Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8954 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Released on: 2002-03-14
• Platform: Xbox
• Original language: German

Amazon.co.uk Review
Got an Xbox? Do you enjoy watching DVDs? Then you need one of these. This DVD playback kit unlocks the DVD functionality of Microsoft's powerful Xbox and helps make the console an even more important addition to your home entertainment system.

This remote features large keys that feel rubbery yet firm. The kit sports some of the basic functions you'd expect from a common controller, including chapter skip, play, pause, and number buttons. There's also handy 32x fast-forward and reverse controls.

Pressing the display button calls up a friendly onscreen menu that allows access to more features, including up to 10x magnification, A-B playback loop (for cueing and viewing favourite scenes repeatedly), and subtitle and audio options. It's worth noting that many lower-cost DVD remotes have access to such features through the press of a button.

The fact that this one requires you to use a menu to access such common commands may rankle DVD aficionados, as the menu is a bit slower than using buttons. Still, the menu is quite intuitive and couldn't be much easier to use. For the remote to work, you'll need to plug the included infrared receiver into an open controller port on the Xbox. Most gamers will never need to unplug the receiver again, as you can plug it into the rarely used fourth port.

Interestingly, the receiver works best when the remote is operated almost directly in front of it, and can be a little finicky when signals are sent from the far left or right.

The couch potato crowd won't be thrilled to learn that the remote does not include power or eject buttons. Why such standard features were omitted escapes us, but that is far and away the worst thing we can say about an otherwise decent control. --Mark Brooks

Manufacturer's Description
The Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit is a quick way to expand the functionality of the best gaming machine around! Xbox requires this kit to enable DVD movie playback. Simply plug in the infrared receiver to a controller port and use the remote control designed for DVD movie playback. No messy cables or confusing game controllers to deal with!

Customer Reviews

If you have no DVD player, it's worth it...
I was a little irked to be forced into buying an additional item for my xbox to "unlock" its functionality. The facility was always there, seemingly they just want some more cash. The remote itself is cheap feeling. It's lightweight, is vacuously roomy inside, and the buttons don't have that great, responsive feel to them. Not only that, but the battery cover design/placement is terribly located at the top of the unit. It doesn't really plug in well, and noticeably shifts around under the hand. What's even more naff, is the infra-red diode at the front. This thing is recessed into the casing a little, so there's some hope. Why on earth they have couldn't spent a few more pennies and covered that whole front-end with some shiny black plastic, just like that found on the Xbox itself, is beyond me!
No power button as people have said - but maybe with the Xbox Linux project, they can develop that functionality with multiple taps of the buttons.

The DVD dongle that fits into the front of the Xbox is simply ugly. I joke not. It's not flush with the machine, it protrudes by a few centimetres at least.

On the up side, the menus on the Xbox itself are pretty cool, and all the text uses that Xbox style.

Anyway, the short answer - no DVD player ? It's worth the spend.

Satisfying.
Yes, it's a pain having to buy a remote just to play DVDs. However, the playback it unlocks is pleasing, there is a full suite of controls, a tidy on-screen display, and it simply works. The frequently-used direction and select buttons are strong, thick, and glow in the dark, for maximum practicality. The casing is also very comfortable. It's also surprisingly robust, as I discovered after stepping on it.

Twice.

The remote sensor is similarly well-made, clicking solidly in place, flush to the front of the console.

The only real flaws are that it's needed at all (is that a flaw of the remote, or the Xbox, though?), and that it doesn't allow you to eject disks or switch the console off. PS2 owners will be familiar with these gripes- the hardware simply doesn't allow a power-down or eject via the controller port. Sony's recent upgraded PS2s, with built-in remote ports, added this, so it's possible that Microsoft will at some stage. It's unlikely, though and it shouldn't put you off buying this satisfying bit of kit.

Debatable Merit
Although Microsoft asserts that its otherwise splendid console is to be a new generation in home entertainment (a term that stresses the fact it isn't just a game's machine), the machine cannot actually play DVDs out the box without an additional controller. At ..., one would expect to be entitled to at least play films with the standard controller rather like the Playstation 2, but Microsoft have instead opted for this obvious money spinner coming just under a rather hefty ...

This niggle aside, the Xbox Official Controller does allow for rather excellent DVD playback that is superior to that of the Playstation 2 and is at least equal to that of many budget to mid range DVD players out in the market today. Despite rather clumsy aesthetics, the controller is surprisingly functional, with a wide variety of options that include chapter select, bookmarking and a very quick fast-forward function. Unfortunately, most advanced functions can only be accessed from an on-screen menu, something that might irritate those whose patience doesn't go further than instant button presses.

For those already blessed with a DVD player I wouldn't reach for the wallet yet, but for those making their first foray into the wonderful world of DVDs, the Official Xbox DVD Controller is an ideal, if slightly ugly, oppurtunity to see what all the fuss is about.