xbox_one_s_4k_player

4K Blu-ray player shootout: Xbox One S vs. Samsung vs. Sony vs. Oppo. The Xbox One S was one of the first devices to play 4K Blu-rays, and it's still among the cheapest. So how does it compare to dedicated 4K Blu-ray players? Ever since the original PlayStation back in the '90s, game consoles have been at the cutting edge of playing optical discs. The DVD and Blu-ray formats both got a huge boost from Sony's machines. With the latest optical format, 4K Blu-ray , it's Microsoft's turn to lead the pack. Sony decided to omit 4K disc support from its PlayStation 4 Pro , leaving the Xbox One S as the sole console capable of delivering the highest-quality home video under the sun. At 12 months of age, the $250 One S has grown into a fine console, and its inclusion of 4K UHD playback is one of its best features. Meanwhile dedicated 4K Blu-ray players sell for around the same price or even more, and can do far less. So the question for people who want to watch 4K Blu-ray becomes: Is there any good reason to buy one of them instead of the One S? To find out, I pitted the Xbox against three high-profile 4K Blu-ray players -- the Sony UBP-X800 , the Samsung UBD-K8500 and the Oppo UDP-203 -- to see which presented the best performance for the money. The interface. Pressing the center button on the Xbox One controller now takes you to a Guide sidebar, rather than the traditional home screen. Despite the Xbox One's considerable power and capabilities, I consider its menu system a nightmare. The on-screen display is confused, convoluted and makes finding anything more difficult than before. And that's just games. As the Xbox is not a disc player first and foremost, you may have to burrow down to access the Blu-ray app. Of the four 4K BD players I've tested so far, my favorite interface is the Sony. It puts content first, and lets you tailor your shortcuts so your favorites -- say Play Disc, Netflix and Pandora -- are right in front of you. Operating speed. The Xbox One S is actually pretty fast when it comes to loading discs and streaming Netflix. While the 2016 Samsung UBD-K8500 is still the fastest I've seen at loading 4K discs, Microsoft's console is second fastest among the four. Sure, the Xbox is beaten in most of the other tests, but it only loses out by a couple of seconds each time. You probably wouldn't notice the difference in real-world use. Loading times. Image quality. While you may expect a dedicated player to produce a better picture than a game console, that wasn't the case. The Xbox One S passed all of the tests I threw at it -- whether DVD, Blu-ray or 4K disc. From everything I could see, it was just as good as the dedicated players. It was able to correctly replay film and video content from DVD and Blu-ray test discs well, without stuttering or leaving jaggies. And 4K high dynamic range ( HDR ) content popped in exactly the same way it did on the Samsung, Sony and Oppo players -- whether via streaming services or discs. Be aware that if you want to stream HDR, only Netflix and Amazon are supported on the Xbox One S right now -- no YouTube or Vudu yet. By comparison, the Samsung only does Amazon HDR, while the Sony only has YouTube HDR. Should you buy a dedicated player? The Media Remote makes disc playback easier on the One S. With similar speed and image quality across all of the players, why buy anything but the Xbox One S for 4K Blu-ray playback? The main reason is if you watch a lot of discs. The interface of the Xbox One S muddles things and makes the process of playing stuff more annoying than a dedicated player. The $18 Media Remote is also worth the investment if you don't want to use the Xbox's game controller. But that's pretty much it, and for most people the interface differences aren't worth paying extra to get a dedicated player. If you want to do any gaming at all (and even if you don't), the Xbox One S is worth buying over a dedicated player. It's capable, compact and comparatively fast. And until those other players go down in price, it's by far the best value in 4K Blu-ray playback. Star Wars at 40 : We celebrate the many ways the Force-filled sci-fi saga has impacted our lives. Xbox One S - UHD Blu-ray, HDR and Verdict. Sections. Page 1 Xbox One S Page 2 Specifications and features Page 3 UHD Blu-ray, HDR and Verdict. Xbox One S – A fine UHD Blu-ray player. The Xbox One S doubles as a UHD Blu-ray player. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the real reason to consider getting one. It’s a far more affordable option than the two dedicated UHD Blu-ray players currently on the market. The Samsung UBD-K8500 costs £430 and the Panasonic DMP-UB900 costs £600. Sony has one on the way, which is nice because the PS4 Pro doesn’t do 4K Blu-rays. As for the Xbox One S? The base 500GB model costs £250, while the 2TB model (reviewed here) costs £350. It isn’t simply a price thing either, since the performance is more than respectable for the money. The Xbox One S does a fine job handling 4K Blu-rays. Load times are fast and it produced decent pictures across all three of my test discs ( Mad Max: Fury Road , X-Men: Days of Future Past and San Andreas ). The console shows off the advantages of 4K: remarkable clarity, minute details and lifelike textures. I could make out the consistency of the motor oil Charlize Theron smears across her face as war paint. You also get a noticeably higher dynamic range. It isn’t just about fierce bright areas and inky blacks: the fine increments between are subtly drawn too, and you get plenty of shadow detail. You also get the wider colour gamut that HDR promises. There’s a part in Mad Max: Fury Road where somebody gets shot with a flare gun. When the reddish-orange smoke explodes, it’s hard not to marvel. UHD Blu-rays represent the pinnacle of home-cinema picture quality, and this console can wield them as well as a dedicated player. The Panasonic does look better, with more subtle processing. The finer details look sharper and the colours are more neutral, but there isn’t a huge difference considering the price gap. The only clear disadvantage to using the Xbox One S as a 4K Blu-ray player is that it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos audio. Well not yet, anyway – Microsoft has promised an update. For now, you’ll have to settle for regular surround sound. It’s a small price, considering how much cheaper the console is. I’d also argue that anyone who can afford a home Dolby Atmos is likely to shell out for the premium dedicated player anyway. Overall, the Xbox One S’ UHD Blu-ray player will