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XBox Adding HD Tuners Next Year

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the convergence-or-some-crap dept.

iloveCarla writes "Microsoft is partnering with Toshiba to turn the Xbox into a full fledged HTPC. With built-in HD DVD, a larger hard drive, revamped "MCE" interface, and possibly HDTV tuners, the Xbox would be in a better position to compete against the PS3 in the race to serve as the defacto entertainment hub for couch potatoes. According to the article "The new device is expected to be released late in 2008 or at the 2009 CES show in Las Vegas."

9 of 279 comments (clear)

  1. Better position to compete? by johannesg · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Unbelievable - "better position to compete"? Are they so incredibly afraid of Sony, then, despite their enormous lead? Or are things not quite as rosy for the XBox as various sources would have us believe?

    1. Re:Better position to compete? by ZachPruckowski · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Microsoft wants to own not only the console space, but also the STB space. In front, Microsoft wants to own the entire "computing" and "consumer electronics" markets.

      Imagine this Microsoft Dream World: You use Windows at work, hear about a cool new show, and schedule the recording via your Windows Mobile smartphone, and come home to your XBox, which has recorded all of your TV shows to your Windows Home Server in the closet. You can fire up your Windows Media Center computer, and watch them from there or from the XBox, or sync them to your Zune to watch on the go.

      Microsoft wants to compete with basically every technology company out there. Not necessarily unlike Apple. The goal that both companies have is domination of your computing lifestyle.

  2. Still no SMB shares though by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The one feature that would make the 360 into a descent media centre would be support for SMB (aka Window's) shares, so you can easily access all the media from your PC or NAS. It's the thing that makes XBOX Media Centre rock. No-one wants to be forced to use Media Player 11's crappy media streaming when they could just as easily browse their network shares.

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  3. Re:Well then... by Cosmic+AC · · Score: 3, Interesting
    FTA:

    Anothe r[sic] big problem for Microsoft according to insiders is getting the heat and noise output from the current Xbox 360 under control so that the new device can run silently while a movie is being played. It is known that Toshiba has been working with Microsoft on this issue as it has extensive experience in notebooks and "quiet" drives.
  4. This means in the UK.. by Flibberdy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...to own one of these new 360's you'll need to buy a tv license as if you own any equipment capable of receiving TV signals you need to own a license. That's an extra £130/year (unless of course you have a license anyway).

    Flibberdy

  5. PS3 TV by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The PS3 needs help developing native X drivers that work on the Cell's SPEs. Linux currently runs on the PS3 Cell's PPC core, but that doesn't even have the accelerated graphics that cheap PCs have on their videocards (the PS3 RSX is locked out to Linux). The SPEs are so much more powerful, and designed for exactly the pixel pushing that X needs. Once they're running instead of sitting there, the PS3 will be by far the best $600 HD terminal out there. Especially with home theater/automation systems on it like LinuxMCE. But it needs help across that basic milestone.

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  6. history by smash · · Score: 2, Interesting
    As anyone with a passing knowledge of consoles should know - this will flop.

    Just ask sega about how well console "upgrades" sell - eg MegaCD, 32X, etc.

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  7. Re:Not the enhancement people really want by grumbel · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ### It's not "guessing" at all, it's the logical conclusion to draw from the fact that the chips had detached from the motherboard due to overheating and weaker solder.

    Yeah, but how then did it take Microsoft way over a year to figure that one out and (maybe) fix it? Nobody knows the failure rate of currently released XBox360s and plenty of those that Microsoft had 'repaired' after they broke, broke again a while later.

    ### If you're waiting on Microsoft to admit they did something wrong to believe they did something wrong, then you'll be waiting a long time.

    When Microsoft would want to sell a few more boxes they better start to be honest to the user. I am just a little sick of them telling us bullshit over and over again. Any word on when they will fix the DVD scratching issue that has been their for now almost two years (sorry, but blaming the user is *not* the right thing to do when a pair of rubber pads could fix it)?

  8. Implications for Intel by symbolset · · Score: 2, Interesting

    With their crapulent MCE OS offerrings MS has just about convinced Intel there is no market for HTPC. Now we find that MS wants the whole market with its non-Intel XBox.

    Will Intel respond with some non-Microsoft developments, or will they surrender another market to the Beast of Redmond?

    Ultimately Microsoft has to take ownership of the entire PC hardware market if they are to sustain growth. They are already an OEM of desktop PCs in India. If they take the consumer electronics space also there's nothing left but servers. How long before they're drooling over that high margin business?

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