Hi, I'm a student with a budget and I was wondering if there was any good deal out there for the following things.
-360 Elite System
-Optical cable (does the 360 take one? :confused: )
-Optical cable splitter (if the 360 has an optical output)
-Lost Odyssey

If you are on a budget, think about getting one of the Premiums. Only diff is the HD size and arguably you don't need 100 more gigs of space on a 360 (at least until your budget improves down the road).

I really wanted to get a premium but I heard I would lose out on the HDMI port, and my TV only has HDMI slots availible so component is out of the picture :( .

All new premiums should have an HDMI port builtin by now... I think it'll state it on the box anyway.
Yes, the 360 does take an optical cable, however, if you're going to get the premium and need to use optical, you'll have to buy the $50 dongle, or hack apart your component cable to be able to use it. So my recommendation is might as well get the Elite as you originally wanted.

Yes, the 360 does take an optical cable, however, if you're going to get the premium and need to use optical, you'll have to buy the $50 dongle, or hack apart your component cable to be able to use it.

I must say they blew it on that whole little fiasco. I cannot believe they couldn't come up with some design better than that crap.

If you have a Real Canadian Superstore close by, there are tax savings to be had on this Thursday and Friday on all taxable products. That's probably the best deal you'll find until Dell has a sale again.

I thought the Elite came with the dongle? This site has come close up shots of the box contents:

http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/news/inside_the_xbox_360_elite.htm

It does, and that's why I recommend purchasing the Elite and not a premium.

If you want to connect via HDMI then the Elite is a NO BRAINER !
If comes with the HDMI cable (a saving of anywhere from $20 - $50), the lower grade AV cables (if you don't have optical) and an extra 100 gigs of storage.

If you want to connect via HDMI then the Elite is a NO BRAINER !
If comes with the HDMI cable (a saving of anywhere from $20 - $50), the lower grade AV cables (if you don't have optical) and an extra 100 gigs of storage.
HDMI cables of quality equal to or greater than the one included are $10. The value in the elite is that crazy Dongle and the extra Harddrive space.

It does, and that's why I recommend purchasing the Elite and not a premium.

Sorry, I misread your post.

All new premiums should have an HDMI port builtin by now... I think it'll state it on the box anyway.
Yes, the 360 does take an optical cable, however, if you're going to get the premium and need to use optical, you'll have to buy the $50 dongle, or hack apart your component cable to be able to use it. So my recommendation is might as well get the Elite as you originally wanted.
Why do you have to hack apart the component cable to get optical when using HDMI? Just use the included set that includes optical out and leave the wires bundled behind your machine. Not pretty, but it should work. Am I missing something? It's not like the PS3 which will only output audio via one source at a time.

Cause the optical connector, which is part of the component cables is too thick/bulky to plug in if you have the HDMI port used up. Basically you can either plugin the component cable w/optical dongle or HDMI cable at once. Can't have both in together; that's where the seperate audio dongle that the Elite comes with is useful.

that's where the seperate audio dongle that the Elite comes with is required.

Fixed. :)

Actually I'll take the 1 audio output enabled at any one time of the PS3 (and lack of HDMI cable included) over the required $50 dongle.

If you have a Real Canadian Superstore close by, there are tax savings to be had on this Thursday and Friday on all taxable products. That's probably the best deal you'll find until Dell has a sale again.
I like the Superstore idea, but I live in Scarborough, Ontario :( . The only one availible is in thunder bay xD .

Fixed. :)

Actually I'll take the 1 audio output enabled at any one time of the PS3 (and lack of HDMI cable included) over the required $50 dongle.
Not me! Cause sometimes I want audio through my receiver and sometimes I want it through my TV. Having to flip through the menu means there's no way around. $50 is $50, but at least it solves the issue! It means I can hit Play 360 or Play 360 w/receiver on my Harmony and not have to do anything... When I want to do the same with the PS3, everything is manual; it got so annoying that I said screw it and disconnected the PS3 from the receiver.

Not me! Cause sometimes I want audio through my receiver and sometimes I want it through my TV.

uhm ugh.. now why would you want (from the same device) audio from a receiver at some point and then through your tv at other points? I think most people have their audio configured once on a particular output and forget about it. They wouldn't often be flipping between them and in those cases, a menu option would suffice I suspect. I'll keep my $50.

uhm ugh.. now why would you want (from the same device) audio from a receiver at some point and then through your tv at other points? I think most people have their audio configured once on a particular output and forget about it. They wouldn't often be flipping between them and in those cases, a menu option would suffice I suspect. I'll keep my $50.
If people in my household are asleep, then I play my games or movies through the TV speakers. If they're not, well then I use my receiver... very common requirement to most households I would think. :)

I actually do this with all my devices, DVD player, HTPC, etc.

If people in my household are asleep, then I play my games or movies through the TV speakers. If they're not, well then I use my receiver... very common requirement to most households I would think. :)

I actually do this with all my devices, DVD player, HTPC, etc.

heh.. then I plug in headphones into my receiver. I mean changing outputs to your tv speakers I wouldn't think would really do things for being quiet (no more than say turning down the volume), but headphones... that's the ticket for being mouselike :)

Anyhow, that seems like a pain to me. If you are into $50 expenditures, you can get some pretty awesome headphones :)

heh.. then I plug in headphones into my receiver. I mean changing outputs to your tv speakers I wouldn't think would really do things for being quiet (no more than say turning down the volume), but headphones... that's the ticket for being mouselike :)

Anyhow, that seems like a pain to me. If you are into $50 expenditures, you can get some pretty awesome headphones :)
I hate headphones! :) Keep in mind, I have an Elite, so I didn't pay extra directly for the dongle anyway.