be a big selling point for AV fans. UHD Blu-ray is still in its infancy, and this console might just help it grow. The Xbox One S’ features and performance make it the best-value UHD Blu-ray player on the market. And don’t worry too much if your 4K Blu-rays haven’t arrived in the post yet. The Xbox One S’ Netflix app is compatible with 4K and HDR straight off the bat, so you can get ogling straight away. No such luck with the Amazon Video app, which is awaiting an update. Sign up for the newsletter. Get news, competitions and special offers direct to your inbox. Should I buy the Xbox One S? The Xbox One S is far better than the original Xbox One, with improvements on every front. It’s smaller, it’s prettier and it includes a greater number of features. Sure, the gaming element is almost unchanged, but HDR gaming compatibility means at least a degree of future-proofing. Then there’s the 4K output: although it’s upscaled, rather than native, right now this is the best you’ll get from a console. But the real worth is the ability to play UHD Blu-rays. This is the most affordable 4K Blu-ray player on the market, and it’s a competent performer to boot. If you own a 4K TV and you want your movies and games looking their best, the Xbox One S is a no-brainer. Microsoft faces competition from Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro. While the Sony offers 4K and HDR in gaming, it doesn’t play UHD Blu-rays. That’s a major omission in my book, leaving an open goal for the Xbox One S. It’s only timing that’s an issue. The upcoming Xbox Project Scorpio is due next year, which will be a proper step up. As a happy first-generation Xbox One owner, I’m tempted to wait for that. By the time it launches, I might even own a 4K TV full time. A better Xbox all round, but essential only for 4K TV owners. Xbox One S. Over 1,300 games, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™ and 4K video streaming. Now that’s a big fun deal. Xbox One S. The best value in games and entertainment. Xbox One S has over 1,300 games: blockbusters, popular franchises, and Xbox One exclusives. Play with friends, use apps, and enjoy built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™ and 4K video streaming. Brilliant graphics with High Dynamic Range. Ultra HD Blu-ray™ and video streaming. Premium Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio. Xbox is the best choice. for your family. Xbox has something for all ages and interests, and will grow with your family. The only console designed to play the best games of the past, present and future. Play over 1,300 great games from the biggest blockbusters and most popular franchises to three generations of favorites you can play again or experience for the first time. Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures. Sea of Thieves. A Shared-World Adventure Game that lets you be the pirate you’ve always dreamed of. Super Lucky’s Tale. “Super Lucky’s Tale” is a delightful, playground platformer for all ages. Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II. Embark on an endless Star Wars™ action experience. The benefits of High Dynamic Range. Experience richer, more luminous colors in games like Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3. With a higher contrast ratio between lights and darks, High Dynamic Range technology brings out the true visual depth of your games. The benefits of High Dynamic Range. Experience richer, more luminous colors in games like Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3. With a higher contrast ratio between lights and darks, High Dynamic Range technology brings out the true visual depth of your games. Xbox One has more ways to play. Xbox Game Pass gives you instant, unlimited access to over 100 highly-rated and fun games, with new ones being added all the time. 1. Now when you own an Xbox Play Anywhere digital title, it’s yours to play on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC at no additional cost. 2. Experience legendary game franchises from the beginning and across generations with backward compatibility. 3. Watch and play alongside your favorite broadcasters with Mixer, an interactive livestreaming platform available on Xbox One. Xbox One games and accessories work together. The Xbox One accessories you’ve got now, or have got your eye on, work with Xbox One S.* The best in 4K entertainment. 4K Streaming. Stream 4K Ultra HD video on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more. Watch movies in stunning detail with built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray TM . Spatial Audio. Bring your games and movies to life with immersive audio through Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. 4. Endless entertainment apps. Enjoy your favorite apps like YouTube, Spotify, HBO NOW, ESPN and many more. 5. Connect and play with friends on Xbox Live. Connect with friends and find rivals and teammates in the best global gaming community. 6. Xbox One S bundles. Not sure which console is right for you? The new Xbox One X. "For those looking for the very best" -GameSpot. * Excludes the Xbox One S stand that works exclusively with the Xbox One S. Xbox Kinect Adapter (sold separately) required for Kinect on Xbox One S and Xbox One X. 1. Game Pass monthly subscription required; continues until cancelled. Game selection varies over time. Learn more at www.xbox.com/game-pass. 2. PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10. 3. Xbox One Backward Compatibility feature works with select Xbox 360 games, see www.xbox.com/backcompat. Xbox Live and broadband internet required for initial download of game to console. 4. Dolby Atmos for Headphones requires additional purchase from Microsoft Store. 