The Xbox One's Blu-ray player certainly isn't one for the home theater enthusiast. Picture is solid and sound is excellent, but it lacks precise tuning adjustments. Such audiences will want a dedicated player in their rack. However, the Xbox One just may be the perfect family room Blu-ray playback device for both the casual viewer or family or even the enthusiast who wants a capable second player outside of the home theater. Voice commands are a dream and they work very well at a high percentage rate of accuracy. The failure to navigate disc menus with verbal commands or hand gestures is disappointing, and that the Kinect more often than not fails to recognize commands during loud playback can be an annoyance. These issues, however, are much less likely to plague the casual living room experience, which seems to be Microsoft's target, anyway. Considering the smooth experience, fast access, the absence of glaring glitches, the terrific and intuitive SmartGlass remote app, the awesome Kinect interface, and all the other things the system does well right out of the box, the Xbox One is the clear winner over the PS4 in terms of overall entertainment integration and, more specific to this site and its audience, Blu-ray playback. There's no doubt the PS4 will eventually play catchup and at least rival the Xbox One, but Microsoft has certainly taken the lead and embraced the Blu-ray experience, once its rival, with open arms and an advanced, enjoyable, and accurate interactivity that's nothing short of a terrific experience all round. Oh, and it also plays some great video games. The Xbox One comes very highly recommended.
