Do you still have your cable box hooked in to your Xbox One? What about your Kinect?

[Border]

While the system's multimedia features got pushed and emphasized way too hard back when the system launched, I gotta say that TV and Kinect integration really has been great. It is awesome as hell to just sit down and say "Xbox Watch ESPN" or "Watch Comedy Central" and have the system tune into the network you want to see. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, so it's nice to be able to get right down to business -- trying to just find the station you want using the cable box user interface is an absolute god-damned nightmare. Why does Comcast insist on displaying hundreds of channels I'm not even subscribed to? Why am I stuck scrolling through endless 4-pane windows of trash? Why can't they at least organize the channel listings in some reasonable way (alphabetical order maybe?). Anyhow, the Xbox One's HDMI-In and voice controls allowed me to sidestep all that nonsense, and for that reason alone it was the console I always used for multimedia playback. Plus using the Xbox phone app as a remote control was a great way to avoid draining the controller battery.

It looks like these features are going to away with the Xbox Series X, so I thought I would take a moment to express how much I appreciated them, and see if anyone else out there kept using said features through the end of the generation.

 

[DMA99]

Cable box? What's that? ;)

 

[mr teaspoon]

I also thought the TV overlay stuff was really cool, but I never used it because it just seemed so damn wasteful to have both my Xbox and cable box running just to watch TV. Kinect voice commands, though, I really miss.

 

[TheAbsolution]

Cable box? What's that? ;)

Click to shrink...

This. :P

 

[MrNelson]

Never used it when I had cable. I cut the cord a few months after getting my Xbox One back in late 2014, so for the majority of the time I've owned it I've had no cable. PS4 is my multimedia machine as well, so the only use my Xbox gets is playing games.

 

[Border]

Cable box? What's that? ;)

Click to shrink...

A special box that lets you watch live football games without signing up for an NFL subscription package.

Even without the cable box though, the voice commands the Kinect enabled were pretty great for searches. You could just say "Xbox Bing Back To The Future" and it would show you every subscription streaming service or digital movie store that had the movie/show you wanted.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I don't. Xbox lacking CEC is a killer for me, since all my other devices can control each other, while my Xbox has to be operated with a completely different setup. Which would be fine if I had Kinect, but since I bought in at One X, I don't. I use my Amazon Echo as a poor substitute.

EDIT: If you're asking about cable TV, specifically, I don't have that at all, so no.

 

[JeffG]

Yes and Yes

My Xbox One is the Center of the entertainment center. and still use the Kinect for voice commands.

So when they take that out (which looks like it is happening), I will have to retrain the wifey. Which will be a PITA. Need to look at what technology is out there and see what works the best for swapping between Netflix and Cable. See what Harmony remotes are out when the Series X gets released.

 

[petethepanda]

I have a Kinect plugged in still, but I haven't used it for anything other than facial detection login for years.

I had a DirecTV box plugged in for a bit after I first got it, but I went back to doing it separately after just a couple months. I'm not sure if it was something specifically with those boxes but controlling it through the Xbox was punishingly laggy, and it softened the picture way more than I was willing to put up with.

 

[ShinobiBk]

I had one hooked up to my Xbox for 3 years, but finally cut the cord late last year cause it was a complete waste of money.

Xbox is an amazing entertainment center but I recently got a TCL which basically has a Roku built in and so my Xbox just plays games now. Fine enough for me

 

[ShapeGSX]

Yes, my Kinect is still plugged in. Works great for voice commands.

I got rid of my DirecTV last month. Now I have YouTube TV. But until then, I did have the DVR plugged into the Xbox One X.

 

[Deleted member 24021]

I don't have cable because I don't want to give Comcast more money along with my internet bill. Even if I did have cable I wouldn't connect it to my XB1X, it's strictly for gaming. I don't own an Xbox One Kinect, but I did own one for 360, and sold it after a week of owning it.

 

[TheUnseenTheUnheard]

Cable box? What's that? ;)

Click to shrink...

I shit you not I often forget cable TV exists.

 

[Pretendo Switch]

I have a Kinect hooked up to an Xbox One X which requires a special adapter. What do I win?

Cable box? No. But where I live, everybody still has cable. Only my brother in law has cut the cord. And he's always at my house watching sports...

 

[I KILL PXLS]

I had both plugged in until they fucked with the voice controls. My wife to this day still complains about not being able to use those anymore. I'm using internet cable now so it's a moot point.

 

[The Pet of the Month]

Since the Kinect was more or less abandoned on the software side, I've relieved mine after 5 years of service. I miss waking up my console and signing in with facial recognition the most!

 

[Border]

I had both plugged in until they fucked with the voice controls. My wife to this day still complains about not being able to use those anymore. I'm using internet cable now so it's a moot point.

Click to shrink...

So when they take that out (which looks like it is happening), I will have to retrain the wifey.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, the hardest part about losing the HDMI-In and Kinect will be trying to retrain my roommate to use the TV/Xbox without voice commands. It already creates a hubub if I accidentally leave the video input set to the PS4, and I have to step-by-step explain how to switch back to the HDMI input that the Xbox is hooked up to.

 

[Version 3.0]

Cable box, no, never did. I don't have one, and wouldn't if I did.

