Xbox 360 Round-up - Fall Dashboard details, new downloads

When the Xbox 360 dashboard updates on Tuesday, Dec. 4, here's most of what you'll get (beyond basic bug fixes and minor tweaks):

• Xbox Originals - downloadable original Xbox games that cost $15 and run in emulation mode, warts and all
• Xbox Live Arcade Hits, which are discounted Arcade titles (the first batch includes Bankshot Billiards 2 and Lumines Live! for $10, and Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms and Zuma for $5)
• Expanded access to your Friends List , unless you opt-out
• A Family Timer that lets parents set the amount of time a child can use the Xbox 360 on a per-day or per-week basis
• A new Inside Xbox news feed
• The ability to change the Windows Live ID associated with your Xbox Live account
• Expanded online profiles with the option to share extended bios with friends or all of Xbox Live
• Improved Xbox guide performance (approx. 2 times faster)
• Full-screen movie previews, enhanced format support including DivX, AC3 embedded audio, MP3 embedded audio, Mpeg-4 part 2 video files in AVI containers and Zune 2.0 videos and video podcasts, and improvements to previously supported formats
• 16x Fast-forward/Rewind for videos plus shoulder button support for chapter skips and triggers for fast-forward and rewind
• The Media Blade displays when rented Marketplace videos are expired or about to expire
• Movies and TV Shows in the video library can be sorted by Title or Download Date, and TV shows can be grouped by series
• Support for multiple computer sources in Xbox Guide music
• The ability to convert a child account to adult status upon 18th birthday
• Improved support for third-party controllers
• Improved support for new iPods (classic and 3rd gen Nano) but iPhone and iPod touch are still not supported for music (iPhone and other PTP devices are for pictures, though)
• Improved source selection for video, picture, and music libraries, and improved performance when loading remote folders with thousands of pictures
• New fade-out transition effects
• More user friendly error messages
• Expanded router support including Apple Extreme in 802.11a/n mode, Buffalo WiFi, JPN Corega CG-BARFX and NEC WR8400N WiFi
• Improved support for Creston AV receivers with HDMI
• Improved auto sign-in with Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter
• Art files are displayed when files are streamed from Windows Media Player 11 on Vista
• Expanded XNA games support

Recent Xbox Live Marketplace additions include:

• Arcade: Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe ($5)
• EXIT Additional Stage Pack 1 (free)
• Rock Band David Bowie Pack 1 ($5.50, or $2 per track) with cover versions of "Heroes" and "Queen Bitch" and a master track for "Moonage Daydream"
• Blue Dragon Shuffle Dungeon ($5), which gives you a new arrangement every time you play it
• Speedball 2 Super Star Players Pack ($1.88) adds three star players for single-player matches only
• Need for Speed: ProStreet HD documentary ($3) and Major League Gaming Halo 2 Heavyweight Match ($1.13)
• Game Videos: Beowulf, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Surf's Up and Tomb Raider: Anniversary
• Themes: Assassin's Creed, Dig Dug and Pac-Man CE ($1.88 each), and Bomberman Live ($1.25)
• Pictures: Bomberman Live ($1.25) and Surf's Up ($1.50)