The whole point is to coalesce TV media/game content into one unified experience.
Your comparsion with Vita only shows the Sony desires to provide a similar experience. The non-equivalent with Vita would be to provide an seamless experience for everything but the games themselves. MS is simply trying to let TV viewing has some of the features that readily available elsewhere with other product which uses the TV as a display. There are a whole host of companies trying to facillitate this level of integration. No one does it well enough to excite the general public and create big demand for their product.
I have Uverse when the phone rings the caller ID is displayed on the screen while I am watching TV. Xbox One has a focus of expanding such intergration within the TV space. It can always be overdone and so will need to provide controls that allow one to personalize the experience based on their needs and desires. But integration in and of itself isn't a bad thing.
And because you find no use of it doesn't mean there isn't a significant demographic that does. This is about market expansion and incorporating new users not about pandering to a small group of existing users who want a product to strictly concentrate on its primary function. I am pretty sure that MS knows the ramification of its decision and knows it won't jibe well with everyone. MS is probably well aware what its is doing will alienate some but has the belief that for everyone it alienates there will be plenty more that will buy XB1 for its TV integration.
Lets get something straight.
Seamless transition between apps and games doesnt necessarily require "TV integration"
TV integration is a different subject. Lets not confuse these two.,
But since you mentioned it, you forget that in order to have this TV integration it needs other requirements. Its a function that opens up only to the people that have ANOTHER device such as a TiVo with which it has to communicate through IR and a cable subscription.
It defeats the purpose of the convenience of the All in One console.
If someone like you who is interested in consoles anyways AND happen to have a cable TV service already, the XBone TV integration comes as a very welcoming and convenient extra and it will be a system seller. In other words a seller to the market that MS targeted before. Now keep this in mind. For the price you will pay, this functionality comes as a welcoming extra feature that carries low or non existent additional cost
Now lets go the the other market it wants to expand to. Its that demographic that is
NOT interested in gaming. Otherwise they would have been part of the existing market anyways.
These people are more reluctant to pay premium for yet
another device under their TV stand that
caries the extra cost of gaming functionality just so that they can have yet another set of functions they already have in a smart TV.
For them, unlike you, gaming is not an extra feature that comes at a low/non existent additional cost. Most of that cost resides in game performance related hardware. Its pricey. And they have already made other expenses to watch cable TV channels and have a good TV
And since you mentioned what I find useful or not, lets say I want TV integration with my console. I cant freakin do it unless I have to first pay extra for a cable TV.
I cant plug in my antenna or stream TV from the internet directly through the console to view the channels that dont require cable subscription. This limits the extra market it wants to open to.
