Any prepaid code you add just adds months on to the end of whatever you've already paid for.

For example, if you're six months into an annual autorenew subscription and add a 12month card, your autorenew date becomes 18 months in the future rather than 6.

Basically the autorenew against credit card is a backstop, as long as you add a pre-paid code before your current subscription (either pre-paid or credit card) runs out you'll never be charged against your card.

MS obviously want you to have a card registered so they can take subscriptions when they run out or make impulse points purchases easy so they tempt you with free/cheap months. People have had problems getting their card taken off the system without ringing MS to do it before now but I think they allow you to do it via xbox.com now, not 100% certain on that.

Personally I've never had any issue with having a credit card registered as that's how I pay for subs and points. They will send an email and pop a message on the dash 1 month before renewal is due and ask if you want to autorenew by card or not. They do that every year. So they'll never really take anything without flagging up well in advance.

Mod74 wrote:

People have had problems getting their card taken off the system without ringing MS to do it before now but I think they allow you to do it via xbox.com now, not 100% certain on that.

I had real issues with this and it was a complete pain in the arse to sort out, so do check that they've made it easier to get out of it.

Cool, I'll get myself golded up todayy then. Cheers chaps!

Welcome to the dark side

A new editing system has been introduced. You might want to chuck Petey a PM.

Oh yeah, they opened up rewards to Ireland as well, for the couple of others here. We get less than the UK for some reason, but whatever, as long as it's there in some form.

They where complaining about the offishul play 'n charge kit. Not 3rd party efforts.
The official kit is a bit of a pain, a big cable running to the 360 which takes a while to charge especially if you are playing at the same time, plus it is really easy to cook the battery if you leave it plugged in after it has finished charging (which I did).

I've got a 2hr AA charger and 4 rechargeable AA's and I have a set of 2 AA's in use and a set of two charged at all times, so when batteries run out a quick F1 style pit stop later and I am going again, when I have finished my game session I pop the exhausted batteries into the charger and they go back into circulation for the next energy crisis.

I'm just getting a wired one so I can use it on the PC, Wireless is fab but I don't have room for connect so really don't need it.

Dark Soldier wrote:

My battery pack is fucked, to the point where it constantly needs to be plugged into the plug and charge thing. I'm awful at DIY so I'm fucked.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bestsellers-Electronics-Household-Battery-Charger-Sets/zgbs/electronics/431407031/ref=zg_bs_nav_ce_4_431411031

Top one looks the biz and I've always heard good things about the Sanyo Eneloop models.

Mod74 wrote:

and I've always heard good things about the Sanyo Eneloop models.

I've got those, they're supposed to hold their charge much longer than normal rechargeable batteries. i.e. if you charge them up they'll still have 90% of their power 6 months down the line. Can't say i've noticed it much and i'd still recommend going for dedicated controller batteries like the one I linked to before because you would be charging it so often anyway.

mlb.tv for 360 is up out here. Now if only the NBA would follow suit.

They really need to do something about the layout of the marketplace stuff now.  Went to find the Minecraft trial.  Found the "games" tab, which then separates into "downloadable" amongst other things.  It didn't appear in any of the "new releases" bits, and there didn't appear to be any sort of bit where I could just browse the Live Arcade releases alone.

I had to search.  Search!

Elmlea wrote:

... which is exactly what I do with rechargeable AAs, except mine last a lot longer the 8 hours, cost half as much (including the charger), are infinitely replaceable if need be, and can be put into the TV remote in event of emergencies. If technology's good enough to produce a decent rechargeable battery pack, then it should go without saying that it can produce a decent rechargeable AA; which is handy for those of us that don't want an LED-covered monstrosity sitting next to our 360 that you need to clip the controllers onto.

Fair enough, but having used both methods I know which is by far the most convenient

Well, because, unless i'm literally playing all day I never have to remove the battery pack. It takes up very little space and since it's charged via usb I could choose to charge it from my PC, Wii, Sky box, any plug in the house with a usb plug...etc. I choose to have it next to my xbox because it's handy there. It stores the controllers neatly for me whilst charging.

I do have batteries that can be charged in anything, used in anything, and were roughly the same price since I bought the 360 thing on sale (though the price isn't so much of a concern to me anyway when it works so well). If I need AA batteries for anything else then i'm not going to be able to use them in my 360 controller at the same time anyway.

@adored, if you click on my (or anyone elses) name in the Friend List then push right it brings up a profile page. From there select View Friends and you can easily and quickly add a bunch of people from here without the arse of typing the names in manually.