"Banned" xBox as extender - Buyer Beware!

[Dragonfly]

I bought a used xBox 360 slim on ebay a couple months ago, which was listed as "banned from xBox Live". Works just fine as an extender for WMC7, you just can't connect it to xBox Live.

Cool. Thought I'd buy another "banned" box for another room. That's when I found out that there are two classes of "banned".

- Units that have been hacked or modded will work fine as extenders, play DVDs, games, etc. Just won't connect to xbox Live.

- Units bought under Microsoft's $99 plus two year Live subscription (http://kotaku.com/5954069/you-can-get-a ... es-a-catch) will not work AT ALL if the original purchaser quit paying the monthly contract fee.
You get the attached screen, and your unit is totally bricked....forever. No functions whatever can be used, including the extender function. And MS customer service won't help you.

Well, caveat emptor. The seller did list the unit as "banned" and "unuseable. for parts". I paid $60, but at least I got an extra game controller, and a power brick which I needed, and a couple of games. So it wasn't a total loss.

But if you're buying "banned" units, you need to be aware of this and ask some questions.

[blueiedgod]

What if you paid up the live sub, would Microsoft unlock it?

[Scallica]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Technically, the item description was inaccurate. The console is probably not banned; it just has a delinquent & required XBox Live subscription. I'd reach out to the seller and open a case with ebay.

[foxwood]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Technically, the item description was inaccurate. The console is probably not banned; it just has a delinquent & required XBox Live subscription. I'd reach out to the seller and open a case with ebay.

If the seller said "unuseable. for parts" as Dragonfly says, then I'd say that the seller was in the clear.

Though you could make a argument that the item borders on "stolen property", if the terms of the subsidy weren't lived up to, but that's probably more a moral issue than a legal one.

[Dragonfly]

What if you paid up the live sub, would Microsoft unlock it?

$15 a month for two years, and no way of knowing how much is left on the contract. From researching the issue, I don't think they would, but since I wouldn't want Live on this box anyway, it's not an option I'd want to explore.

I have a third Slim I bought at retail if I want to get to Live.

I'm wondering now if I can part it out and recover some cash. The subscription boxes came with a 250gb hard drive. Wonder if that would work if put into a non-bricked box. Or if MS would recognize it as part of a bricked unit. Could probably get $20 or $30 bucks for it if it works.

[glugglug]

When I first used my newest 360 Slim, it required downloading media libraries from live before allowing me to pair it as an extender.
So it is possible for the other class of "banned" to be useless as an extender also if the original owner had never tried to launch WMC.

[bmblank]

When I first used my newest 360 Slim, it required downloading media libraries from live before allowing me to pair it as an extender.
So it is possible for the other class of "banned" to be useless as an extender also if the original owner had never tried to launch WMC.

This is my thought as well. I have no interest in live, but, especially when setting up, i need video players and converters or whatnot that didn't seem to come on it as sold.

[LuckyDay]

I paid $60, but at least I got an extra game controller, and a power brick which I needed, and a couple of games. So it wasn't a total loss.

Roughly:

$30 for HDD

$15-20 for controller (if wireless)

$10-20 for brick.

Random prices for games.

You still came out ahead. If you trade it all into Gamestop for something else you'll make $40-60 easy.

[adam1991]

so, there's "banned" and "not yet paid for by the original agreement".

The latter isn't a second class of "banned". I call it "stolen from MS". After all, MS simply tried to sell those units the exact same way that cell phone providers sell phones: cheap up front, pay a little ongoing to pay it off.

If you don't pay it off per the agreement, it's considered "stolen" and won't work on the provider's network...

[Dragonfly]

Just to wrap this one up:

I pulled the 250GB drive from the bricked unit and it works fine in my previously 4GB 360.

I figure with that plus the extra wireless remote and the power brick that'll replace a noisy one, I didn't lose too much on this deal.

I'll be looking for another Slim around this price point, and this time I'll ask the right questions.

As for whether the 360 requires a Live download in order to function as an extender, it doesn't. The download is a codec pack download to play video files. A "banned from Live" slim will set up as an extender just fine if all you need is the regular WMC functions.

[blueiedgod]

Just to wrap this one up:

I pulled the 250GB drive from the bricked unit and it works fine in my previously 4GB 360.

I figure with that plus the extra wireless remote and the power brick that'll replace a noisy one, I didn't lose too much on this deal.

I'll be looking for another Slim around this price point, and this time I'll ask the right questions.

As for whether the 360 requires a Live download in order to function as an extender, it doesn't. The download is a codec pack download to play video files. A "banned from Live" slim will set up as an extender just fine if all you need is the regular WMC functions.

The following applies to the white 360's, not sure if slims are different, haven't come across one to play with.

Without the codec pack from Live, you can not play most of the ripped DVD's/BD's, or downloaded movies. Luckily, the codec pack is available with the free silver account, but a banned box won't be able to connect to Live to download the codec pack.

Live/recorded TV and WMV playback will work, but not DIVX, XVID, MKV... etc.

[Dragonfly]

Yeah, that's basically what I said about the Slim. I have no need to play ripped videos on all my extenders, so a banned box works fine for live and recorded TV, music, and pictures. If I can get one for around $50 or $60, it meets my needs for a spare room, guest room, or the porch.

[johny3]

have you tried adding on a 24 or 48 hr promo xbox gold sub?
I might have one sitting around if you want to try.

also, I am sure there is a software solution out there you could try if motivated

[LuckyDay]

also, I am sure there is a software solution out there you could try if motivated

Any hacks on the software side would prevent it from going on Live Gold which is the problem in the first place.

You may be able to call Microsoft and see what the remaining balance is and if it can be transferred, but they may not be able to give you that info.

[johny3]

sorry I read your post incorrectly I guess.

Just a heads up, the new xbox 360 e is on sale at amazon right now. 179 + 50 future purchase credit on amazon. just go to amazon.com and see (unsure if I am allowed to link the deal)

[holidayboy]

I think that you might also need the optional media update in order to watch h.264 TV streams. I had to download it before I could watch any HD TV here in the UK (all h.264).

[wyerock]

If you need the media update, you can put the HDD in a non-banned unit and take it online to update.

[blueiedgod]

If you need the media update, you can put the HDD in a non-banned unit and take it online to update.

At one point, not sure if it still exists, there was a way to update your "non-Internet connected" XBOX by using a specially prepared memory drive, and downloading the updates on the PC and loading them onto the memory drive. Then plugging in the memory drive into the XBOX to implement updates. It was listed on the XBOX site.

[T3chWarrior]

those boxes can still be rgh'ed

[Dragonfly]

If you need the media update, you can put the HDD in a non-banned unit and take it online to update.

At one point, not sure if it still exists, there was a way to update your "non-Internet connected" XBOX by using a specially prepared memory drive, and downloading the updates on the PC and loading them onto the memory drive. Then plugging in the memory drive into the XBOX to implement updates. It was listed on the XBOX site.

Swapping the HDD with the update to a non-banned unit doesn't work and downloading to a thumb drive doesn't apply to the Optional Media Update. The only way to get that is through Live.

WalMart is having the 4GB XBox 360 Slim at $99 for a Black Friday doorbuster. I'd be all over that if I dIdn't have to fight the mobs. I'd like a couple more but my days of camping out for deals are over.