Console choices for Home Entertainment

[Richywilson]

Hey everyone.

 

Recently I've started upgrading my home and as part of that upgrade my entertainment unit has come into question which is lacking a games console as I've had a good gaming rig for awhile now so I've been debating PS4 vs Xbox and I can see several pros and cons to both systems and my indecisive nature isn't really helping so I'm hoping to get your input after watching tonnes of comparisons on YouTube already.

 

First off, Ps4.

The Ps4 is a clear winner in exclusives and yet it doesn't have the 4k Blu ray player. I'm not sure whether the interface is as good and no backward compatibility. A lot of people are raving about God of war, Spider man etc and while Spiderman certainly peaks my interest, I haven't really invested in the storylines or previous games of their other exclusives yet everyone and their dog is telling me to get a ps4 slim over the Xbox one S. 

 

Xbox,

I'm a big Halo fan so the Xbox certainly has an edge for me in exclusives due to the masterchief collection as there's no word of this coming to PC even with the announcement that halo 6 will which means PC will have 1 - 2 ..... 6 which means I have a lot of catching up to do and if they won't bring 3-5 and ODST out on Pc, well that leaves a big gap. Another thing is that the 4k Blu ray certainly gives me some future proofing and the design is quite nice too. However aside from Halo, Ps4 really does appear to be shining through on exclusives. However, all exclusives coming to PC in the future all but rules out exclusivity as any future thing.

 

One way I'm thinking of heading is getting the Xbox One S now and a ps5 upon release as it sounds like it will be backward compatible with the ps4. I'm not looking to go for the X or pro because of it being a very short window to the next gen. 

 

Anyway, based upon this information and your own experience, which would you go with? 

[DrMacintosh]

7 minutes ago, Richywilson said:

The Ps4 is a clear winner in exclusives and yet it doesn't have the 4k Blu ray player.

Then its not a viable Home Entertainment option. 

[Slottr]

Aside from the 4k player, heres my opinion:

 

I used to own an xbox one, it was fine- but there were no games that really interested me that werent already on PC. So I decided to sell it and get a PS4 for the huge library of highly rated games. So far I've played God of War (my new all time favorite game), Spider-man, and Horizon Zero Dawn and intend to play Persona 5 soon. For those games alone, I can't recommend getting an Xbox if you're in the market for a console and don't have a huge preference over platform. 

[Richywilson]

On 12/29/2018 at 7:25 PM, DrMacintosh said:

Then its not a viable Home Entertainment option. 

Yeah it is a downside but I'm not sure how much it would be used, I haven't really brought a blu ray in years, mostly using Netflix and things like that now which the Xbox also can do 4k in but then again, so can my tvs default apps so for the total package, it's a negative but not quite sure it's a deal breaker. 

 

On 12/29/2018 at 7:31 PM, Slottr said:

Aside from the 4k player, heres my opinion:

 

I used to own an xbox one, it was fine- but there were no games that really interested me that werent already on PC. So I decided to sell it and get a PS4 for the huge library of highly rated games. So far I've played God of War (my new all time favorite game), Spider-man, and Horizon Zero Dawn and intend to play Persona 5 soon. For those games alone, I can't recommend getting an Xbox if you're in the market for a console and don't have a huge preference over platform. 

Yeah my only hang up in terms of exclusives is Halo. Have both 1 and 2 of the standard versions on my pc and after that Microsoft just stopped releasing them until 6 on PC so the masterchief collection is very tempting. It's like watching half of a movie then being told you have to leave although im very surprised its not on PC and I guess I'd be running the risk of it being on pc at a later date.

 

On 12/29/2018 at 7:33 PM, Richywilson said:

Yeah my only hang up in terms of exclusives is Halo. Have both 1 and 2 of the standard versions on my pc and after that Microsoft just stopped releasing them until 6 on PC so the masterchief collection is very tempting. It's like watching half of a movie then being told you have to leave although im very surprised its not on PC and I guess I'd be running the risk of it being on pc at a later date.

Although I've just read Halo 5 is not coming to PC so the changes MCC will are slim to none I imagine.

 

It's like he waits in the shadows waiting for someone to say one nice thing about the Xbox then jumps in and shits all over the thread.  I wonder if he still blames me for hating his Xbox, you should have seen the angry PM I got a few months back...

I decided not to say too much in this thread given that I've argued enough on this topic in the past.  I am going to go give my new Xbox One X a hug though.

