[Athlon646464]

Future for Microsoft Set-Top Box Is Uncertain

Excerpt:

"As videogame fans await the unveiling of Microsoft Corp.'s next Xbox console, the future of another piece of hardware under development is less clear. Microsoft has been creating designs for a simple set-top device for streaming video and other entertainment options, people familiar with the matter said. But it is unclear whether the company will introduce the device. The product's design has gone through several iterations, including recent prototypes that worked with the company's Kinect motion-control technology, the people said. The Kinect, which was introduced in 2010, allows customers to interact with a device by speaking or with gestures."

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What would it have been? Half an XBox? :grin:

 

[Beerstalker]

If it works as a Windows Media Cneter Extender, and is cheap like the Roku/Apple TV, then I might be interested. I would have been very interested if DirecTV hadn't cancelled their PC tuner card plans.

I'm sure a lot of people looking to cut the cord would be interested in one. Set up a PC with Windows Media Center, and an OTA tuner card, then put a few little media center extenders all through the house and you'd have a pretty nice system for watching OTA TV recordings all throughout the house (without having to use xBoxes which are huge overkill for most people).

 

[anopro]

Microsoft missed the boat big time when it canceled Ultimate TV one hell of a of a DVR for it's time. They should have gone to the next level and commissioned hardware mfg's to come out with a set top box cable& direct TV a cable card for pc's and Direct tv card for pc's. And they could have linked it all with smartphones by 2013.