Support NeoGAF

[Jimmy Carter]

I'm sure there's a thread about this somewhere, but I'm too lazy to dig through the search results.

How's the DVD playback on the Xbox? The PS2 playback looks like crap, so I was wondering if the Xbox was the same.

I'm moving out soon and was thinking of ditching the current DVD player to go with the Xbox playback to save some space; that is, as long as the Xbox playback quality is good enough.

 

[Manders]

DVD playback on the xbox is pretty good. I agree that it sucks on the ps2. My friend uses his ps2 to watch dvds and it always pauses when it's switching layers. The xbox doesn't do that.

The only problem I've noticed (but I'm not really a video or audio whore), is when I'm watching a cartoon (Simpsons and Family Guy to be more specific), sometimes the animation isn't smooth. It's hard to explain.

 

[Lord Error]

How's the DVD playback on the Xbox? The PS2 playback looks like crap, so I was wondering if the Xbox was the same.

If you think PS2 playback look like crap, you probably won't like Xbox DVD playback either (which is in fact worse than that of PS2 as it desn't support progressive scan, doesn't have as nice black color and has that red color pixelation bug more pronounced) I'd say stick with your DVD player (which probably must be pretty good if it makes PS2 playback look like crap).

 

[dark10x]

If you think PS2 playback look like crap, you probably won't like Xbox DVD playback either (which is in fact worse than that of PS2 as it desn't support progressive scan, doesn't have as nice black color and has that red color pixelation bug more pronounced) I'd say stick with your DVD player (which probably must be pretty good if it makes PS2 playback look like crap).

The only flaw with the PS2 is that it looks your TV to 16:9 in progressive mode...which sucks, as I went with a 4:3 set. 90% of my TV usage is spent playing games, and most games are still 4:3. I think black bars actually look kinda nice...while the side (often gray) bars do not. That's why I chose a 4:3 set. However, it only does the vertical squeeze in 1080i (which has seemingly become more common). Therefore, I can only use the PS2 as a prog-scan player when the video is in 4:3 format...

 

[Lord Error]

The only flaw with the PS2 is that it looks your TV to 16:9 in progressive mode...

I'm not sure if I understand it completely, but if it's what I mean it is - it shouldn't be a big deal, as most movies come in 16:9 format anyways. Or does that happen with games as well, so you get forced 16:9 even if the game does not actually support it?

 

[The Shadow]

I'm sure there's a thread about this somewhere, but I'm too lazy to dig through the search results.

How's the DVD playback on the Xbox? The PS2 playback looks like crap, so I was wondering if the Xbox was the same.

I'm moving out soon and was thinking of ditching the current DVD player to go with the Xbox playback to save some space; that is, as long as the Xbox playback quality is good enough.

With Component on my analog TV, the PS2 looks a bit too sharp. Even when I turn down the edge enhancing, there are still halo effects and other visual noise from the image being too sharp. There were also lines visible in some movies when a scene was really dark. It only happened in some movies so I couldn't say what's really going on there.

The Xbox on the other hand looks about the same as my standalone Toshiba. Note however, that I didn't play any dual layer DVDs on it so I don't know how well it switches layers (PS2 skipped almost every time). The image is softer than the PS2 but not ultra soft and not any more than the stand-alone DVD player.

Another note, I use DVDX2 as my DVD player on a modded xbox. I don't know if that would make a difference or not.

 

[dark10x]

I'm not sure if I understand it completely, but if it's what I mean it is - it shouldn't be a big deal, as most movies come in 16:9 format anyways. Or does that happen with games as well, so you get forced 16:9 even if the game does not actually support it?

In the options, you can select what type of TV you have...when you enabled progressive scan, however, it chooses 16:9 and won't allow you to change it (written in the manual even). Therefore, when I watch an anamorphic film, it actually stretches the picture out to fill the screen. So, I get a 4:3 image of a 16:9 film. Obviously, there is a 33% vertical stretch going on...

That's the problem. I've tested a couple other players on here before that allowed you to select your TV type without a problem. The PS2, however, does not.

 

[Jimmy Carter]

Thanks for the responses. I currently have a cheap Toshiba player that destroys the PS2, but I may just plunk down the cash to see how the Xbox compares.

 

[ravingloon]

You could always try it and sell the remote on Ebay. Good DVD > XBOX >> PS2. I briefly had a remote and then resold it (This was at launch and I actually made money on ebay due to the shortages). Everything was running through component. If you're a videophile, the DVD stand-alone just can't be beat.

 

[Shompola]

Kinda sad when a 50USD DVD Player destrys PS2 and xbox dvd video playback. And the black color on PS2 is NOT RIGHT! it's just darker and is NOT supposed to look like that. It's just a cheap trick to make it look better. SONY does that with their WEGA TV's too, but thankfully you can shut that crap OFF.

 

[Lord Error]

Kinda sad when a 50USD DVD Player destrys PS2 and xbox dvd video playback.

Well, it's a secondary function of both consoles, and I frankly don't see how it destroys them, but whatever (does that 50USD player support prog scan, btw?)

And the black color on PS2 is NOT RIGHT! it's just darker and is NOT supposed to look like that.

It looks better that way, and that's all that matters, IMO.

