The battle for the single living room entertainment system continues, as both PC and console makers are trying to cram more features in a single box that will essentially replace multiple living room systems. Microsoft recently added another weapon in its Xbox One live TV arsenal with a digital tuner from Hauppauge, giving users an over-the-air option for live TV. Smart Move since many Xbox One owners are also cord cutters.
With the digital tuner, players can pause up to 30 minutes of live television, use the console’s Snap feature to watch a TV show while playing a game, and even change channels with your voice through Kinect. Live TV can also be streamed to other Windows 10 devices at home through the Xbox or Xbox One Smartglass apps.
The digital tuner will cost you $59.99. However, an antenna is required alongside the device, so Microsoft is offering a bundle that includes a Mohu Leaf 50 antenna in the Microsoft store for $99.99.
Mohu also has three other options for antennas that gather between 63-67 channels in the area. Users can type in their address on Mohu’s site to get an idea of which channels are received with each antenna.
The addition of the Hauppauge digital tuner is further proof that Microsoft continues to see the Xbox One as more than just a game console. Since its initial announcement at E3, it has been touting the console as the best living room system. Not only can you use it to play games, but you can watch movies through the Blu-ray player, stream shows through Hulu and Netflix, and watch live TV through apps or an HDMI input.
Even if the digital tuner isn’t the most popular route to use for watching live TV, it at least shows that the Xbox One has a variety of TV capabilities to serve virtually any living room scenario.
