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So what's so special about Xbox One Tv features?

L

lefantome

Member
xbox-one-tv-guide.jpg


We already know that Microsoft is aiming to put an Xbox One in everyv living rom in the US and hopefully elsewhere too.

Apart from games (casual, hardcore whatever) their main selling point are Tv features.

But which exclusive tv features Xbox One has?

- It can't be used as a DVR
- It needs another device to access cable content(is it confirmed now?)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

but it can

- Render an overlay over the cable tv video.
- Have an integrated cable tv guide which can be used with kinect
- make you play fantasy football(but you can do the same on other platforms using apps)
Click to expand...

it can do also other things which are present on other existing devices(smart tv, smartphone,tablets, consoles):

- Use video and music streaming services
- Surfing the web
- ability to make and receive skype calls
- use Apps
- be used as media center
Click to expand...


Am I missing something?
What's so special? I'm european and probably I can't understand all the implications of cable tv.


To me it seems a (probably) expensive and modern set top box with some state of the art features like kinect but I don't see these being killer features and/or irreplicable on other systems now or in the following years.

I'm interested in it because of gaming, If I weren't I would like something similar but cheaper and without having to pay for kinect.
 
It seriously can't be used as a DVR? I'm not surprised, but that's going to be a huge dealbreaker for many who are interested in the TV features, I think. Viewership is trending towards time-shifted content and the XBOne can't support that? Not the best scenario.
 
The one possible advantage is that the Xbox overlay UI might actually be a smoother experience than current cable-TV interfaces, which (at least with Verizon) are sluggish.

I wouldn't say there was anything special, and 'revolutionizing' the way we watch television isn't their goal. It's to get you to use their box and for their Kinect integration to pay off instead of buying a Smart TV or look down at your phone or tablet (unless it's for SmartGlass?). They want to turn their promotional "Family on the couch" Kinect images into reality.

Microsoft is offering a solution to what they think is a problem in a 'second screen' market full of fragmentation and mixed messaging from providers.
 
Nothing.

I thought MS was going to drop a bomb and announce IPTV. Not announce that you need to hook a cable box (that you will also have to pay for) up to the damn thing.
No DVR means it's an even dumber move by MS.
 
whats funny to me is that this smoother experience(cable box software is shit) isn't going to work for most people because it;s gonna need hdmi-cec, which i have a feeling is not all that common in cable boxes. most companies use outdated as fuck boxes
meaning everyone is going to have IR blasters, which as slow and clunky as fuck
 
Dunno. I don't have cable, so none of it appealed to me.

I've never once been playing a game and thought, "Wouldn't it be awesome if I didn't have to switch inputs." It's pressing a button. Pretty easy shit.
 
Yeah I'm also a bit baffled... Smart TVs are relatively cheap now-a-days and they feature every thing they showed without requiring an additional box hooked up... so yeah, what more can be said? Umm... Halo TV series I guess.
 
I've got comcast at my GF's and Verizon at my place.

Both are absolute disasters in regards to U.I.

Its not a system seller for me but its a huge bonus.
 
If feels like MS came up w/ this idea years ago when it would have been somewhat novel, but in the current day an age it hardly offers and advantage. It feels like they just formed a plan, and stuck with it no matter the change in landscape.
 
KojiKnight said:
Yeah I'm also a bit baffled... Smart TVs are relatively cheap now-a-days and they feature every thing they showed without requiring an additional box hooked up... so yeah, what more can be said? Umm... Halo TV series I guess.
Click to expand...

I think the key for MS is showing all of this working much faster, integrated to my other devices and giving me the option to do it all at once, as well as playing games.

Even with Smart TV's, they are still pretty clunky and slow and really only let you do one thing at a time.
 
The real challenge for Microsoft is getting the people who rely heavily on DVR or Hulu+, Amazon/iTunes season passes, really. Otherwise I don't even think the Xbox One TV features are convenient unless you're watching live sports. Guess we'll hear more about it at E3.
 
There's something about it I can't get my head around how they will market it ...

So it's an XboxOne ok ... So u can use it to watch tv (not iptv) meaning u need to pay for that cable box sitting in your living room every month .
Thing about that cable box is most at lest here in Toronto Canada when u sing for cable are DVRs already so by connection it to ur Xbox you lose your pvr features so why would any one want to do that ??

People won't go out buy one for fantasy (nfl NHL nba )

My full view of these "product" I can't call it a dedicated videoGAME system via it ain't and is not anything else too it may do a lot but so far they haven't shown anything it actually does really good ...

Really not a fan of anything I have seen from the XboxOne
 
I think it already does too much. It seems to construct a barrier between the viewer and his content. It only makes things more complicated and fussy. They're catering to a market they themselves will have to construct first.
 
mattp said:
whats funny to me is that this smoother experience(cable box software is shit) isn't going to work for most people because it;s gonna need hdmi-cec, which i have a feeling is not all that common in cable boxes. most companies use outdated as fuck boxes
meaning everyone is going to have IR blasters, which as slow and clunky as fuck
Click to expand...

Even then, HDMI-CEC is extremely inconsistently implemented and therefore unreliable. It also only provides a small amount of control: Google TV-style overlays (like Microsoft is implementing with the Xbone) aren't common for a reason. They are terrible because they can't integrate well.
 
