News & Rumors: Xbox One (codename Durango)

[Cyan]

Neat ideas Rudecurve, I hadn't thought about something like that.

I'm not sure why you wouldn't just use your phone or tablet for that. Seems far easier to me.

Well, think about it....

I use my laptop a lot for quick guides on games -most recently Might & Magic Clash of Heroes-, like the ones you can find at Gamefaqs, and sometimes Youtube videos.

Now think about pausing your game, launching Internet Explorer by snapping it on your Xbox One and going to Gamefaqs in just a few seconds.

Finding the info you want -or going back and forth to make sure you are doing everything well- and then returning to the game in a jiffy.

That would be revolutionary from a gamer's perspective, and it doesn't throw you out of the game experience at all. :smile2:

 

[RudeCurve]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't just use your phone or tablet for that. Seems far easier to me.

Don't have a tablet and don't need one either. Got a Iphone but screen is too small for "home browsing"..not to mention it requires hands on to use. It'd be much easier to just tell the console to check email on a large screen and from there I could use hand gestures or even voice to navigate emails etc.

 

[pjbliverpool]

Don't have a tablet and don't need one either. Got a Iphone but screen is too small for "home browsing"..not to mention it requires hands on to use. It'd be much easier to just tell the console to check email on a large screen and from there I could use hand gestures or even voice to navigate emails etc.

You think an iPhones unsuitable for viewing emails? And it requires you to use your hands? Seriously? How about the xbox requires me to be in the house with my TV on to check my emails? 90% of my emails are recieved to my phone as soon as they come to my email server and are viewed when I'm no-where near the TV. That seems a tiny bit more convenent to me than going to the living room, firing up the home entertainment system and then having a conversation with my TV while flailing my arms around wildly at it.

As for browsing the web, for those without tablets or laptops then it has some appeal I guess, but a TV, even with the fanciest voice commands and gestures in the world is never going to be a particularly good net browsing platform. It's good to see MS making it easier to use of course and maybe even making it practical in a limited sense but lets not go overboard.

 

[Cyan]

You think an iPhones unsuitable for viewing emails? And it requires you to use your hands? Seriously? How about the xbox requires me to be in the house with my TV on to check my emails? 90% of my emails are recieved to my phone as soon as they come to my email server and are viewed when I'm no-where near the TV. That seems a tiny bit more convenent to me than going to the living room, firing up the home entertainment system and then having a conversation with my TV while flailing my arms around wildly at it.

As for browsing the web, for those without tablets or laptops then it has some appeal I guess, but a TV, even with the fanciest voice commands and gestures in the world is never going to be a particularly good net browsing platform. It's good to see MS making it easier to use of course and maybe even making it practical in a limited sense but lets not go overboard.

How TVs are limited when it's the browser doing the hard work?

I mean, if you set the console to 1080p, and the TV to 1:1 pixel output, you shouldn't miss a thing.

If you think about it there is a lot of potential there. Say you want to quickly check the weather, the football scores -or a particular score-, your email, whatever, and you can keep playing and doing everything on your TV at the same time.

For someone like me -I have limited mobile coverage at home, the thrills of living in a small village- checking the email on the internet is much more reliable than on the phone.

 

[pjbliverpool]

How TVs are limited when it's the browser doing the hard work?

I mean, if you set the console to 1080p, and the TV to 1:1 pixel output, you shouldn't miss a thing.

If you think about it there is a lot of potential there. Say you want to quickly check the weather, the football scores -or a particular score-, your email, whatever, and you can keep playing and doing everything on your TV at the same time.

For someone like me -I have limited mobile coverage at home, the thrills of living in a small village- checking the email on the internet is much more reliable than on the phone.

I think we're going off topic, probably best to leave it there.

 

[RudeCurve]

You think an iPhones unsuitable for viewing emails? And it requires you to use your hands? Seriously?

You like to argue over everything I say don't you? Yes SERIOUSLY!!! I get all sorts of emails and a lot of them have tiny font's/links or lots of small pictures ie sale ads from websites. No way in hell I'm going to try and read that stuff on a Iphone and click on links and browse the web on the phone while I'm at home! That's why I have a friggin PC to read emails and click on links that open up in a browser....at home. With X1 it's even more convenient because I don't have to bootup my PC which takes about 20 secs and then logging with a friggen keyboard and use my mouse to open up Outlook.

How about the xbox requires me to be in the house with my TV on to check my emails?

If you have a smart TV like me it doesn't have to be "on"....mine is always in "standby/sleep mode" and turns on automatically when it senses a HDMI signal.

90% of my emails are received to my phone as soon as they come to my email server and are viewed when I'm no-where near the TV.

99% of my emails come to my phone too but guess what? I don't carry my friggin phone with me everywhere I go at home. Even if I did I don't want to be reading tiny stuff on a tiny screen...at home.

That seems a tiny bit more convenient to me than going to the living room, firing up the home entertainment system and then having a conversation with my TV while flailing my arms around wildly at it.

You're not me so you don't understand how I do stuff around my home.

As for browsing the web, for those without tablets or laptops then it has some appeal I guess, but a TV, even with the fanciest voice commands and gestures in the world is never going to be a particularly good net browsing platform. It's good to see MS making it easier to use of course and maybe even making it practical in a limited sense but lets not go overboard.

I do have a laptop but why would I use it instead of my desktop PC at home?

 

[Vic]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't just use your phone or tablet for that. Seems far easier to me.

Yep seems like a gimmick.

Having a second screen allows you to carrying on playing, while intermittently checking your tips site, rather than stopping entirely.

With tablet penetration increasing all the time, I really don't see internet browsing on a TV taking off at all.

The voice commands are something that a lot of people like. But browsing on your TV isn't exactly mainstream, and Bing has a long way to go before the majority will put it on the same level as Google.

 

[RudeCurve]

Yep seems like a gimmick..

Seems like a gimmick to you and some people yes...

To me it's a TANGIBLE convenience.

Yes I'm gonna go out and buy a tablet for a few hundreds dollars for who the hell knows for what just so I could browse the web around the home...and oh um yeh to check emails...riiiight...

 

[Bigus Dickus]

A new console? because most of my friends takes more than 1 minute for playing.

A year or so old I guess. My launch box finally died. Time to play depends on the game of course... some do have longer loading times.

 

[pjbliverpool]

Yep seems like a gimmick.

Having a second screen allows you to carrying on playing, while intermittently checking your tips site, rather than stopping entirely.

With tablet penetration increasing all the time, I really don't see internet browsing on a TV taking off at all.

The voice commands are something that a lot of people like. But browsing on your TV isn't exactly mainstream, and Bing has a long way to go before the majority will put it on the same level as Google.

Yep I'm certainly a fan of the voice commands. "Xbox on/off" is pretty cool IMO. And the ability to answer Skype calls or switch channels, go to gaming etc... all great stuff. It's just browsing the web on a TV I have a problem with since the screen and comtrol interface is basically crap for it. My PC is connected to my TV right now at 1080p, it's a 50" screen which is more than the average XBO owner and for regular web pages it's basically unuseable.

Sure I could increase the zoom (decreasing screen area) or use the mobile versions of websites but even then, how do I click on links? How to I type in text? With a PC you have a mouse and keyboard, with a tablet/phone you have your finger/slightely rubbish keyboard. With a console you have what? Hand gestures, clumsy voice commands (for link clicking) and a control pad. It just doesn't work very well IMO. If the voice to text is revolutionary then that could replace the keyboard for text input but I'll believe that when I see it.

EDIT: For the record I'm writing this post on my laptop which is on my knee while I'm comfy on the couch with a beer and WATCHING TV. Thats the kay advantage of not net browsing on the TV, you can actually use the TV at the same time. And I definately don't class snapping a tiny TV in the corner of the screen as watching TV.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't just use your phone or tablet for that. Seems far easier to me.

Eh? What are we talking about here? Why you wouldn't use your phone or tablet to surf the internet rather than multitasking on the One? I don't have a tablet, but depending on what I want to do on the internet, I often pause my 360 and then switch inputs to my HTPC to do certain things.

Like, I actually am doing now because reading Beyond3D (and especially replying) is far more difficult on my Nexus than it is on my PC.

If I just need to quickly check a fact or scan for news headlines or something, I'll grab my phone real quick but that's only because it's a pain to switch inputs and the lag time really annoys me.

But if I could just quickly pause GTA V, say "Xbox - Internet Explorer - Beyond3D" and it took me to my bookmark so I could scan if there were new messages, all quickly without the input lag of switching devices and such, I think it'd be quiet beneficial and a superior experience to that of using my phone.

