Watch Xbox videos on different devices and screens

To watch HD videos in HD quality on your HDTV or monitor, you must play them on HD-capable hardware using high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), component, or video game array (VGA) video cables.

There are two easy ways to watch an HD video that you've purchased or rented from the Xbox Video store on a compatible HDTV:

• Connected to Xbox 360 - Download the video from the Xbox Video store to your Xbox 360 console and play the video on your HDTV using an HDMI cable, the Xbox 360 Component HD audio/visual (AV) Cable, or the Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable.

  Full 1080p resolution is available only with Xbox 360 and requires a 1080p-capable HDTV that is high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP)-enabled, plus an HDMI cable or the Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable.

  If your home network is fast enough, you can also stream videos. With the Xbox 360 console's HDMI connection or the Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable, you can view resolutions up to 1080p. With the Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable, you can view up to 720p or 1080p.

• SD videos - You can watch SD videos on most TVs by using one of the following:
  • Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable
  • Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable
  • Xbox 360 Composite AV Cable or Xbox 360 S-Video AV Cable.

The cable that you would use depends on the AV input on your TV set.

Buy or rent videos from the Xbox Video store. You can choose the format (SD or HD) for viewing on a computer.

Using the Xbox video app, buy or rent videos and choose the format (SD or HD) for viewing on a Windows Phone 7. Download the video, and then sync it to your phone.

Several factors affect the resolution you see when you watch a video that you buy or rent from the Xbox Video store, including the image quality of the video itself (HD or SD), the capabilities of the player, the cable used to transmit the video signal from the device to the screen, and the capabilities of your screen.