XBOX Terms of Use Console Ban???

[Veldan Rath]

The funny thing is, I'm not an online player on XBOX LIVE. I use it for the DLC for games and to get demos of games to see if I want to play them. So, it's not that I was being an online troll (I can do that here for free )

This is my last response to their Help Desk

I understand that you can't get me this info, but WHO CAN?

Or, at the very least can you forward to someone in the company that can?

The mantra (or legal dodge) To protect the Xbox LIVE service and Xbox LIVE members rings a bit hollow when I am one of the members NOT being served or protected. In reviewing the TOS, I'm not seeing anything I violated, and Microsoft is not presenting anything that demonstrates that I have, so it seems arbitrary.

Again, I know this is not your fault, Janice's fault or anyone else at e-mail support, but SOMEONE in the larger organization made the decision, and common courtesy between customer and vendor should prevail...unless the process to ban a console is faulty and the organization is merely protecting that.


Oh and thanks Wraith!

[agamemnus]

They will just email you the same thing again. Like many other companies, Microsoft built a wall to offload accountability to their Indian customer support, which conveniently has nothing to account for because they can't do anything. If that makes sense.

The only way a company like that changes is if you stop throwing money at it!

[RandBlade]

That sucks Veldan.

Oh, I see. Nevermind me, then. The idea of being arbitrarily and irrevocably banned from using the only useful function I see in the game console will probably still keep me from ever owning one, but at least it's not quite as bad as I thought... maybe I will buy one if I can pick it up for $20 or whatever. Thanks for the clarification.

I've never played online on the console, single-player only. Don't have a Live subscription.

[CitizenCain]

I've never played online on the console, single-player only. Don't have a Live subscription.

Sure, but single player on a console isn't a useful function to me when I've got a computer that can run the same games much faster and better than a console can.

[RandBlade]

Consoles to me are fun because they're hooked up to my 42" TV, my computer isn't.

Veldan, it appears that everyone on that link Cain gave is being told why they were banned?

[Ominous Gamer]

All my consoles and my computer plug into my 46" TV.

[Illusions]

Consoles to me are fun because they're hooked up to my 42" TV, my computer isn't.

Like OG said, you can hook your computer up to your 42" TV. You can even use your XBox 360 controller to play certain games on your PC, if you have the right equipment.

Sure, but single player on a console isn't a useful function to me when I've got a computer that can run the same games much faster and better than a console can.

I bet Assassin's Creed (any of the games in the series) run wonderfully...

...I've heard Dead Island runs great too...

[Ominous Gamer]

right equipment being a $20 reciever, or any xbox supported cheap as shit wired controller.

Or a bluetooth adapter for the PS3 dualshock 3

[RandBlade]

Like OG said, you can hook your computer up to your 42" TV. You can even use your XBox 360 controller to play certain games on your PC, if you have the right equipment.

I know you can but I don't. Computer is in the Office, while the PS3, 360 and Wii are in the lounge. Not got a problem with that layout.

PS despite having all 3 consoles from this generation, I never personally paid for any. In fact the PS3 (a Christmas present from Amanda) was the only one paid for at all.

[agamemnus]

Like OG said, you can hook your computer up to your 42" TV. You can even use your XBox 360 controller to play certain games on your PC, if you have the right equipment.

Correct, but ALL games work with the XBox 360 controller if you're playing on an XBox 360.

I know you can but I don't. Computer is in the Office, while the PS3, 360 and Wii are in the lounge. Not got a problem with that layout.

That's a good point. Might not want to constantly lug even a laptop back and forth, disconnecting and reconnecting all the wires...

[CitizenCain]

That's a good point. Might not want to constantly lug even a laptop back and forth, disconnecting and reconnecting all the wires...

Not really. There's nothing to stop someone from wiring their computer into a switch, so all that's required to "use" it from different locations is to flip the output channel to where ever. If Rand doesn't find that useful enough to spend a few hundred bucks on the switch and cabling, no point in him going through the trouble either, but there's no reason to carry electronics from place to place just to use them, and really hasn't been since the propagation of always-on 'net connections.

[agamemnus]

A switch wouldn't really work unless TV and normal laptop location are reasonably close and/or you want to drill a hole through your house (upstairs/downstairs) and/or you have a really long cable... then you could um... just plug the cable to the laptop. A hole and/or a really long cable are valid choices, unless you don't want them.

Unless... you want to send a full HDMI signal wirelessly?

