Xbox TV/multimedia options with Windows Phone/Kinect integration - Page 4

I'm loving the idea of an expanded ESPN app and more sports!!!! I actually probably love sports more than gaming so this is a win for me.

I think this multimedia expansion can become self-driving. As media companies jump in with their app, other media companies will probably jump in if for no other reason than to keep up.

And it's very cool how bing search will collate all the apps that can show that particular media. When they showed that so-and-so show was in Netflix, Zune, CinemaNow, Amazon, etc., that was pretty nifty and will lead to better competition between the media giants.

http://www.paramountmovies.com/support.html#XBOXAPP

What can I do with the Paramount Movies Xbox app?

The Paramount Movies app for Xbox can:
Stream movies you purchased, redeemed or rented from ParamountMoives.com
Browse the full selection of movies available on ParamountMoives.com
Play trailers from movies available on ParamountMovies.com
Browse your personal ParamountMovies.com movie library
Take some time to browse around and enjoy your movies. We hope you enjoy your experience on the Paramount Movies Xbox app!

8.b How do I get the Paramount Movies Xbox app?
You can find the Paramount Movies Xbox app in the Xbox app store. You must be an Xbox Live Gold member to access the free app.

8.c How do I watch content from ParamountMovies.com on my Xbox?
First, you must have purchased, redeemed or rented content from ParamountMovies.com. You can do this from your PC, Mac or iOS device. If you do not have a ParmountMovies.com account, then you should create one while at ParamountMovies.com using your PC, Mac or iOS device.
Next, install the Paramount Movies Xbox app found in the Xbox app store and log in using the email address and password associated to your ParamountMovies.com account. You will only need to log in once. Once you are logged in, you can view your purchased, redeemed or rented content in the Paramount Movies XBox app by going the ‘my library’ menu and choosing the movie you want to watch. Note, you must be an Xbox LIVE Gold member to access the Paramount Movies app for Xbox.

8.d What content can I watch on the Paramount Movies Xbox app?
Movies you have purchased, redeemed or rented at ParamountMovies.com are available to watch via the Paramount Movies Xbox app. All purchases, rentals or redeemed movies must be made from ParamountMovies.com on your PC, Mac or iOS devices. Purchasing is not supported on the Paramount Movies Xbox app at this time. Note that once a movie rental viewing window has expired, it will no longer be viewable in the ‘my library’ section of the Paramount Movies Xbox app. You can view expired rentals, by logging in to your ParamountMovies.com account via your PC, Mac or iOS device and going to the ‘MY MOVIES’ menu.

8.e Can I download movies to my Xbox?
Currently you cannot download movies to your Xbox using the Paramount Movies Xbox app. You can download ParamountMovies.com content you have purchased or redeemed by utilizing the download manager on your PC or Mac or by downloading our app for iPhone or iPad at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/paramount-movies/id515537531?ls=1&mt=8

8.f How do I purchase/rent movies on my Xbox?
Purchasing & renting movies via the Paramount Movies Xbox app is not supported at this time. To watch a movie on the Paramount Movies Xbox app first go to ParamountMovies.com in your browser (on PC, Mac or iOS Devices) to purchase, rent, or redeem a movie from Blu-rays and DVDs that are specially marked with UltraViolet. After you have purchased, rented or redeemed your movie, go back to the Paramount Movies Xbox app, navigate to the ‘my library’ menu and select the video you would like to watch. Note that when rental viewing periods expire, they will no longer show up on the ‘my library’ menu of in the Paramount Movies Xbox app. To view your past rentals, along with your other ParamountMovies.com content, please log on to ParamountMovies.com from your PC, Mac or iOS devices.

8.g What is the quality of the video playback on the Paramount Movies Xbox app?
At the moment, all video streams on the Paramount Movies Xbox app are in Standard Definition (SD). We are constantly working on improving Paramount online experiences for our customers, so stay tuned for future updates!

