April 2007
The PS3 and Xbox 360 as movie machines
Have they got game?
Given the initially high prices of Blu-ray and HD-DVD players, you might have considered buying either Sony's new PlayStation
3 or Microsoft's Xbox 360 video-game system as a less-expensive alternative to a dedicated high-def DVD player. The Blu-ray-enabled
PS3 has looked particularly tempting, given that the $500 price of the "base" system was--until very recently--about half
that of the least expensive dedicated Blu-ray player.
But prices on high-def DVD players have already dropped, and you can now buy one for about the same price as a PS3 (which has a built-in Blu-ray drive) or an Xbox 360 system (which requires an optional external HD-DVD drive for HD-DVD playback). So there's less reason to buy a game system when you really want a movie player. Still, we've continued to wonder if purchasing either system made sense if you were solely interested in using it to watch movies.
Based on our recent tests of the PS3 and an Xbox 360, the answer is no. Although both players can deliver excellent HD video from high-def discs, their game-oriented design makes them less than ideal as dedicated movie players. If you plan to buy a gaming system anyway, their ability to play high-def movies is a nice bonus. Here's more detail on our experiences with both systems.
PLAYSTATION 3
The first--and so far, only--game system that can play high-def Blu-ray discs, the PS3 has a maximum resolution of 1080p. There are two versions: A "core" model ($500) with a 20GB hard drive and a step-up model ($600) that has a 60GB hard drive, plus built-in Wi-Fi and memory-card slots. We used the latter for our tests.
Based purely on picture quality, the PS3 is a winner, at least when connected to an HDTV by its HDMI output. It produced great-looking, detailed images when we viewed its 1080i or 1080p video output, on par with that of the dedicated Blu-ray players we have tested. The PS3 had similarly excellent 480p picture quality with standard DVDs, displaying images that rivaled those from the best progressive-scan DVD players we have tested. The player can handle a wide variety of disc formats, including audio CDs, CDs burned with MP3s or JPEG photos, and a variety of recordable DVD formats. And the PS3 can play high-resolution SACD audio discs.
Less satisfying was the PS3's less than optimal HD picture quality when connected using its component-video output, which produced images that lacked the detail and clarity we've seen with other high-definition DVD players connected using their component-video output. That's not much of a concern if your TV has an HDMI input, but if your TV is more than a year or two old, it might not have it. In that case, you'd have to use the component-video for high-def content, and you'd be stuck with middling HD picture quality.
A few other idiosyncrasies detract from the PS3's performance as a movie player. Unlike most DVD players, the PS3 lacks a built-in display, so playback status is accessible only when using the onscreen display. And because the machine is a multipurpose device, playing DVDs wasn't as straightforward as it is when using a DVD player. Onscreen menus will probably be more familiar to gamers than to movie buffs. Likewise the included game controller is awkward when used for controlling movie playback. We recommend buying the $25 optional movie remote, as we did for our tests. Surprisingly, given its price, the PS3 doesn't come with A/V connectors, so you'll have to shell out additional cash for an HDMI cable or Sony's proprietary component-video cable, which uses the company's "Multi AV" connector. A standard component-video cable won't work.
XBOX 360
We found the Xbox 360 game console less well suited to be a primary movie player. Like the PS3, the Xbox 360 comes in two versions. We tested the premium model ($400), which has a detachable 20GB hard drive, a wireless controller, and HD cables. Unlike the PS3, which has an integrated Blu-ray drive, the Xbox 360 requires an optional external HD-DVD player ($200), which connects to the Xbox console by USB cable. The HD-DVD drive comes with a universal remote control, which is what we used for the review. A basic $300 Xbox Live system, which has no hard drive and comes with composite-video cables, is also available (but still requires the optional HD-DVD drive).
The system can produce excellent HD picture quality, on par with that of other dedicated HD-DVD players we have tested. But the video quality of 480p standard DVDs was below that of the best progressive-scan DVD players and HD-DVD players we have tested, with hazy-looking 480p film-based images that suffered from an improper black level that was not adjustable and 480p video based images that were no smoother than 480i video.