My laptop is set up to connect to an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard. Then there's the power cable and external HD cable. That means that if I want to play something on the TV (downstairs), I need to disconnect everything and then reconnect the laptop to the HDMI cable downstairs, as well as a controller adapter and again the power cord. That's a bit of work that some people might not enjoy...

[CitizenCain]

Or you could use a KVM switch, and control the one computer remotely from a wireless keyboard and mouse, using the big ass TV as your monitor when you're at the TV room station. No unplugging shit or moving things around required.

Wireless digital video can be done, but it's probably not a good idea... requires a lot of bandwidth and not a lot of interference. If you can get it to work, it is pretty cool, but it usually ends up having a lot of that digital "static" due to interference, or a laggy/choppy display due to computing bottlenecks.

[agamemnus]

You still have to move the laptop. And, the laptop is heavy... at least mine is.

[CitizenCain]

So, you don't know what a KVM switch is. Try using Google to fix that.

[agamemnus]

? You need to connect the laptop to the TV for the screen; what does a wireless mouse and keyboard have to do with it? And didn't we already agree that HDMI-sized wireless bandwidth (esp. eg. 1920x1080 or whatevs) is a bit too much?

[CitizenCain]

So, you don't know what a KVM switch is. Try using Google to fix that.

? You need to connect the laptop to the TV for the screen; what does a wireless mouse and keyboard have to do with it? And didn't we already agree that HDMI-sized wireless bandwidth (esp. eg. 1920x1080 or whatevs) is a bit too much?

So, you still haven't checked Google to find out what a KVM switch is. I still recommend using Google to fix that.

[Khendraja'aro]

So, you still haven't checked Google to find out what a KVM switch is. I still recommend using Google to fix that.

You'll run into difficulties with overly long cables - after about 15 meters, even good(!) HDMI cables will pose a problem.

Better solution: Network cables and one of those Bluray players which can access network shares. You can also try a network over power lines, DLAN as it is called over here.

He also mentioned that there's a floor between the TV and the usual position of the laptop. Wireless keyboards and mice usually have trouble with walls and floors.

[RandBlade]

I regularly use a KVM switch at work that allows two computers to use the same Keyboard, Video (Monitor) and Mouse. The solution you want is the opposite, using the same computer visible on different keyboard, mouse and video. Sure there's a switch that does it, not bothered enough.

Quite content to play PC games on my PC monitor, got a large monitor.

Music and Videos etc are playable through either the Surround Sound, PS3 or 360 connecting wirelessly to the PC (I use the Surround Sound).

I use the DLAN to connect the Sky+HD box to the the router via the power line. Allows me to download very HD movies/TV shows from Sky+ Anytime. Can stream a movie and after a few seconds start playing it instantly, never had a disconnection issue. Guessing that's like Netflix that I've heard people go on about.

[CitizenCain]

You'll run into difficulties with overly long cables - after about 15 meters, even good(!) HDMI cables will pose a problem.

Depends. I've seen HMDI cables that work perfectly over 30+ meters - it's a factor of their quality. To meet the spec, the cable needs to transmit a signal a distance of 5 meters (IIRC) without x amount of signal degradation, but you can get fully compliant 15 meter cables fairly readily, and I've seen 100 foot (~30 meter) cables that are not technically standards compliant, but work just great all the same. And I've run lengths of HDMI cables out to a little over 50 meters without any visible signal degradation, so I think it's just a matter of not buying cheap cables. Of course, you could always buy an active cable or a signal booster and run an HDMI cable cross country, in theory... would be a bit expensive, though.

These guys say they've successfully transmitted perfect 1080p over 125 feet (~38 meters), just using reeled Belkin cable, which is a pretty reasonably priced and widely available brand, so, practically speaking, it's not too much trouble to run HDMI over fairly long distances, particularly if you're willing to shell out 50 bucks for a booster unit to put in between two of the longer HDMI cables out on the consumer market.

Better solution: Network cables and one of those Bluray players which can access network shares. You can also try a network over power lines, DLAN as it is called over here.

Not sure how that would work out for Randblade's situation, but I use a network share to access my media anywhere in my house, and it sure is the easiest solution for my money.

He also mentioned that there's a floor between the TV and the usual position of the laptop. Wireless keyboards and mice usually have trouble with walls and floors.

My Logitechs do fine through walls and floors. Down to how good your wireless transmitters and receivers are.