Google has updated the Youtube app for the Xbox. anyone notice any improvements? personally, I hope they bump up the playlist beyond 50 videos which is way too small.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/xbox-360-youtube-update-speed-music-videos/

The team behind it says the new version rolling out on Xbox Live is as much as five times faster than the old one, and also has access to channels with official music videos. It should update automatically the next time (Xbox Live Gold) users log in and want to watch Gangnam Style on the big screen, or they can find the new version in the Xbox Live Marketplac.

alright, I think the Youtube app is a nice improvement. the biggest thing for me was when I went to a subscribed channel, the uploads playlist was capped at 50 videos which was pretty terrible. now, I can see all of the videos.

and there are far less restrictions this time. videos that were unavailable before are now available.

ESPN has a brand new app!!

I saw that article on Deadspin last night. A major bummer. The ESPN app was a great way for me to watch football (UCLA, Fresno State) and basketball (Lakers).

I'm hoping it doesn't apply to the Xbox app specifically and that the article is generalizing because I've noticed that there was content in the Xbox version that wasn't available in ESPN3 via a web browser.

saw this at Gizmodo, looking into making original video programming?:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/with-hollywood-hire-microsoft-ups-entertainment-efforts/

Ms. Tellem will oversee a Microsoft production studio based in Los Angeles that will create both traditional “linear” programming and interactive programming that fuses video and gamelike content, they said. She will report to Phil Spencer, the corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios, part of the Microsoft entertainment division that oversees the company’s Xbox console.

The Fox app is up and running!

Unfortunately, you do need a TV provider for it to work. And also, I think right now the only providers allowed are Dish and Verizon FIOS.

Syfy has an exclusive TV series for the Xbox app called Nuclear Family:



http://www.syfy.com/nuclearfamily/about

Nuclear Family, Syfy Digital's third original series following the highly successful Riese and Mercury Men, stars Corin Nemec (Stargate SG-1), Kinsey Packard (Sleeper Cell), Ray Wise (Mad Men) and Sharon Lawrence (Desperate Housewives).

It tells the story about a family's struggle to survive in a lawless society ruled by a savage clan led by The Man, while desperately searching for their missing child, lost in the apocalyptic chaos following a mysterious mega-explosion.

For the first time ever, Syfy Digital will launch a digital original series exclusively on Xbox 360® via their Syfy App. On October 1, all 20 episodes of Nuclear Family will premiere on the Syfy App on the Xbox LIVE® entertainment platform, followed by simultaneous premieres on Syfy.com, Hulu, VOD, Syfy's mobile and tablet apps and Syfy's new Roku channel starting on October 15.

Independent studio Vuguru developed and financed the series from creator Kyle Rankin (Project Greenlight, The Battle of Shaker Heights, Infestation) who wrote and directed. Nuclear Family was produced by Jaime Burke (The Pact, The Millionaire Tour), and executive produced by Clay Kelley, Jesse Albert (The Bannen Way) and Rankin.

haha. YouPorn confirmed to work on IE for Xbox...

http://blog.youporn.com/watch-youporn-videos-on-xbox-360/

free porn on the big screen FTW!

actually, I checked it out. Youporn pulled a fast one on everyone. their vids don't work. I guess they didn't switch to HTML5 yet.

alright, apparently they're switching over to HTML5 so some videos will work (the ones that have switched) and some videos won't.
Edited by onlysublime - 10/2/12 at 11:27am

don't forget about watching the debates on Xbox. they're luring you in with Halo avatar armor.

http://rewards.xbox.com/get-yours/landing/election-2012



Because when Xbox LIVE Rewards members watch three of four presidential or vice-presidential debates on Election 2012 on Xbox LIVE, they'll get a free Halo 4 Warrior Avatar Armor. No matter your party, it's always a party with Xbox LIVE Rewards. Tune in today and make your country proud!

Debate coverage on the following dates in real-time from 9-10:30pm ET (6-7:30pm PT) on Xbox LIVE:
10/3
10/11
10/16
10/22

did anyone's favorites in ESPN get erased? mine were erased. I don't know if it was my fault or not (I was doing maintenance and clearing out space but I'm pretty sure I didn't touch anything in the ESPN folder).

Xbox Music is live now...

woohoo! the NBA is finally on the Xbox! now we need football!!!

