Rumor: All Xbox 360 models will include HDMI

via joystiq

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.jo..._hdmi-port.jpg

Though Ars Technica is quick to label this a rumor, what they heard from an "inside source" sounds awfully similar to what Engadget's otherwise reliable tipster told them last March, though a bit more specific. Ars says, "a new version of the Core and Premium [Xbox 360] hardware in late August or September ... will include an HDMI port." Microsoft has never said that the Elite would be alone in having an HDMI port – in fact, the Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 will come packed with an HDMI port this September though, notably, no HDMI cable.

Of course, it's presumed that this hardware revision would also include the 65nm chips we've all been waiting for, as well as quieter DVD drives (quieter than the BenQ VAD6038?). But how will prospective purchasers discern which retail box includes the new hardware? There will apparently be a small "call out" on the packaging so savvy buyers can take their pick and casual shoppers can drain the existing inventory. C'est la vie.