5. Some apps require app provider-specific subscriptions and/or other requirements. See www.xbox.com/live. 6. Online multiplayer requires Xbox Live Gold subscription (sold separately). Xbox Scorpio could be the best 4K Blu-ray player. Planet Earth 2 is worth it alone. A glimpse of Microsoft’s Scorpio Engine. Digital Foundry. Microsoft’s Project Scorpio is an upgrade to the Xbox One — a significant upgrade, it seems. On paper, it will be the most powerful gaming console in history when it launches this holiday season. But the main reason I’m going to buy one has less to do with its gaming performance and much more to do with a different piece of its hardware. The best home video experience still depends on physical media, and the Xbox Scorpio is already in the running to be the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market. Physical media isn’t dead yet. As I said in my 4K explainer last year, 4K resolution has arrived. At this point, it doesn’t make much sense to buy a 1080p television: 4K isn’t any more expensive than 1080p these days, and almost all top-of-the-line units are 4K displays. Even so, there’s still a severe lack of native 4K content to watch on those fancy new TVs. DirecTV is currently the only company that is broadcasting in 4K, and that’s on three channels. A number of streaming services offer a selection of content in 4K, including Amazon Video and Netflix. Hollywood studios and other providers are releasing more and more content on ultra HD Blu-ray. Computers with powerful graphics cards have been able to run video games in 4K for some time. Console gaming is stepping into the 4K world with Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro last fall and, roughly a year later, Microsoft’s Project Scorpio. What's 4K? And does it matter for video games? That might sound like a decent array of options, but UHD Blu-ray is the only physical media format for 4K content. (Xbox One games will continue to come on standard Blu-ray Discs, since Microsoft isn’t allowing any Scorpio-exclusive titles.) Streaming services can provide a solid 4K picture — I watched Netflix’s Stranger Things in 4K last summer, and it looked great — but they can’t quite deliver the same fidelity or features as a UHD Blu-ray. Sure, most people won’t care about the videophile’s argument citing the inferior bit rate of streaming 4K compared to UHD Blu-ray, or the audiophile’s preference for certain surround sound formats and multiple language options. UHD Blu-ray is also your best bet for high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut, two features that are arguably more important than 4K resolution itself. While some nongaming apps can deliver HDR content on the Xbox One S, none of the nongaming apps on the PS4 Pro currently support HDR. (Scorpio, the Xbox One S and all PS4s support HDR for games.) If that doesn’t persuade you, consider the following: Services like Netflix are continuing to ramp up their original content efforts in favor of maintaining a massive library of movies, TV shows, documentaries and other items. My decade-old DVDs of Arrested Development don’t look great on my 4K TV, but I sure am glad I have them, since the show’s first three (and best) seasons almost just disappeared from Netflix. GOB (Will Arnett) and Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) chat on the fourth season of Arrested Development . Michael Yarish/Netflix. Most people will disregard discs and tell you that physical media is going the way of the dodo. Indeed, that was part of Sony’s justification for leaving a 4K Blu-ray drive out of the PS4 Pro. “Our feeling is that while physical media continues to be a big part of the games business, we see a trend on video towards streaming,” said Andrew House, head of the PlayStation division, in an interview with The Guardian for the console’s unveiling in September. Xbox Scorpio: New details on specs and more. Purists and collectors don’t need to be convinced of the merits of physical media, but that doesn’t make the choice any less expensive. Most movies cost around $30 upon first release on 4K Blu-ray, the same level as Blu-rays early in that format’s history. Of course, you also need a device that can play them, and stand-alone 4K Blu-ray players aren’t cheap. Most of them cost upward of $200, and although they often include streaming apps, anybody who’s reading this article probably already owns multiple devices that offer that functionality. That’s what makes the Xbox One S so appealing for people who want a 4K Blu-ray player and are even remotely interested in video games, but don’t already own an Xbox One. The Xbox One S is widely available for under $300, and it happens to be able to play 4K Blu-rays. While audiophiles have taken issue with the Xbox One’s lack of support for bitstream pass-through audio, Microsoft is finally delivering that feature next week. I hear the Xbox One S is a fine device for playing 4K Blu-rays, but I held off on buying one because I have a launch Xbox One and I knew that Scorpio was on the way. I’m a weird person. Now that we know Scorpio will contain a 4K Blu-ray drive and be able to play games at native 4K resolution, even at 60 frames per second, I’m on board. I also recognize that my situation is a special case: I own a 4K HDR TV and a surround sound system, but I don’t yet have a UHD Blu-ray player. Oh, and I like video games. In other words, I’m pretty much the target market for Scorpio. I forgot one other element of my situation: I’m lucky enough to have enough disposable income to be able to afford a new gaming console. Scorpio’s price is likely to be high, and that’s the only thing that would give me pause about buying one. Cost was the other reason Sony gave for the lack of 4K Blu-ray support in the PS4 Pro. Sony launched the console at $399, and with the powerful technology inside Scorpio — including the cost of the UHD Blu-ray drive — there’s probably no way Microsoft could hit that price point. Digital Foundry, the source of today’s deep dive into the Scorpio hardware, made an educated guess at the system’s launch price: $499. That’s about my upper limit; it seems reasonable if you think about the guts of the console and the retail price of a stand-alone 4K Blu-ray player. But considering that that’s $100 more than the PS4 Pro — not to mention that Sony could very well drop the price between now and Scorpio’s debut — many other people might balk at that number. Like I said, I’m weird. I didn’t need much convincing, but Microsoft still has a lot of work to do for most other folks. Correction (April 7): Although Netflix previously announced that the first three seasons of Arrested Development would disappear from the service as of April, they remain available for the time being. No, the Xbox One S isn't a very good 4K Blu-ray player. When Microsoft announced that its Xbox One S was going to feature an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, we were instantly excited by the prospect of a feature-packed, bargain 4K disc-spinner. And we know we weren't the only ones. £250 for a games console and 4K home entertainment hub? Yes please. Sadly, as our in-depth Xbox One S review revealed, it didn't quite deliver (you can read the full review here). Yes, the picture and sound quality is passable, but the console doesn't make the most of the new 4K disc format. A comparison with dedicated players from Samsung and Panasonic makes that all too clear. Of course you get a whole games console, complete with plenty of streaming features, but if you were eyeing-up a full-fat device with which to build a 4K Blu-ray collection, we'd sound a note of caution. Ultra HD Blu-ray is all about ultimate picture and video performance, and sadly you don't quite get that here. Fear not, with Microsoft backing 4K Blu-ray, the company's next-gen console, codenamed Scorpio, could yet provide the answer. It's due to launch in time for Christmas 2017, and could finally marry the best of 4K gaming and 4K video. Of course, you could just wait for a budget 4K Blu-ray player. Get real. You missed the point. It plays 4K Blu Rays better than any other player under £349. And those 4K Blu Rays look better than any Blu Ray player upscaled. People adopting 4K are not looking for value. 