Resurrection: 6 Uses For Your Old Xbox (page 2 of 2)

4. The Media Center
The Xbox is powerful enough to serve as a Media Center PC

The Xbox is powerful enough to serve as a Media Center PC

Companies like Sony and Dell are trying to sell you pricey Media Center PCs to serve as an entertainment catch-all for your living room. Sure, you can plunk a grand on one of these overpriced gizmos, or you can mod an old Xbox and use it as a front end for your MythTV or Xbox Media Center. Combined with a PC running the appropriate software, your Xbox will allow you to watch movies, record television shows, show slideshows...and, of course, play all those (legally) ripped MP3s. With Myth TV you can even pause and rewind live TV just like TiVo...sans the pesky service fees. Not bad for a five year-old game console, huh?



5. The Hard Drive Upgrade
Why stop at 8 GB?

Why stop at 8 GB?

With all the game backups, third-party applications and music you've added to your Xbox, your tiny 8 GB hard drive will get cramped fast. Luckily, there's a solution: upgrade it. Upgrading the Xbox hard drive can be tricky if you haven't already added a mod chip. The process is complex and practically requires a degree in computer science, but it's doable if you've got patience and persistence on your side. Our advice is to add the mod chip, install the Evolution X dashboard, and then upgrade your hard drive. You should be able to swap in any standard 3.5'' PC desktop hard drive, giving you Xbox storage in excess of 500 GB, if you want. Your mileage may vary, of course.



6. The Case Mod

It's finally time to put those shop skills to good use. Anyone can add a mod-chip and watch "The Office" on their Xbox, but it takes a true artist to take on the design department in Redmond. From cold cathode lights, to cramming the Xbox guts into a Commodore 64, the possibilities are practically endless. While we wouldn't expect you to compete with super case-modder Ben Heckendorn, every case modder has to start somewhere.

If you're stumped for ideas, try taking inspiration from a favorite TV show. If you're into Battlestar Galacitca, why not try a Cylon-inspired case with pulsing red lights? Or maybe Bob Villa is your personal hero: in that case, nothing spruces up a new coffee table like an integrated gaming console. The case-modding community is getting bigger every day with folks just like you cramming iPods into Gameboys and computers into intricately designed wooden cases. The Xbox isn't known for its cutting-edge design, so any personalization is sure to be an improvement.

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