 

[kikonawa]

"DVD playback on the xbox is pretty good. I agree that it sucks on the ps2. My friend uses his ps2 to watch dvds and it always pauses when it's switching layers. The xbox doesn't do that.

The only problem I've noticed (but I'm not really a video or audio whore), is when I'm watching a cartoon (Simpsons and Family Guy to be more specific), sometimes the animation isn't smooth. It's hard to explain."

so when a (random) ps2 has a slight pauze for switching layers PS2 SUCKS for DVD Playback
but when your XBOX is playing cartoon DVD's and having problems with the smoothnes, XBox is pretty good at playing DVDs?


take a side man.

 

[Naked Snake]

My standalone DVD player with S-Video cable beats the crap out of XBox DVD playback with component cables. That's saying a lot in my book.

 

[tedtropy]

My standalone DVD player with S-Video cable beats the crap out of XBox DVD playback with component cables. That's saying a lot in my book.

In a non-progressive mode, the difference between S-Video and component is pretty minimal, but I'll agree that most standalone DVD players blow away the quality from the PS2 and X-Box. Wish I hadn't bought the DVD remote kit...

 

[jett]

I use my PS2 as a DVD player and it works just fine to me. I don't have any problems with it.

 

[shpankey]

He's right... the PS2 has an improper black level. It is in fact set to the Japanese standard for black, which is incorrect for lots of other countries (including the US). The proper standard for black in the US is set by NTSC... which the Xbox is set too.

Wether it looks better to you or not is not really the point. It's wrong and you will miss some black level detail because it is set too dark. Lowering the black level "looks better" to some people because doing so enhances the contrast and makes colors bolder. But again, you lose black level detail. You could basically do the same thing with any other DVD player by lowering you "brightness" setting but I do not recommend doing so. I do not recommend the PS2 for a DVD player, and IMO, the Xbox puts out a better picture. Although a good DVD player beats them both.

 

[Shompola]

Well, it's a secondary function of both consoles, and I frankly don't see how it destroys them, but whatever (does that 50USD player support prog scan, btw?)


It looks better that way, and that's all that matters, IMO.

No there is no progscan support. Granted with progscan PS2 does look pretty good. I was mostly talking about interlaced picture though. Btw you guys were talking about DVD getting stuck in 16:9 mode when viewing with progscan. But mine is stuck on 16:9 even in interlaced mode and I have no idea how to get rid of it since I moved my PS2 to the 4:3 set.

 

[jedimike]

There are $50 pro scan DVD players on the market... Amazon has some.

 

[Lord Error]

Wether it looks better to you or not is not really the point. It's wrong and you will miss some black level detail because it is set too dark.

Well, I guess I'd rather miss some shadowy detail than have everything else look worse Maybe that's just me...

But again, you lose black level detail. You could basically do the same thing with any other DVD player by lowering you "brightness"

Can't you then just increase the brightness if you want to avoid the 'improper' blackness?

*edit* as a matter of fact, I don't think you would get the same effect by lowering/upping the brightness, as doing that just mutes all the colors and destroys the white as well. What you are looking for would be the gamma setting, which few TVs have.

 

[Shompola]

I am not sure that you can do the trick with playing with brightness. Becase on WEGA when you turn that thing off via service menu, the only thing that it will affect is blackness and nothing else. For example I tried it several times and with it on there was this dark black level and when I turned it off the blackness on the picture was now sligthly brighter, say grayish... but it didn't really affect the overall picture. Also some spots on the picture were still black, so that lead to the conclusion that it actually darkens gray levels, and I think the PS2 does the same thing. It might look more pleasing but the picture isn't supposed to look like that.

 

[Lord Error]

Yeah, that pretty much sounds like what gamma control does.

 

[maskrider]

To me, both look bad enough. Use your decent standalone player instead.

 

[ravingloon]

Well I tuned my television with the Avia Guide to Home Theater DVD (So everything was perfectly how it should have been). With component on a properly tuned television the PS2 is just plain awful. It neither looks how it should nor does it sacrifice adherence to technical guidelines for a "better looking picture to the eyes." Maybe on a whacked television the PS2 playback has some benefits, but for everything else it's just plain f*cked up.

 

[SKluck]

I'm sure players you buy NOW would be better, but before xbox I had some $100 cheap dvd player, and the xbox beat it in every way possible.

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

Why does the DVD playback kit cost so much anyway? And why can't you just use a controller to use the DVD features?

 

[maskrider]

I'm sure players you buy NOW would be better, but before xbox I had some $100 cheap dvd player, and the xbox beat it in every way possible.

There are plenty of $100 players that are miles better than both of them. At least in where I live.

 

[tedtropy]

Why does the DVD playback kit cost so much anyway? And why can't you just use a controller to use the DVD features?

Really for no other reason than so Microsoft could make more...

Even if they wanted to sell the remote and IR receiver seperate, ok, I can understand that, but there should've been an option to use the controller. Even money-grubbing Sony let us do that for Jebus' sake...

 

[Lord Error]

Maybe on a whacked television the PS2 playback has some benefits, but for everything else it's just plain f*cked up.

Actually, it's the opposite - on a good television set it has a benefit of being able to run in progressive scan, which you don't get with Xbox DVD playback.