4K blu rays look better than any upscaled blu ray player because they are 4K blu rays. Being better than blu ray does not qualify a 4K player as good. You missed the very simple point. Title misleading. The Xbox s is the best budget 4k blu ray player, it's the only budget 4k blu ray player. Not aware of any others currently on the horizon for anywhere near this price. I hope your review of the new ps4 is scathing. Fingers crossed they will add the missing sound codecs quickly as promised and you can guarantee that Microsoft will keep supporting it prob more so than the dedicated players. You can start buying and playing 4k discs now and most come with normal blu rays so you're free to choose. The 4k streaming services will mature quickly and won't be long before you will have to rewrite this review. Microsoft claim the codecs are software not hardware related so if true the Xbox Scorpio will run on the same software as this so will either be fixed by its release for all Xbox one s/Scorpio or will work exactly the same for 4k blu ray. I have got me one of these and as it happened it was through a works incentive so did not pay for it but i have to say that i have seen the 500gb model sell for £199 with a voucher code so yes with all the other stuff it can do thats down right cheap. Also the WHF review is bad imo due to that fact that it is compared to a player i.e the panna which is 3 times the amount that like putting a budget hisense £500 tv up against an LG oled tv. Its clear for all to see as it stands you cant get better for less ! If you are looking for value then you should not adopt 4K. The Xbox One S is cheap and it is shit. There is no defending it. When are you Microsoft morons going to give up? Bliz who the hell do you think you are takling to. Why is 4k not value when you can buy 4k tv's for less than £500 and stream the content for free if you wish. WHO IS THE MORON NOW, you little bitch. Click Bait. The Xbox one S provides excellent services and value for money. Of course there are better 4K players out there but that's not the point. No other 4K player on the market at the moment can beat the Xbox one s on price plus your getting a full fat games console and all the excellent services it provides along with it. If your on a budget ignore this misleading article the Xbox one s is a fantastic piece of kit for the money and unless your a tech snob or have extra money to burn you can't go wrong with the S. This articles just click bait trash written by a school playground fanboy by the looks of it. Consider the price. Why write this article just after the full review?? The review was quite constructive pointing out that actually the 4k picture was pretty good. It was the sound that let it down if using with a dedicated AV Amp plus a few other features such as using the Xbox to connect your TV box etc which I doubt many people use. As mentioned in the other comments, the XBox is available for £250 meaning that just by giving decent quality pictures it's a great deal. This article is completely pointless journalism aimed at getting a few extra reads on the page. 4x better than Playstation. Unfair to compare the One S to a dedicated UHD Blu-ray player that's twice the price. Put it up against the new PS4 and you'll find that films are four times sharper. Sound quality will be about the same -- until Microsoft deliver Dolby Atmos with a firmware update. Silly review. I'm sorry but I've seen this. In isolation 4k discs look superb. And blue ray is comparable to any budget bluray player I own. Yes a dedicated player twice the price may dig up a bit more detail. But a 4k disc on this will blow Netflix UHD or sky q into oblivion which are barely blu ray quality and are caled UHD on a technicality. This is genuine 4k for peanuts. Who do WHF think they are. Who do WHF think they are kidding? I have a Samsung UBD-k8500 and the picture is pretty much identical to the Xbox, (on my Samsung js8500). By contrast my BT UHD box that WHF says gives 'stunning picture quality' is awful in comparison. Obviously the lack of atmos might be a problem for some people. But I strongly suspect 90% of buyers are more concerned with picture quality and than than speakers in the ceiling. This whole article reeks of advertiser pressure if you ask me. I'd love to see the sales figures of the Samsung and Panasonic UHD players since the Xbox S arrived. Ok. I have a 4k samsung 8000 series. hdr. my xbox one s does the job with 4 uhd player. ​But. I would have to say i still want a Uhd samsung blu ray player as well. i can see the picture flaws with hdr on while playing the 4k discs. The one it has is a "Standard" 4k uhd blu ray player. Not all movies i just discoverd will work with hdr . I was surfing on net details. I was surfing on net details about the Xbox One S in a though to buy one. The most attractive feature is the Ultra HD Blu-ray they offer with it. I am disappointed to read that the Xbox One S isn't a very good 4K Blu-ray player. I have to re think about my decision. learn arabic online. Xbox One S. Sections. Page 1 Xbox One S Page 2 Specifications and features Page 3 UHD Blu-ray, HDR and Verdict. Smaller than Xbox One 4K game upscaling It's a cheap UHD Blu-ray player HDR compatible Improved, grippy controller. Not native 4K in games. Key Features. Review Price: £350.00 4K games upscaling HDR 10 support HDMI 2.0 UHD Blu-ray HDR gaming compatibility 2TB storage. What is the Xbox One S? Microsoft has released a new Xbox, although it’s not exactly a new console. The Xbox One S is a subtle upgrade to the existing Xbox One, rather than a proper successor. Don’t be fooled, though, because it has more than a few surprises in store. While the Xbox One S is deep down the same console Microsoft released in 2013, there have been significant changes. It’s far slicker and prettier, fixing many of the original console’s aesthetic issues. It also adds 4K and high dynamic range (HDR), which means your games and videos can make the most of the latest TVs. It doesn’t offer the big graphical bump of the PS4 Pro. Nor does it benefit from the major horsepower boost of the next-generation Xbox One X. But what it does have may make it the best-selling console of 2016: it’s the most affordable UHD Blu-ray player on the market. The Xbox One S is the only console to play 4K Blu-rays. This could make the Xbox One S a surprise hit with movie fans on a budget, who are looking for an inexpensive way to enjoy 4K content. It could help rocket 4K Blu-ray sales too, in the same way the Sony PS3 did with standard Blu-rays. What’s more, it’s actually a decent UHD Blu-ray player. Xbox One S – Design and Controller. The Xbox One has had a total makeover, and it’s a huge improvement. