Xbox 360- Red Ring Of Death

You've had your Xbox 360 for years, and you're convinced that it's the pinnacle of gaming excellence. The problem is you've finally gotten that dreaded red ring of death. What are your options?

Your first option that you might think about would be to buy a brand new xbox. Now that the prices have dropped, and the console is only $299 it's a viable option. Definitely cheaper than the first console you bought on Ebay for $600. One of the benefits of the newer versions of 360s is the addition of HDMI output. Definitely more compatible with the newer Plasma and LCD screens out there, plus it allows multiple HD inputs with the HDMI cables. Versus usually only one HD Component cable connection per tv.

Another bit of good news with buying a new 360 is that the hard drives are larger as well. Gone are the miniscule 20gb hard drives, now you can get 60gb with the Xbox basic, and 120gb with the elite. Not a bad upgrade at all.

The new 360s have been redesigned as well, so that most of the issues with overheating should be avoided now. It does appear that the newer versions have much smaller failure rates. Time will tell if the new 360s will stand the test of time and heat.

Second, for those with electronic experience, the repair itself is pretty straight forward. However, I must reiterate that you should have extensive electronic experience to undertake this, a small slip and you'll end up killing your entire system. There are ebooks, message boards, and video tutorials on how to fix xbox 360's so there is definitely some help out there if you're feeling adventurous.

Third, you could send the console back to Microsoft. Microsoft will fix the problem for $140. Of course with a brand new system costing $300, that's a tough decision to make.

Fourth, there are numerous independent repair firms, some may even be local, that can handle the repairs for you. The quality of repairs can vary widely as well as the prices. I've seen prices as low as $49 and some as high as $200. Also some offer 90-120 day warranties, while others offer no guarantees at all.

Hopefully these tips will give you an idea on how to repair your Xbox 360, after all, all is not lost, and you have plenty of company as there have been massive hardware failures associated with the Xbox 360. And owning a 360 will be even better when they pair with Netflix to stream over 10,000 movies. Should be a great time to be a 360 owner.