The Xbox 360's Other Red Ring

Supernouva | August 13, 2007 | News | XBOX 360 Gaming Tech/Hardware

Microsoft has been bombarded with complaints and returned Xbox 360s after they had the dreaded Red Ring of Death, but some of them seem to have no problems at all and have been returned as a result of a misunderstanding. Originally, 3 of the 4 quadrants of the ring blink red when there is a hardware failure in an Xbox 360 console. However, all 4 quadrants blink red when the AV/component cable is pulled out of the console.

This makes me wonder if some of these people who claimed their system had a hardware failure were really telling the truth, or were even aware of the fact that all 4 quadrants turn red when the AV cable is pulled out when the X360 is on. It happened to me once when I tried to move the AV/component cable. Of course I never sent it in for a possible hardware failure problem.

Sure Microsoft has been flooded with a slew of Xbox 360s returned after blinking the dreaded Red Ring of Death, but we hear that not all of them were due to overheating.

When the console seizes up and dies, three of the "circle of light's" quadrants blink red, but when the video cable pops out four of the quadrants blink. Apparently, a large number of consoles returned to Microsoft with the dreaded Red Ring of Death were perfectly fine and just the victim of a bit of red ring hysteria.

There have been so many returns, in fact, that we've been told Microsoft plans on disabling the four ring error code on future builds of the console. No word on whether they will remove the three-ring coding as wel

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Xbox 360 [XBOX360]

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Comments

0 thumbs!
TwilightPrince | August 13, 2007

Yeah, I got this once. I got scared thinking that my 360 broke again, then I realized my AV cord was unplugged.
0 thumbs!
Supernouva | August 13, 2007

Yea, I wouldn't be surprised if 1/4 of returned Xbox 360s for hardware failure actually had a hardware failure.
- 0 thumbs!
  Sort | August 14, 2007
  
  That's a pretty steep estimate. Hopefully people aren't that stupid.
0 thumbs!
tallteen86 | August 13, 2007

Ditto, I had the same problem twilightprince, it scared teh crap out of me >_>

But I realized the cables weren't plugged in, and I tried that, and it worked, and I breathed a sigh of relief ;;
0 thumbs!
Evanster 69 | August 13, 2007

I would be freaking out if I got red ringed. But now I know to check the cable If I ever get an XBOX 360. But are they really that good? I know the graphics are top notch but what about the gameplay?
0 thumbs!
MJ12 L0rD | August 13, 2007

If people sent their 360 in for that, they are stupid. I agree with Supernouva also, wouldn't be surprised either.
- 0 thumbs!
  TurMoiL911 | August 14, 2007
  
  And deaf. The guy at customer support should have repeated the situation back to the caller. I heard "three red lights on the ring of light" at least three times on my call.
0 thumbs!
Gary15 | August 14, 2007

Happened to me too and I also freaked out at first because my warranty had run out about 2 weeks prior, then I relised the cable was loose. But it was kind of bad design on microsofts part making them so similiar.
2 thumbs!
volacide | August 14, 2007

quote
This makes me wonder if some of these people who claimed their system had a hardware failure were really telling the truth, or were even aware of the fact that all 4 quadrants turn red when the AV cable is pulled out when the X360 is on.
What you think people intentionally lied about their 360 breaking just for the hell of it? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. To say "telling the truth" implies that they specifically knew the 360 wasn't in fact broken and intentionally lied about it.

You can try to justify the number of 360's that suffer from the RROD anyway you like, but the ultimate fact is, it happens very often. Too often. People don't just get a red ring and then go, "oh, guess i'm sending it in." I mean *bleep*, they're going to give it a bunch of tries to fix it I'm sure before they send it in, and that includes replugging everything back in and such.
- 1 thumbs!
  FRoGBuster | August 14, 2007
  
  I second that. But good try on Microsoft's part to try to dissuade the people from the evident truth.
- -3 thumbs!
  Final Blade | August 14, 2007
  
  I third that, i mean people aren't stupid, i mean why would anyone purposely call MS send in there console and be out from playing games for 2 weeks. Sounds like a load of BS to me. Like FRoGbuster said nice try MS.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Cdemon | August 14, 2007
    
    quote
    i mean people aren't stupid
    LOL
    
    I agree with Voli on this one. Perhaps a small percentage of consoles sent in were false alarms, but the majority obviously weren't.
  - 0 thumbs!
    black doom | August 14, 2007
    
    I beg to differ, people are stupid, individuals can be smart, but people are idiots.
    - 0 thumbs!
      Cdemon | August 14, 2007
      
      I agree... which is why I laughed at the fact that finalblade of all people said "people aren't stupid.."
0 thumbs!
Silver Mirror | August 14, 2007

I agree with Volacide, Frogbuster and even FinalBlade (shudder).

Those people saying that this may be responsible for the massive amounts of returned 360's are just kidding themselves. People usually check the cords try turning it on and off multiple times if something happens to a appliance
- 0 thumbs!
  Existenz | August 14, 2007
  
  May i add that out of probably 99% of all said RRoD's happen after the gamer has played the console atleast once, the cables are deffinately plugged in so the only other RRoD they can get is the fatal one.
0 thumbs!
JJBDude | August 14, 2007

There would have been some idiots not thinking to realise this and send in their unbroken console but surely not a massive amount. Whenever I get red rings of death I simply turn off my Xbox and turn it back on again, good as new haha.
0 thumbs!
sten mk II | August 14, 2007

I think people would realize their plugs weren't in when they went to ship it out.

I know I'd try all my plugs etc. before I sent my console in.
0 thumbs!
adamrpg | August 14, 2007

I always check all the plugs if something goes wrong with my system.
0 thumbs!
Supernouva | August 14, 2007

volacide, I'm well aware that most people who have sent their Xbox 360 only to find out nothing was wrong with it was a result of a misunderstanding. I'm just trying to create some discussion on this topic. Don't be so quick in insulting others, they're entitled to their own opinion, no matter how "stupid" it may be.