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Microsoft: "Xbox One isn't a native media center extender."
- Thread starter SenjutsuSage
- Start date
That's what I figured. Sorry it didn't work out for you dude.
Completely understandable sentiment
It's unlikely to happen. The format, while popular, is typically used for unsavory reasons. You're best bet is native MP4 support, considering the conversion between the two is pretty fast and painless.
Shao Kahn on the Lawn
Member
The Xbox One has 3 operating systems yet nobody thought to put in functionality that is commonly built into TVs these days.
I've been on board with Microsoft since the original Xbox but they're really making it hard to justify the One.
I've been on board with Microsoft since the original Xbox but they're really making it hard to justify the One.
Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not ... because it is given how MS has positioned it.
Which TV has Windows Media Center support built in?
Dead Prince
Banned
i heard google is blocking 3rd party players and such. i haven't really paid much attention to it.
edit: oh. they only blocked local content.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/25/4...chromecast-app-that-let-you-stream-own-videos
hipbabboom
Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
There's no law written anywhere that being a gamer has to make us ignorant! If the box isn't a NATIVE media extender and the box supports [Windows 8] APPS, you would think a reasonable person would conclude that the box would support MEDIA EXTENDER APPLICATIONS. No... not us gamers, we think differently.
Get a grip people.
Get a grip people.
Google actually came out and debunked that, said the issue people were referring to was just a result of an un-official SDK in the wild. Hopefully they stick to that.
What does that have to do with Media Extender?
DJ Lushious
Member
So, how am I supposed to watch OTA HDTV now?! I used WMC to snatch my tuner, which sits on the network. I suppose I'll just continue to use my Xbox 360, but this is really lame.
Pristine_Condition
Member
This is classic Microsoft. Or I guess I should say classic for this division of Microsoft.
Soooooo eager to simply stop and drop anything the moment they think they can sell something else.
This is original Xbox/360 and "Plays For Sure"/Zune shit all over again.
Soooooo eager to simply stop and drop anything the moment they think they can sell something else.
This is original Xbox/360 and "Plays For Sure"/Zune shit all over again.
So, I currently use my PC as my DVR and stream to my 360s in the home. I'm hanging on to the 360s, so it's really just the inconvenience of having to turn off one unit and turn another on to watch TV.
However, I'd like to know what other DVR alternatives are there out there? I don't want to pay for cable channels (my DVR feed just comes from an OTA antenna). I've looked into Aereo, but I'd need a Roku or Apple TV for every TV set in my home.
Anyone have any other suggestions?
However, I'd like to know what other DVR alternatives are there out there? I don't want to pay for cable channels (my DVR feed just comes from an OTA antenna). I've looked into Aereo, but I'd need a Roku or Apple TV for every TV set in my home.
Anyone have any other suggestions?
Install XBMC on that computer, and purchase some Raspberry Pi's to Install XBMC onto/use as extenders.
Ceton Echo if you want to continue using WMC - http://cetoncorp.com/products/echo/ (note, I don't think it has drivers for W8/8.1 though)
Another possibility is using Plex on your WMC PC, and then use stuff like Roku as clients? I'm gonna try that, though I don't think it will work with live TV. Similarly, you could use some XBMC set up.
As far as a pure OTA DVR, there is always TiVo ... but that necessitates a subscription.
Another option is Simple.TV.
And finally, Channel Master is bringing out a new OTA DVR with over the top streaming capabilities later this year.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/13/channel-master-and-echostar-working-on-new-ota-dvr/
Sorry about the stupidly long post. It just kept growing. Again, I apologize.
Because consoles now have the ability to do advanced things like pipe live TV to your television... Microsoft is obviously no longer interested in a particularly clever, already developed, critically acclaimed way that they invented and own for a console to pipe live TV to your television. Uh huh. How does that follow, at all? This is still a "crucial aspect of their business"; it's just about all they talked about at the XB1 reveal. They seem to be doubling down on the whole cable-TV-on-your-console concept, if anything. The only question was, "How exactly will they do this?" The actual implementation.
The answer apparently involves a ridiculous Rube Goldbergian scheme where you have to rent a cable box and/or DVR from a third party, wire the output of that into your XB1, and then control the whole mess via an IR blaster. Golly, so high tech. So advanced. Much better than just slapping some tuners somewhere on your network and just, you know, watching those directly. (Since the XB1 has very little onboard storage, DVR capabilities would require more hardware somewhere. Like, I dunno, maybe a cheap Windows PC running WMC somewhere. Nah, that'd be crazy! MS hates when people buy Windows.)
Now clearly, Microsoft has decided to go away from WMC. Probably because it doesn't generate cash flow. Then again, it doesn't really cost them anything either. It's just bizarre that they choose to double down in that direction, while simultaneously removing extender functionality. They already solved that problem, and they actually did a fantastic job at it. You think they'd leave it on for at least a while, if for no other reason then to check that box on the feature list.
