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Thinking inside the box [Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)](Columbia Daily Tribune (MO) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Well, the curtain has been lifted, and while Matt focuses in on what XBox One will mean for games, I thought I would surf around and offer up some links on the system's guts and just what Microsoft seems to be planning with the new system. While the current-generation XBox 360 retained a core focus on being a gaming system, some of the system's mid- and late-life developments seemed to indicate Microsoft's increasing emphasis on positioning the console to become a true multi-purpose device, allowing access to Twitter, Facebook, Netflix and other streaming media resources. In essence, it seemed Microsoft seemed to want the XBox to serve as the central core of our television experience. Some of these ideas were well-implemented, in my opinion. The Netflix and Amazon Instant Video capabilities get heavy usage at my house. Probably close to half of my XBox usage involves these two free apps. ESPN3 access is another that I often see being utilized by online friends, and is a good sign of how Microsoft's current partnerships are pointing the way towards their vision of the future of XBox -- and TV in general. In April, Wired reporter Peter Rubin got an exclusive in-depth look at the XBox One. Among the key features he noted was this one, which seems to show that XBox One is truly being positioned as a critical component for both television and video gaming. Rubin writes: "Last year, Nintendo's new Wii U console delivered some television tuner functionality, but it was a kludgy and fragile experience, and many users (like me, with my cablecard-equipped TiVo) were shut out. Xbox One will utilize a few different methods to deliver live TV to the Xbox universe. Chief among those--at least in the US--is HDMI pass-through, in which the cable box, satellite box, or similar device (e.g., the aforementioned cablecard-equipped TiVo ) connects directly to the Xbox One, which then passes the mediated signal to the television via an HDMI-out port. "Because of that direct pipe from your TV provider to the Xbox One, you can watch TV with varying degrees of Xbox overlay. It can look exactly like your plain old TV interface, being controlled with the original remote. Alternately, you can use Xbox's electronic programming guide, which presents a lineup based on your favorite channels or tells you what your friends are watching and can be controlled via voice, gesture, and game controller. Or, thanks to Xbox SmartGlass, the second-screen functionality that Microsoft introduced in limited capacity last year across multiple mobile platforms, you can use your smartphone or tablet to change channels with a no-look flicking motion. (For more granular control, SmartGlass will eventually be able to turn your phone into a skeuomorphic remote control, able to emulate any other control device.) "Ashley Speicher, a lead software design engineer at Microsoft's entertainment division, walks me through a demo. The team has been working feverishly to get it ready for the official unveiling, but this is clearly an early build; when she turns on the program guide, the green screen of the developer's OS screen shows through in the gaps between tiles. "Xbox," she says, and a small faint Xbox logo in the upper right-hand corner of the screen begins to glow; the Kinect is listening. "ESPN," she finishes. The guide, which is currently highlighting Seattle's local channel 4, switches to channel 206: ESPN. Because the Kinect's voice control is already engaged, she doesn't need to prompt it again, so she just says "watch." There's a flash as the connected DirecTV makes the change, and all of a sudden SportsCenter comes on the screen. The most shocking part about it is the ease; there's no more hunting through your guide for FX or Travel Channel or whatever network or show you're looking for. You can just say "Xbox, watch Travel Channel" or "Xbox, watch Sons of Anarchy," and you're there. If the show itself isn't on, a global search will collate all of your options for watching it, from on-demand to streaming services." Peter Rubin's hands-on exploration of the XBox One is available here: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/xbox-one/ If you are getting this message, it's because your browser is blocking cookies. For free access to this full story, please enable cookies in your web browser. [bold] How do I enable cookies [/bold] On your computer: * Chrome * Firefox * Internet Explorer * Safari On your mobile devices or tablets * Android devices * iPhone/ iPad * Windows Phone [copyright] 2013 Columbia Daily Tribune . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (c) 2013 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |