Anyone else with this configuration having similar difficulties? The rest of my games (Halo, NFL Fever, Project Gotham) all run fine, but I'm getting some odd artifacts and image tearing with DOA3.

If DOA3 really does run at 1080i instead of 480p (as Microsoft reps have been saying all along), that probably speaks to a problem with my TV at 1080i. On the other hand, if it runs in 480p as several people on this board have suggested, well... then I don't know what in the hell is going on. For the record, I brought my Xbox and my copy of DOA3 in to work and ran them through a 36" RCA HDTV (MM36110) and experienced none of the problems. So, at least I know that it isn't my Xbox.

My guess is that my TV is malfunctioning at 1080i -- though I don't currently have any other way to test my theory since I don't have an HDTV receiver. I can exchange the TV for a new one, but my fear is that it's a problem with the entire line and not just my set. Since I'll have to take a day off just to wait for the delivery guys to make the switch (and I already missed a day when it was first delivered), I'm wondering if I shouldn't just try another brand altogether.

The TV is a 32" Panasonic CT-32HX41 and other than the problems I've been having, everyone else seems to love this set -- including the two TV repair guys I just spoke to on the phone (picked at random from the phone book) -- which is why I bought the damn thing in the first place. Any thoughts or suggestions? Anyone else ever had a problem with a Panasonic HDTV-ready set?

-Vederman

OK, I think I've found some information for you. Anandtech did a big article about the Xbox. Here's the URL to the page that discusses video output: http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1561&p=10

All the launch games are rendered at 640x480 and then the video encoder chip scales that output to HD resolutions. There could be a problem with the way it's scaling the picture to 1080i. Have you tried changing the settings in the dashboard to 1080i=no and then loaded DOA3? It's weird that it would work on the RCA you tried, though. So it could indeed be something wrong with your Panasonic's 1080i mode.

You could try asking around at some of the AV/Home Theater forums around the net like http://www.avsforum.com or http://www.hometheaterforum.com .

But the article confirms what I told you, that DOA3 doesn't really run at 1080i. Scaling a 640x480 imaged doesn't count! Interesting also that apparently the highest resolution the Xbox can render at is actually 1024x768. The encoder chip can't handle anything larger. I had heard someone say that before elsewhere, but I wasn't sure I believed it as I didn't see why that would be the case. Simplifies the memory footprint question in HD on the Xbox. You'll never need more memory than is nessisary for a 1024x768 screen. But that also means no true 1080i on the Xbox.

Brad Grenz