Then again, PJ, I do understand that if you're one of those people that have a HTPC and a gaming console and a smart phone and a tablet and they're all with you all the time while you're watching TV or gaming, that you're used to just pausing the game or putting down the controller and picking up your tablet to find whatever it is you wanted to find on the internet and multitasking between games and internet on the One doesn't add any value to your experience.

Then again, I'm not a tablet person, I've used all different kinds at work and for me they just seem like less than a laptop and less than a phone. They're just smart phones with bigger screens (that has its benefits, I acknowledge), without the ability to actually make phone calls.

So the integration of "smart glass" with the One is something I also don't understand or get excited about. Why would I want another device to do other stuff when I'm already busy using a controller, hand gestures, voice controllers, etc with the One. How do I have any other available resources to do all of that and interact with a tablet? All my sensory outputs are pretty much accounted for with the One.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

It's just browsing the web on a TV I have a problem with since the screen and comtrol interface is basically crap for it. My PC is connected to my TV right now at 1080p, it's a 50" screen which is more than the average XBO owner and for regular web pages it's basically unuseable.

What? I'm on a 55 inch 1080p TV and it's my main browsing computer. When I want to actually do anything lengthy (like this), I use a full keyboard and mouse. When I just want to browse the internet or maybe make a quick reply I use this:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-000594-diNovo-Mini-Keyboard/dp/B0011FOOI2

Works like a charm and is small as a smart phone but has a real keyboard. The only thing I don't like about it is the useless clamshell top that is on it that seems pointless, but otherwise, it works great as a mouse and as a keyboard for short, quick things.

My screen is completely readable from the couch which is about 8 or 9 feet away from the TV. I didn't have to change any of the settings or anything. If you're having difficulties with this, it seems like they should be solvable?

 

[pjbliverpool]

Like, I actually am doing now because reading Beyond3D (and especially replying) is far more difficult on my Nexus than it is on my PC.

How do you intend to do that on the One?

If I just need to quickly check a fact or scan for news headlines or something, I'll grab my phone real quick but that's only because it's a pain to switch inputs and the lag time really annoys me.

I'm honestly not sure how scanning posts on B3D is easier on a TV compared to a phone. Granted I have an S4 with a 5" screen but scrolling, zooming, clicking links etc... these things are hugely easier on a phone (or tablet) with a touch interface compared with using hand gestures or a control pad. And that's before you start addressing the issue of writing replies.

Incidentally I don't have a tablet, between the living room desktop, 5" phone and laptop I'm having trouble justifying it Doesn't stop me trying though! Regardless, I'll still be getting a One.

 

[pjbliverpool]

What? I'm on a 55 inch 1080p TV and it's my main browsing computer. When I want to actually do anything lengthy (like this), I use a full keyboard and mouse. When I just want to browse the internet or maybe make a quick reply I use this:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-000594-diNovo-Mini-Keyboard/dp/B0011FOOI2

Works like a charm and is small as a smart phone but has a real keyboard. The only thing I don't like about it is the useless clamshell top that is on it that seems pointless, but otherwise, it works great as a mouse and as a keyboard for short, quick things.

My screen is completely readable from the couch which is about 8 or 9 feet away from the TV. I didn't have to change any of the settings or anything. If you're having difficulties with this, it seems like they should be solvable?

Are you using 100% scaling in Windows? To me that's unreadable on my TV. Of course I sit at 12 feet away and have a slightely smaller screen so that could make up the difference, I could change the screen scaling to say 125% or just the zoom in IE to something larger which would work I grant. However since the TV is cloned with the desktop monitor this would make for a pretty poor experience on the monitor.

I think to cater for the average user with far less than a 55" screen the scaling factor would have to be pretty high on the One to make text readable which would reduce screen real estate significantly, but it's definitely doable. Either that or just use mobile websites which would be perfectly fine. My main problem though is with the control interface rather than the screen. The screen works fine, it's just better on a laptop/tablet. The interface though I'd argue is a much bigger problem.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

Are you using 100% scaling in Windows? To me that's unreadable on my TV. Of course I sit at 12 feet away and have a slightely smaller screen so that could make up the difference, I could change the screen scaling to say 125% or just the zoom in IE to something larger which would work I grant. However since the TV is cloned with the desktop monitor this would make for a pretty poor experience on the monitor.

Yes, I'm only using 100% scaling in windows. Perhaps your issue is with the cloning to a desktop monitor. My TV is the only display for all of my devices.

