Do you use your 360 as a DVD Player?

[Bubbasteve]

I asked this question right when the 360 was launched and I'll ask it again just to make sure...

If I play DVDs on my 360 will it harm the drive? I ask this because when I first bought a PS2 I used it as a DVD Player and for a gaming system, but I believe using the DVD capabilities ruined the drive.

Do any of you use your Xbox 360 as a DVD player regularly?

[combatcolin]

It was shoody build quality and poor parts rather than playing back DVD's.

Sony make some of the best audio/visual kit on sale, but the Playstation brand has a very very poor reputation.

The xBox on the other hand has generally very good relaibility - with Nintendo kit being almost Nuke Proof.

So, don't worry, be happy!

[NATO]

I don't use anything BUT my XBox 360 for DVDs. I wouldn't worry, it uses a high quality DVD Drive, you'll not have any issues.

[wwooden]

I don't have another DVD player hooked up to my tv. And since I have the HD cables and optical audio to a 5.1 surround sound attached as well, I really only makes sense to use it at my DVD player.

[Dagless]

Sony make some of the best audio/visual kit on sale, but the Playstation brand has a very very poor reputation.

I'd place Sony somewhere in the middle. There are so many worse and so many better built, higher quality audio equipment out there. Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Teleton, Cambridge, (old) Wharfedale are all a much higher build and audio quality. Albeit at a higher price tag, though sometimes just marginally.

Yea, you can relax on the 360 front. It's built to a high standard so I wouldn't worry about drive problems, unless it's already acting up now (continuous streaming like that from an Audio CD or DVD) will just shorten it's trip to the graveyard. just like if your hard drive starts clicking and acting up it's time for a back up.

[Bubbasteve]

Thank you to everyone who responded to my question!

[Mord]

nope, it's not multi region and it dident work with my divx disks so i recently picked up a 40 quid progressive DTS/5.1 multi region divx/xvid affair and it's great.

[crachoar]

People still buy DVDs?


F that. XViD players rock.

It's so much better having an entire season of a show on one DVD, in HD-quality with 5.1 surround. No ads. No switching discs. No huge box.

'It's heaven. Simply heaven.' (if you get this joke, you get a cookie)


I wish companies would stop fighting over these worthless standards (Blu-Ray, HD-DVD), and start paying more attention to encoding and pricing.

I think I speak for everyone when I say it would kick more ass to have XViD as a standard, with retail players (TV and portable) and entire seasons of shows on one disc (for $20 a pop).

[coffey7]

Hell No. I just use one of my 2 computers or my 2 dvd players.

[Dagless]

*agrees* DivX and co are the way to go. My pop has all his DVD's downstairs, I have them compressed onto 1 DVD of Xvid. very pleasant. travellers best friend.

[DougTheImpaler]

Currently, I use my PS2 for DVD viewing. That'll change to my 360 once I get the remote (which I believe is requird for DVD playback...I know it was on the original Xbox)

[Bubbasteve]

People still buy DVDs?


F that. XViD players rock.

It's so much better having an entire season of a show on one DVD, in HD-quality with 5.1 surround. No ads. No switching discs. No huge box.

'It's heaven. Simply heaven.' (if you get this joke, you get a cookie)


I wish companies would stop fighting over these worthless standards (Blu-Ray, HD-DVD), and start paying more attention to encoding and pricing.

I think I speak for everyone when I say it would kick more ass to have XViD as a standard, with retail players (TV and portable) and entire seasons of shows on one disc (for $20 a pop).
I have never heard of XViD players but I would love to learn more about it...I'll google search but could you give me a link or tell me more about it? :o

[cycocelica]

if my tv didnt have a DVD player in it already, the 360 would be the one I use. It was built as a multimedia center.

Do tell us more about this XViD please

[Sutekidane]

it's just DivX spelled backwards. :-P

I remember xvid back in the day and how it would lock up our school PCs.

[GFLPraxis]

I asked this question right when the 360 was launched and I'll ask it again just to make sure...

If I play DVDs on my 360 will it harm the drive? I ask this because when I first bought a PS2 I used it as a DVD Player and for a gaming system, but I believe using the DVD capabilities ruined the drive.

Do any of you use your Xbox 360 as a DVD player regularly?

