Microsoft Is Now Testing TV DVR for Xbox One.
A source very close to Microsoft tells me that the software giant is now internally testing TV DVR (digital video recording) functionality for Xbox One, meaning that customers will soon be able to record live TV shows from the console.
As you may recall, Microsoft offers OTA (over-the-air) TV viewing capabilities on Xbox One in various markets, and I’d previously reported that TV DVR functionality—the ability to record live TV—was expected by late 2015. That obviously didn’t happen on schedule. But it’s still happening.
Last August, in Microsoft Brings OTA TV Capabilities to Xbox One in the US and Canada, I explained how Microsoft finally brought its OTA TV viewing functionality outside of Europe and Australia with a USB-based Hauppauge TV tuner. (I’d heard too that an Xbox One-branded unit was in development as well, and would arrive with TV DVR capabilities.)
Well, the TV DVR functionality is coming, at least. Microsoft is now internally testing an update for Xbox One called “Xbox One Threshold Beta 1603 System Update,” or th2 xbox rel_1603.160308-1900. This update allows the console to record freely-available OTA TV, and it even works while you’re playing games, watching live TV, or when the console is sleeping.
It is, in other words, exactly what we’ve been waiting for as the next logical step in the Xbox One’s transition to a full-feature living room entertainment solution. Or, the one thing that really sets the Xbox One apart from simpler solutions like Roku and Apple TV.
New Xbox One TV Tools in the Works; DVR Control & OneGuide Coming to SmartGlass.
Since the launch of Xbox One, it’s been our mission to keep improving – the games, the entertainment, the all-in-one experience. That’s why we’re bringing some updates to you this month across Xbox Video and Xbox SmartGlass, and it’s why we’re also exploring exciting new features to bring TV elements to more global markets and a new option for using OneGuide on multiple devices. Let’s take a look.
Xbox Video Adds “Rent Once, Play Anywhere” Across Platforms.
Starting this week, you can rent (or buy) a movie on Xbox Video, begin watching on one screen, then pick-up right where you left off on another.* Perfect for movie junkies or anyone who loves marathon-watching TV shows, Xbox Video makes it easier than ever to watch whatever you like on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, or even online at XboxVideo.com. This comes just in time for the blockbuster smash “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” which you can buy this week or rent starting Tuesday, 8 April. Or you can buy a Season Pass for season 1, 2, or 3, to catch up on “Game of Thrones” before season 4 starts.
More SmartGlass Features Make Navigating Xbox One Experiences a Snap.
In addition to watching your favorite content, we know you want a range of options for how you navigate Xbox One experiences. You can use the Xbox One controller, Kinect voice or gesture commands, the new Xbox One media remote, and Xbox SmartGlass on your smart phone or tablet.
Easily navigate game options so you can quickly get to the full list of Achievements, challenges, and game clips without jumping through multiple screens. View recent players to find people you recently gamed with, easily add them as a friend, or issue a rematch challenge. Sort the Friends list by online status for a quick view of what your friends are doing. View your Activity Feed in a way that matches the view on your console Launch an app in Snap from your mobile device, and when you’re done, simply unsnap it. Receive Xbox Live messaging alerts on your mobile device, making it easier to stay in touch with friends when you’re on the go.
Previewing System Updates: OneGuide and SmartGlass Updates in More Markets.
Microsoft isn't adding a TV DVR feature to the Xbox One anymore.
Microsoft is no longer planning to add a TV DVR feature to its Xbox One console. The software giant originally unveiled plans to add TV DVR to the Xbox One back in August, noting that the feature would arrive some time in 2016. "After careful consideration, we've decided to put development of DVR for Over-the-Air TV on hold to focus our attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming experiences across Xbox One and Windows 10," revealed a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge . "We're always listening to fan feedback and we look forward to bringing more requested experiences on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Live this year."
Microsoft had originally planned to let Xbox One users schedule recordings on the go, and stream or download shows to mobile devices and other Windows 10 PCs. The DVR feature would have only been limited to free-to-air TV, and Microsoft had released digital TV tuners in Europe and the US that would have supported it. After Microsoft killed off Windows Media Center in Windows 10, the company still doesn't have a viable alternative.