Okay. I got some theories.
Maybe MS had to allow the cable companies to keep their golden goose of cable and DVR rentals, in order for the CCs to give MS something in return. Some sort of cross promotional deal, or access to additional content, or maybe even a subsidy for the XB1 from the CC. i.e. The XB1 is only $299, but the customer still has to keep paying that $10-$60/mo for their DVRs and set top boxes in perpetuity. Most people are dumb/ignorant/rich enough to pay that already, so such a scheme might actually look attractive to them.
"Keep letting the cable and sat companies rape you on their crappy hardware, and you'll get a not-too-expensive media box that also plays games!"
Or....
Maybe MS does have a plan to allow us to add external storage to the XB1, enabling the console to work as a DVR. They would also need to support some sort of network-able tuner hardware. Perhaps they'd want to sell their own for extra buckage. The customer would have to pay for that extra storage, (cheap), the tuners, (pretty cheap) and rent a cable-card from their cable company (super cheap), but that would be a pretty slick system. Easily expandable, and with very low monthly fees. (Maybe $2 for the cable card.)
The XB1 is obviously designed to operate in reduced power modes, so it would make a good potentially-always-on DVR. And if it could pipe the recorded video to other XB1s in the home, that would be more-or-less as good as the current WMC plus extender system. The "extenders" would cost more (than 360s), but you wouldn't need the computer at all. For a small, two-TV set-up, the hardware/software costs might be pretty similar.
That'd be cool. I hope that happens.
MS would have to keep supplying guide data, but they're gonna have to do that anyway to allow you to say, "Xbox, watch Duck Dynasty." Hopefully, they'll keep offering that data for free, like they do for WMC.
Good lord, this is so ass backwards that it makes my head spin. (Not necessarily your reasoning, because MS must actually be thinking this way.) Let's see if we can follow the reasoning:
Because consoles now have the ability to do advanced things like pipe live TV to your television... Microsoft is obviously no longer interested in a particularly clever, already developed, critically acclaimed way that they invented and own for a console to pipe live TV to your television. Uh huh. How does that follow, at all? This is still a "crucial aspect of their business"; it's just about all they talked about at the XB1 reveal. They seem to be doubling down on the whole cable-TV-on-your-console concept, if anything. The only question was, "How exactly will they do this?" The actual implementation.
The answer apparently involves a ridiculous Rube Goldbergian scheme where you have to rent a cable box and/or DVR from a third party, wire the output of that into your XB1, and then control the whole mess via an IR blaster. Golly, so high tech. So advanced. Much better than just slapping some tuners somewhere on your network and just, you know, watching those directly. (Since the XB1 has very little onboard storage, DVR capabilities would require more hardware somewhere. Like, I dunno, maybe a cheap Windows PC running WMC somewhere. Nah, that'd be crazy! MS hates when people buy Windows.)
Now clearly, Microsoft has decided to go away from WMC. Probably because it doesn't generate cash flow. Then again, it doesn't really cost them anything either. It's just bizarre that they choose to double down in that direction, while simultaneously removing extender functionality. They already solved that problem, and they actually did a fantastic job at it. You think they'd leave it on for at least a while, if for no other reason then to check that box on the feature list.
Okay. I got some theories.
Maybe MS had to allow the cable companies to keep their golden goose of cable and DVR rentals, in order for the CCs to give MS something in return. Some sort of cross promotional deal, or access to additional content, or maybe even a subsidy for the XB1 from the CC. i.e. The XB1 is only $299, but the customer still has to keep paying that $10-$60/mo for their DVRs and set top boxes in perpetuity. Most people are dumb/ignorant/rich enough to pay that already, so such a scheme might actually look attractive to them.
"Keep letting the cable and sat companies rape you on their crappy hardware, and you'll get a not-too-expensive media box that also plays games!"
Or....
Maybe MS does have a plan to allow us to add external storage to the XB1, enabling the console to work as a DVR. They would also need to support some sort of network-able tuner hardware. Perhaps they'd want to sell their own for extra buckage. The customer would have to pay for that extra storage, (cheap), the tuners, (pretty cheap) and rent a cable-card from their cable company (super cheap), but that would be a pretty slick system. Easily expandable, and with very low monthly fees. (Maybe $2 for the cable card.)
The XB1 is obviously designed to operate in reduced power modes, so it would make a good potentially-always-on DVR. And if it could pipe the recorded video to other XB1s in the home, that would be more-or-less as good as the current WMC plus extender system. The "extenders" would cost more (than 360s), but you wouldn't need the computer at all. For a small, two-TV set-up, the hardware/software costs might be pretty similar.
That'd be cool. I hope that happens.