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed what the “S” stands for, but we’re taking a guess at “slim”. The case is 40% smaller, which makes the Xbox One S only a little bigger than a PlayStation 4, and smaller than the dinkiest of mini-ITX PCs. This is particularly impressive given that the power supply is now integrated. No longer will you need to find extra space to squeeze in a massive power brick on the side. It’s also possible that S is for “sexy”. Suddenly an Xbox is the most attractive thing in my AV rack, and that’s not something I ever expected to write. The chunky air conditioner-style grilles have been replaced with a subtle pinhole design. The original’s glossy black plastic, which was a dust magnet and suffered scratches way too easily, has also been ditched. The Xbox One S is matte all over, and has a Stormtrooper chic thanks to its white with black accents. I like it, but some may find a bright white box too conspicuous. I’m sure it won’t be long before other colours appear; there’s already a limited edition blood red Gears of War 4-themed version on the way. Sign up for the newsletter. Get news, competitions and special offers direct to your inbox. There are plenty of less obvious tweaks too, but they’re welcome nonetheless. The power switch is now a physical button, which is a lot less susceptible to accidental activation than the Xbox One’s touch-sensitive offering. There is a USB port and a controller-pairing button at the front, where before they were hidden away at the side. Can the new Xbox One please stand up? Yes it can. The old Xbox One could only be placed flat, but the One S can be flipped over onto its side. You’ll need a plastic base to hold it up for ventilation purposes. This comes bundled with the 2TB edition, but otherwise it’s sold for an extra £20. The controller has been tweaked, too. It feels half way between the basic Xbox One pad and the super-expensive Xbox One Elite Controller. It retains the ergonomic shape of the previous model, but the rear now benefits from a more grippy texture. Apparently, exchangeable colour covers are an option too. I’m not particularly bothered about pimping up my controller, but I’m a fan of the added traction. I played Star Wars: Battlefront plenty during testing, and I found the controller upped my game. The finish made it a little easier to maintain a stable grip while fighting rebel scum, and my accuracy improved. I died less in manic moments, where a quick combat roll can make all the difference. The thumb sticks are made of a new material, supposedly more capable of withstanding punishment. Only time (and abuse) will tell how tough it is, but I didn’t feel any difference in use. As for power, the pad works on AA batteries. They last a good while, so I don’t mind them. Some people prefer the Sony PS4 controller’s built-in battery approach. It may be more environmentally friendly, but the battery has proved to be poor and I’m forever having to plug it in. I wish Microsoft would ship controllers with its “Play and Charge” kits – it would be a good compromise. Thankfully, Microsoft has finally added Bluetooth functionality to the controller. This won’t be a big deal to Xbox users, but will be a godsend for PC gamers looking for a decent gaming pad. Now PC gamers can use Xbox controllers without shelling out for an Xbox USB Wireless Controller Adapter. The Xbox One S could be 4K Blu-ray's white knight. And it plays games, too. The $300 Xbox One S will be the cheapest 4k Blu-ray player when it's released in August, making it a potent weapon in the disc format's battle against 4K streaming video. Could Microsoft's latest game console be the X factor that helps 4K Blu-ray become mainstream? The first 4K TVs hit the market in 2012, but the first actual 4K Blu-ray discs only began shipping this February. The new physical media format faces an uphill battle against streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, which beat it to the punch in delivering both high-resolution 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) video. Disc sales have been declining for years, falling 12 percent in 2015 according to the Digital Entertainment Group, compared to an 18 percent rise in digital revenues. The forthcoming Xbox One S game console could be the best thing to happen to 4K Blu-ray since, well, ever. Microsoft will release the new Xbox in August 2016, with prices starting at $299 for the 500GB model. The console will support both 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray discs and 4K streaming services, with HDR support for both. The only 4K Blu-ray player available today, the Samsung UBD-K8500, currently costs $100 more than the Xbox One S . Others announced but not yet shipping, namely the Philips BDP7501 ($399) and the Panasonic DMP-UB900 (no official US or Australian pricing yet, but the UK price is £600, which converts to $846), are just as expensive or more. Meanwhile Sony has announced it will also build 4K Blu-ray support into its "PlayStation 4 Neo," but that console is expected to cost at least $399. Sony has yet to announce a standalone player but says it will commit by March 2017. With its $100 discount compared to other 4K players, and the fact that it plays games, the new Xbox looks like a really good deal to people looking for a 4K Blu-ray player. Even if you're only curious about the new Blu-ray format, the game playing aspect and other home-theater facilities will likely make the purchase worthwhile. And it could also serve as a "Trojan Horse," getting a 4K Blu-ray player into the hands of gamers who might