Tune your TV with your Xbox 360

If Netflix isn't enough, turn your XBox 360 into a TV Tuner with IPTV.

If you've ever wanted to get rid of Cable, Satellite or just think the antenna behind your TV is beaming signals into your brain, now's your chance to find out how the 360 will get rid of all that.

This article explains another feature planned for the XBox 360.

Click for the overview and the 2005 Microsoft Patent with all the details.

[THE_MACC]

Microsoft really are pushing the 360 to become the only thing you'll need in to living room. 'cept a TV obviously.
something tells me this will go the way of the Zune. which is an okay system, but why bother? when there is better on the market already.

[solidt12]

IP TV was planned like 2 years ago and they just stopped talking about it. good that they bring it back up now.

[Zeevious]

I think they are applying the best concepts from the original 'Ultimate TV' and planning for a future of FIOS & lots of competition.

As long as I can watch without my foil hat, I'm in!
http://m2.n4g.com/8/Images/...

[bumnut]

i think the 360 is too loud for people to use for tv.

[edhe]

That's why they do things like shrink the dye.

[SL1M DADDY]

I thought this was something they said it would do early last year or even the year before that... I was expecting this to come in last years fall update but it never came.

[edhe]

The infrastructure and ability is there, it's just up to a 3rd party to load it up.

BT were planning it in the UK but they seem to have stopped bothered, which is what BT does, generally.

I think there now more interested in getting FIOS out to the streets now the regulators won't hurt them if they do.

[Zeevious]

From the patent, it's enabled with a minor firmware update that may already be in the system, just waiting to be activated.

The article gives you an overview of how the system works.
An interesting thing I noticed was the latest patent update, just days before E3...July 10, 2008.

I'm not one to speculate on release dates but I'd rather see this sooner, than later.

[JasonXE]

announce it for e3 so I doubt it's coming anytime soon. This is the 360 version of ps home.

[titntin]

As an idea, it became a little more fragmented by their decision to have 360 models with no hard drives - limiting the abillity of machines to act as PVR's. I believe the standard for digital transmission in the states is a little confusing too, and limits the ability of a tuner that can be compatable with all the broadcasting.

Sony's similar system is planned for Europe, where there is an agreed standard for the digital broadcasts, so the twin tuners will be compatable with everything. It can also be a full PVR as the system always has a hard drive it can use.

I see the advantage of the intergration, but I'm in the UK and use a sky+ PVR box and the neither system will duplicate that functionality so its of no appeal to me!

I'm doubting we'll see the 360 system soon, but I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again no doubt!! :)

[DEIx15x8]

The 360 doesn't use a tuner. It has no hardware at all. Basically you sign up for IPtv service with some provider and they give you a disc that you put in your 360. When it's in the drive it installs the IPtv support just like they did for the HD-DVD drive. It then uses the ethernet jack to get the video. I'm pretty sure it is already out in the US because I've seen videos on youtube from people claiming to have it already and showing the install process. They announced it about two years ago at CES so I would assume that some partner has started using it already even if the one mentioned in the article is dragging their feet.

[titntin]

Oops thanks for clearing that up!

I was mistaken about what it was - its simply taking an internet provided TV signal. Now I understand so thanks..

[gnothe1]

i think it was coming BUT... because of the wide spread problem of the RROD companies decided to hold off. because MS was actually planning on setting up deals with cable companies to replace there cable boxes with 360's.

[solidt12]

I remember them saying at the 2006 E3 the this would be out in August of 2007 and they never launched it or mentioned it again. Yeah I bet is was the RRoDeath that put this of for a later date. I still don't see this happening because the 360 still runs way to hot and I wouldn't want to put my 360 in jeopardy just so everyone in te house can watch tv on it. In my house that would me the 360 would be on for like 12 hours or more a day.

[benny o klaatt]

got vista or xp mce 2005?
get yourself a dvb-t usb dongle and away you go. watching tv while still being connected is brilliant