XBOX Discussion

[Ed]

For 40 bucks, you could have just bought a used Roku.

Yeah, but each of my 4 main TVs only has 2 HDMI inputs. Each TV has an XBOX and BR player attached taking up the inputs. I could have gotten an HDMI splitter and Roku for each TV, but this way was just more convenient all around for me. Besides, $40 bucks is hardly breaking the bank. Plus, the GF likes the setup - I've been told now that everything works, and works well - don't change anything! LOL, she knows (or should) that won't last long

[Moderator note: topic split from http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 740#p75740]

[Ed]

I really like the Netflix interface on Roku 3. So much that I've completely abandoned the Media Center Netflix add-in. Haven't tried Hulu on Roku, because I refuse to pay for Hulu Plus. I rarely use Hulu to watch a show I missed somehow, and the Hulu Desktop app has worked fine for that. I wish that Hulu would allow embedded devices to use the free version of Hulu. They might make more advertising revenue that way.

Question: You mentioned the ease of one HDMI input with the XBox. But don't you have to navigate to the "Close" menu in Media Center to get back to the XBox dashboard? Is there an easier way, possibly a single button on a remote control? I know that the XBox will start Media Center from the dashboard (or when off) by simply pressing the green button on the remote. Is there a button to go to the dashboard? Is there a button to go directly to Netflix or some other streaming app?

Sorry I missed all that.

Good news - Hulu will be allowing for free content on devices -whether this will effect the XBOX, and what content, I can't tell you - but it's possible: http://www.cnet.com/news/hulu-promises- ... e-devices/

As for the remote question - Yes. I set up my Harmony remotes as XBOX remotes (not WMC remotes, though all the WMC buttons still work) and thus when I hit 'Exit' on the remote - it brings me to the XBOX dashboard. You do have to confirm Yes, so might just barely be more key presses - maybe not - but I still find it more convenient than having to navigate to close in WMC to get to the XBOX dashboard. This also allows you to use the RGBY buttons on the remote as the corresponding XBOX controller buttons, which helps with functionality/navigation in the apps.

Edit: Yeah, I just logged into MyHarmony to double check - set you extender/device up as a XBOX 360 and you will get the XBOX controller buttons as well as the WMC buttons to map to your remote - this is how I did it.

[barnabas1969]

I don't use a Harmony. I use an AR-RX18G. I added a device for both Media Center and XBox, because the Media Center ON/OFF commands don't work correctly for the XBox... and the XBox commands don't give me full functionality in Media Center... so my macros/activities use the XBox ON/OFF commands, and everything else uses the Media Center commands. I just tried selecting the XBox device and pressing "Exit", but it just sends the B/Back button. I'll have to look in their online settings interface to see if I can program a button to send "Exit".

It would be nice though if there was a button to go directly to Netflix/Hulu.

[Ed]

OK. The actual command mapped to the 'Exit' button on my remotes is called 'XBOX Guide' in the MyHarmony software, if that helps any. It's akin to if you press the XBOX logo button on the actual XBOX controllers.

[barnabas1969]

Good news - Hulu will be allowing for free content on devices -whether this will effect the XBOX, and what content, I can't tell you - but it's possible: http://www.cnet.com/news/hulu-promises- ... e-devices/

That's for mobile devices (smartphones), not for embedded devices (Bluray players and Roku boxes). I don't like the fact that they force you to buy a subscription if you want to use an embedded device... and you still have to watch advertisements! If I'm going to be forced to watch advertisements, I'm not going to pay Hulu. I really don't see the benefit of Hulu Plus. Maybe, if they let embedded devices watch free episodes (with ads), they'd make more money?

[barnabas1969]

OK. The actual command mapped to the 'Exit' button on my remotes is called 'XBOX Guide' in the MyHarmony software, if that helps any.

Well, I pressed the "Menu" button on my remote, and it popped up an XBox menu in the middle of the screen. From there, I can choose to go to the dashboard. Is that what you're talking about?