eventually use it to play discs, too. There's plenty of precedent for that. Can the Xbox One S pull a PlayStation 3? Previous game consoles have played big roles in popularizing next-gen video formats. The original PlayStation helped the DVD replace VHS as the defacto video standard, and the PlayStation 3 went a long way toward popularizing Blu-ray. Game consoles were also among the first to offer streaming video, and are still among the most popular streaming devices. Things are different this time around, however. While the Xbox One S and the new PlayStation 4 Neo will play back 4K Blu-ray and stream 4K content, they won't be the consoles' native format. Both models will use existing Blu-ray disks to store games, and of more importance to gamers, neither console will support 4K games. While format wars are largely a thing of the past -- there's only one 4K disc standard being proposed -- Microsoft has a long history with new disc formats. Back in 2005, Microsoft invested heavily in what turned out to be the loser of the "blue laser wars:" HD-DVD. While Microsoft did produce an HD-DVD solution for its console -- a $200 add-on drive for the Xbox 360 -- it wasn't enough to save the format. Meanwhile the PS3 had native support for Blu-ray, the winner of the war, and remains one of the most popular Blu-ray disc players to this day. Conclusion. If you're looking to buy a 4K player, the Xbox One S is the currently cheapest and most feature-rich option. Of course, we expect cheaper 4K Blu-ray players to hit the market in 2017 and beyond, and maybe a price drop is in store for that Samsung player. It remains to be seen if the new Xbox will have any effect on 4K Blu-ray sales, especially as most people will need a new TV -- and new discs -- to benefit from the format. But it can't hurt. And did we mention it plays games, too? Share your voice. Be respectful, keep it clean and stay on topic. We'll remove comments that violate our policy. Что такое 4K? Смотреть видео Настройка 4K и HDR. Примечание. Этот видеоролик доступен только на английском языке. Разрешение 4K — разрешающая способность вашего телевизора. Ее полное название — разрешение 4K UHD (другие названия: 4K Ultra HD или телевидение сверхвысокой четкости 4K). Это разрешение вмещает в четыре раза больше пикселей, чем разрешение 1080p для телевидения высокой четкости (HDTV). Изображения в формате 4K — более четкие и детальные. Для просмотра в разрешении 4K и в режиме сопутствующей видеотехнологии, HDR (высокий динамический диапазон), необходимо иметь телевизор с разрешением 4K и консоли Xbox One S или Xbox One X. Встроенное разрешение 4K или модернизация до 4K. Если вы выберете разрешение 4K UHD для вашей консоли, все на этой консоли — главная страница, игры и приложения — будет отображаться в разрешении 4K. На консоли Xbox One X контент 4K отображается с собственным разрешением 4K, а другой контент (например, игры, закодированные в 1080p) масштабируется до 4K. Игры на Xbox One S также переводятся на разрешение 4K. Хотя изображение в масштабированном формате 4K более гладкое и детализированное, чем в родных форматах 720p или 180p, оно все же не настолько богато красками и деталями, как изображение с родным расширением 4K. Чтобы установить ваше разрешение и перевести все материалы на разрешение 4K, нажмите кнопку Xbox , чтобы открыть гид, перейдите в раздел Система > Настройки > Экран и звук > Видеовыход . Для параметра Разрешение телевизора выберите значение 4K UHD . Разрешение 4K в играх и приложениях. Для воспроизведения 4K-контента не требуется установка разрешения 4K в качестве общего параметра настроек вашей консоли. Вы можете выбрать другое разрешение для вашей консоли, например 1080p, а когда игре или приложению потребуется разрешение 4K, разрешение автоматически переключится на 4K (при условии, что ваш телевизор поддерживает необходимый для разрешения режим). Это удобно, если вы хотите воспроизводить 1080p-контент в его исходном разрешении, но при этом получать все преимущества от разрешения 4K при воспроизведении 4K-контента. Чтобы выбрать более низкое разрешение, но переключаться на разрешение 4K при воспроизведении 4K-контента, выполните следующие действия: Откройте гид и перейдите в раздел Система > Настройки > Экран и звук > "Видеовыход" , а затем убедитесь, что для параметра Разрешение телевизора выбрано значение 720p или 1080p . Выберите Дополнительные настройки для видео и убедитесь, что установлен режим Разрешить 4K . Introducing the World’s Most Powerful Console: Xbox One X. E3 marks the world premiere of Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console designed for immersive true 4K gaming, ultimate compatibility, and unrivaled craftsmanship. As the newest member of the Xbox One family of devices, Xbox One X will offer gamers premier console performance for $499 USD / 449 GBP / 499 EUR / 599 CAD/ 649 AUD and begins rolling out to all Xbox One markets starting Nov. 7. Every Xbox One X unit will come with a 1TB hard drive, a matching Xbox Wireless Controller, HDMI cable, power supply, a 1-month free Xbox Game Pass subscription and a 14-day free Xbox Live Gold membership. Inspired by the sleek design elements of Xbox One S, now in black, Xbox One X is not only the most powerful console we’ve ever created, it’s also the smallest. Like the Xbox One S, it includes a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, built-in power supply, three USB 3.0 ports (one in the front and two in the back), and IR blaster. It can be placed horizontally or vertically with an optional stand. For those who already own an Xbox One S, all the cables you own will transfer over, with port locations designed to be an easy plug-and-play swap in your existing gaming setup. Games play better on Xbox One X. With 40 percent more power than any other console, Xbox One X is the world’s most powerful console. Games play better on Xbox One X. It’s the first time we’ve engineered a system around today’s cutting-edge engines and the blockbuster titles you already love. With the 6-teraflop Scorpio engine, developers can realize their biggest worlds in vibrant 4K and in a superior format for 1080p screens. Built-in supersampling means more visible detail and smoother edges, and you’ll get into the action faster with more efficient loading times. Xbox One X delivers immersive, true 4K gaming. Xbox One X is built for true 4K gaming, which combines 2160p frame buffers, High Dynamic Range and Wide Color Gamut into a pristine visual package. It also offers an immersive audio experience that puts you in the center of spatial sound. Your 4K experience