By Claire Reilly
At the launch of Microsoft’s new Xbox One console in the United States overnight, the brand was talking up a range of new user-friendly features, including picture-in-picture multitasking between movies and internet browsing, Skype video calling and voice and gesture controls.
But perhaps one of the biggest points of focus, and a feature that was given a significant amount of air-time, was a new concept called “TV on Xbox One”.
Billed by Microsoft as a feature that will allow users to “navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One,” TV on Xbox One certainly has the potential to revolutionise how gamers use their consoles.
In a demonstration at the launch, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, Yusuf Mehdi, used voice controls such as “Xbox, watch TV” to switch between the Xbox’s gaming and Movie screens to live TV on US channel CBS.
Mehdi promised seamless integration of live TV on the console, with commands used to switch quickly between services without the need for a remote. He also demonstrated a “OneGuide” screen that gives users access to a live TV schedule, which is searchable via voice commands such as “What’s on HBO”.
With crosses to NBA games and American game shows, the demonstration showed how TV on Xbox would work in the United States. But despite these impressive demos (which were quite possibly pre-recorded rather than live) details on how the service would work in Australia were scant.
In a global statement released by Microsoft today, the company said it was “committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available”.
A glance at the fine print revealed more information about just how accessible this feature will be: “Live TV with Kinect navigation [and] Live TV with OneGuide…available in U.S. at launch; anticipating global scale over time,” the fine print stipulated. “At launch, Live TV will require a supported receiver device with HDMI output (sold separately)”.
Xbox has existing relationships with pay-TV provider Foxtel for its Foxtel on Xbox subscription access, though it is unclear whether this will be rolled out across the Xbox One for the TV feature.
Current.com.au directed its queries about local availability and features to Microsoft Australia, and a representative from the local subsidiary furnished us with the below response:
“Microsoft’s goal is to enable live TV through Xbox One in every way that it is delivered throughout the world, whether that’s television service providers, over the air or over the Internet, or HDMI-in via a set top box (as is the case with many providers). The delivery of TV is complex and Microsoft are working through the many technologies and policies around the world to make live TV available where Xbox One is available.”