Ideally, Randy would spend like $200 on a barebones box to hook up to his TV and Ethernet, so he could use his laptop over RDP (or even just access shared files) and have that big TV display attached to a computer, but it seems to me like he doesn't think that's worthwhile, and would rather torture his eyes on a laptop screen while working on his computer. To each his own... I can't wrap my head around the ways 90% of people use technology in limited and/or painful ways, given how cheap and easy it is to "do properly." *<shrug>*

I use the DLAN to connect the Sky+HD box to the the router via the power line. Allows me to download very HD movies/TV shows from Sky+ Anytime. Can stream a movie and after a few seconds start playing it instantly, never had a disconnection issue. Guessing that's like Netflix that I've heard people go on about.

Essentially. Netflix does DVDs over snail mail for a monthly fee and/or video over internet for a monthly fee. Difference is that in the civilized world, we have access to broadband capable of streaming video, so we don't have to route that through our power lines.

[agamemnus]

You're a horrible curmudgeon, Cain. For your information, I did look it up, just to check. And you're going downhill! You NEED WIRES if the connection isn't wireless, and SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DRILL HOLES IN WALLS AND FLOORS or have wires everywhere! I already said this, but you conveniently chose to ignore it and referred me to Google. How awfully snobbish and rude...

[RandBlade]

Ideally, Randy would spend like $200 on a barebones box to hook up to his TV and Ethernet, so he could use his laptop over RDP (or even just access shared files) and have that big TV display attached to a computer, but it seems to me like he doesn't think that's worthwhile, and would rather torture his eyes on a laptop screen while working on his computer. To each his own... I can't wrap my head around the ways 90% of people use technology in limited and/or painful ways, given how cheap and easy it is to "do properly." *<shrug>*

My Laptop screen is 17.2" so even that's not exactly torture. Typically (though not always) if I'm using my Laptop then my fiancee is watching something on TV anyway. In fact from where I'm sat now because that screen is up close while the TV is the opposite side of the lounge, the screen actually appears bigger. Its all a matter of perspective. I can't see therefore any advantage in browsing the web or whatever on the TV screen.

Essentially. Netflix does DVDs over snail mail for a monthly fee and/or video over internet for a monthly fee. Difference is that in the civilized world, we have access to broadband capable of streaming video, so we don't have to route that through our power lines.

Seems like you don't understand the technology

The video is being streamed through the broadband, nothing to do with the power lines. The problem is locally streaming the broadband from the router (which in my instance is installed upstairs and one side of the house), to the TV and box (downstairs, opposite side). You can try streaming it through wifi, but then wifi has its limitations especially when you're on different stories and have a lot of other wifi-related instruments in the property. So when I used to stream via wifi I'd get interruptions on occasion and even once is too often. So the power lines create a form of LAN (the clue is the letters LAN in the term DLAN) locally within the house created a wired ethernet connection without having to rewire the property and thus avoiding any problems with wifi reliability. Since installing that (cost £70) I've not had even a single dropped connection and its as if its wired directly to the router and fast as anything. Seems to me like that's doing the job correctly.

[CitizenCain]

You're a horrible curmudgeon, Cain. For your information, I did look it up, just to check. And you're going downhill! You NEED WIRES if the connection isn't wireless, and SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DRILL HOLES IN WALLS AND FLOORS or have wires everywhere! I already said this, but you conveniently chose to ignore it and referred me to Google. How awfully snobbish and rude...

Uhuh. You asked what a wireless keyboard and mouse had to do with it, you got your answer. Don't get all snippy because... you had to use Google to find out the meaning of one of the acronyms I used, and still don't seem to quite get one of the other ones. For which, again, I'd advise using the Google.

My Laptop screen is 17.2" so even that's not exactly torture. Typically (though not always) if I'm using my Laptop then my fiancee is watching something on TV anyway. In fact from where I'm sat now because that screen is up close while the TV is the opposite side of the lounge, the screen actually appears bigger. Its all a matter of perspective. I can't see therefore any advantage in browsing the web or whatever on the TV screen.

Like I said, to each his own. Anything below a ~21" is torture for me, and with something that small, I keep desperately trying to access the second display so I can have more than one window usable at a time. Ugh. I can barely get by with the 24" WS and the 21" WS I have at work, but it seems you can, so, congrats. It certainly is the less expensive way to be, that's for sure.

Seems like you don't understand the technology

Indeed. How foolish of me to assume you meant "power line" when you said "power line." I'll work on that, so in the future, I don't misinterpret your posts by erroneously assuming the words you say are indicative of the words you mean.

[agamemnus]

Uhuh. You asked what a wireless keyboard and mouse had to do with it, you got your answer.

Not really... ASDF%@#$%#.

Like I said, to each his own. Anything below a ~21" is torture for me, and with something that small, I keep desperately trying to access the second display so I can have more than one window usable at a time. Ugh. I can barely get by with the 24" WS and the 21" WS I have at work, but it seems you can, so, congrats. It certainly is the less expensive way to be, that's for sure.

The default settings of eg. Win 7 and many other program do favor bigger screens like 21 inch widescreen, but you can just increase the size of the text and icons (I have 125%), which can somewhat alleviate the problem. Of course it's not that well implemented so there are still problems...

Indeed. How foolish of me to assume you meant "power line" when you said "power line." I'll work on that, so in the future, I don't misinterpret your posts by erroneously assuming the words you say are indicative of the words you mean.

You really should work on that... arf.

[CitizenCain]

Yuhuh. You can fiddle with your settings all you want, I can do the same on my dual 28" WS setup. Doesn't matter how much you fiddle, a bigger screen is still bigger, and geometrically so. Nothing you can do to get around the fact that a laptop screen's going to be an order of magnitude less screen area than I'm used to and is going to suck sweaty donkey balls relatively speaking.

[agamemnus]

Not everyone really needs or wants huge screens, tho. I could possibly use a slightly screen (I'm actually using a CRT connected to the laptop) but i just don't need it to be huge. Besides which, there's supposedly the problem of eyestrain if you don't refocus your eyes on different objects it's bads.

[RandBlade]

Like I said, to each his own. Anything below a ~21" is torture for me, and with something that small, I keep desperately trying to access the second display so I can have more than one window usable at a time. Ugh. I can barely get by with the 24" WS and the 21" WS I have at work, but it seems you can, so, congrats. It certainly is the less expensive way to be, that's for sure.

I'd like to see a 21" or 24" Laptop, and how long the battery would last for that. I use screens of that size at work and home, but again I sit further back from the monitor on the desk that I have the Laptop on my lap so its a matter of perspective. I do find a standard 15" Laptop to be tedious though.

What matters for me is not the size so much, its the resolution. I want the highest possible resolution on the screen so I can fit more on it. Depends, maybe your eyesight just isn't as good as mine.

Indeed. How foolish of me to assume you meant "power line" when you said "power line." I'll work on that, so in the future, I don't misinterpret your posts by erroneously assuming the words you say are indicative of the words you mean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_line_communication

Yes, silly me for refering to the power lines when the communication is both on the power lines and its referred to as power line communications. I'll try to dumb it down explain it in simpler layman's terms next time for you.

[Khendraja'aro]

Hey, this is the game guy who compared RSA&Triple-DES encryption to ROT13.

And who then went off to say that he knows all about encryption.

[CitizenCain]

I'd like to see a 21" or 24" Laptop, and how long the battery would last for that. I use screens of that size at work and home, but again I sit further back from the monitor on the desk that I have the Laptop on my lap so its a matter of perspective. I do find a standard 15" Laptop to be tedious though.

What matters for me is not the size so much, its the resolution. I want the highest possible resolution on the screen so I can fit more on it. Depends, maybe your eyesight just isn't as good as mine.

Eyesight's fine. Having a big ass monitor for the first time is a lot like sex... you wonder how you ever got along without it, and will go to great lengths to avoid going back to not having it again.

Yes, silly me for refering to the power lines when the communication is both on the power lines and its referred to as power line communications. I'll try to dumb it down explain it in simpler layman's terms next time for you.

Wiring != "power line," (and even your wikiphist makes the distinction numerous times) but thanks for playing.

Hey, this is the game guy who compared RSA&Triple-DES encryption to ROT13.

And who then went off to say that he knows all about encryption.

Lying asshole. By the way, are you still taking the extremely plausible position that you're too good for a free ~$250?

[Khendraja'aro]

Lying asshole. By the way, are you still taking the extremely plausible position that you're too good for a free ~$250?

I'll note that as of yet you are unable to provide any factual claims that you're able to break any encryption scheme with a pair of wires, some card reader and some FOSS software.

That's because you can't. And that's why you are a stinking liar. Again, you are far from being an expert. Any experts I know are actually able to explain what they are doing to someone else. You do not explain anything thus you are full of hot air. I mean, I asked you multiple times for a broad outline of how your attack works. You have not provided anything other than "because I say so".

Why should we believe anything you say when you cannot explain or prove your claims in any way?