Are you like me? Sometimes I find myself sitting at home playing Xbox 360 on a rainy day. Two, three, four hours go by and the rain just will not let up! A guy can only stand so much Call of Duty and Halo, right? I look over on my night stand and see my USB flash drive and remember my buddy recently put “The Hangover” on it.
Man, if only I hadn’t forgot my laptop charger at my girlfriends house. I thought I would be stuck with endless hours of boredom, when I remember there are USB ports on the front of my Xbox 360! I could think of no better way to spend the rest of my rainy day then watching The Hangover. The real question I had was how to get the movie to play off of my USB flash drive on to my 60 inch flat screen TV using my Xbox 360. So the first thing I did was just try and plug my flash drive in. Optimistically I thought maybe it would just start playing the same way it would when I put a DVD in my Xbox 360. I was wrong.
So I start flipping through my Xbox 360 menu thinking there has to be some way I can play my downloaded movie on my Xbox. I learned there are essentially four steps to play a movie off of an external hard drive or USB flash drive on to an Xbox 360. The first step is to plug your mass storage device in to your Xbox. The next step is to stop on the “My Xbox” heading and scroll right to the video library and select the video library. The third step is to open the portable device heading. The fourth and final step is to open your movie and enjoy!

The Red Rings of Death, often abbreviated RRoD, are the bane of the Xbox 360 gaming community. Short of buying one of the new models (which will run you at least $300), there’s no way to be completely immune to the RRoD. However, you can avoid the RRoD by following some simple Xbox 360 tips like the ones found below.

Avoid Marathon Sessions

Though playing games for 8 hours at a time is fun, it’s not good for your 360. I recommend playing for no longer than 4 or 5 hours at a time. If you want to keep playing, at least give your console a break and turn it off for 20 minutes or so. If you ever hear your 360’s fans whirring louder than usual, turn off the console immediately and let it cool off.

Clean Your Console

Especially if you have pets, your 360 can get pretty filthy. Hair and dirt particles get stuck in the faceplate and fan guard, and cause overheating issues. Overheating is the #1 cause of the Red Rings of Death. So if you want to avoid RRoD, clean your console every once in a while.

Provide Good Airflow

The Xbox 360’s built-in fans are meant to circulate airflow around and keep the console cool. However, sometimes they need some help. Putting your console near a window or drafty area is a good idea, and can help avoid RRoD. If that’s not possible, try placing your console on a shelf or something, so that it’s off the ground. Never leave your 360 on carpet, at least not for extended periods of time. Carpet cuts off airflow to the console, and also makes it easier for hair and dirt to get into the console, causing it to overheat.

Change the Consoles Position

Most people keep their consoles in a vertical position. Surprisingly enough, leaving your Xbox 360 in this position actually blocks bottom vent, restricting airflow. I recommend switching up the position of your 360 every once in a while to avoid the Red Rings of Death. Put it horizontally, or even try putting it upside down vertically (with the hard drive on the bottom).

Buy an Intercooler or Small Fan

Giving your Xbox 360 extra fans is a great way to avoid RRoD. Intercoolers work well, and are around $20 new for the best model. If you’d rather not buy an extra fan for your 360, use a desktop fan or even a box fan, and just put it near the console. This will provide extra airflow and help keep the console’s heat down.

Nazi Zombies, a popular sub-game of Treyarch’s Call of Duty: World at War, is easy to begin and nearly impossible to master. If you have never played before and are wondering how it works, or if you play often and would like a competitive edge, check below for some Nazi Zombie tips.

I’ve heard a lot of people asking “what is the absolute easiest gamerscore to get and how can I get it?” In my experience, the easiest method possible is buying the game Avatar: The Burning Earth, which was featured in our boost gamerscore post. The game is about $35 if you buy it through this link. The game is pretty fun, and you can literally get all 1,000 gamerscore in about 5 minutes.