[skywake]

2 hours ago, Richywilson said:

Yeah it is a downside but I'm not sure how much it would be used, I haven't really brought a blu ray in years, mostly using Netflix and things like that now which the Xbox also can do 4k in but then again, so can my tvs default apps so for the total package, it's a negative but not quite sure it's a deal breaker. 

The only reason to get any of these consoles for "home entertainment" other than games is the BluRay player. The UHD one in the XBox One in particular given it's a pretty decent value if you are also wanting to play some of the games. The rest of the "media features" of these consoles have basically zero value because, as you said, all of this stuff is built into modern TVs anyways. 

 

I got a new 4K TV and a UHD BluRay player recently upgraded from a ~7 year old TV. I've have been going through a few movies in various formats over the last day. TBH Netflix does a good enough job that if you've already stopped buying BluRays you're not going to start buying UHD BluRays. If I wasn't someone who already has a collection of BluRays and likes collecting physical media? I wouldn't have any media devices at all attached to my TV. But I am so... the XBOne S made a lot of sense until I saw a UHD BluRay player for $100AU less.

Take this with a grain of salt coming from the dude who has Super Mario Kart as their forum avatar if you want. From the way you've described what you want I think you'd almost be better off getting a Nintendo Switch. The media functions on the PS4 and XBOne have zero value to someone who's not watching movies on discs. You already have a decent PC so you don't really need another box for multi-platform games. What you lack in your setup is a party game machine with games along the lines of Smash Bros, Mario Party, Mario Kart. What you also lack is a portable console for when you're not at your TV. So if you're to get a console at all get a Switch.

[Richywilson]

19 minutes ago, skywake said:

The only reason to get any of these consoles for "home entertainment" other than games is the BluRay player. The UHD one in the XBox One in particular given it's a pretty decent value if you are also wanting to play some of the games. The rest of the "media features" of these consoles have basically zero value because, as you said, all of this stuff is built into modern TVs anyways. 

 

I got a new 4K TV and a UHD BluRay player recently upgraded from a ~7 year old TV. I've have been going through a few movies in various formats over the last day. TBH Netflix does a good enough job that if you've already stopped buying BluRays you're not going to start buying UHD BluRays. If I wasn't someone who already has a collection of BluRays and likes collecting physical media? I wouldn't have any media devices at all attached to my TV. But I am so... the XBOne S made a lot of sense until I saw a UHD BluRay player for $100AU less.

Take this with a grain of salt coming from the dude who has Super Mario Kart as their forum avatar if you want. From the way you've described what you want I think you'd almost be better off getting a Nintendo Switch. The media functions on the PS4 and XBOne have zero value to someone who's not watching movies on discs. You already have a decent PC so you don't really need another box for multi-platform games. What you lack in your setup is a party game machine with games along the lines of Smash Bros, Mario Party, Mario Kart. What you also lack is a portable console for when you're not at your TV. So if you're to get a console at all get a Switch.

 

I definitely agree that at this point the BluRay is a little redundant but i was thinking more of future proofing if perhaps family brought a BluRay around or something like that. I can't see myself using it often but it's nice to have it there just in case ya know? With the switch, the only game on it that I'd really play is Pokemon let's go and judging by YouTube, the power of the console isn't really up to its value especially since there's emulators for it already. My rule of thumb is that if there's an emulator for it, then it's probably not worth my money, plus there's several apps on the Google play app store that can run old gameboy games so that plus standard mobile games has my portable gaming sorted. 

 

I guess when it comes down to it, it really is all about the exclusives and maybe a bit of nostalgia, an entertainment set up without a console just feels a bit naked to me. Moving forward all Xbox exclusives will be on PC but old exclusives won't be and there's no word on the masterchief collection coming to pc either way. The best I can find online is "we hear you" but that was years ago. PS4 obviously has great exclusives but not exclusives that I'm actively invested in, I've never played any of their previous titles for the ones that do have earlier games in their series and i have played halo 1 and 2 and liked both so I think it comes down to Halo + some weird sense of having my bases covered vs Ps4 exclusives. 

[Majinhoju]

If I just had a decent gaming PC and was looking to add a console to compliment it, I'd probably consider a switch.  