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/22/nba-game-time-drives-the-lane-on-xbox-360-today/#continued

Today, NBA Game Time launched on Xbox LIVE*, giving Gold subscribers access to their favorite NBA action right from their Xbox and just in time for the 2013 season tip off on October 30th. Dig deep with daily highlights from around the league and up-to-the-minute stats for your favorite players and teams. When you subscribe to NBA.com League Pass Broadband, catch every live regular season game in stunning HD, and your couch becomes the floor seats you always wanted.*

NBA Game Time on Xbox LIVE offers the following features:

Live Games, Highlights, and Replays in HD – You'll have access to every live regular season game, in stunning HD. All the games are available in replay, so you can watch on your schedule. And, if you're short on time altogether, watch the condensed game recap, or just take in the quick highlights.

My Teams – Obsess over your favorite team and get up-to-the-minute stats on your favorite players. With NBA Game Time on Xbox 360, getting to the details is quick and easy. And to make sure you are in the know, add 4 other teams to follow.

Stats & Standings – Want to know what's going on around the league? With Stats & Standings, find out which team is leading a conference or which players top the leaderboards in scoring, rebounding, and more.

Scores & Schedules – NBA Game Time on Xbox 360 gives you quick access to the scores you want and the schedules you need – right on your big screen. Spoiler Alert! Feel free to turn those scores off too – so you can catch up on your game a little late, without the spoilers.

Mini Guide – The mini-guide gives you a quick preview of all of today's games right at the bottom of your screen, and makes it easier than ever to switch between games.

Split Screen – Watch two games at once, or watch a live game on one screen while you catch up with highlights or a replay on the other.

Voice and Gesture Control with Kinect for Xbox 360 – Focus on the court instead of looking for the remote. Navigate through the games, skip to the next quarter, or play, pause, and rewind that buzzer beater, all with the sound of your voice or the wave of your hand.

The addition of NBA Game Time to the existing lineup of sports partners, including ESPN, UFC and MLB, Xbox is taking live sports on TV to a whole new level with personalization features, deeper interactivity, and social connectivity found only on Xbox 360. For more information, visit www.xbox.com. We look forward to sharing additional entertainment experience on Xbox in the future.

Engadget has a better article:

Engadget has an even better article:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/xbox-smartglass-nba-game-time/#continued

excerpts (for full text, go to the link):



In Microsoft's ongoing battle to alter your association between "Xbox" and "Video Games," SmartGlass is its latest volley. Employing your favorite mobile device -- Windows Phone 7.5/8, Android, and iOS devices are all supported -- SmartGlass enables you to control your Dashboard experience, explore the web, input text, and much more. But what Microsoft's really banking on is its "second screen" functionality, essentially enabling another layer of interactivity with video, music, games, and the Xbox 360's other, less ballyhooed service: sports.

First and foremost, know that Pessner and co. are looking at Game Time as one of SmartGlass' "horizontal experiences" -- an example for what to expect from similar apps (such as the forthcoming UFC, MLB, and NHL iterations). This is a very good thing, as NBA Game Time expertly integrates live games, real-time statistics, and your friends list into a social mélange of wizardry. Where this all comes together is in the "Sports Picker," which allows you to guess outcomes to games across a variety of sports via SmartGlass; those choices then reflect in an ongoing leaderboard against Xbox Live friends. The functionality isn't all that incredible on its own, but when paired with a wealth of stats and live games, it's easy to see how interactivity like this could reshape how fans consume sports.



Additionally, the system has a built-in tracker for following up to five teams -- when the idea of a fantasy team builder comes up, Pessner says, "I'm not allowed to talk about roadmap-related things, but you could imagine ..." He begins laughing mid-response. "You could imagine that." Xbox Music GM Jerry Johnson is more politically-minded in his response. "The beauty of this is it's a platform for content developers. So everything we can imagine, there's already people working on it, first-party and third-party." The question of when, of course, is another entirely. The aforementioned UFC, MLB, and NHL apps will join NBA Game Time "in the coming months" -- Pessner and Johnson both referred to the apps as coming in the holidays, so presumably we'll see them join the sports hub by the end of 2013.
Edited by onlysublime - 10/22/12 at 9:35pm

Engadget has a new article about SmartGlass. Note that Dance Central 3 and NBA Game Time are 2 of the first titles to utilize it.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/xbox-smartglass-launch/#continued

excerpts (for full text, refer to link):



SmartGlass functionality may already sort of exist on Xbox 360 per the console's latest Dashboard update, but Microsoft's making it a full-on reality on October 26. As it stands, the Xbox 360 allows for SmartGlass support, but without an update to Microsoft's 360 companion app, there's no way to use it -- when Microsoft's Surface RT and other Windows 8 tablets launch on the 26, that functionality will come built in to the "Games" section of the new OS. That of course begs the question: "When will I be able to use SmartGlass with my iOS/Android/Windows Phone 7.5 devices? And how?"