The Xbox 360 doesn't have any HDMI outputs. Most people will hook it up to a TV using the component-video connections. (There is also an optional VGA adapter for connecting the Xbox 360 to a TV or monitor with VGA input.) Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 can't send 1080p signals through its component-video output, limiting the maximum resolution to 1080i, which might or might not be important, depending on your HDTV.
But there could be an issue using the component-video connection down the road. Because this analog connection doesn't support the digital copyright protection used by Hollywood, you might not receive full HD picture quality from the console with future HD-DVD disc releases if the movie studios activate a feature called image constraint token, which allows them to reduce the quality of the video coming through component-video outputs. So far, no studio has done so. Also, several of the newer Dolby and DTS audio formats used on HD-DVD movies require either an HDMI connection or multichannel audio outputs, also lacking on the Xbox 360.
Beyond that, we had a few quibbles with the design. As with the PS3, the lack of a display on the console requires the use of an onscreen menu, and the console's game- machine heritage made movie playback less straightforward than with dedicated HD-DVD players.
If you have game players in the family and are still considering an Xbox, be aware that a new, more movie-friendly Xbox optimized for HD content will be on the market later this month. The system, called the Xbox 360 Elite, will be priced at $480 and includes a 120GB hard drive and, perhaps more important, an HDMI connector. But you'll still have to buy the external HD-DVD drive for $200.
THE BOTTOM LINE
While both game systems are capable of producing excellent HD picture quality, they're no longer much cheaper than a dedicated Blu-ray or HD-DVD player. In the Blu-ray camp, Samsung's BD-P1000 model can already be found discounted (on Amazon.com, for example) for as low as $500, and Sony has announced a $600 player, the BDP-300, due out this summer. HD-DVD players are even less costly. Toshiba just cut the everyday price of its HD-A2 to $400. Of course, the prices of video-game consoles-console could also drop later this year.
If you're interested only in playing movies, we'd suggest sticking with a dedicated player--and waiting for the next generation of models to arrive later this year. Some analysts expect that everyday prices for mainstream Blu-ray movie players will settle into the $400-to-$600 range by the second half of the year. By the end of the year, several Chinese manufacturers are expected to offer entry-level HD-DVD players at prices as low as $300. There's also a chance that lower-cost "hybrid" players, capable of playing Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs, could arrive later in the year, freeing you from worry about backing a losing format.
Still, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are worth considering if you have a gamer in the family and a second high-def movie player could come in handy, since both systems are capable of producing excellent HD pictures with high-def discs.
But prices on high-def DVD players have already dropped, and you can now buy one for about the same price as a PS3 (which has a built-in Blu-ray drive) or an Xbox 360 system (which requires an optional external HD-DVD drive for HD-DVD playback). So there's less reason to buy a game system when you really want a movie player. Still, we've continued to wonder if purchasing either system made sense if you were solely interested in using it to watch movies.
Based on our recent tests of the PS3 and an Xbox 360, the answer is no. Although both players can deliver excellent HD video from high-def discs, their game-oriented design makes them less than ideal as dedicated movie players. If you plan to buy a gaming system anyway, their ability to play high-def movies is a nice bonus. Here's more detail on our experiences with both systems.
PLAYSTATION 3
The first--and so far, only--game system that can play high-def Blu-ray discs, the PS3 has a maximum resolution of 1080p. There are two versions: A "core" model ($500) with a 20GB hard drive and a step-up model ($600) that has a 60GB hard drive, plus built-in Wi-Fi and memory-card slots. We used the latter for our tests.
Based purely on picture quality, the PS3 is a winner, at least when connected to an HDTV by its HDMI output. It produced great-looking, detailed images when we viewed its 1080i or 1080p video output, on par with that of the dedicated Blu-ray players we have tested. The PS3 had similarly excellent 480p picture quality with standard DVDs, displaying images that rivaled those from the best progressive-scan DVD players we have tested. The player can handle a wide variety of disc formats, including audio CDs, CDs burned with MP3s or JPEG photos, and a variety of recordable DVD formats. And the PS3 can play high-resolution SACD audio discs.
Less satisfying was the PS3's less than optimal HD picture quality when connected using its component-video output, which produced images that lacked the detail and clarity we've seen with other high-definition DVD players connected using their component-video output. That's not much of a concern if your TV has an HDMI input, but if your TV is more than a year or two old, it might not have it. In that case, you'd have to use the component-video for high-def content, and you'd be stuck with middling HD picture quality.
