UPDATED 01:48 EDT / MAY 07 2015

NEWS

A smart move: TV recording features reportedly coming to Xbox One

We’ve just heard about the death of Microsoft’s Windows Media Center, but one of its features, TV recording, will apparently live on taking form in the Xbox One.

Gabriel Aul, engineering general manager for the Operating Systems Group at Microsoft, stated in a Tweet this week, “We can confirm that due to decreased usage, Windows Media Center will not be part of Windows 10.” He added that WMC users will get a DVD option in an update later this year, which was another prominent function of the media center.

DVR functions coming to console

 

Xbox One was designed as an all-inclusive living room entertainment system, and so it makes sense that DVR functions should come to the console, in spite of its meager 500GB storage for all media, games and now, later, TV recordings – storage space will likely have to grow, or perhaps recordings be saved on an external source.

The rumor about the move started with Microsoft expert Paul Thurrott, who wrote that while Xbox One only currently has TV watching features, “My sources tell me that will change, and most probably this year, to include TV recording.”

While in parts of Europe, Australia and North America Xbox One already has TV tuners, giving access to TV networks,  as yet there is no function to record, only pause live TV for no more than 30 minutes. Such a move, if it is true – Microsoft has not confirmed it as yet – would certainly help the Xbox in its fight to stay ahead in the console wars.

If we are to hear an announcement, it might well be aired at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, which will take place next month and will feature all the big names in consoles.

Photo credit: Luke Hayfield via photopin cc

Since you’re here …

… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.

If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.