It's clear that Microsoft's priorities are firmly back on gaming with its Xbox One console, and we're expecting to hear about new hardware and games at E3 next week.
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How to Stream Crazy-High Xbox One Graphics to Windows 10.
If you own an Xbox One and Windows 10, you can stream Xbox One games to your Windows 10 PC, this much we knew. But an intrepid Reddit user just discovered there’s something Microsoft’s not showing us: namely, a sequestered “very high” quality streaming option, for those with fast enough home networks. I just verified this works myself, and it’s a snap to implement, but fair warning your mileage is going to vary.
Before we get to any of that, here’s how to enable the setting:
Ensure you’ve connected your Xbox One to your Windows 10 machine and test-driven a streaming session (if you haven’t, the file you’ll need to modify won’t exist) Close the Xbox App on Windows 10 Navigate to the following directory (copy/paste the following in File Explorer): C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Packages\ Open the long name folder that begins “Microsoft.XboxApp” Open the folder “LocalState” Use Notepad to open the file “userconsoledata” (right-click, choose “Open With”) Find the tag “IsInternalPreview” and change it from “false” to “true” Save the file Open the Xbox App on Windows 10, and once you have a streaming session going, click the upper right broadcast settings button and select “Very High”
Back to performance. By default, Microsoft sets Xbox-to-Windows-10 streaming quality at “Medium.” They also include a “Total Bandwidth” view that puts streaming metrics at your fingertips (you can enable it by clicking the icon left of the broadcast settings button).
On my system, just sitting at the Xbox One’s menu screen doing nothing on “Medium,” I can zip left or right through Metro’s tiles with virtually no audio or visual stuttering. My average bandwidth at this setting clocks 1-2 mbps, and quick shifting bumps my max up to 14 mbps, though we’re talking quick, manageable spikes.
Hopping into a Destiny session, visiting the tower hub, knocks my average bandwidth up to 6 mbps (though the max stays at 14 mbps). The visual quality at “Medium,” needless to say, is pretty much as advertised: middling quality, with distant details visibly blurry and a refocusing effect that kicks in each time you twist the camera. Even with your network performing optimally, the visuals look like they’re being upscaled from a significantly lower resolution.
Upshifting to “Very High,” by contrast, appears to offer native 1080p streaming. The Xbox One menu looks pristine at this level, and feels nearly as responsive as in “Medium” mode. My average bandwidth at this setting was slightly higher, about 2-3 mbps, with quick shifting bumping the max up to over 20 mbps, but still completely usable.
On “Very High,” Destiny appears to be visually near-flawless when stationary, though the average bandwidth leapt to 10-11 mbps (I still saw no spikes above 14 mbps during my brief test in the tower). That said, at those speeds, on my otherwise quiet 802.11n home network, once you start moving around you get into trouble. The audio cuts in and out frequently, and the visual feed drops too many frames—the curse of every game streaming service I’ve used, ever, from OnLive to Gaikai to PlayStation Now (it’s why, being enough of a visual snob to care about native graphics and smooth frame rates, I won’t stream games).
In summary then, it’s probably not worth the effort, save as a kind of visual curio—something to fiddle with while we wait for Microsoft to confirm and deliver what everyone’s really after: streaming PC games to the Xbox One.
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Xbox One TV DVR Functionality Now “On Hold,” Microsoft Says.
“After careful consideration, we’ve decided to put development of DVR for Over-the-Air TV on hold to focus our attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming experiences across Xbox One and Windows 10,” a Microsoft statement notes. “We’re always listening to fan feedback and we look forward to bringing more requested experiences on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Live this year.”
So this statement both confirms my original report—thanks, Microsoft—and displays a strategy about face.
As you may know, Xbox One provides OTA (over-the-air) TV *viewing *capabilities on Xbox One in various markets today, and it had originally planned to add OTV DVR functionality—the ability to record live TV—by late 2015. That never happened, but by early 2016, they were testing the feature internally. The previous plan of record was for TV DVR capabilities to appear with one of the Anniversary Updates coming to Xbox One this year.