[Ed]

Good news - Hulu will be allowing for free content on devices -whether this will effect the XBOX, and what content, I can't tell you - but it's possible: http://www.cnet.com/news/hulu-promises- ... e-devices/

That's for mobile devices (smartphones), not for embedded devices (Bluray players and Roku boxes). I don't like the fact that they force you to buy a subscription if you want to use an embedded device... and you still have to watch advertisements! If I'm going to be forced to watch advertisements, I'm not going to pay Hulu. I really don't see the benefit of Hulu Plus. Maybe, if they let embedded devices watch free episodes (with ads), they'd make more money?

While it does say mobile devices, it could be across the entire Hulu Plus program; regardless of device. It also might not. We'll just have to wait and see when it goes live. I'm choosing to be optimistic. I pay for Hulu Plus anyway though. Again - like my thought process with Live Gold, while it would be nice to not have to pay, I never miss the $8 a month or even notice it missing TBH. And now when I see a Hulu app on a device, I know I can just use it and not worry. If anything - the money I save in DVR fees more than covers the cost

OK. The actual command mapped to the 'Exit' button on my remotes is called 'XBOX Guide' in the MyHarmony software, if that helps any.

Well, I pressed the "Menu" button on my remote, and it popped up an XBox menu in the middle of the screen. From there, I can choose to go to the dashboard. Is that what you're talking about?

Yes. At least, I believe so. Sometimes things get lost in translation via forums I'm not at home ATM to use my XBOX and confirm.

[barnabas1969]

Here's a picture of what it looks like when I press "Menu". If I select "XBox Home" (or press the Yellow button on my remote), it then asks me to confirm. I have to arrow-up, and press OK to select "Yes".

EDIT: Now I see at the top of the box, it says "XBox Guide"... so I guess that's what you're talking about.

[Ed]

Yeah, that's how I do it. The easiest way I'm aware of; or at least, for me. This way if I'm in the Movie Library/Recorded TV/etc, I don't have to go to Main Menu>Settings>Close. Just Exit>OK>Yes.

[barnabas1969]

OK, I'll have to experiment with a macro/activity to see how reliable it is. The problem is that the kids will still need to navigate through the XBox home screen to find Netflix.

Right now, they use Bluray players for Netflix. The TV's in the bedrooms are pretty dumb. They don't even have separate IR commands to select HDMI inputs. So, I bought HDMI switches with IR commands for each input. Their remotes are programmed to change to the correct HDMI input, turn on the Bluray player, and go directly to Netflix (the BD players have an IR command for Netflix).

The Netflix interface on the BD players is not very good though. The Roku is much better. I was planning to buy Rokus for their rooms, but haven't gotten to it. They would still need to navigate the Roku menu to get to Netflix, but the Roku menu is much simpler than the XBox menu. However, if the XBox adds a good Netflix interface for free... then they may just have to deal with it.

[Ed]

Just add Netflix and whatever other apps you want to the 'My Pins' tile in the XBOX dashboard. Quicker navigation that way and you can order them however you like. When you are looking at the synopsis for an app/where it allows you to download/delete it - there should be an option for 'pin to home' or something similar. Then whenever you sign into the XBOX dashboard, you just hit down, you're then hovering over 'My Pins", and hit enter and the apps you pinned will all be there. Its quicker than having to navigate to the app section in the dashboard; which is what you're doing if I'm not mistaken.

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-360 ... ve/my-pins

Should look like this:



Edit - also once Gold apps go free, they can all have their own account with their own apps pinned/downloaded and in whatever order they want. So it will be customized to each of them. This way you won't have to worry about them messing with your pinned/installed apps too

[barnabas1969]

Thanks. I'll try it. I haven't used the Xbox for anything but Media Center. I'm not into games. My son is, but he plays PC games. I bought an XBox controller dongle for the HTPC just to give Steam a try. I thought it might be fun to play some simple games with the kids in the living room. Nothing too complicated... I need simple games. When my son saw the wireless dongle, he asked if he could have it for his gaming PC. He took it to his mom's house, along with one of the XBox controllers, and loves it.

