Xi6-T (versus) XiOne box?

[Lyphe416]

Hi,

My Xi6-T may need replacing, and I'm trying to decide if I should ask for a new Xi6-T box or request the newer XiOne box.  Anyone have experience with the two and recommend one over the other?

[-G-]

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@Lyphe416 wrote:

Hi,

My Xi6-T may need replacing, and I'm trying to decide if I should ask for a new Xi6-T box or request the newer XiOne box.  Anyone have experience with the two and recommend one over the other?

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The XiOne is made by a different manufacturer and uses different components internally than the Xi6-A or Xi6-T.  It supports 4K UHD, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5, etc.  It can also decode AV1 in hardware.  Nice if you have a high-end home theatre system, and watch content on streaming services that can take advantage of this.

However, if you have the set-top box connected to a TV, you won't see much (if any) difference between the two.  I honestly don't notice any difference in responsiveness between the XiOne and my Xi6-T set-top boxes, nor do I see any need to change my older set-top boxes to the XiOne.

[scott435645645]

I am hearing impaired and would love to use the Bluetooth function on Ignite. I have the Xi6 boxes that have Bluetooth 4.2. The range is terrible and audio gets choppy and cannot listen with Bluetooth headphones outside of 10 feet, with direct line of sight to box. The XiOne box has Bluetooth 5.0, which should be much better for those who are in my situation. Currently trying to swap my Xi6 boxes for XiOne boxes for this reason. If I can, I will post back on any Bluetooth connectivity improvements I notice.

[scott435645645]

So I hooked up my new XiOne boxes and there is definitely an improvement in Bluetooth range with my various Bluetooth headphones and hearing aids. The audio doesn't cut out/get choppy when I am the same distance away from the box as was with the Xi6.  Very happy the experiment was a success!  Eerything else on the XiOne appears to be exactly the same as Xi6. Box is a bit smaller, but TV viewing, streaming, audio etc. all appears to be the same on the XiOne compared to the Xi6.  The remote is even the same.  As stated, the BIG difference for me is the greater Bluetooth range when connected to Bluetooth headphones and hearing aids.  Hope this post helps someone else.

[-G-]

@scott435645645   Thanks for posting your feedback regarding Bluetooth on the XiOne.  Some people see definite improvements with Bluetooth 5.0 while others do not.  To take advantage of this, the audio device also need to support Bluetooth 5.  However, others have reported issues with audio lag creeping in even with the XiOne.

Bluetooth suffers from the same drawbacks as other wireless connections with regard to distance and interference:  It shares unlicensed spectrum, and needs to wait before transmitting while other devices are transmitting on that frequency.  Since the data rates on a connection drop with distance, this can also induce lag... but Bluetooth 5.0 does a better job recovering when it can, and Bluetooth 5.1 and 5.2 offer additional improvements but these newer enhancements are not supported by the XiOne.

Some Bluetooth clients also do not play nicely with the device that they pair with.  Some may find that the Xi6 works better than the XiOne.  Some find that neither Ignite STB works well but a dedicated Bluetooth transmitter fixes all problems.

As for replacing your other Xi6 STBs with the XiOne, I am not aware of any way to do this.  Rogers treats them as equivalent devices in their system and there is no unique part number for the Xi6-A, Xi6-T or XiOne.  If your Ignite STB is defective and needs to be replaced, Rogers will ship out whatever device is available in their inventory.  If Rogers ever dispatches a field tech to your home, you can ask whether they have an XiOne in their truck.

[Pelicanlady]

Again great feedback from you -G- I think I'm going to ask for another field tech visit, the issue continues, and do just that...ask for an XiOne if they have one in the truck, replace at least one of the Xi6-T STB's and see if that makes any difference.  You are a huge help!!