Xbox 360 Error 74 on the Rise?
Reports suggest that new hardware malfunctions may be growing in frequency.
by Scott Lowe
US, March 20, 2009 -
Just when you think your out, they pull you right back in. That's right folks, just when you thought the era of red ring of death for the Xbox 360 was over, a new potential threat to the console's performance arises. According to several reports and surveys around the web, a growing number of Xbox 360 users are experiencing the E74 hardware failure, otherwise known as the red light of death, not to be confused with the red ring of death. Unlike the red ring of death error, which has reached almost legendary status in terms of mainstream visibility, the E74 hardware failure has remained relatively isolated, or at least so we thought.
The E74 malfunction is a problem believed to be associated with the system's video output cables and/or hardware scaler chip. The problem involves unusual screen patterns, the appearance of an on-screen error message, and finally a flashing red light in the lower right quadrant of the power ring. When a system suffers from the failure the on-screen message reads "E74 System Error. Contact Xbox Customer Support."
So, just how many users have or are currently experiencing the E74 hardware failure? Well, according to Joystiq, the problem is on the rise. A recent post on the site explains that they have received at least 57 emails from readers who have experienced the problem, with rates growing around the November launch of the New Xbox Experience. Interestingly, Joystiq compared the information they received with Google trends statistics and the amount of E74-related searches, reports, and discussion on the web seems to have taken a sharp spike around the release of NXE.
Could the issue simply be a matter of coincidence? Is the problem as widespread as some suggest?
Reports suggest that new hardware malfunctions may be growing in frequency.
by Scott Lowe
US, March 20, 2009 -
Just when you think your out, they pull you right back in. That's right folks, just when you thought the era of red ring of death for the Xbox 360 was over, a new potential threat to the console's performance arises. According to several reports and surveys around the web, a growing number of Xbox 360 users are experiencing the E74 hardware failure, otherwise known as the red light of death, not to be confused with the red ring of death. Unlike the red ring of death error, which has reached almost legendary status in terms of mainstream visibility, the E74 hardware failure has remained relatively isolated, or at least so we thought.
The E74 malfunction is a problem believed to be associated with the system's video output cables and/or hardware scaler chip. The problem involves unusual screen patterns, the appearance of an on-screen error message, and finally a flashing red light in the lower right quadrant of the power ring. When a system suffers from the failure the on-screen message reads "E74 System Error. Contact Xbox Customer Support."
So, just how many users have or are currently experiencing the E74 hardware failure? Well, according to Joystiq, the problem is on the rise. A recent post on the site explains that they have received at least 57 emails from readers who have experienced the problem, with rates growing around the November launch of the New Xbox Experience. Interestingly, Joystiq compared the information they received with Google trends statistics and the amount of E74-related searches, reports, and discussion on the web seems to have taken a sharp spike around the release of NXE.
Could the issue simply be a matter of coincidence? Is the problem as widespread as some suggest?