includes recording game clips in 4K at 60 frames per second and 4K screenshots. At launch, we’ll be offering Xbox One X Enhanced versions of existing Xbox One games including Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft, Resident Evil 7, Final Fantasy 15, Rocket League , each upgraded to take advantage of Xbox One X’s additional performance. In addition, some of this year’s biggest blockbuster will be launching in true 4K including Forza Motorsport 7 . Xbox One X is fully compatible across the Xbox One family of devices. With the Xbox One family of devices, our focus is on hardware innovation without sacrificing compatibility. That’s why all existing Xbox One games, including Xbox Play Anywhere titles, Backward Compatible Xbox 360 games and accessories, will be compatible with Xbox One X. And those games will load faster and look and play better, on Xbox One X. Fans can enjoy all the same benefits of Xbox Live on Xbox One X. Xbox Live is the most advanced multiplayer network and all its benefits extend to the Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One X. Those include dedicated servers to maximize performance, speed and reliability, cross-platform integration with gamers on Xbox One and Windows 10 devices, as well as two to four free games each month with Xbox Live Gold. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the industry and for our fans, and we’re looking forward to launching the world’s most powerful console, Xbox One X, starting this November. Xbox One S: 4K, Ultra HD Blu-ray and HDR examined in more detail. We've reviewed the Xbox One S and concluded that this is a great update to the console, making it an attractive option for anyone who hasn't committed yet and wants to join the Xbox family but also as a great media device for those wanting to embrace 4K. We're delving a little deeper into what it will do in the Ultra HD space and here we'll guide you through the ins and outs and pros and cons of choosing the Xbox One S as your Ultra HD media player of choice. Xbox One S: TV settings are key. Let's start at the beginning. The screen you connect your Xbox One S to is going to have a major impact on your experience. Ultra HD, or 4K, is currently in the realms of things not being plug and play, so there's some fiddling around to do. We connected the Xbox One S to two main televisions. Firstly the Samsung KS9500, which is Samsung's top tier curved direct-lit LED TV, at 65-inches. Secondly the LG OLED C6, which is LG's latest curved OLED display at 55-inches. Both offer Ultra HD resolutions, both offer HDR and both can be considered excellent televisions. In both cases, the Xbox One S accepted that these TVs would support Ultra HD resolutions, but at the first pass, said they wouldn't support everything in other situations. Head into settings > display & sound > video output and you'll find a range of options. The most useful is checking compatibility, in the "advanced video settings", you'll find a breakdown of what the One S thinks your TV will do, under the "4K TV details" option. This will tell you what your display can do, and if the Xbox is reporting something different to what you believe, you might have to tweak your settings. The biggest problem here is different standards of display. The LED Samsung offers 10-bit display, the OLED LG a 12-bit display and telling the Xbox what it's connected to solves some of these problems and there's a drop-down box to accommodate those alternatives. There's also the option for an 8-bit display, which will be older 4K TVs without HDR. If you have a 2014 or 2015 4K TV, you might need this option. If things aren't working, check you're on the right bit depth for your display and try restarting both the TV and the Xbox and check again. In both cases we moved from little support to full support after a settings tweak. Xbox One S: Tweak your HDMI settings. On 4K TVs you'll find individual settings for each HDMI. Although watching 4K works directly on many TVs, to get the full benefits of HDR, you'll have to dive deeper and ensure the HDMI UHD Color setting is switched on. (This setting has different names on different TVs from different manufacturers - HDMI UHD Color is Samsung, LG uses HDMI Ultra HD Deep Colour, for example.) Fail to turn that on and you will find that your fancy Ultra HD Blu-rays will look a little flat, as there's no HDR coming through - and that makes a big difference, if not the biggest difference, to Ultra HD Blu-ray viewing. Also, find the info button on your remote and press it, as this will usually tell you want the TV is showing you - for Samsung you'll get an indicator of HDR, the resolution and the frame rate (24fps, for example). LG is a little poor in this regard, but many other TVs, like Panasonic, will have a button to show you what's playing at that moment. Both test TVs, however, give a big notification when an HDR signal is being received. Xbox One S: Ultra HD Blu-ray experience. One of the most attractive things about the Xbox One S is the Ultra HD Blu-ray player. It's the cheapest player on the market at the moment, with the 500GB costing £249, compared to the next cheapest, Samsung's K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player at £350. On the Xbox One S you get the full Ultra HD and HDR experience. The visuals from those top-spec TVs are stunning. Sure the top spec Panasonic UHD Blu-ray player might just edge things out in terms of absolute picture quality, but as so much is governed by the performance of the TV it's attached to, we think most will find themselves entranced by the richness and detail that Ultra HD Blu-ray offers from the Xbox One S. There's a downside on the audio front with no support for Dolby Atmos, but if that matters to you, you probably fall into the camp of those who should buy a dedicated Ultra HD Blu-ray player anyway. The biggest downside in reality is control and noise. Firstly, you'll want to buy the Xbox One Media Remote, because using a gaming controller is too clunky for regular movie watching. It's only £15 and worth the upgrade. Secondly noise. The Xbox One S is a comparatively noisy player. The fan noise, disc whirring noises and the rest of the buzzing and chirping that goes with it makes it a lesser experience than either of the dedicated Ultra HD Blu-ray players currently available. That's something of a shame, because the Xbox One S is a beautiful looking thing, more interesting than other players, but to keep it from distracting you in quiet movie scenes, you'll probably need to hide it in a cupboard. Xbox One S: Blu-ray