The date isn't certain, but functionality will arrive on other platforms "soon" after the October 26 launch of Surface, Microsoft reps tell us. When it does, it'll come in the form of an update to your existing, "My Xbox Live" mobile app (which also renames the app to, "Xbox SmartGlass") or Games tab (per WP7.5), and it'll be more or less identical with the Windows Phone version. The only missing functionality, we're told, are two somewhat basic bulletpoints. "We have deeper integration in the Windows Phone," Microsoft tells us. "That's something we don't have on iOS or Android, it's just within our application. Same on Windows -- the integration in Windows is 'last playing' or 'now playing,' being able to present that information." The other, more interesting item, is the lacking ability to "send" whatever website you're using up to the Xbox 360's Internet Explorer browser. Regardless of which mobile device you're on, SmartGlass can "send" websites from the 360 to said device -- it won't work the other way around, however, if you're using a non-Windows 8 device.


Gizmodo has its article up:
Gizmodo has a great new article:
http://gizmodo.com/5953956/xbox-smartglass-hands-on-controlling-your-xbox-is-really-awesome-now

excerpts (for full text, go to link):

Xbox SmartGlass has been floating around for a while now, but we got a chance to check out some of the final features being added to it before it's available to everyone later this week. Here's the new stuff.

Browsing with Internet Explorer
The biggest boost to convenience with using SmartGlass is probably the keyboard. SmartGlass fixes that by popping up the native keyboard every time you come to a text entry box. From what we saw, it's pretty snappy in the Xbox's Internet Explorer, and in other places you might need to enter a username or search term.

Browsing pages themselves is also made pretty easy. You use the tablet's surface to drag the viewing area around, and you can tap links to navigate around, and pinch and squeeze to zoom in or out. It works pretty well, but you get into some trouble on pages that have smaller links. Because Xbox IE always loads the full version of sites to display on your TV, some of the controls aren't touch-friendly, even though you're using nothing but touch.

Music and Movies
Here's where SmartGlass really shines, and is probably where you'll get the most real world use out of SmartGlass. You can use SmartGlass to control your music, either your local files, or streamed songs over Xbox Music. The controls are intuitive, and make your TV seem like a big, visual entertainment center.

For video, you can press a "Play on Xbox" button, and your video will transfer from your phone or tablet to your Xbox. From there, you'll have a nicely designed control panel, and, basically, Amazon's X-Ray for movies feature—only much better designed. Microsoft says it will be on 65 percent of all "views", which is a sketchy metric, but chances are it'll be on any popular movie you watch. The Play on Xbox button changes into a play on tablet function when the movie is playing on your TV. The time between it swapping from one source to another is pretty quick, and I didn't notice any lost time or dialogue as it was changing over. At the very least, it's a much, much, much more fluid way to control your movies than clicking the shoulder buttons on you Xbox controller.

Sports
Sports are a natural fit for the second screen, so naturally everyone's trying it. For Microsoft, it makes sense because you can use SmartGlass to navigate through content from ESPN and the NBA, UFC, and NHL (assuming they ever start playing hockey again). That will include games through your cable provider, or ESPN over your ISP. You'll get the usual—scores, rosters, stats—and the strangely heavily featured ability to pick the winners of games (no one will use this).

The highlights and stats packages look pretty good, for something you're throwing up on your TV. But the strength of sports on SmartGlass is also a weakness. You're much more likely to want to use your phone or tablet to look at scores while you're watching a game, especially if you're using that phone or tablet as your remote. But without access to your fantasy teams, or some of the more granular stats on dedicated sports sites, it might not be enough for the kinds of fans who already have a tablet or laptop in the hands during games.