 

Though if you're looking for nostalgia, the Xbox One is backwards compatible with some original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles.

https://www.xbox.com/en-CA/xbox-one/backward-compatibility/available-games

 

 

[skywake]

1 hour ago, Richywilson said:

With the switch, the only game on it that I'd really play is Pokemon let's go and judging by YouTube, the power of the console isn't really up to its value especially since there's emulators for it already. My rule of thumb is that if there's an emulator for it, then it's probably not worth my money, plus there's several apps on the Google play app store that can run old gameboy games so that plus standard mobile games has my portable gaming sorted. 

These threads asking for advice on what to purchase are generally a waste of time as the OP is just wanting people to agree with what they've already decided. But for what it's worth I'm highlighting these two points that you made. Yes, as a home console playing multiplatform games the Switch isn't very impressive. If you don't care for specific titles you can dismiss it as something that you could emulate on PC if you really wanted to. Equally as a portable console you could dismiss it entirely because you already have a phone with mobile games and emulators.

What I think you missed here is the way that the Switch exists in the gaps between other solutions. I don't care how good your phone is I doubt you're playing games like Breath of the Wild or Doom on it. You're probably not even coming close to games like Rocket League on it graphically. And as good as a high end PC might be for games living on the bleeding edge you don't really need that horsepower for a game like Smash Bros, Mario Kart or Jackbox Party Pack. Most of the value of a home console is for local multiplayer titles along those lines where, by their very nature, you need it hooked upto your TV. The Switch is a magnet for that kind of content ATM.

Again, you'll get what you want anyways as you've made up your mind. All I'm saying is that given you have a PC already and you don't really have a huge interest in physical media anymore? The Switch fills more holes in your current setup than any of the other consoles.

[Stefan Payne]

9 hours ago, Richywilson said:

Recently I've started upgrading my home and as part of that upgrade my entertainment unit has come into question which is lacking a games console as I've had a good gaming rig for awhile now so I've been debating PS4 vs Xbox and I can see several pros and cons to both systems and my indecisive nature isn't really helping so I'm hoping to get your input after watching tonnes of comparisons on YouTube already.

None. If you want to use the device to watch Movies, build yourself a media Device or get a dedicated Media Device.

I have both consoles. And both suck with Subtitles. One doesn't do custom fonts. One misses a couple of lines from time to time - even the shit in my 239€ 32" ALDI TV is better than any console...

So I'd not recommend either for media player.

 

As for gaming:
PS4 beats the shit out of the XBox One as you can play anything of value on PC.

So that leaves Halo, wich you already know. The "Remake" is kinda garbage and although the textures are higher resolution and more modern, it looks like shit. Or rather: The atmosphere of the Original was better.

 

9 hours ago, Richywilson said:

One way I'm thinking of heading is getting the Xbox One S now and a ps5 upon release as it sounds like it will be backward compatible with the ps4. I'm not looking to go for the X or pro because of it being a very short window to the next gen. 

If you want to put the console in a cupboard or whatever, the Xbox One S is a problem as the hot air comes out the top. Only the X is stackable...

 

9 hours ago, Richywilson said:

Anyway, based upon this information and your own experience, which would you go with? 

Neither, if it is mainly a media Player.

I'd get a Media Player. Those things are around for like 50€ or so. 

UHD BD Player are like 125€ or so and do that thing really well.

But that's not the only issue. You're forgetting the Power Consumption. That is like 60-80W for the Premium Consoles in IDLE, under Load (wich the BD is as it mostly isn't done in Hardware), its way higher.

 

A dedicated BD Player is like 20W or so. 

 

Another thing to consider:
PS4 can be controlled via your TV Remote Control (yes, no joke).

XBox One can not. You need a dedicated XBox Remote for that. And that one is rather expensive.

 

Buttom line: get a Media Player to play media.

Get a console to play games. As that is the only thing they are good at these days...

For everything else there are better devices. For example if you want only Streaming Services and have a Fileserver to play things from, an Android/Linux Box with ARM based CPUs might make more sense...

9 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

Then its not a viable Home Entertainment option. 

None are, they are all shit, though in different ways.

Watching movies/films with them sucks and isn't an experience I'd recommend.

And I own both consoles (well, more like all 6: PS3, 4, XBox 360, One WiiU, Switch)...

And I've tried watching my Anime on both of them. And they suck both...

 

So no, I can not recommend either.

