XBox 360 to support TV Broadcasts?

[bapenguin]

Not sure what to make of this, but have a look at this picture. (http://www.realmmedia.com/gallery2/d/1146-3/100_3296.JPG)

TiVO like functionality? Or simply interface overlay on your regular TV? Either would be pretty sweet IMO.

[Varsity]

Both options would tie in with MS' philosophy.

[diggable]

a $299 tivo like device with easy extraction of video to be ripped to DVD with a way to add a bigger hard drive would be nice. add the option to play Xbox games and that would be even nicer.

[CaptStu]

I believe it's the interface. I'd hate to reference Microsoft's MTV blowout, but I think they addressed this at that time — saying Live is constantly signed on and can be accessed through TV and movies.

[Ragnarok27]

Pretty sure its just an overlay, it's there so you don't "miss-out" on any Xbox Live get togethers.

Of course I could be wrong, is there a precedent in the Media PC's for Tivo-like functions?

[peeweejd]

Pretty sure its just an overlay, it's there so you don't "miss-out" on any Xbox Live get togethers.

i seem to remember reading something like that too... you can get invites and stuff while you are watching tv/DVD...

[ldi222]

Tivo functionality, their secret "unlock" device a year after launch?

[carneconcarne]

dur, that is an ingame screenshot. Didn't any of you morons see the killzone video?

[Varsity]

I can't believe I didn't see that one coming! :p

[Triprotic]

being at the E3 presentation is seemed more of a interface overlay on your regular TV (or Tivo or DVD player, or what ever), so you could get messages or what ever when every you want them.

[funtownarcade]

Thats what will come up when you press the middle button. It could just be video being streamed from a PC.

[kokyunage]

If it is the Tivo like interface lets pray it doesn't encode video into WMV. God knows what kind of DRM crap would be included.

[thegameguru]

uumm...you guys do know that Xbox 360 has Media Extender functionality built in right?

[bapenguin]

uumm...you guys do know that Xbox 360 has Media Extender functionality built in right?

Good point.

[PhilR8]

Forgive me for sounding stupid, but I was under the impression XBox 360 would have Tivo-like DVR features built in. Have I heard wrong?

[Chandler]

Would be hard to make any game console have DVR features, because they don't have tuners in them.

[CaptStu]

Stupid question ... What is the difference between Tivo-like features and Tivo? What features are or would be added and/or subtracted from a plain Tivo system?

[trip1eX]

Media Extender meaning it's basically a dummy box that accepts streamed media from a media center pc.

Maybe they'll let the console accept a video signal from a cable or satellite box. And then combine the xbox interface with the signal and send it back to your tv.

[Varsity]

Would be hard to make any game console have DVR features, because they don't have tuners in them.
So put one in. Problem solved. ;)

[Roc Ingersol]

If they put a tuner in it, no-one would pay for overpriced media-center boxes.

[jeffool]

A quick Googling tells me that "Landing in London" is a song by the group 3 Doors Down. So I'm guessing that the Tivo functionality is a no-go.

And for the record, the Gamerscore will no doubt be an evil tool of dick-waving among the 13 year olds who now occassionally ruin Halo 2 for me by being loud, obnoxious, and racist.

/edited: because I forgot the word 'ruin'.

[CaptStu]

Rat bastards. That's what I'd like to see on Live — age groups. Stupid teenagers.

[Adam Blue]

Maybe you can listen to music while watching/recording TV, and getting invites? This sounds so badass.

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

Is it even possible to do an overlay without a tuner? We've seen photos of the 360 design from pretty much every angle and none of them show a coaxial input, but maybe that was left off the mockups.

[Gamewatcher]

I'm sure they said at E3 you'll be able to do voice chat over Live while watching TV, DVDs, etc. It's pretty clearly an overlay.

Looks like I'll have to rethink my a/v cabling yet again, since you'll probably want a passthrough for your cable/TV/satellite receiver.

As for the lack of coax input, perhaps there's RCA input, or an optional accessory? Then again, it's probably just Media Center extender functionality. Time will tell for sure. :)

[MosBen]

I'm hardly an expert, but my guess is that when people say "Tivo-like" they do so because just plain "Tivo" is a brand name referring to specific products and not DVR technology generally.