Kinect, yes, still there. In theory, that's so Just Dance works. In reality, that just allows the Xbox to occasionally turn on, saying "did you say Xbox"? Then I say "no I fucking didn't" and back off it goes.

 

[DvdGzz]

The family has been playing Dance Central Spotlight, otherwise no to both.

 

[JeffG]

Since the Kinect was more or less abandoned on the software side, I've relieved mine after 5 years of service. I miss waking up my console and signing in with facial recognition the most!

Click to shrink...

and every day I turn my X on/off with voice commands. Swap between Netflix and cable with voice commands.

I will miss it...but it just a minor inconvenience. I just need to find a robust/easy way for the wife to do the above. She has no interest in understanding the interaction between cable box, TV, stereo and streaming app. Needs to be easy. Harmony remote probably will be my solution...waiting for a good remote to go on sale on amazon

 

[AlmostMilk]

Used the cable features when I had cable but got rid of it pretty early on. Would still be using Kinect, but I need an adapter now and I am unable to find one.

 

[Captain of Outer Space]

Upgraded to an Xbox One X, so the Kinect is in a bag since GameStop won't take them and it's not compatible with Xbox One X. Those games that I have are unplayable now.

 

[Nephtes]

Ditched traditional cable, so no cable box, however, my Amazon Fire Stick is plugged into the XOne X's HDMI in so I can watch PlayStation Vue (for the 9ish days left till Sony pulls the plug anyway).

Kinect is still plugged in on the OG XOne in my office, not that it's been used much in 4 months.

 

[ShapeGSX]

Upgraded to an Xbox One X, so the Kinect is in a bag since GameStop won't take them and it's not compatible with Xbox One X. Those games that I have are unplayable now.

Click to shrink...

All you need is a power adapter.
Kinect Adapter for Xbox One,Xbox One S and Xbox One X https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBGYHG9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5SskEbPJT4RVH

 

[Septimus Prime]

and every day I turn my X on/off with voice commands. Swap between Netflix and cable with voice commands.

I will miss it...but it just a minor inconvenience. I just need to find a robust/easy way for the wife to do the above. She has no interest in understanding the interaction between cable box, TV, stereo and streaming app. Needs to be easy. Harmony remote probably will be my solution...waiting for a good remote to go on sale on amazon

Click to shrink...

If you get a Harmony Hub, you can program it to use Alexa. It won't be as good as Kinect, but you can at least turn everything on and off with your voice.

 

[defaltoption]

I only had my cable box connected for like 3 days after it launched then never again. The kinect i had for like a year before removing it. I think there will be a kinect 3 or future camera for xbox one just of course not required. It'll probably be the rumored surface 4k camera for pc but just work on xbox.

 

[thekonamicode]

Haven't had a cable box since 2005, so I don't think I do.

 

[The Pet of the Month]

and every day I turn my X on/off with voice commands. Swap between Netflix and cable with voice commands.

I will miss it...but it just a minor inconvenience. I just need to find a robust/easy way for the wife to do the above. She has no interest in understanding the interaction between cable box, TV, stereo and streaming app. Needs to be easy. Harmony remote probably will be my solution...waiting for a good remote to go on sale on amazon

Click to shrink...

I had my family trained to use the Kinect. Like your wife, I don't think my parents will really adjust as well as I'd hope. It's not even hard, ya know, to press a button but sheesh the process you need to go through with some people lol

 

[JeffG]

If you get a Harmony Hub, you can program it to use Alexa. It won't be as good as Kinect, but you can at least turn everything on and off with your voice.

Click to shrink...

Thanks...I will have to look into that. Need to edumecate myself

 

[JeffG]

I had my family trained to use the Kinect. Like your wife, I don't think my parents will really adjust as well as I'd hope. It's not even hard, ya know, to press a button but sheesh the process you need to go through with some people lol

Click to shrink...

But when one device doesn't respond right is where it completely goes to shit

lol I was on a work trip and had a few voice mails on WTF to do when the stereo wouldn't go into the right mode.

She will just give up and use the TV in the bedroom lol

 

[AstronaughtE]

I have my satellite receiver going through xbox.

My kinect isn't hooked up anymore though. I have the adapter, but the kinect overheats in the summer, so I chose not to hook it up the last time I tore my tv stand down for a cleaning. I miss it. I'll miss the passthrough even more though

 

[-Tetsuo-]

Lol

 

[ThatsMyTrunks]

Never used a cable box, and I sold my Kinect connector when it was going for $150ish, otherwise it'd be hooked up to my One X.

I did recently get an HDMI Equipped VCR, maybe I'll use it for that.

 

[The Pet of the Month]

But when one device doesn't respond right is where it completely goes to shit

lol I was on a work trip and had a few voice mails on WTF to do when the stereo wouldn't go into the right mode.

She will just give up and use the TV in the bedroom lol

Click to shrink...

hahaha! i've considered tossing our receiver to the side because no one understands how to operate it! when all else fails they jump to the family room and watch tv through the chromecast.

i sometimes fear for our future generations lol

 

[Hippopuncher12]

Kinect, no. Our Spectrum box is in there though.

 

[Cranster]

Nope, don't have cable and never got a Kinect.