A few other idiosyncrasies detract from the PS3's performance as a movie player. Unlike most DVD players, the PS3 lacks a built-in display, so playback status is accessible only when using the onscreen display. And because the machine is a multipurpose device, playing DVDs wasn't as straightforward as it is when using a DVD player. Onscreen menus will probably be more familiar to gamers than to movie buffs. Likewise the included game controller is awkward when used for controlling movie playback. We recommend buying the $25 optional movie remote, as we did for our tests. Surprisingly, given its price, the PS3 doesn't come with A/V connectors, so you'll have to shell out additional cash for an HDMI cable or Sony's proprietary component-video cable, which uses the company's "Multi AV" connector. A standard component-video cable won't work.
XBOX 360
We found the Xbox 360 game console less well suited to be a primary movie player. Like the PS3, the Xbox 360 comes in two versions. We tested the premium model ($400), which has a detachable 20GB hard drive, a wireless controller, and HD cables. Unlike the PS3, which has an integrated Blu-ray drive, the Xbox 360 requires an optional external HD-DVD player ($200), which connects to the Xbox console by USB cable. The HD-DVD drive comes with a universal remote control, which is what we used for the review. A basic $300 Xbox Live system, which has no hard drive and comes with composite-video cables, is also available (but still requires the optional HD-DVD drive).
The system can produce excellent HD picture quality, on par with that of other dedicated HD-DVD players we have tested. But the video quality of 480p standard DVDs was below that of the best progressive-scan DVD players and HD-DVD players we have tested, with hazy-looking 480p film-based images that suffered from an improper black level that was not adjustable and 480p video based images that were no smoother than 480i video.
The Xbox 360 doesn't have any HDMI outputs. Most people will hook it up to a TV using the component-video connections. (There is also an optional VGA adapter for connecting the Xbox 360 to a TV or monitor with VGA input.) Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 can't send 1080p signals through its component-video output, limiting the maximum resolution to 1080i, which might or might not be important, depending on your HDTV.
But there could be an issue using the component-video connection down the road. Because this analog connection doesn't support the digital copyright protection used by Hollywood, you might not receive full HD picture quality from the console with future HD-DVD disc releases if the movie studios activate a feature called image constraint token, which allows them to reduce the quality of the video coming through component-video outputs. So far, no studio has done so. Also, several of the newer Dolby and DTS audio formats used on HD-DVD movies require either an HDMI connection or multichannel audio outputs, also lacking on the Xbox 360.
Beyond that, we had a few quibbles with the design. As with the PS3, the lack of a display on the console requires the use of an onscreen menu, and the console's game- machine heritage made movie playback less straightforward than with dedicated HD-DVD players.
If you have game players in the family and are still considering an Xbox, be aware that a new, more movie-friendly Xbox optimized for HD content will be on the market later this month. The system, called the Xbox 360 Elite, will be priced at $480 and includes a 120GB hard drive and, perhaps more important, an HDMI connector. But you'll still have to buy the external HD-DVD drive for $200.
THE BOTTOM LINE
While both game systems are capable of producing excellent HD picture quality, they're no longer much cheaper than a dedicated Blu-ray or HD-DVD player. In the Blu-ray camp, Samsung's BD-P1000 model can already be found discounted (on Amazon.com, for example) for as low as $500, and Sony has announced a $600 player, the BDP-300, due out this summer. HD-DVD players are even less costly. Toshiba just cut the everyday price of its HD-A2 to $400. Of course, the prices of video-game consoles-console could also drop later this year.
If you're interested only in playing movies, we'd suggest sticking with a dedicated player--and waiting for the next generation of models to arrive later this year. Some analysts expect that everyday prices for mainstream Blu-ray movie players will settle into the $400-to-$600 range by the second half of the year. By the end of the year, several Chinese manufacturers are expected to offer entry-level HD-DVD players at prices as low as $300. There's also a chance that lower-cost "hybrid" players, capable of playing Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs, could arrive later in the year, freeing you from worry about backing a losing format.
Still, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are worth considering if you have a gamer in the family and a second high-def movie player could come in handy, since both systems are capable of producing excellent HD pictures with high-def discs.