[Heretic Machine]

DVR functionality in a console would be friggin genius... Just think about how many people would buy them for that reason alone? But I'm not holding my breath, no designers seem to be that smart.

[sync]

They demoed this at E3.

Pretty much you can stream video from your Media Center PC to you Xbox 360. You can control the stream via controller or remote and the Xbox Guide which will notify you on invites and stuff can display over the streamed video.

Xbox 360 is only a client on a DVR network. It can play live or recorded video from your Media Center PC (server).

[diggable]

Sony lost business on their electronics side (DVD players) because PS2 ate majority of the big pie.

now if Xbox 360 would do the same thing by adding DVR/Tivo like on it's box then it's hitting Sony on both sides of their business.

Of course, Sony can add that functionality. then again who'd be crazy enough to pay $500+ for the PS3 knowing that Xbox 360 can do it better.

remember the PSX?

[sync]

DVR functionality in a console would be friggin genius... Just think about how many people would buy them for that reason alone? But I'm not holding my breath, no designers seem to be that smart.no it wouldn't be genius. If anything it would make it a multi-function machine, which always suck. Also if the game had to use the Hard drive, but it needed to record some television, which would it stop? which function gets the preference?

Game machine should be a single function device, as in I can do ONE thing at a time on it. I play a game, or i watch a movie, or i watch TV. None of this, I watch download photos, while playing a game, while recording TV, while talking to my friends, while posting on Evilavatar machine.

[diggable]

no it wouldn't be genius. If anything it would make it a multi-function machine, which always suck. Also if the game had to use the Hard drive, but it needed to record some television, which would it stop? which function gets the preference?

Tivo is already doing that ... record one show, while watching another show beeing recorded and then you can go back 30 seconds ago on your current show while it continues recording what you're watching.

PCs are doing that, you're burning a 4+ gig DVD, while dling a torrent and even browsing EvilAvatar.

[gojira]

I think Adam Blue and sync are correct.

I'm pretty sure I remember reading during the E3 media blitz that Microsoft said that you could watch TV and still get invites / chat with friends via Live.

TIVO would be nice but I'm not holding my breath that MS would get it correct the first time around, even if it is in the 360.

[Stryfe01]

dur, that is an ingame screenshot. Didn't any of you morons see the killzone video?

oh right..i forgot about that. :D

[Crenor]

Looks more like the game adds they were talking about that you could get from the LIVE service

[crashedout]

MCE extenders, extend MCE boxes. They act like clients, they can utilize the tivo functionality of the MCE box. There is rumored to be a large update to MCE at the 360 release, probably to support all of its functions. MS is excellent at getting you to buy more stuff, in this case they get you to buy or build an MCE box.

[netcraazzy]

I already have a Myth TV box and am considering converting it to a Windows MCE box if the media extender features in 360 work well. If there are any Linux geeks out there I'm sure you're screaming BLASPHAMY right now. They already have a kit you can buy for Xbox that does this so I don't think that MCE 2005 would require too many updates to get the same capabilities with a 360.

[Bushi]

This is just the media exstender, you still need to be back hauled by a media center PC doing the capturing.

[Heretic Machine]

Game machine should be a single function device, as in I can do ONE thing at a time on it. I play a game, or i watch a movie, or i watch TV. None of this, I watch download photos, while playing a game, while recording TV, while talking to my friends, while posting on Evilavatar machine.

You're an idiot, go away.

[MStiles]

Guys, you're all getting way ahead of yourself on this one.

The Xbox 360 can serve as a Media Center Extender. The existing Xbox can as well, but you need to buy an add-on to do it.

This is just a photo of the Xbox 360 serving as a Media Center Extender...playing back recorded TV or Live TV from a networked PC with Windows XP Media Center Edition.

The Xbox 360 doesn't have a TV tuner, nor a place to plug in your cable. It won't decode live TV, and can't record it or play it back. It can only serve as a networked "remote interface" to an MCE computer on the same network.

And yes, the Xbox Guide will be available while you use the MC Extender functions, just as it's available at all times on the Xbox 360.

[sync]

You're an idiot, go away.What do you want a game machine to do?

I really buy a game machine to just that, play games. Additional features are really just something I already have, just worse.

