The low-down on the 360’s high def

We reported earlier in the week that the Xbox 360 will be receiving a software patch that will allow 1080p content to be played back on the machine, as well as enabling upscaling of other content (movies, games) to 1080p. Turns out, as always, that the devil is in the details. A Microsoft insider has explained that what kind of content you can get in high def will depend on how you’re connecting your 360 to your TV.

Component cables users will be allowed to upscale Xbox 360 games to 1080p (native 1080p games will work fine), HD-DVDs will work at 1080i max, and standard DVDs will work at 480p. The latter two are constrained by their respective copy protection technologies, AACS and CSS.

However, if you’re using a VGA cable instead, you’ll be able to view any of your content at sweet, sweet 1080p.

RF adapter users, meanwhile, are left out in the cold. As Joystiq notes, “You have bigger problems.”

Well, gee, thanks copy protection. You’re really protecting me from viewing content I’ve purchased at its full possible resolution. Whew. Safe from those camera-toting pirates, after all.