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How Does XBox Stand Up as a DVD Player?
Luddite Joe asks: "I'm planning on buying myself a DVD player for Christmas, spending maybe 200 bucks or so. I've also considered that I might buy an Xbox a couple of months down the road - but that's less certain. So I think to myself, the Xbox is a DVD player, right? If I hold off a couple of months and just buy the Xbox, I won't be wasting money on a DVD player that is almost immediately redundant. Keeping in mind that I'm buying more or less a low end, single disc DVD - how do the capabilities and quality of the Xbox as a DVD player compare? I don't want to sacrifice quality or features (or level of DVD compatibility), as I can get a pretty decent DVD for what I'm planning on spending."
You can now get a DVD player for around a hundred dollars that will play DVDs, CDs, MP3s, VCDs, SVCDs, and mini-DVDs. I doubt you'll get all that from the XBox. Also, does the XBox offer digital audio out? Does it offer component video? Does the XBox run silent when playing discs?
Xbox DVD cannot be taken advantage of without purchasing an optional remote control. According to this article (click on the "Choosing a console link on the left"... Don't shoot the messenger if this has changed since it was released. G
Joshua 24:15
DVD players are not all the same. Without even getting into progressive scan or other advanced features there are many quality differences between DVD players. This is different then CD players, since the DVD data is encoded, and requires decoding while CD audio is unencoded and just needs to be converted to analog. Poor quality decoding can cause video artifacts that you may not notice if you're used to VHS, but if someone pointed one out to you, you'd hate your player forever. Once you know what to look for you can't stop looking.
Here's the links. Sorry... http://www.msnbc.com/news/621512.asp G
Joshua 24:15
I went the PC-DVD route. It has its advantages, such as pretty easy region hacking, pretty easy macrovision hacking, really good quality (to my eyes software decoding looks good), less $$.
OTOH, I bought a macrovison/region hacked standalone because I couldn't cope with the pain-in-the-ass side effects of using the PC. The biggest ones were having something happen on the PC (oops, forgot to close my mail client, and I got new mail) and having the movie pop back into windowed mode, and trying to use a wireless (RF) keyboard for a remote. Having to listen to the PC while watching a movie (frankly, I don't watch movies turned up real loud, and the sound of the disc spinning in the standalone bugs me sometimes.) was a drag, too.
So, I don't recommend the PC method.
-Peter
Since the Xbox can talk HDTV, what about the built-in DVD player? Is it a progressive scan?
If so I'd get one as I'm about to upgrade my DVD player....
Well even that link is kind of vague, but here is ablurb om MS reasoning for this from FGNonline, they claim that they did it to make the box more affordable, partly blaiming the cost to license the DVD movie decoder (interesting to hear MS complaining about the MPAA's IP policies in this way).
But provided you are willing to pay the additional $30 for the remote/receiver package, you may find that it is harder to find than an Xbox console itself. (for example Amazon is currently out of stock). I guess MS guessed wrong when they thought only 10-15% of Xbox buyer would want the DVD playback capability. But of course, its no secret that one of MS's historic problems is trying guess what consumers want built-in, then making the decision for them whther they like it or not.
Work for Change & GET PAID!
The one problem with your setup is that there's no remote control included... to navigate the main menu, skip chapters, etc, you'll need to be at the computer.
Now, that's not a problem for me, for regular movies. I start up a movie, then sit back and watch it. But, for things like Anime, where the include beginning credits and end credits for each episode, sometimes 5-6 per disc, you might want to have chapter forward capability.
But, I have the same setup at home as what you described, and it works excellent... minus the decoder card, but a PIII-600 or higher kinda negates the need of a decoder card. Only drawback is you have to buy a software decoder (I'm talking from a Windows standpoint, not Linux.)
A Software decoder, like Intervideo WinDVD, is $39.99. For that amount, go ahead and waste a PCI slot for $10 more. I don't understand why Microsoft didn't just go ahead and include a software decoder built into the OS (Windows XP), and put those guys out of business.... they've already screwed Winzip, PKzip, WinAMP (although I still use it), Roxio (EZ-CD Creator), and others. Once you have the software decoder installed, Windows Media Player (I know, many of you hate it) justs references the drivers and uses them as if they were codecs.
Back in early 2000 when DVD's were starting to take up more than one shelf at Wal-Mart, I thought about buying a standalone player. But I had committed to buying a PS2 for Gran Turismo. When Sony confirmed DVD capability, I waited for my pre-order call and picked one up.
Now, all I buy or rent is DVD and my wife and I have no trouble in our living room. From the couch, the fan is inaudible and all we really need is a better TV to go with our sound system.
And let's not forget soon-to-be-released hacks that will allow VCD or MP3 playback like the ones on Dreamcast. Of course, YMMV.
GTRacer
- Will Xbox for MAME
Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
And before anybody tells me to rent one and try it, I did already. Only problem was, somebody that rented the machine before me setup the parental controls with a password. It would only play G rated movies and I don't own any.
At that price, are you sure that you didn't end up buying the one that was stolen from your friend?
That would be an interesting game... go around like a dorm and steal stuff, then insert a tap on their upstream router that redirects ebay pageviews to your Secret Stolen Stuff Site... think about it.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
xine. 0.9.4. With dvdnav plugin. Running on debian.
Currently connected to a monitor and regular TV, poor-man version of 1024x768 projector (overhead projector+projection LCD panel) didn't arrive yet.
Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.