I have a HD-DVR. So why do I need another one.
I have a DVD player. So why do I need another one.
I have an internet machine. So why do I need another one.

If anything it just increases the cost of the machine, and takes away money to where I'd like to see the money spent. More power for better gaming.

If I want a multi-function machine, I'd use my PC. Not my game console.

[bapenguin]

Is it even possible to do an overlay without a tuner? We've seen photos of the 360 design from pretty much every angle and none of them show a coaxial input, but maybe that was left off the mockups.

Remember, the XBox is for HD. Most HDTV boxes have DVI/Component out. You'd simply pass it through the XBox much like a receiver. Then they could do the overlay...

[sync]

Remember, the XBox is for HD. Most HDTV boxes have DVI/Component out. You'd simply pass it through the XBox much like a receiver. Then they could do the overlay...not quite right.

The incoming video is coming in via the network connection, then any software driven UI can be applied on top of it.

There is no 'traditional' video input on the Xbox 360. All video input is done through the network controller, coming from a MCE Box.

[Deadend]

Yeah... I have to agree with sync that it's just showing a video stream.

But I have to disagree on functions, as most of all the junk (DVD movies, streaming video, chatting and so forth) is simply software, which is easy to do, and as most of us gadget lovers think... SHOULD be able to do. As if it could, it should.

If you just want you system to play games, and only games... go play a DS, or a N64, or a GBA. Every other system can at least play music.

Yeah, I don't really care for PVR functionality in my Xbox 360 as it doesn't have input.
During games, I figure it lets you play the game, and a small bit of space to bring up the Live UI and do voice chat. When my system isn't playing a game... it should be able to do everything, maybe even a web browser too.

[mister_slim]

I'm sure MS is trying to hit the balance between adding in useful features as a selling point or attracting an audience that won't purchase any games.

[Chandler]

Yeah, convergence in all these features makes people mad because they give us less choice, we end up paying for things we dont want.

The only time convergence is great is smartphones, where we dont have to carry a gameboy/cell phone/pda/clock as seperate devices.

[Heretic Machine]

Well sure, if you're rich you can buy seperate hardware for every, single, task. I'm not rich, so I want as much in a $350 console as I can get. As pointed out above, there would be very little added to the cost of the console by adding DVR functionality as the most expensive part of this function is the hard-drive. It's already there folks, just waiting to be tapped.

[B_Money]

The XBox 360 is not going to be a DVR. It will be able to play back media files from other computers (windows only) on your home network, and if you have a Media Center PC, you'll be able to watch recorded programs on the XBox. You won't be able to record tv onto it though, cause it will not have a TV tuner built-in.

[ninja_in_pajamas]

I don't have the best of eyesight, but it looks to me like it says somethin Zero, looks kinda like XBOX Zero. Maybe this was from when they were tossing around ideas, or it's a phony, or maybe it's my bad eyesight getting to me again.

[darkmoonz]

I don't have the best of eyesight, but it looks to me like it says somethin Zero, looks kinda like XBOX Zero. Maybe this was from when they were tossing around ideas, or it's a phony, or maybe it's my bad eyesight getting to me again.

yeah, it says perfect dark zero... launch title for the 360... (:

[sync]

If you just want you system to play games, and only games... go play a DS, or a N64, or a GBA. Every other system can at least play music.Limited legacy support on STANDARD consumer devices is great. Custom Soundtracks were great, but it doesn't make me buy a system.

When my system isn't playing a game... it should be able to do everything, maybe even a web browser too.That is the key, when you are playing a game, what does it do? Which is why I said it should be a single active function device. I don't mind a machine that can play music, games, movies, digital photos, and other stuff, it is just people want it all to work together. And that is just too much.

As pointed out above, there would be very little added to the cost of the console by adding DVR functionality as the most expensive part of this function is the hard-drive.If you wanted analog signal, yeah, it would be cheap. But that doesn't go with the HD ERA that MS is pushing. Adding a HD chipset wouldn't be cheap.

[King Drewsky]

Not sure what to make of that picture?

Carolina's coach, John Fox, is calling for a 2-point play. Obviously, they have just scored and if they can convert the 2-point play then New England will need to kick a field goal to tie the game and would need a touchdown to win it. Smart move.