allow you to walk in with the defective one and walk out with a new one, then it's garbage. The matter of the plan being dead after 1 replacement is rather lame though. A 2 year plan should keep you in a working Xbox for 2 years, no matter how many replacements they have to give you.

Does anybody know Costco handles Xbox360 returns that are bought after the return policy change from a few months ago? I know that they now offer only limited returns (90 days) on a bunch of categories (computers, TV-s, etc). Is the 360 included?

Costco.com has the Elite available every now and then, that is why I am asking.

I paid $59 for a full replacement plan from best buy for the elite on launch day.

The MS warranty will get you a refurb.

I have had the bb replacment plan before and on the few occasions I have had to use it I walked out with a new unit. I'm sure it varies from store to store and who you deal with at the time but in my experiance they may initially try to get you to send it in and pass the buck to bb corporate. That's when you start yelling and waving your replacment plan folder in the air like koko the gorilla and demand to see a manager. Amazing how fast a new box is put in your hands after that. They don't want a scene in front of customers and the replacment plans are gravy to them. Squeaky wheel gets the oil at best buy.

Does anybody know Costco handles Xbox360 returns that are bought after the return policy change from a few months ago? I know that they now offer only limited returns (90 days) on a bunch of categories (computers, TV-s, etc). Is the 360 included?

Costco.com has the Elite available every now and then, that is why I am asking.

To my knowledge game consoles don't fall under the new 90 day return policy. There is no sticker or posting in-store or online as there is with TVs and computers.

The problem with Costco and the Elite is that you will be able to return it to the store, but they won't have a replacement Elite for you so you'll have to just get cash back or the premium bundle.

To my knowledge game consoles don't fall under the new 90 day return policy. There is no sticker or posting in-store or online as there is with TVs and computers.

The problem with Costco and the Elite is that you will be able to return it to the store, but they won't have a replacement Elite for you so you'll have to just get cash back or the premium bundle.


That wouldn't matter at either of the 2 Costcos near me. When they see you walking up to the return counter with electronics they're already shaking their head NO before you get the first word out. Apparently they have had some corporate meetings about returns and they have been told to provide the manufacturers warranty contact information for purchases over 90 days. You may get lucky, but I wouldn't buy at Costco anymore just for their return policy. you will likely have just as good of luck at Target, if not better.

To my knowledge game consoles don't fall under the new 90 day return policy. There is no sticker or posting in-store or online as there is with TVs and computers.

The problem with Costco and the Elite is that you will be able to return it to the store, but they won't have a replacement Elite for you so you'll have to just get cash back or the premium bundle.

You are correct. I returned my broken Premium a few weeks ago. No hassles, except they make sure eveyrthing is included in the return. Got the credit put onto a Costco gift card and used the card to order an Elite.

You are correct. I returned my broken Premium a few weeks ago. No hassles, except they make sure eveyrthing is included in the return. Got the credit put onto a Costco gift card and used the card to order an Elite.


May I ask you when did you buy the Premium originally? Was it purchased after the new policy came into effect?

Having read the terms and conditions of Best Buy's replacement policy, that's not technically true. You're supposed to mail it in and wait for a replacement, making it no different than MS' warranty. It's probably going to depend on which store you buy it from. If they're cool, you likely would be able to walk out of the store with a new unit. If they're going to be pricks, you'd probably have to mail it in. Knowing the horror stories I've read about BB's extended warranty enforcement, I didn't risk it when I bought mine. I'm taking a chance with the standard MS warranty, plus my credit card duplicates it for an extra year once that expires.



Just go the product page on CC's site. They list the cost right there. I think it's $99 for a two-year replacement plan ($10 more than BB) and $149 for one that covers accidental damage. Both are a rip-off as far as I'm concerned.


They will take it instore you or anyone doesn't need to send it in unless they do not have it in stock. The policy does state that but if you bring the system in and it is dead you save the customer time(granted they are in stock) and get them a new one on the spot. This is what has always happened.

Gah. Reports on the Walmart replacement plans indicate that it's not an in-store swap. Am I seriously gonna have to buy the most expensive protection plan out there (Circuit City) to be able to do the in-store swap thing if I need it!? Anyone know for sure how Gamestop's works? Naturally, there's no info posted on their goddamn site.

Thanks, my Elite just arrived from Costco dot com. Still contemplating over getting the MS warranty for it. It is a shame that the console comes only w/ 3 months orig manuf warr...

By the way, I am on my third console with turning this damn thing on only occassionally...

:(

Thanks, my Elite just arrived from Costco dot com. Still contemplating over getting the MS warranty for it. It is a shame that the console comes only w/ 3 months orig manuf warr...

By the way, I am on my third console with turning this damn thing on only occassionally...

:(

Didn't they change the warranty to 1 year a few months ago? Also, if you purchased it with a credit card you may have an additional year of coverage if your card qualifies, not to mention the Costco return policy.

Thanks, my Elite just arrived from Costco dot com. Still contemplating over getting the MS warranty for it. It is a shame that the console comes only w/ 3 months orig manuf warr...

By the way, I am on my third console with turning this damn thing on only occassionally...

:(

you get 1yr warranty from MS.

you probably read the insert packed inside the Elite that still has the old 3mo wording in it. i noticed this as well

Didn't they change the warranty to 1 year a few months ago? Also, if you purchased it with a credit card you may have an additional year of coverage if your card qualifies, not to mention the Costco return policy.

Thanks Guys for the replies. Yes I noticed the 3 months term in the literature, and I haven't heard yet that MS extending it.

Looks like I am set then. I did buy with my Amex Blue that automatically doubles the orig manuf warr up to an extra year. So this might be the way to go then - a CC that doubles, plus good ol' Costco...

;)