Answered Xbox vs dedicated player

SLS72

I've got the One S since it was the cheapest 4K player at the time but I don't like it to be honest. It stutters, far too noisy and I don't like the dedicated media remote either. I'll buy a Sony X800 to replace it when I can.

NatTheGooner

The xbox as just a disc player is horrible. My family won't touch it and the media remote is annoying. The menus are a mess. It was the cheapest way to play UHDs when I bought it but I'm already looking to sell it for and get a "proper" family friendly player.

BAMozzy

Personally, I think it really depends on your set-up and how likely you are to be buying and watching 4k HDR Blurays. It lacks the ability to send Audio separately to an AV receiver so ideally you want a 4k HDR Atmos receiver to pass the video through to get the Atmos audio and if your AV receiver Atmos can't pass 4k HDR, the best you can hope for is ARC or optical quality Audio (compressed 5.1) Loading and navigation is obviously not as good as a dedicated player but you can buy a separate media remote if you want.

In terms of PQ and Atmos Audio, if you have the right set-up, the Xbox is certainly as good as any other. I don't hear mine in general during playback - but it can depend on how far away you are and the surface its on. It is 'noisier' in general but not so noisy that its noticeable in my set-up - even in quiet moments.

If you intend to invest in a lot of Blurays, then it would make more sense to buy a dedicated player. They are generally easier and quieter and have more options when it comes to set-up. Having the option to send Audio directly to a receiver and video direct to a TV is great if you haven't got 4k HDR passthrough so set-up may determine your choice anyway - the XB1 only benefits those with 4k HDR passthrough - unless you find ARC/Optical audio quality acceptable.

The Xbox though is still superb and a 'great' option for the more casual or occasional viewer but you must remember its primary function is as a games console. Its probably not the ideal option for someone who is looking for a Player first and foremost and see the 'gaming' as a 'bonus'. It can still function this way for a lot of people and will suffice - especially whilst they may not be watching a lot of Blurays until they have amassed a collection and by which time, dedicated players could well be cheaper and more widespread. The price of these does seem to have dropped on average too.

Point is, it really depends on the person, their set-up, their budget and whether or not they are looking for a 4k HDR Bluray player first and foremost or not. As stated the Xbox can fulfil the role of the 'dedicated' player with some minor compromises like load times, navigation, slightly more noise etc and maybe major if your don't have the set-up - ie an Atmos set-up but no 4k HDR passthrough - you lose Atmos audio and have to settle for 5.1 at best. That being said, it can still be a 'great' option too whilst you build up a library and has the added bonus of being a decent games console too although I expect the upcoming Xbox One X to fulfil the 4k gaming side far better than the 'Slim' or even the PS4 Pro - at least on comparable games. Therefore there is no 'one answer' for all.

jimmyjamesh

I find the one s fine for 4k blu rays

I use a harmony remote

Some great exclusives like gears and forza too if you like gaming

Bl4ckGryph0n

I bought the xbox one s, but then I went out and bought the Oppo 203. I didn’t do that because I like spending money, I find the Xbox a frustrating player. Sure if I was a teenager in my bedroom it would suffice. But not in the living room to me.

Pugs1

I thought that the argument couple of years ago, is it doesn't matter what player you have since it's all digital 0 and 1's. Thats what some said when people had top of the range OPPO's compared to a 100 quid player...just a thought.

Still, I feel bluray is frustrating fullstop, HD-DVD should have won the wars..much quicker to load and didn't rely on Java!!!...lol