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Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X: what good are the consoles as media players?

2020-12-28T18:23:23.060Z


Watching films and series instead of playing: the recently released showcase consoles from Microsoft and Sony offer disc drives and video apps. How do they compare to classic players?


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Sony offers its Playstation 5 with (far left) and without a drive.

And Microsoft has only installed a drive in the Xbox Series X, while its Xbox Series S (far right) does not have one

Microsoft's Xbox Series consoles and Sony's Playstation 5 are primarily intended for gaming.

Both consoles can also be used as media players: the video streaming services Amazon Prime Video, Disney +, Netflix, YouTube and Twitch are available on the devices, and the “Apple TV” app also provides access to the Apple TV + flat-rate offer and to purchase - and iTunes rental service.

From the German services, Sky Ticket is available on the consoles, and Joyn on the Playstation 5.

Only TV Now cannot yet be used on any of the new devices.

Both the Xbox Series X and the more expensive version of the Playstation 5 also have a drive that can be used to play films not only from DVD and Blu-ray Disc, but also from Ultra HD Blu-ray - for a Sony console a real novelty.

If you can't (no longer) win discs, you can get the Playstation 5 in a "Digital Edition" without a drive - and at a price of around 400 euros, it saves 100 euros compared to the standard version.

Microsoft in turn offers a version without a drive with the Xbox Series S, which is 200 euros cheaper than the Series X with a price of around 300 euros. The Series S is technically stripped down in contrast to the larger model, but this only affects Games and not their video streaming skills.

service

For users who cannot get used to controlling media playback via the included controller, Sony is again offering an official media remote control for 30 euros for the first time after a model for the Playstation 3, which has direct selection buttons for several streaming services.

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For the Playstation 5, Sony has a remote control as an accessory in its range from the start.

This is quite fancy and even offers direct selection buttons for Disney +, Netflix, YouTube and Spotify

Microsoft did not reissue the Xbox One remote control, which is no longer available, at the start of its series consoles, but the old model can still be used as well as remote controls from third-party manufacturers, as the necessary infrared receivers are also built into the new consoles.

There are no direct dial buttons on Xbox remotes.

However, in the Xbox settings you can specify that the "OneGuide" button on the remote control calls up a specific app - for example that of a streaming service.

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Setting the "OneGuide" button: Directly to Disney +

Inner values

Until now, consoles have been too loud for many to be used as streaming clients.

But those times are over: The Xbox Series whispered most of the time in the test laboratory with just 0.1 sone, the Playstation 5 was even below the measurement limit when streaming video. 

Compared to video streaming, the volume increases as expected when playing films from disc.

With 0.7 to 1.5 sones, the Xbox Series X is on par with the Xbox One, while the Playstation 5 has values ​​between 0.3 and 2 sons compared to the Playstation 4 Pro (2.0 to 3.3 sones ) at least improved.

Entry-level UHD Blu-ray players are often not quieter.

However, you should not operate the Playstation 5 lying down as a disc player, as the position of the drive then ensures that the base of the console partially vibrates.

The power consumption of the consoles in video mode is at least 30 (Series S), 52 (Playstation 5) and 56 watts (Series X), by the way, significantly higher than that of TV sticks, which often stay below three watts (more on the topic of consoles' energy balance read here).

picture

With regard to the resolution, there is little to complain about with both consoles: Both Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 usually deliver 4K with a corresponding offer.

Only the Playstation 5 at Disney + makes a slip here: Instead of 4K, it currently only serves HD.

Incidentally, the Series S only renders games up to a resolution of 1440p, but also streams media content up to native 4K resolution. 

HDR is a matter of course with the next generation, even with games - at least in the static HDR10 format, in which the film studio defines the desired image impression once for the entire film.

The situation is different with the dynamic Dolby Vision variant, in which the studio can define the impression picture by picture: only Microsoft devices can handle this format - and only for video streams.

That actually includes Apple TV + and iTunes, which is not currently the case.

According to Microsoft, Dolby Vision will even be available for games in the future - which is why it is all the more strange that the Series devices do not reproduce the HDR format from UHD Blu-rays.