MS would have to keep supplying guide data, but they're gonna have to do that anyway to allow you to say, "Xbox, watch Duck Dynasty." Hopefully, they'll keep offering that data for free, like they do for WMC.
Well I wasn't going to weigh in on Microsoft, I said I wasn't buying one because of the whole no back compatg thing and I had made my peace with that.
I wasn't getting a PS4 for the same reason, my backlog will be clear before I even look at next gen, I would read gaf and be happy.
I even snorted in derision at the utterly pro Sony Gaf that has popped up since the next gen reveal, thinking that once everyone calms down a bit the place will go back to normal.
But this...I don't know feels like an actual betrayal, one of the key things that I used the Xbox for is media streaming. My wife watches shows through it, she understands the interface and when the kids come round she can whizz through games and media and she is very happy with the system.
My Mom comes over in the day and she watches her shows through it, and looks at family pictures all sorts she likes the interface, she gets it.
I will probably stay 360 PS3 for a very long while.
I wasn't getting a PS4 for the same reason, my backlog will be clear before I even look at next gen, I would read gaf and be happy.
I even snorted in derision at the utterly pro Sony Gaf that has popped up since the next gen reveal, thinking that once everyone calms down a bit the place will go back to normal.
But this...I don't know feels like an actual betrayal, one of the key things that I used the Xbox for is media streaming. My wife watches shows through it, she understands the interface and when the kids come round she can whizz through games and media and she is very happy with the system.
My Mom comes over in the day and she watches her shows through it, and looks at family pictures all sorts she likes the interface, she gets it.
I will probably stay 360 PS3 for a very long while.
They probably ran some analysis to determine he amount of time and cost it would take for them to enable the extender natively on the Bone vs how many people have pcs that record OTA stuff and stream it to extenders. Maybe it is on he list of things that gets done in the future. They are obviously in severe crunch mode with this thing and my main concern is that they get the OS up to snuff for launch.
This is the clearest explanation there is.
It shouldn't be hard to port the code. There's really nothing to reinvent here.
Hopefully they'll offer it later, but without any concrete statement ... this obviously makes it a no-buy currently for a small niche of users.
What's most infuriating though is the marketing behind the machine and the physical design. They are calling it the One Box (ie, living room/media box)... and went so far as to add the janky HDMI In so you can use a DVR/cable box (rather poorly since you won't have native control of it) ... yet are stripping out Media Extender which:
a) They own
b) Was in the previous console
c) Is software only (plus a tiny licensing cost), so it doesn't add to the BOM
d) Actually would give users direct control over their DVR/TV feed. Plus easy access to other networked content.
It is because most people who watch TV, already have a DVR. Which makes it an easier sell to say, use what you already have. Instead of, in order to do tv stuff, here is this extender, now go set some stuff up on your PC, and make sure you have a card in your pc that can accept the tv in. I'm not trying to say that they shouldn't have added extender functionality, but I am certainly saying that it was definitely a smart move to make it not be the primary way to get tv.
The only way for WMC to have worked was to have made the Bone be the server and have a coaxial port in. But then they would have had to have a bigger HD and that would have made the thing more expensive. Plus, I am sure there are fees involved with basically making the thing a set top box. Similar to why Google doesn't make their stuff be a set top box.
The only way for WMC to have worked was to have made the Bone be the server and have a coaxial port in. But then they would have had to have a bigger HD and that would have made the thing more expensive. Plus, I am sure there are fees involved with basically making the thing a set top box. Similar to why Google doesn't make their stuff be a set top box.
When you say your wife or mom watch shows through the 360, do you mean from live broadcasts, or just media that you have stored on your computer? The ability to stream content stored on your computer through the dashboard isn't affected here, only functionality requiring the Media Center specifically (so live and recorded TV).
If you haven't been using this...
...then you are not losing anything at all, and don't have to worry.
Quadraphonic
Member
Yeah.
People need to understand, not being a Media Center Extender is a big deal... IF you know what a Media Center Extender is.
If phrases like the "Linksys DMA2100" or "Ceton InfiniTV 4" or "Hauppauge" mean nothing to you, then the lack of this feature means NOTHING to you.
Absolutely NOTHING. Every device in the world has DLNA now. You are losing ZERO features aside from MCE support.
But for those on The Green Button, this is basically the dumbest move they could have made.
Edit:
These are the people who are going to be upset:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5877
A good comparison is this:
You know those people who bought the PS3 ONLY because it was a decent blu-ray player?
The same kinds of people bought the Xbox 360 ONLY because it was a decent Media Center Extender.
People need to understand, not being a Media Center Extender is a big deal... IF you know what a Media Center Extender is.
If phrases like the "Linksys DMA2100" or "Ceton InfiniTV 4" or "Hauppauge" mean nothing to you, then the lack of this feature means NOTHING to you.
Absolutely NOTHING. Every device in the world has DLNA now. You are losing ZERO features aside from MCE support.
