Xbox One How does Xbox work with cable box and DVR?

Vortimous

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Since I will not be opening my xbox until Christmas (kids present)... I still don't understand how it works with your cable box and your DVR. I know it has a game DVR, but I am talking about your cable box DVR. I have read a lot, but until I hook it up, I just don't understand. So now that its out, can someone answer these few questions for me.

1. If the xbox is on and you are watching your cable tv, can you point the original cable remote and work the cable box like you always did and it will ignore the xbox or do you have to use the xbox once it is connected?

2. If the answer to 1 is yes, then you can just use your dvr like normal this way, even if the xbox is connected? I am just trying to make this as easy as possible for my wife who will not want to be bothered using this, and inlaws when they come by.

3. Can you still turn tv and cable box on and use it normally with out using or turning the xbox on at all? Just like you could before the xbox was installed. I guess I am hung up on the fact that it goes threw the xbox.'

4. Been hearing people complain about the kinnect not being able to differenciate between say channels like ESPN and ESPN2 or 3. With that being said, can you say xbox channel 330 or something like that or do you have to say the name? You would think that if there are multiple channels, there would be another way to get to them using the xbox. If you cant, how do you get to ESPN 2 if it only brings you to ESPN because it doesn't know?

Thanks for any help... cant wait to try this myself, but I have to wait on Santa....
 
1. Yes. Your STB will function as normal and nothing changes. Granted you can choose to use your Kinect or controller to control it as well. You can also choose to use the XB1 Guide instead of your STB's.

2. Yes, you can. My wife uses the DVR in the same matter she always did. No one will notice any difference. Since the XB1 cannot directly control your DVR this is actually the only way to do it.

3. No. If connected via the XB1, it console will need to be powered on in order for it to work. This can be done by saying "Xbox On" while in the room with your Kinect or by using the controller or power button on your console. Keep in mind my XB1 has been on since launch and never has been powered down. It is no hotter than it was after 30 minutes of playing; I am not the only one in forums who has left it on.

4. As far as I know you can only tell it the channel's name and not its number. Granted I primarily use my STB controller and not Kinect to change channels so I'm not positive. You can always add channels like ESPN2 to you favorites list so that the Kinect uses it as the default.

Hope this helps!
 
yes, thanks... so if I am on the xbox dashboard and I go to the tv to watch a show... then pick up my cable remote, I can hit the guide button and see all the channels and jump using the cable remote just like I always have??? Even though I am still watching threw the xbox I can control it with my cable remote as I have always done before I hooked up the xbox right?

If this is so, great...

Thanks for any info and the help... cant wait....
 
That is correct. Once you get everything turned on the cable remote works exactly like it did before.
 
I was playing around with it a little. There is actually some DVR functionality through the Kinect. You can pause, play, rewind, and fast forward live tv. You just can't access your recorded shows.

My wife is not a big fan of change, and not thrilled about talking to the tv, . I think she will come around, but in the mean time. I have a Logitech Harmony remote. I bought a splitter and split the HDMI from the cable box into two. One goes straight into HDMI 2 on my receiver. The other passes through the Xbox to HDMI 1 on the receiver. I set up two activities. One that bypasses the Xbox and works just like everything used to, and the other is for the Xbox. If I use voice commands the Kinect blaster turns everything on for me and I can use the remote for the cable. I still prefer to change the channel using my remote. She can use the remote to turn everything on and control it just like she used to.
 
Good question, I was wondering that too. Thanks for the help Kn1ghtmare and the rest of you guys! :)
 
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