Microsoft's official statement on this point does not suggest that this will change in the near future.

Tests also showed that deep blacks in UHD Blu-ray playback are a bit too bright with the current firmware status.

With the Playstation 5 the maximum is always reached with HDR10, Dolby Vision does not deliver it with any medium.

That is unfortunate given the rapidly growing number of suitable titles.

It is to be got over that none of the new consoles support HDR10 +, since only Amazon will use the format advertised as a Dolby Vision competitor.

In tests, it has so far not provided a better picture than HDR10.

volume

In terms of sound, the Xbox One was already a showcase player - right up to the 3D format Dolby Atmos, which has an upper level in addition to the usual multi-channel sound, thanks to which helicopters, for example, can circle over the heads of the audience.

The Xbox One played Atmos not only from (UHD) Blu-ray and video streaming services, but also from a number of video games.

The new models continue this without restrictions. 

To use Atmos, you have to connect the console to a home theater system with a suitable audio / video receiver or soundbar and install and activate the separate free “Dolby Access app” from the integrated store.

The "Dolby Atmos For Headphones" offered for around 18 euros is only required by those who also want to hear 3D sound (in virtual form) through headphones. 

As a special feature, Microsoft uses the special “Dolby Metadata-enhanced Audio Transmission” format (Dolby MAT) with uncompressed multi-channel PCM sound as the basis for the output of Dolby Atmos on the Xbox.

This is understandable in games where the 3D sound has to be created to match what is happening on the screen without latency.

The Xbox also delivers Dolby MAT for video streams - even if there is no height information.

This means that »Dolby Atmos« is always shown in the AV receiver's display, regardless of whether altitude information is received or not.

With most receivers, it is no longer possible to activate upmixers that add artificially created height effects to normal surround soundtracks.

The aforementioned "Dolby Access" app therefore now comes with its own upmixer that is permanently activated.

If you prefer to use the upmixer of the AV receiver instead, you have to switch to the output of uncompressed 5.1 / 7.1 sound or Dolby Digital or DTS bitstream on the Xbox Series devices. 

Special way

Sony initially caused confusion with its online FAQ on the Playstation 5, as it did not contain Dolby Atmos.

But here, at least for Blu-ray discs and UHD Blu-rays, the all-clear can be given: Like the Playstation 4, the new console plays all 3D sound formats from suitable discs, including its competition DTS in addition to the aforementioned Dolby Atmos: X and Auro-3D belong.

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As with Sony's previous consoles, you have to select bitstream output via »Options« in order to access Dolby Atmos & Co.

The global settings of the console are not sufficient for this

However, the situation is different when using streaming services: Here, ordinary multi-channel sound in the outdated Dolby Digital format is the ultimate emotion.

The Playstation 5 does not even support the somewhat more modern version Dolby Digital Plus. Sony is thus continuing the strategy already known from the Playstation 4 of generally not providing any 3D sound drivers for third-party apps. 

Sony's own “Tempest 3D” audio engine, which is aggressively advertised by Sony, is only used in games - and so far only in connection with audio output via headphones.

A variant for home cinema systems is to follow later, but this will also work with virtual height channels and not support the familiar 3D sound formats.

Conclusion

The new devices from Sony and Microsoft are primarily designed as gaming devices and are therefore designed for performance and not for low power consumption.

If you watch a lot of video, you will definitely be better off with special TV sticks if you want to keep your electricity bill as low as possible.

UHD Blu-ray fans prefer players with quieter drives and Dolby Vision support when in doubt. 

If you leave these aspects aside, the next-generation consoles do really well - not least in comparison to their predecessors, whose fans »sawed through« many quiet scenes in the film.

Microsoft and Sony have made giant strides here.

In terms of the number of services supported, they now overshadow some dedicated streaming clients.

In terms of image and sound formats, the Playstation 5 with 4K, HDR and 5.1 sound is already good for a streaming video evening.

Thanks to the additional Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S also appeal to viewers with a well-developed home theater.

Icon: The mirror

Source: spiegel

All tech articles on 2020-12-28

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