[tatte]

What are your other devices? If your TV isn't 4K, you could also consider getting a PS3 for Blu-rays, at least until the next generation comes out. It has the rare benefit of not having anything paywalled behind a monthly subscription. If you have any plans to play games online, I strongly advice against getting an Xbox until PS5 comes out, those #free games build up quick, so sticking to one brand can pay off.

 

Xbox One was famously designed to be the center of living room entertainment, so you can hook your audio, TV (tuner sold separately) and an HDMI-device (to be passed through) to it. If your TV is wall mounted, this really helps with cable management. There's two USB-ports on the back, so even with the tuner you'll still get to tuck an external drive back there, out of sight. Play Anywhere supplements this centralisation (got comfy watching TV? No need to move). General consensus is that Ones are very quiet, so having one running all the time isn't an issue.

 

Removal of Snap feature was a huge blow to One's versatility, but with any luck they'll eventually get around to bringing it back.

 

Microsoft has a rewards program, it's a feasible way to get for example Live Gold for free. It's not available in my country, so I can't tell much about it myself. Game Pass helps to offset the lack of exclusives, since "lack of exclusives" doesn't mean there isn't good games. If you end up getting an Xbox until PS5 comes out, Game Pass at least saves you from investing into a library that'll go unused in a couple of years. (Game Pass isn't a streaming service, just in case someone still gets that wrong. You download the full games and play them locally.)

 

This isn't a "here's why you should get Xbox over Y" post, this is a "here's what you get with an Xbox" post.

[SansVarnic]

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[skywake]

Something worth adding here that was deleted when @SansVarnic cleaned the thread. It is worth pointing out that the XBOne S actively converts surround signals to Dolby Digital 5.1. This won't matter if you don't have a surround setup or if you have a "proper" surround setup but for some setups this is a pretty big deal. For example if you have something like a Sonos with two rears as I do you are limited to what can be pushed over HDMI ARC or optical. HDMI ARC only supports Stereo PCM or Dolby Digital 5.1, so DD 5.1 is the only option if you want surround.

 

My other non-4K BluRay player did this, the new UHD player (Panasonic DP-UB420) I got instead of an XBOne S as a way to save a bit of money does not. It will only downmix Dolby signals to DD 5.1 and DTS-HD to DTS but also anything to Stereo PCM. So I'm in this interesting position where most BluRays, which have a DTS-HD track, don't work in surround for me but all DVDs do and a lot of newer UHD disks with Dolby Atmos do also. I still have my old player so I can get around this but still, as far as I'm concerned an XBox One is not only a good option for a 4K BluRay player but it's one of the better options.

[Stefan Payne]

The "MEdia Player Test" I did with an mp4 (H.264/AVC) with external subtitles (SRT File):
 

32" ALDI TV: plays the file without issues, automatically loads Subtitles, obviously be controlled with TV Remote. Does support NTFS file system.

Playstation 3: Can play the video file but does not support external subtitles, can be controlled with TV Remote

Playstation 4: plays file, loads subtitles automatically, can be controlled with TV Remote. Only supports FAT32 and exFAT, not NTFS.

XBox 360: Same as PS3, but without being able to be controlled with TV Remote.

XBox One: Can play video file, does not load external subtitles automatically. Can be done manually, but doesn't start in the same folder. Can not be controlled with TV Remote.

 

Conclusion:
XBox 360 and PS3 are the worst and can not be recommended.

XBox One has some issues, doesn't load external subtitles automatically. in other tests it had Problems with some and didn't load some.

Playstation 4 seems good but its not. DOes not support fonts with internal subtitles for example.

The thing in the Aldi TV is the best Media Player without a doubt.

 

 

So all consoles have Problems. And that's without looking at the power consumption (with those between 60-80W, normal Slim PS4/XBox One are a bit less)...

[skywake]

@Stefan Payne
Completely useless test given the ALDI TV was the best performer. As said multiple times, the only thing that you can't do with the built in functions of most TV is playback videos from optical media. For these purposes the XBOne is a class above the others and a reasonable addition to most setups purely for the inclusion of UHD BluRay playback. End of discussion. 

[PlayStation 2]

Microsoft has made quite an effort with making the Xbox One (and the S and X models as well) adaptable for many home entertainment setups. Meanwhile, Sony kinda hasn't, even though they tried that with the PS3.

Frankly, unless God of War, Spider-Man and Gran Turismo Sport matter much to you, just get yourself a One S.