[Ed]

Yeah, the XBOX is merely an entertainment device for me too. I prefer PC gaming myself and am currently fooling around with building a dedicated Steam Box (aside from my gaming PC upstairs), or building a very low power streaming receiver to stream games from my main gaming rig via Steam's new In-Home Streaming service initiative.

[barnabas1969]

Something simple like Frogger, Pac Man, or auto racing is more my speed. There are too damn many buttons on game controllers these days. I never know which button to press to do what. When I was a kid, a joy stick had ONE button.

[Ed]

Yeah there are plenty of simple-fun games like that on Steam too. Limbo is a really simple/fun/unique platformer that comes to mind. Racing games are a dime a dozen too. But also, people just grow out of gaming. While I still game occasionally, I have no where near the want/desire to do so as much as when I was younger. Still when I do - PC is the only platform for me.

And don't worry, I'm sure I'll feel the same way when everyone starts gaming via VR/the Oculus Rift.

[barnabas1969]

I built my son a gaming machine for Christmas 2013. I spent a bundle of money on it. It was pretty darn close to the highest spec PC you could build at the time. The case is basically just perforated metal with fans all over it (and a handle on top so he can carry it to LAN parties)... and of course he wanted adjustable RGB LED lighting in it. The thing looks like it could fly away. Since then, he has upgraded the video card (using his own money) and sold the old one on e-bay (using his own e-bay/paypal/bank account). I wasn't real happy that he spent his money on that... I spent a ton of money on the old video card and didn't think the new one was worth the extra cost.

He recently upgraded the SSD and HDD to larger ones (I guess 128GB for the O/S and 1TB of storage wasn't enough for his games, so he went with a 256GB SSD and a 4TB HDD). He gave me the old ones so I can build another PC with the drives and the other parts I have laying around (for the kids to use while they are at my house... so they won't use my desktop PC). I have everything needed to build another PC just laying around.

I have a coworker who built his own oculus-type device. I keep asking him to bring it to work so I can check it out. He says that his wife won't give him time to mess with it, and he doesn't want to bring it in until he has it working perfectly. I think that if games really let you look around behind you, and use "weapons" that react to your body movements... then maybe I could actually play those games. Every time I play a 1st person shooter game, I get killed within seconds. I just don't get how to figure out when someone is coming up behind me.

Now, real-life is different. When I play paint ball, I'm a stalker. I hide in the bushes, and sneak around behind the enemy line and attack from their side!

[Ed]

I tried the Oculus along with the Virtuix Omnia couple months back. While it's a very, very cool experience; it came off gimmicky to me. It's more suited to a Dave and Busters than a home. It also would be exhaustive to play games that way IMO. While I go running twice a week, when I wanna play a game and veg out, I wanna play a game and veg out. I wouldn't wanna gear up and go running the length of Normandy when I wanna play Call of Duty at 12 in the morning either. It's just not for me I feel. Watch me end up owning like 5 of them, lol.

[barnabas1969]

Understood. But at least you'd be playing in an air conditioned environment. Not sure if you saw my paint ball comment above. I think I finished my editing just as you posted #17. I won't play unless it's cool outside... and that's only a few months here in Florida. My son loves paintball so much that he went and bought a bunch of gear for it (and again, I didn't approve when I found out how much he spent... I guess father like son). He's 18, so he has the energy to play in hot weather.

[barnabas1969]

I was wondering when they would split this topic. Unfortunately, they didn't add a reference back to the original topic in the 1st post... here it is:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 740#p75740

EDIT: I see that they have now added a reference. Thanks.

[tarheel]

For those interested, the new June update allows for integrated WMC controls using the smartglass app. Also the One Guide can be viewed in the smartglass app as well which shows a very nice and concise view of channels and preview vids of apps such as Amazon Prime, Twitch, ESPN, NFL and a slew of other apps. So you can essentially browse the videos in those apps (ie TV shows in Prime, top Movies in prime, ESPN highlights Hulu favorites, Twitch favorites and NFL highlights) alongside live TV guide. I now prefer One guide over WMC guide.