Let's face it... if you wanted the XBox to play only DVD movies, you shouldn't have bought the XBox. You can find excellent Progressive Scan DVD players for way cheaper than the XBox. One example is the Toshiba SD-3750 Progressive Scan DVD player running at MRSP of $199 and as low as $169 on the web.

However, if you want games and DVD playback, you want either the PS2 or the XBox. I have both systems and the current DVD playback kits for both systems. On a 20 inch TV using the regular A/V cables (my usual setup) that come with the system, you won't notice any major difference in picture or sound quality. So if you have a standard TV setup then don't expect some miracle picture to come up with the XBox over the PS2 or any other DVD player.

The Actual Remote

Fitting 2 AAA batteries into the the curvy remote, you have a jet black remote with multiple light grey and several green buttons. The remote matches with the gaudy look of the XBox to say the least. The feel of the remote is almost as cheap as a third party controller... it doesn't even feel as nearly as nice as the plastic on the XBox controller. The remote itself is very light and feels like it could easily break.

However, I must admit that the remote is quite tough... my dog (a Maltese) has jumped on it and even bitten on it a few times. The remote has fallen off a table to a tiled floor (by accident of course) and still performed its duties without fault. Yes, the remote is scratched up... but it still works.

The remote has the following buttons (that are grey)...
Play, Reverse, Forward, Skip step back, Skip step forward, stop, pause, title screen button, Info button (time elapsed and the such), Menu button, Back button, and your standard numeric keypad from 0-9.

Buttons in the official XBox gaudy green color are...
Display, Select, and four direction arrows.

No there is no power button or eject button. You have to go to your XBox for that... don't worry, the Sony PS2 remote does the same thing to you. If you want a remote that powers a DVD unit on/off and ejects a disc, you have to buy a dedicated DVD player.

Note that the XBox remote has a lot less buttons than the Sony PS2 remote. Most of the advanced features go through the Display button and the green selection keys... it's a bit annoying after using the Sony PS2 remote and the Toshiba SD-3750 DVD player remote. By the way, you have to play with the DVD menu choices a bit on the XBox sine they are not all in the instruction book. Overall, you don't really need the advanced features though.

The receiver is a fairly small module that is not as gaudy as the remote or the Xbox. You can insert it into any of the controller ports... I put mine into controller port 4. No problems so far.

Questions?

Why do I even need a remote? The PS2 plays DVDs without one... the XBox should too!

But the XBox doesn't read DVDs without the receiver being inserted into a controller port. If you don't have the kit, the XBox WILL NOT recognize the DVD! However, with the receiver plugged in, the XBox will instantly recognize a DVD placing into it.

Any problems with reading any DVD?

Like the PS2 and other DVD players, you will on occassion hit a DVD that the XBox cannot read. However, this is extremely rare that you hit a DVD that you cannot read on the XBox or any other DVD player. I've found that DVDs that cannot be read on my PC usually cannot be read on the XBox. Note that the US XBox is region 1 coded and can read only region 0,1, or no region (yes that the same as region 0) DVDs.

Is there a pass through port so I can plug all four of my XBox controllers?

No... you got to unplug the receiver to place your fourth controller.

Do I get awesome pictures and sound with the XBox DVD playback kit! Tell me that's it so man!

Well, yes and no. If you have the standard cables, you get good DVD playback but no Dolby Surround sound benefits or HDTV benefits. You have to buy the Advanced or High Definition A/V kits if you have a high end TV or sound system. The cable kits usually cost around $20 a pop. If you have the equipment for HDTV, SVHS, and/or Dolby Surround or DTS, the kits are well worth it. Especially on larger TVs, since with picture quality with SuperBit DVDs can be noticable.

Overall

If you have a poor DVD player or don't have one at all... and there's an XBox in your room. Get the kit, it's worth an additional 30 bucks. Beats buying a new player. It works well and reliably. But to get the full home theater package and you have a SVHS TV, HDTV, and/or surround sound system, you have to buy either the Advanced A/V Cable Kit or the High Definition Cable Kit for an additional $20. It was one of the real annoying things about the XBox... at least the PS2 allowed a direct connect for surround sound via optical cable.

If you wonder why the DVD remote has so few buttons for a remote that is $10 more than the Sony PS2 DVD remote, the receiver for the XBox seems to have all the circuitry for DVD playback. At least you don't have to buy a memory card to install the latest DVD software like on the PS2.

Recommended: Yes

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