The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, which is a radically different and more powerful machine than its predecessor Xbox.
Xbox 360 is an answer to Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Revolution game consoles. Xbox 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized and always in high definition. It is the only system designed with a singular platform vision that combines the most-powerful hardware with intelligent software and services advancements.
Xbox 360 is designed by the very innovative Astro studios, San Francisco, USA in collaboration with Hers Experimental Design Laboratory, Osaka, Japan, resulting in sleek and stylish exterior packed with powerful hardware, software and services. In addition, Microsoft chose IBM, ATI and SiS at its technology partners for the design of the Xbox 360 hardware.
Far more than a video game console, the Xbox 360 is a total media center that allows users to play, network, rip, stream and download all types of media, including high-definition movies, music, digital pictures and game content. Xbox 360 supports video file formats, like WMV, AVI, MP4, MOV, M4V and etc. Major features of the console include its Windows Media Center multimedia capabilities, mandatory support of high definition in all games, movie rentals and game downloads from its online marketplace and the ability to watch HD DVD movies with an add-on drive.
Microsoft's main objective when designing the Xbox 360 was to "create a living entertainment experience powered by human energy." The Xbox 360 can work on any TV that also works with the current Xbox. Even if the Xbox 360 has been designed to play games in HDTV 720p (1280x720) mode with 5.1 surround sound, the Xbox 360 will also work with regular TV that has NTSC or PAL and stereo audio capabilities.