I just think that if they had brought a machine that played the games, and plugged directly into your cable/satellite feed, worked as a PVR, and watched live TV like they showed on stage, then it truly would be fantastic.

But it doesn't.
 
netBuff said:
Even then, HDMI-CEC is extremely inconsistently implemented and therefore unreliable. It also only provides a small amount of control: Google TV-style overlays (like Microsoft is implementing with the Xbone) aren't common for a reason. They are terrible because they can't integrate well.
Click to expand...

ive had no experience with hdmi-cec, but this does not surprise me at all
 
Initially I would say its very limited... as you said no dvr, etc.

But this is the first version of tv on the xbox one.... Its a virtual certainty they will add things like dvr over time and are also perfectly positioned to add iptv when it happens. I think this is the long term plan anyways.... have iptv services tie into their guide and leverage cloud based dvr (some people are already starting to do just that).

The big deal overall is about having you xbox on whenever your tv is on. Right now when you switch inputs your console usually gets turned off. If your xbox is always on then the social aspects of xbox will be much improved. Not sure how others do it but right now my group of friends has to txt or fb message for everybody to turn on the xbox when we want to play. If everybody runs tv through the xbox then you are always online and viewable.
 
Coolwhip said:
That might be useful for games like Angry Birds. But who switches like a madman between Halo and TV/Skype/Ads?
Click to expand...

It's like people are that ADD that they need to constantly switch back and forth. OMG Judge Alex is on! OMG I just got killed in Halo 4! OMG Judge Alex is on! OMG I just got killed in Halo 4!
 
The fact that it's not a replacement for my cable box/DVR but an addition is real deal breaker for any use.

Use this interface for live TV, use that interface for recorded shows. Fuck that.
 
Angelus Errare said:
Should have done full blown DVR. Would have been nice
Click to expand...

Aside from the anti-consumer policies. The lack of DVR functionality/compatibility for TV (which they would've shown in the reveal, if there was any) is probably the biggest mistake they've made so far with this console.
 
I honestly see this TV stuff being a tiny niche thing for most people who would consider buying this console. That Microsoft chose to make it THE feature of the console's initial unveiling is rather amusing to me.
 
McHuj said:
The fact that it's not a replacement for my cable box/DVR but an addition is real deal breaker for any use.

Use this interface for live TV, use that interface for recorded shows. Fuck that.
Click to expand...

That's the HUGE fuck up about this. MS pushing TV so hard with Xbox One would have made sense if I could use just the Xbox One and buy channels a la carte. And use its 500GB HDD for DVR-ing shows.
 
The TV stuff looks somewhat cool. I just don't know why I would want to control it with my voice or arm gestures. I never thought the TV remote was something that needed to be replaced. I also don't think I would want to leave the XBox on for long periods of time watching TV. I am the type that has the TV on a lot, sometimes just for background noise. If my cable box dies, I can take it back to the cable company. If my XBox died I would be screwed. I doubt I would ever use this feature personally.
 
I'm looking forward to features regarding offline/local content. How will Xbone manage the many movies I've ripped to my hard drives. Can they match XBMC?
 
It's a gimmick, nothing more. It will help them to sale many consoles intially in the US, but I get the feeling the fad is going to die very soon.
 
TheExodu5 said:
It seriously can't be used as a DVR? I'm not surprised, but that's going to be a huge dealbreaker for many who are interested in the TV features, I think. Viewership is trending towards time-shifted content and the XBOne can't support that? Not the best scenario.
Click to expand...

Piracy I'm guessing.
 
KojiKnight said:
Yeah I'm also a bit baffled... Smart TVs are relatively cheap now-a-days and they feature every thing they showed without requiring an additional box hooked up... so yeah, what more can be said? Umm... Halo TV series I guess.
Click to expand...

I personally wouldn't mind one universal UI for everything. TV UI's are usually quite bad and annoying to use. Or at least, mine is.

That said, no DVR is a big minus. That would have been near system seller stuff. DVRs cost 200+ € where I live.
 
The reason they don't have DVR (aside from the HD being too small for it, especially when it cannot be replaced) is because it would cut into their Xbox Video store sales.

Want to see a program at a later date?
The Xbone will direct you to the xbox video store so you can buy an episode or season!

It's designed to squeeze money out of you, not make your life easier.
 
It does the exact same shit as the WiiU gamepad, only without the ability to adjust volume to an exact degree or from what I can tell, change to an exact channel.

Oh yeah, you also have to talk to your TV. I see no pitfalls with this technology what so ever ;)
 
Even if your controller doesn't have a specific button for switching to a specific input (I know my controller has a source button I need to click a number of times to get to my HDMI-input), you can buy a £/$30 custom controller that does just that.

And it'll probably be less prone to mistake your command like a voice activated system, in addition to being faster.
 
I don't know. The core functionality seems identical to that of Google TV, and I'm pretty sure Google TV hasn't exactly revolutionized TV.
 
Throughout the entire TV thing I almost fell asleep, I already bought a 55" Samsung Smart Tv in FEB. I don't need a consoles to switch my input or to use skype while watching tv, while playing a game, while listening to music, while web browsing.

Who the fuck does that anyways?


I think it's all a waste of time, what they should have started on are the new Game related features how about a demo of this "infinite power of the Cloud" bs they've been spewing to the press? that would have been nice..
 
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