The Knowhow
Connecting your console to the TV couldn’t be easier with an HDMI cable. It’s a simple case of plugging the cable into the port at the back of the console and then into the TV. But that’s not the whole story. Your console now needs to know a few things in order to make your viewing experience eyewateringly gorgeous.
- From the Xbox Dashboard, go to the My Xbox section and move along to select the System Settings tab.
- Choose Console Settings, then Display.
- Select HDTV Settings.
- There will now be a number of display options to choose. Select either the resolution of your HDTV or Optimal Resolution. This setting lets the console and television communicate and automatically establish the best resolution to display. When asked, choose Yes to accept the change.
The screen may flash or go blank for a short while before the new display options take effect. If you have chosen a setting that your TV can’t display, don’t worry - the screen will remain blank for about ten seconds and then revert to the original settings so you can try again.
- You can use other types of cable than HDMI to connect in HD, and the process will be the same as described above. Other types of cable may not provide a full range of options, though. If using the Xbox AV cable, you will need to move the switch to the HDTV setting.
- Adjusting the colour settings on the console can improve your display even more. From the Display options, adjusting Reference Levels to Expanded or Intermediate will send additional colour information to your television. You can also change the HDMI Colour Space setting to optimise colour saturation and tint for your HDTV. Choosing Auto or Source will often provide the best results, with Auto being designed specifically for HDMI.
Now you’re done - All the extra colours and higher resolution will make your games look even more dazzling.
Always refer to the manufacturer’s manual for specific details.