But for those on The Green Button, this is basically the dumbest move they could have made.
Edit:
These are the people who are going to be upset:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5877
A good comparison is this:
You know those people who bought the PS3 ONLY because it was a decent blu-ray player?
The same kinds of people bought the Xbox 360 ONLY because it was a decent Media Center Extender.
When you say your wife or mom watch shows through the 360, do you mean from live broadcasts, or just media that you have stored on your computer? The ability to stream content stored on your computer through the dashboard isn't affected here, only functionality requiring the Media Center specifically (so live and recorded TV).
If you haven't been using this...
...then you are not losing anything at all, and don't have to worry.
I have been using free to air tv from a tv card in the PC, as well as stored media, music tv etc. We all use it and tbh this is a real kick in the teeth for me
Ok cool, you're in the group that's been screwed over then. Just didn't want you to be panicking if you were only talking about standard streaming.
I can understand that it's maybe a small percentage of users, but for them to drop a program that was so important with the 360 that they put AN ACTUAL WMC BUTTON on their media remote is sad.
As others have said, all they'd need to do is update the existing 360 app. It's very disappointing for those of us that invested in it and use it frequently.
Appreciate that, but yes I am genuinely screwed if I was going to buy a One, but they are just giving me more and more reasons not to.
The games are great and (imo) are better than the sony offering, but in terms of what I use my gaming time for, I tend not to do multiplayer, I have a baby on the way and run my own business so time and energy is tight. The 360 was a great console for me as it integrated integrating with my family life, my wife my mum and at some point my kids, I have a million nieces and nephews and they have a pile of kinect games that they go mental to, and the presentation and usability of the XBMC capability was brilliant and a real boon to my social time.
Cest la vie, 3rd console curse strikes again.
Huh?
Can you link me to that please?
EDIT: Ok found it. Makes sense and I figured that was the case as I stated in a post above:
http://forum.beyond3d.com/showpost.php?p=1779909&postcount=6449
Really this how I fell. Why fuvking break old extenders with windows 8 yet add no new feature. I really hope my dma2100 don't fail.
This is not what's happening. Please read a couple of posts up.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=80022289&postcount=328
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=80021537&postcount=327
Sure
http://forum.beyond3d.com/showpost.php?p=1779787&postcount=6433
and
http://forum.beyond3d.com/showpost.php?p=1779909&postcount=6449
and
http://forum.beyond3d.com/showpost.php?p=1780206&postcount=6499
if media center is dead then that's great. I wont buy any more windows liscenses for that pc and just keep it running till its dead. But its a stupid move by ms if true. It could have been a killer feature for their cell and tablet line up
The OP really needs to be updated to explain that this isn't DLNA being removed.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
So long as TVersity and PS3 Media Server work, what's the problem? That honestly seems like a non-issue.
how do you get the tv functions on the one ? I'd have to own and constantly keep another piece of equipment allways running instead of replacing a piece like I did with m 360
its regresion
AdlaiSeven
Member
So I am one of these "Windows Media Center" (WMC) Users who is actually affected by this. We use WMC as our primary DVR and media center for whole house streaming. We watch all our TV on WMC. We record all our shows on WMC. We stream all our audio and video though WMC and various plugins. We have gone all-in with Media Center so to speak.
And I can state for a fact this is not a big deal at all. WMC extenders are basically a glorified DVR front-ends for WMC. Trying to stream media to them beyond MS DVR formats is a huge pain and they just don't function well for streaming media services. There is so little native CODEC support in the extenders they are fairly useless now. I know, I used to use my 360 as an extender and got rid of by building a $100 XBMC box if I needed extender functionality.
This is much ado about nothing IMHO.
You know, I just remembered that Major Nelson said we can plug the 360 into the back of the One. I wonder how this will work, and if it will be a quick way to access WMC functions of the 360 through X1.
Cool whats your $100 box for media center ? Love to hear it. Post a lrice break down plus links so I can order it
AdlaiSeven
Member
Since this is the Internet and I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic, I'll just say you misread what I wrote.
I meant that I use a $100 android based xbmc device as an extender. I dropped using my 360 as an extender a while ago because i found its use limited. There is even an ouya xbmc build. Xbmc can play .dvr-ms and .wtv files.
My WMC is a custom build i3 sandy bridge pc. Of course it cost more the $100.
live tv? DVR?
Ceton Echo isn't that much more. Though you give up performance (not to mention it's a one trick pony)
DarkoMaledictus
Tier Whore
And this is acceptable why? It just means to me I am keeping my Western Ditigal Box and streaming all my content from my pc... FUCK m$!!
AdlaiSeven
Member
For every problem there is a solution.
http://www.silicondust.com/
I use their tuners to watch TV. You can stream the signal anywhere. They have a cable card solution.