I think to cater for the average user with far less than a 55" screen the scaling factor would have to be pretty high on the One to make text readable which would reduce screen real estate significantly, but it's definitely doable. Either that or just use mobile websites which would be perfectly fine. My main problem though is with the control interface rather than the screen. The screen works fine, it's just better on a laptop/tablet. The interface though I'd argue is a much bigger problem.

Two things here. First, is that yes, many people do have smaller than 55" screens although I believe that number will be drastically reduced over the lifetime of the One because it just doesn't make sense to buy a smaller TV unless there's a reason for it (like space limitations). But, I'd also say that a number of the things that One can do will totally be worthless or suck if you're on a 25" or 32" screen. It's great that it can multitask into four different windows (making that up, don't know if it can), but if each window is 4"x4" it's useless except for the highest level of "Oh, that looks exciting, lets expand that window and watch"

For example - there's an NFL channel that you can watch that will show you six or eight (?) games all at once. But you can't really see clearly anything that is happening even on my 55" screen. You still have to select one to zoom in if you're interested.

Second - the interface, which is another huge selling point (or point of contention if you're in another camp) about how it will work and how well it work. As I said, if I need to do long conversations like this, I use a full keyboard and mouse. Smaller things, I can use the device I linked before. For my 360, the chatpad accessory was probably the best thing I've bought. Trying to send messages using up and down and selecting individual letters sucks. The chatpad makes it worlds easier because gaming controllers are not at all good for actually typing anything. (I wish my Western Digital Live player had that option!).

I can't see why MS won't release a similar chatpad add on to the One controller, although it might not be needed if the Kinect2 voice recognition is good enough so there's no reason to type.

So to answer your original question, yes. I hope that when I get a One I won't have to switch to HTPC to read or respond on the internet and I can do it very simply by snapping my game to a small corner of the screen and either writing my response on a chatpad peripheral or by simply talking to Kinect2.

 

[pjbliverpool]

Yes, I'm only using 100% scaling in windows. Perhaps your issue is with the cloning to a desktop monitor. My TV is the only display for all of my devices.

The TV looks the same whether it's cloned or the only display from the PC but if it where the only display then I'd have the scaling set larger and the IE zoom set higher.

 

[BRiT]

It might be related to a HDMI handshake race condition. When I had the 360 connected to the Panasonic Plasma and powered the TV on a bit "later" than the console I was *randomly* forced to repower the 360 to get it going. Since I moved to a Pioneer LX86 AV and power on the AV and TV before the 360 I've never run into the condition.

I don't have that issue with my Panasonic 54" plasma, but I do have an Onkyo av-receiver between the console and the TV. Never had issues regardless of the order of equipment power on.

The only to e its taken "long" to get playing is when its doing a firmware and dashboard upgrade cycle. But even with that its still significantly faster than other consoles doing updates.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

The TV looks the same whether it's cloned or the only display from the PC but if it where the only display then I'd have the scaling set larger and the IE zoom set higher.

That is so odd.

So you've got a slightly smaller TV and you're sitting a bit farther back, but if you try to use the internet it's unviewable from your perspective?

Huh. That's balls.

 

[pjbliverpool]

That is so odd.

So you've got a slightly smaller TV and you're sitting a bit farther back, but if you try to use the internet it's unviewable from your perspective?

Huh. That's balls.

To make the screen usable at 100% scaling/1080p I have to move forward to (very roughly) about 8 feet.

If you can, try moving 14 feet away from your screen and see if it's still usable. That's roughly what I see.

 

[BRiT]

Because it became a thing, I actually timed it.

Boot to dashboard: 1 minute 15 seconds
Dashboard to playing GTA V: 1 minute 46 seconds
Boot to dashboard in the Major Nelson One video: 14 seconds

Time from power on to navigating to Recent items to Diablo 3 (GoD) to seeing the Diablo 3 splash screen: 1 minute 2 seconds.
Time from power on to dashboard: 48 seconds.
Time from selecting Diablo 3 (GoD) to seeing splash screen: 11-13 seconds

This seemed to be some of the longer times for the dashboard to load up too.These were all timed separately where first action timed included navigation too.

This is using a 2.5" 5400rpm WD 250GB drive.

Repeated a few times and the quickest I got from power-on to seeing Diablo 3 splash screen was 58 seconds.