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Xbox One's HDMI Pass-Through Can Connect PS4, PCs and More

Posted by timothy on from the wish-my-laptop-had-hdmi-in dept.

MojoKid writes "The Xbox One has both HDMI-in and HDMI-out capability. The point of HDMI-in is to allow you to hook up a cable box, with output then running from the Xbox One to your television. As it turns out, however, that's not the only thing the Xbox One can do. Since the HDMI-in port is a standard option, it can accept video input from a PS4 and also accept a video stream from a PC. According to Xbox senior director of product management, Albert Panello, "any application can be snapped to a game... this could be the live TV feed, so if you wanted to play Ryse and Killzone (a PS4 exclusive), you could snap that." Keep in mind, snapping a title to the Xbox One doesn't mean that you can actually keep using Xbox One controllers in the game. If you want to snap in a PS4 game, you still need PS4 controllers. If you want to hook a PC into the Xbox One's video output, you still need mouse and keyboard, though if the Xbox One's controllers are eventually PC compatible, then you might be able to use the same controller on both platforms without doing much more than flipping a switch."

10 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Non story by OptimalCynic · · Score: 5, Informative

    Socket accepts plugs it's designed to accept. What's the story?

  2. So what. by kamapuaa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is one of the most trivial articles I've ever seen on Slashdot.
    XBone lets HDMI input pass through it for all sorts of HDMI devices, no just cable boxes.
    So what.

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    1. Re:So what. by msauve · · Score: 4, Funny

      But, by timothy's standards, it's pretty good.

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      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  3. 2 Port HDMI Switch by profplump · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't understand why there's a story about a video device including a 2-port HDMI switch. Your TV probably has a much larger one already, and if it doesn't you can buy one for like $9 from Monoprice. How is this news?

    1. Re:2 Port HDMI Switch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The Xbox One's killer feature is that it allows you to use other consoles.

  4. Can. But shouldn't by EdZ · · Score: 5, Informative

    It was later clarified by Penello that the latency of the HMDI input would be too high for gaming, and using it to pass the PS4's (or any other console, e.g. 360) output is not recommended, presumably because of the overlay. Odd, as my AV receiver can overlay it's UI with no more than 1 frame of delay, but if it was only intended for overlaying of TV, then MS may never have bothered to optimise it.

    1. Re:Can. But shouldn't by coolsnowmen · · Score: 4, Informative

      Input lag has been non-trivial for a while now. One of those non-marketable numbers so not all TV manufacturers spent time on them.

      I remember it was impossible to play certain fast paced games on 1st Gen DLPs ( Car racing games).

  5. you missed the point by frovingslosh · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is a great feature for people too stupid to just use the other HDMI input on their TV.

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    1. Re:you missed the point by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 5, Informative

      This is a great feature for people too stupid to just use the other HDMI input on their TV.

      My TV only has one HDMI input - and my receiver has two. (Not everyone has whatever you have.)

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      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  6. How is this news? by MikeBabcock · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How is this even interesting? Anyone with a receiver has had HDMI pass-through for ages now. My Yamaha receiver has HDMI pass-through and switching, why on earth would I want to use the Microsoft version?

    Seriously, there is nearly zero benefit to this (and it sucks more power from the XBOne being turned on while not in use).

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    - Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)