Every XBox 360 game ships on a DVD disk. There is no way playing movies would hurt it any worse than a game would.

[shadowmoses]

Currently, I use my PS2 for DVD viewing. That'll change to my 360 once I get the remote (which I believe is requird for DVD playback...I know it was on the original Xbox)

360 unlike the original xbox can play DVD's outta the box......back to the original question, I use my 360 for DVD playback and its great as was the original xbox for DVD playback, so don't sweat it DVD's will play just fine and shouldn't cause any problem to your machine......

ShaDOW

[greatdevourer]

On the remote thing, I know the controller can be used (I use my 360 as the upstairs DVD player - it usually resides in the spare room), iirc, there are some functions that only the Remote can use

[robbieduncan]

No way! Have you heard how much noise that succer makes? I use my Mac Mini that I use for TV receptions/iTunes as it's silent. Not to meantion the power usage. The 360 will be sucking down over 100W just to watch a DVD!

[Piarco]

Like Robbie says - its just too damn noisy for me. The 360 is in a small room and the noise (unless you've cranked up the volume) is always heard. I've got a Sammy HDMI/DivX dvd player for my dvd watching.

I was hoping the 360 would fully replace the need for a separate DVD player, but the noise (and IMHO the picture quality) is not up to a stand alone DVD player standard. If it ever gets revised with a silent DVD drive, I'll seriously consider an upgrade.

Then again.... if the HD-DVD drive is silent, that may warrant a look-see....

[Haoshiro]

I do, but I just picked up a standalone that will play DivX.

[DougTheImpaler]

360 unlike the original xbox can play DVD's outta the box...
Awesome. I was unawares and just made an assumption without trying. Thanks

[MacRumorUser]

I do, but I just picked up a standalone that will play DivX.

LOL! Exactly the same.

Xbox 360 dvd playback via VGA is now upscaled and produces an excellent picture... BUT no multi-region or DivX is a pain.

So I just went out too and bought a Pioneer DV-490V with DivX, HDMI Video Upscaling & Multi-Region out of the box.

[SilentPanda]

No way! Have you heard how much noise that succer makes? I use my Mac Mini that I use for TV receptions/iTunes as it's silent. Not to meantion the power usage. The 360 will be sucking down over 100W just to watch a DVD!

My 360 is only noisy while playing games... when I'm playing a DVD movie I think the fans either spin down, the DVD spins at a lower speed, or both.

[macdaddy121]

I pre-oredered the 360 and recieved one out of the first shipment. I have never had a problem with it. I watch movies as much as I play games on it. I haven't had a single problem with it.

[erickkoch]

My 360 is only noisy while playing games... when I'm playing a DVD movie I think the fans either spin down, the DVD spins at a lower speed, or both.

Yes, it's quieter when playing movies. I read somewhere that when playing DVD's the 360 doesn't use all the CPU's so it produces less heat and therefore doesn't require as much fan use.

[Piarco]

Its not the fans that make the racket - its the drive. The fans I can live with (well maybe not when just in the marketplace or something - still to loud for that) but the drive is just too loud - this is comparison to stand alone's that are whisper quiet in comparison.

[ijimk]

i do use my 360 as a dvd player but i just wish it would strecth some of my dvds to the edge of the screen as my other one does.

[saunders45]

Question. Will the 360 play Divx & Xvid stuf streaming from a Media Center PC?

[floyde]

I would if it didn't have the wrong region code :( . I hate the MPAA

[Nye553]

dvds rule.. xbox bad... xvid bad

[benyaimin]

i use my 360 all the time and its great.

[saunders45]

dvds rule.. xbox bad... xvid bad

Wow.. great post. Thanks for staying on topic....

[Mackilroy]

Sometimes when I play games on my computer I'll throw a DVD into my X360 and watch it. Not always, though.

[Dagless]

dvds rule.. xbox bad... xvid bad

How on earth is Xvid bad? It means I can store a load of my films on a HDD instead of swopping DVD's. Plus I don't have to deal with any silly menus/copyright stuff. bang. the film is on.

[Mord]

dvd's annoy the heck out of me, i even ripped my copy of firefly and serenity and re-burnt it all onto two DVDs sans all the copyright propaganda ****.