Playing Games
Some games will have a SmartGlass Duel Mode, which turns your phone or tablet (there are apps for Android and iPhone, in addition to Windows stuff) into, basically, a Wii U controller. You can use it to select what kind of pitch you want to throw in a baseball game, for example, and then you'll play a mini game to determine how well you throw it. It's a pretty neat feature, but it's totally developer-dependent, so it's not clear how much support you'll see built in going forward for content not all gamers will see.
Edited by onlysublime - 10/22/12 at 9:59pm

alright, I started using SmartGlass on my laptop. really slick stuff! I was pushing videos from my desktop via my laptop to the Xbox! I'll try out audio soon.

If I have some time, I'll upload a video. It's come a long way since Xbox Companion. However, I don't think the new version of SmartGlass is out yet because my version doesn't look like the version that the news sites are showing.

here's Major Nelson's blog post on Xbox SmartGlass:

http://majornelson.com/2012/10/22/new-xbox-entertainment-experiences-launching-this-week-across-your-favorite-devices/

excerpts (for full text, refer to link):

Plus, Xbox SmartGlass will also be available later this week when Windows 8 launches on October 26th. When the Xbox SmartGlass app launches on tablets, PCs and smartphones, it will include key foundational experiences for interacting with your Xbox 360, such as dashboard and app navigation and Internet Explorer control, like text input, scrolling and pinch and zoom. Additionally, you will get SmartGlass experiences with Xbox Video and Xbox Music starting this week. Xbox SmartGlass will be a free downloadable app that takes your Windows 8 tablets and PCs, Windows Phone 8, iOS and Android devices, and converts them into a smart second screen for the entertainment you are enjoying through your Xbox.

I have gotten a few questions on what games and apps will support Xbox SmartGlass, so I wanted to share a few a list of some of the apps and games that will support Xbox SmartGlass in the coming months.

Games:

• Ascend
• Dance Central 3
• Forza Horizon
• Halo Waypoint
• Home Run Stars
• Karaoke
• Kinect Sesame Street TV
• Prima Games

Sports:

• ESPN
• NBA Game Time
• UFC

Entertainment Apps:

• Elections 2012
• HBO GO
• MSN
• NBC News
• NOW TV
• Slacker Radio
• TODAY
• Univision

Alright! I got the update about half an hour ago and put it through the paces in Windows 8 (enterprise evaluation version). I used my ancient HP TX2000 laptop which I can't install the final Windows 8 on (I can't get proper video drivers and had to used a hacked laptopvideo2go driver which has some problems and it fails to install with my Intel 80 GB SSD). But the notebook is good enough to show off SmartGlass.

It's pretty slick. You see the GPS on the 12.1" screen. You can zoom in and out. You can filter your various targets like showcases, festival races, etc. The screen scrolls as you're driving. You can choose your destination.

I don't know about using it with a phone because the 12.1" screen felt cramped already. To see it on a 4" screen would probably drive me crazy.

When combined with the Kinect GPS feature, you've got it all covered. I wouldn't use the SmartGlass feature to select destinations. Because it's easier to use the Kinect GPS feature and the back button to see the map. However, if you have your laptop near you, it's neat to drive and see the map without having to pause and pull up the GPS map.

I'll post a video ASAP.

I don't know about using it with a phone because the 12.1" screen felt cramped already. To see it on a 4" screen would probably drive me crazy.

I just uploaded the video so Youtube is still processing it. Give it a half hour or so for it to be fully postprocessed.

Again, this ancient laptop will not be getting Windows 8 because of the lack of WDDM 1.2 video drivers. I had to get hacked drivers from laptopvideo2go and these drivers have problems with the ancient hardware. But it's good enough to demonstrate SmartGlass. The notebook has a resistive screen so it's not good for fingers. So don't judge touch performance or video performance due to the old machine. Also, this is the enterprise evaluation of Windows 8. It is not the final version. This laptop will not be getting the final version due to driver problems.

Also showing a little of the Kinect functionality. I actually think the Kinect GPS is more useful, but the SmartGlass feature is neat.

Sorry about the poor video quality. My Android tablet takes lousy video. The green path is easy to see on the laptop screen, but the recorder kind of washed out the screen so it's hard to see.
Edited by onlysublime - 10/26/12 at 6:49pm