playback. With Ultra HD Blu-ray being a new format, it's unlikely that you have many or any in your collection. Fortunately, regular Blu-ray playback is good. It's much the same experience as with Ultra HD Blu-ray (noise, control, etc) - and very much like Blu-ray playback on the Xbox One. There's something else to note though. The Xbox One S output drops from 2160p to 1080p when you insert a regular Blu-ray disc. That fits the native resolution of the Blu-ray, so the Xbox then isn't "upscaling", it's feeding that 1080p content to the TV and the TV is then making the pictures fit the display. The same applies to DVD, if you're still watching those too, but that's the right way to do it. You can't force the Xbox to output a 2160p image from these lower-res discs, so the TV is then doing any video processing it can to clean up the image. Ultra HD streaming: Netflix considerations. Aside from being an Ultra HD Blu-ray player - and the cheapest way to currently access those amazing optical discs - streaming is where most of the 4K action is. Netflix and Amazon Instant Video have been pushing 4K Ultra HD and HDR content harder than anyone else and are the main source of next-gen content for many. To access Netflix's content you'll have to upgrade your subscription to the 4K package (that's £8.99/$12 a month), but it's definitely worth it, as the resolution bump from Netflix makes a big difference, especially on TVs that are slightly too large for the room they're in. The Xbox One S offers Ultra HD and HDR, although there's only a few programmes offering HDR at the moment - Marco Polo being the notable example, but with more being added all the time. The UHD and HDR effect from Netflix doesn't have anything like the impact that Ultra HD Blu-ray does, but it's still excellent to watch. One nice trick to get around the control issues of Netflix on the Xbox is to use the built in DIAL feature. No one talks about this, but it's a casting protocol, like Google cast, that will let you control playback with your phone. Simply open the app, hit the cast button and select the Xbox. As long as you've signed into the Netflix app, it will play your content. Simple. Netflix's app is universal, so you have the same experience whether you use the Xbox, your TV or another media device. There's only one difference however, that's cornered by an LG exclusive. LG offers support for Dolby Vision - another standard of HDR - and using LG's native app means Marco Polo is then delivered in Dolby Vision and looks even more dramatic (aided by the wonderful OLED panel, of course). As most smart TVs offer Netflix as an app (it's arguably the most important app to offer), there's perhaps no need to have your Xbox on as well – it may just be easier to use the TV app, save power and save noise. There's another advantage that comes back to that info button - on a TV like Samsung or a Panasonic - hit that in the Netflix app and it will show you the quality you're streaming at. Xbox One S: Amazon Instant Video. Amazon has a lot of UHD content, but it's been less focused in how this is offered to customers than Netflix perhaps has. Firstly, you don't need a separate subscription, you just need that Amazon Prime subscription and that will open the gates to Amazon's offering. One the Xbox One S, however the app currently doesn't offer the UHD content you'll find elsewhere. For example, switch over to Samsung's native app and you'll find sections for 4K movies and TV Shows, as well as individual programmes stating they are Ultra HD. Fire those up and you'll spot the difference. That mean that, in its current form, the Xbox One S loses out, as it's not offering this content, although it's probably only a software update away. Again, the same argument stand as with Netflix: if you have the app on your TV, do you need to be using the Xbox for the same thing? Xbox One S: HDMI pass-through. One of the appealing things about the Xbox One is using it to control everything. It can control your TV, connected devices, sound system and so on. The integration of set-top boxes means that the OneGuide can serve up a menu of TV programming you might want to watch. Cable, satellite or other set-top boxes took advantage of HDMI pass-through. HDMI pass-though, however, doesn't support 4K sources. We tried connecting the Samsung K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player and although the image plays through the TV, it's not Ultra HD Blu-ray quality with stunning HDR. While you wouldn’t need to connect a Blu-ray player, if you had thoughts of hooking up a Sky Q box or Ultra HD BT YouView box, you'll lose the UHD parts. The Xbox still outputs a 2160p signal to the TV, but we suspect it's been downscaled to 1080p and then upscaled, rather than natively preserved. We questioned Xbox about this and received the following statement: "Xbox One S does not currently support 4K pass-through via HDMI-in. We will continue to explore making the changes needed for the hardware to support pass-through as 4K broadcasts become more widespread." Xbox One S: Should I buy it as a 4K media player? Drawing all this to a conclusion. The Xbox One S has its positives: it's the cheapest Ultra HD Blu-ray player on the market right now, it offers a range of 4K streaming services and will support HDR gaming in the future (when titles are released). Additionally, with the 3.5mm headphone socket on the new controller, you can play/watch/stream quietly and enjoy yourself in the middle of the night without disturbing others. Offering all the Xbox One features in a better-looking package, makes it a great choice for all-round entertainment especially if you choose the 500GB version thanks to the price, with the following caveats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray player market is likely to change drastically in the next 6 months. Wait for IFA 2016 to see if anyone announces a player there: LG, Sony and Philips don't yet have a player, and a cheaper model may appear very soon, and may offer streaming apps too. If you're a casual gamer but more serious TV watcher, then the Xbox One S is a good choice: aside from those apps mentioned, there's services from UK TV channels, Now TV, Waiki TV and plenty more. If you don't have any provision for 4K streaming through your smart TV, the Xbox One S fills that gap for Netflix, but but other 4K streaming is currently limited. There are few gaming changes aside from HDR support (with no games available yet). If you're a serious gamer, wait for the next-gen Xbox - Project Scorpio - to launch later in 2017.