I have been a preview tester for about a month and the new dashboard is awesome. The 1st thing that you have to realize is that to get the best experience for finding content isnt to go into any of the individual apps, but to get used to saying:
Xbox, Bing
Just about everything is accessible through Bing Search. Rather than looking for the next episode of a series you are interested in on Netflix, Hulu or one of the new providers search for it and Bing Search will show you who has it and which provider makes you pay for it. Great that episode is on Netflix commercial free or do I need to watch it on Hulu with commercials or pay for it on another service. Dont hunt for an app. Search using Bing and via voice 1st.
Also make sure to re-configure Kinect. Hint: turn the sound up when you configure the Kinect Microphones. Make it louder than what you usually play media back at.
As for Ads they are not in the way and they related to the content of the area you are in. If you are in Video you will have the large title with content related to new movies, shows available. You also will have a small ad in the lower right. In games the large tile will be content related to new games/dlc etc. In music the same.
Overall this is awesome and since my wife is happy to use Bing Voice Search she really digs using the Xbox now rather than looking for the remote and trying to find an episode of Law and Order:SVU
Its libraries that sell systems not a single game.
