As far as the connectors are concerned, Microsoft was very cheap. On the back of the console, in addition to the power supply there are only two jacks, and that's it. We've already mentioned the standard network jack that connects the machine to the Internet. This is an excellent attempt to bet on the network of consoles with a standard cross-over cable to link two Xboxes. This jack also opens up the way to fast connections on the Internet. The other jack is supposed to group together all the console outputs, however it received poor marketing.

Originally delivered with an RCA audio/video cinch cable, you can forget about the 5.1 sound and the S-video quality. For HDTV in the United States, you can buy the Hi Definition AV Pack for the paltry sum of $20. For the others, you need the Advanced AV Pack, which offers an S-Video outlet and an optical 5.1 outlet, again for $20. However, even then you still need an optical cable to connect the Xbox to your audio/video system. That's a bit steep!

You'll Have To Pay Extra For DVD Playback

In the chapter of things that annoy us, let's continue with the remote control without which it is impossible to watch DVDs. Pompously called the DVD Playback Movie Kit, this vulgar remote is delivered with a receiver in order to make quite certain that you don't teach your universal remote control how to pilot the Xbox. You connect the receiver to an Xbox game port, and it's on. The remote control does what it's supposed to do. It is functional and ergonomically sound, even if there are some functions missing, such as disc ejection. The navigation of the settings menus is intuitive and simple. The display quality of the DVDs is good. It is approximately comparable to an entry level DVD video player and shows itself to be quite a bit better than that of the PS2. The flexibility is always exemplary. There are neither decompression problems nor jerks on the panoramic shots. As far as sound is concerned, the optical output is compatible with Dolby Digital and DTS. Even if the remote control is basic and it will not satisfy the home cinema fan, the Xbox will function as a respectable DVD player. You won't have to buy a separate one.