Setting up your new XBOX 360

So you've decided on your system, brought it home or given it to a friend or family member. Now comes setting up the XBOX 360 and getting it to work with your household. It's not as hard as it may sound, anyone who has hooked up a DVD player or VCR will probably be at home when setting up their new game system but with a little planning even those who haven't ever done anything like that will have their system up and running in no time. Let's get started.

Cables: HDAV and A/V What goes where?

If you have an HDTV or an EDTV with component video inputs you'll want to get the HDAV cable (included in the full package, optional for the Core System) The HDAV has both component and composite plugs for use with HDTV/EDTV or the traditional standard (SDTV) television.

The composite plug has the traditional yellow/red/white plugs for 'older' TVs (Pre 2002 or so).

The HDAV cable connects to the component video (typically three jacks labeled Y, Pr, and Pb) and traditional composite video (A yellow jack, labeled video or video in).

You can also connect digital audio (with an optional Toslink cable and adapter) and the standard stereo input jacks (White for left, red for right.)

There's a switch on the HDAV cable that lets you change between TV and HDTV. When set to TV the signal will go through the yellow composite plug, HDTV will set the signal to go through the component plugs. Always set it to HDTV if you're using the three component video plugs (even if the TV you're using is an SDTV)

The composite video cable carries only the composite video signal (the yellow plug), doesn't have a switch for changing display types, and won't let you use digital audio.