Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
THE PLAYSTATION ISN’T JUST FOR PLAYING GAMES.
THE NEW PLAYSTATION might not have the processing power of the Xbox One X, but it’s got more than enough premium components to be one of the most overpowered 4K media streaming hubs around. There is no way that you would buy one of these consoles purely for 4K media streaming, but if you’re in the market for both, or you simply haven’t researched the streaming capabilities if your PS4 Pro, then it’s worth a quick look before you go out and buy anything. To the surprise of many, PlayStation decided to not make their disk readers compatible with the new 4K Blu-ray specification. While this is disappointing for movie lovers, the PS4 Pro’s media streaming capabilities do make up for this a little bit. The console has access to the Amazon Prime, Foxtel Now, Netflix and Stan streaming services, supplementing this with ABC iview, SBS On Demand, Plus7 and 9Now catch-up services. On the whole, this is a pretty comprehensive library and the ‘Discover’ section in ‘TV and Video’ actually throws up a handpicked mix of popular titles from each of these content providers in a simple-to-browse page. In comparison to the app typing or voice remotes of media boxes, using a controller feels clunky and navigating the Amazon Prime interface is more difficult than it needs to be, but this is a small encumbrance compared to the obstructions you get from the non-tailored Android media players. It’d be hard to justify buying another standalone media player if you already have a PS4 Pro, but if you’re considering getting a 4K Blu-ray player, the Xbox One S (reviewed back in issue 55, page 14) is still the unit to beat.