Microsoft might be killing off Media Center in Windows 10, but the company is reportedly bringing one of its key features over to the Xbox One. Paul Thurrott reports that a TV recording solution for the Xbox One is coming soon, and most likely this year. Microsoft currently supports TV tuners in Europe and North America on its Xbox One console, but there's only live TV pausing and not full DVR capabilities.
Xbox One as a DVR makes a lot of sense
It's logical that Microsoft would want to add a TV DVR function. When the software company originally unveiled the Xbox One it was designed as an all-in-one entertainment and games console, with a big focus on TV features. Xbox One owners can use cable boxes with the console thanks to HDMI-in support, but it's not clear if any DVR support would capture recordings from this source. The Xbox One also has relatively small storage (500GB) for a combination of games, media, and TV recordings. Microsoft could opt to ship new Xbox One consoles with greater storage options, like the special edition 1TB version released last year, or simply support TV recordings on USB storage.
While Microsoft has focused on games more than TV since the Xbox One launch, it hasn't ignored the entertainment features of the Xbox One. Last year, Microsoft launched an Xbox One Media Remote to allow Xbox One users to navigate, launch, and control media apps, and also control TV or AV receiver volume by using the Kinect as an infrared blaster.