It’s not happening anymore, of course. And that’s too bad. But I wonder if this is tied in any way to the new Xbox hardware Microsoft is set to announce next week. Hopefully we’ll learn more at E3.
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Hands-on with the Xbox One's TV tuner.
The Xbox One's €29.99/£24.99 TV Tuner is now available, but it's far from just a glorified channel changer for Microsoft's console. As we mentioned, it came out only in Europe because many of us across the pond get our TV fix from over-the-air (OTA) digital TV, while most Americans have cable. But it's opened up a lot of handy new TV watching features on the Xbox and on mobile devices with SmartGlass, too. You can now watch DVB-T, DVB-T2 and DVB-C digital TV, pause, rewind or fast forward live TV, change channels using SmartGlass and even watch TV directly on a mobile device. For a console that wants to be your entertainment hub, that's a load of pertinent features -- to see how it works, read on.
Gallery: Xbox One TV Tuner hands on | 22 Photos.
Like everybody else in the French countryside, I have a TV antenna that magically brings me 30-odd digital channels when it's hooked up to a " décodeur TNT ." So all I had to do is plug the coax cable into the Xbox One's TV Tuner, and the USB end of the tuner into the Xbox itself. If you have the October Xbox update, it automatically detects the device and then finds all your channels. It then gave me the option of pausing, rewinding and fast-forwarding live TV, in exchange for 4GB of hard disk space. From there, I started watching programs, using the Xbox controller to change channels via the OneGuide, favorites or a pop-up, on-screen menu. Microsoft told me that the Xbox One Media Remote would give similar functionality, and is probably a better choice for non-gaming TV viewers.
One small note: though it can perform limited time-shifting functions, the Xbox One still can't record live TV programs. I hope Microsoft eventually adds that function, since timeshifting obviously means it's capable, provided you're willing to give up some disk space.
Next up: voice control. Yes, once I figured out how to pronounce Xbox in French ( eeks-boax ), the easiest way to change channels was to shout commands at the Kinect. Rather than a number, you can tell it which channel you want to watch by name, as in "watch Canal+." If it doesn't understand, it'll provide a helpful list of commands. You can also access the OneGuide by voice, or just say something like "Xbox, what's on Canal+?" and get more info that way, as shown above. (The screens are in French because Microsoft strictly region-locks languages to the country you're located in, something many gaming ex-pats aren't thrilled with.)
The best part of the new Xbox One TV Tuner is SmartGlass. The new version of the app brings full control of all TV functions, letting you change channels, view the OneGuide, and even watch live TV directly on your mobile device. Unfortunately, the latter feature is only on iOS and Windows Phone devices for now, and not Android. That said, it worked perfectly on my iPad, with a sharp, clear image, particularly on HD channels. Mobile viewing only works on your local home or work network, and there's about 3-second delay from live TV due to buffering.
Another great way of using your smartphone or tablet is to snap the TV Tuner view straight into any game (see below). That lets you keep track of a ball game or show and pause, fast-forward or rewind it without interrupting a round of Forza 5. Overall, SmartGlass proved to be the most convenient way to navigate channels and use OneGuide -- and I didn't even have to bust out my nasty French accent.
So the verdict? The Xbox One TV tuner is a handy way for us Europeans to get rid of our OTA boxes, eliminate a lot of clutter and gain a bunch of extra functionality. Having voice and Smartglass control over your TV viewing is nice, and being able to pause and skip through live TV programs is a huge bonus. The only drawbacks? Microsoft needs to streamline the operation of the system a bit, as certain functions (like flipping channels) are easier with a bog-standard remote. And of course, we strongly hope that Microsoft enables DVR recording at some point. Once that happens, you can look for my existing over-the-air decoder box on eBay.
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Kinect for Xbox is one of the bestselling electronics around. Unfortunately, however, Microsoft doesn't offer an app for recording video with the inbuilt camera. Don't worry - getting video footage with your Kinect doesn't take serious code-changing or hacking. Keep reading for detailed instructions on this easy method.
