Here is the opening of the Xbox 360 Elite box. The Xbox 360 Elite was released on April 29, 2007 at a starting price of 479.99 which has now dropped to 449.99. It is the third Xbox 360 variation and is considered to be the high end version of the Xbox 360.

UPDATE
------------------

THE PRICE OF THE XBOX 360 ELITE HAS DROPPED TO 299.99 USD.

--------------------

Stuff that is in the box.
-------------------------
1. Xbox 360 Elite Console (Black)
2. Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Black)
3. Xbox 360 Wired Headset (Black)
4. Xbox 360 120 GB hard drive (Black)
5. Xbox 360 Component/Composite Cables
6. HDMI cable (6 feet)
7. Xbox 360 Optical RCA Adapter (For connecting the audio to a stereo system if you are using HDMI)
8. Xbox 360 Power Brick and power cable
9. 2 AA Batteries (Usually Energizer)
10. Ethernet cable
11. Manuals and 1 year Warranty


So basically there is a lot in the box. The only differences between the Elite and the original Xbox 360 consoles is that it is black, few of the accessories are black, it has a 120 GB drive instead of 20, and it is bundled with a HDMI cable which usually costs a lot if you were to buy it separately.

** Note, with the HDMI, the Xbox 360 only supports HDMI 1.2a which excludes the features of HD audio and higher video bandwidth which is found on HDMI 1.3. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound is on HDMI 1.2 which is not that bad.

There are not many black accessories for the Xbox 360 Elite. I believe there is only a black controller, battery pack, and black play and charge kit. There is a black headset but it is only found within the Xbox 360 Elite's packaging. Not every accessory is made black because more people own the white Xbox 360 and it would simply be a waste of money on Microsoft's part to make every accessory black.

Overall the Xbox 360 Elite is a great console. I personally got mine on release date and had no problems with it overheating despite playing it for hours everyday. I would highly recommend this console for anyone who has just entered gaming or just wants to get a 360.

Tips on how to avoid getting RROD***
---------------------------------------------
**** This only applies for consoles that were manufactured before summer of 07.

1. Do not block the vents on the 360. Less heat will be released and poor ventilation will occur.

2. Keep your console horizontal. I heard that 360's have a higher failure rate when kept vertical.

3. Do not keep it in an enclosed location such as a shelf or in an entertainment set.
Better ventilation occurs when you keep it outside.

4. Try to play in a cool area with a fan, preferably an AC.

5. Do not keep your Xbox 360 on a carpet. Carpets tend to insulate heat within the 360. You want to keep you Xbox 360 on a smooth flat surface.

*** RROD stands for "Red Ring of Death". It was a common hardware failure error with earlier models of the Xbox 360 which displayed 3 red rings on the controller light layout around the power button. Most of the problems have occurred due to overheating and poor ventilation. Consoles that were manufactured before mid 07 had this problem and the problem is now been resolved with the replacement of older processors with the cooler running 65nm processors with larger heatsinks on the newer 360's and those that have been repaired. The motherboard layout has also been updated to properly distribute heat. As of now 99.99% of the Xbox 360 consoles that are being sold in retail stores have the new processor/motherboard configurations. You can tell whether or not your console has the new processor or not if it has an HDMI port or not. WHITE Xbox 360 consoles that do not have the HDMI port are the older versions with the overheating problems, those that have the HDMI port are the newer ones. Note that this only applies to WHITE Xbox 360 consoles. I would not recommend getting the console used from a game store such as gamestop since there is a possibility it is an Xbox 360 with the older processor that overheats.

If your console does have the RROD and you would like to have it working again, contact Microsoft and call them up for a repair. The warranty for all RROD problems is 3 years and Microsoft will fix your console free of charge and will send it back to you. Shipping is also covered by Microsoft as well as the box and packaging to send the console to them. As an added bonus Microsoft usually sends back the fully repaired console with a 1 month Xbox Live Gold card. Failure rates are minimal these days and the RROD has hardly appeared on any of the newly manufactured Xbox 360 consoles.

If anyone has any questions that HAVE NOT been answered through this video, please feel free to message me on YouTube.

-ApFaqTech (less info)