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HDHomeRun's DVR app is ready for the Xbox One.
Earlier this year Microsoft confirmed that development of a DVR feature for the Xbox One is "on hold," so what's next for fans of its OneBox dream? SiliconDust's answer is an app that lets you watch TV streamed directly to the game system from a DVR (which could be a PC, Android TV box or NAS -- but not the Xbox itself) running its software and connected to a TV tuner device. Doing that means you can completely control it via the gamepad or Xbox remote -- and ditch the system's HDMI passthrough/IR blaster combo that can't do simple things like set up a new recording without switching remote.
I can see the HDHomerun app by searching on the box, but it isn't ready for downloading just yet (installing it on Windows 10 first may help). SiliconDust told Kickstarter backers last night that the app should be available within 24 hours, so it shouldn't take long to show up.
Those who prefer a DIY approach to the DVR haven't had as many options available since Microsoft decided not to extend Windows Media Center to the Xbox One and Windows 10, but the addition of Universal Windows apps means third parties can fill in the gap. SiliconDust is still developing the other parts of its DVR platform too, recently releasing an app for Windows Phone 10, as well as providing updates for the apps on Windows 10 desktop and OS X.
The update also referenced a recent issue with Samsung's TVs, where the last update disabled the RUI feature that let TVs connect directly to an HDHomeRun DVR server. SiliconDust says it's in touch with the "right people" at Samsung, but there are no specific plans to share right now. As far as other features users are waiting for, the company says trick play (the ability to pause, fast-forward or rewind live TV) will arrive by the end of the month, and it's still working on support for protected channels too.
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Xbox One TV Tuner review.
Besides gaming, the Xbox One is pretty handy as an all-in-one home entertainment tool. Oneguide and the overall integration with your cable box is certainly impressive, but the key item is the cable box. If you're using free-to-air TV, there hasn't been any integration at all.
For selected markets in Europe there's now this, the Xbox One TV Tuner and for all intents and purposes it's designed to provide the same exact experience as plugging your cable box into your console. Only without the cable box.
The device and setting up.
There's almost nothing to it, really. You get a pretty unassuming, small, black box with a USB cable coming out of one end and a socket to attach your TV aerial in the other.
The great thing is that as it is so small, if your aerial connector is close to your TV you'll never see it at all. Just tuck it away out of sight.
Set up is simple and swift as you'll see in the video above. There's no trickery involved, just plug it in and your Xbox One will guide you through the process one step at a time. This includes deciding whether or not you want to be able to pause live TV (Hint: You do!)
It essentially involves telling it where you are, your free-to-air TV provider for your area and then letting it scan for channels. The initial scanning can take some time, though, but in our testing we'd say no longer than it takes a TV to do the same job.
Once it's found the channels you'll be prompted to set up Oneguide and then you're all set.
Oneguide and streaming TV.
As with plugging in a cable box, the TV Tuner allows you to make full use of Oneguide on your Xbox One. And that means all the same channel listings, programming information and the mini player.
Perhaps the feature that's most exciting is the TV streaming through the Xbox One Smartglass applications. It's a great feature to have and gives you TV in every room in your house, basically. It works pretty well with a solid connection, though I did encounter a little jankyness when at the furthest point away from my Wifi router.
Other points to note.
The Xbox One TV Tuner is only available in certain markets. Be sure to check yours is compatible before ordering one. You need a good aerial. The reason only 9 channels were found above is because this review was conducted using an internal aerial of questionable quality. But it doesn't pick up less or more channels using the TV Tuner than it does just plugging the same aerial into the TV. You may need to retune a couple of times to get all of your channels imported.
The bottom line.
For around £25 the Xbox One TV Tuner is one of those impulse buy items that can really change the experience you have with the console. The integration with your TV is one of the consoles highlight entertainment features and now, thanks to this little black box that's opened up to the huge number of people without cable TV.
But it's limited in support. With only a handful of countries supported right now it's not the product for everyone. But if you can get one, and you can use one, it's definitely worth your money.
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