Here is a great article on the posibilities and ideas behind the Xbox One TV strategy and how it may change television as we know it.

http://blog.brightcove.com/en/2013/06/and-then-there-was-xbox-one

I work for a cable provider and find this fascenating but I do realize some of this stuff people may not be familiar with and may not understand.  Microsoft is looking to combine standard linear television with all forms of IP TV in to one seamless package and provide it to the consumer through the "Guide" menu.

Essentially Microsoft is trying to position the Xbox as the "app store" for TV viewing.

Below are the key points that the writer is making:

As posted on Microsoft's site: "Connect your cable or satellite box to Xbox One and watch all your favorite television shows right through the console. All your favorite channels. All your favorite shows. All with the sound of your voice. You can even create your own personal channel by pinning the shows and apps you watch most. Gone are the days of switching inputs to watch TV or play a movie. Xbox One can do it all."

At a fundamental level, the Guide is relying on the following concepts:

1. Control the discovery, control the content
2. Control the content, control the consumer

While it's too soon to judge the full capabilities - or limitations - of the Guide, directionally, it appears to be positioning the Xbox as a unification of linear broadcast content and digital OTT content.

By focusing on a personalized set of content recommendations (i.e., the consumer's preference of shows and channels, the consumer's explicit set of favorites, recommendations based on friends and the community at large) combined with new modes of interaction, the Guide begins its long-term goal to replace the traditional remote control and EPG. While content programmers fight with pay television providers over channel bundling and channel placement in the EPG, the Xbox is attempting to circumvent that entire step in today’s television viewing process.

At some point, we may not know which content is live broadcast, time-shifted broadcast, PPV broadcast, subscription OTT, VOD OTT, or PPV OTT. And, if Xbox has its way, we just may not care.

Xbox, watch…anything

Sounds a bit like youview on the UK. Essentially you can go backwards through the guide and watch catchup tv.

MS is trying to provide a feature GoogleTV already does (obviously with better gaming aspect) and something comcast(Xfinity) is in the process of also deploying (obviously with no gaming aspect).

Problem is they are combining this with a DRM policy that will turn off everyone who knows about it before jumping in and will likely cause the system to sell dramatically less.

I think I'll wait to see either A) what PS4 truly offers in this sense or B) just buy a GoogleTV now that they have incorporated Jelly Bean (android 4.2.x). I actually think Google is on verge of launching a NexusTV box that will blow MS away and nearly match gaming when including OnLive or other streaming content... all for less $$.

if underlined is true MS really failed to communicate that point because the official statements i've seen xbone requires you to already have a television provider. ..and as this blog states "long term goal" i don't see how MS gets around that same fight with television providers everyone else is failing to break though.

Fixed!!

but seriously ms has the money to do this and i think they can

Kind of, I think you're thinking of linear viewing only here... Think of it as linear cable TV that is live and re-runs, PVR stuff, pay per view, Netflix, Youtube videos and all other forms of video consumption combined in to one.

You can go from Xbox, watch ESPN" to "Xbox, watch cuddly kitten videos" and don't need to worry about where the video is coming from. Also, the "Guide" would essentially work like a smartphone app store, where you would see videos picked for you, hot trending, live, upcoming...etc 

I don't think you get it...

Technology isn't the problem here. Google TV may look to provide this in the future as well but they don't offer a seamless viewing of any type of video content. You have access to cable, netflix, youtube, hulu... each with its own content that you have to navigate to find what you want to watch.

Microsoft is looking to do away with this navigation. Do you care if the video you want to watch lives on Netflix, or is broadcasted on CBS?

Whoever provides a universal "App store" for video content regardless of where that content is coming from, and has a widely accepted platform will win this TV race.

Television providers control the most content so they have to be part of Xbox one. Microsoft is looking to position the Xbox one as a content management and consumption solution and not as the new IP based cable provider. The cable companies really have no other option but be a part of this.

Think of it this way...

People already spend more hours consuming content than gaming on the Xbox. Cable is a source of content but its no longer the only source. Netflix, Hulu and countless other streaming services are jumping over the cable wall and providing content to people in their homes. Rather than have this constant struggle between cable content vs internet content, Xbox One is looking to make content discovery seamless to a user. They will just watch their TV and won't have a slightest idea where the video they are watchig is coming from. Could be a Youtube clip, could be live right now on CBS...it will all be Television.

If this is a success you will see a radical shift in how TV business works. Cable companies will always have their funded shows which they control, however many sitcoms which get rejected, cancelled or don't get the benefit of the doubt from the cable guys, can turn to Xbox and their content "app store" for exposure. People will watch what they like, not whats on TV...

I doubt any of this stuff will be available at launch or even within the first year. It will take time for sure to figure out how to merge various sources of content in to 1 seamless viewing experience. But its absolutely the future of Television.

The way this TV emphasis has been presented kind of feels like a father trying to tell his kids what's cool. With the rise of the "cable cutter" demographic, concentrating on TV seems like a poor idea. MS better shift gears at E3 quick. Hopefully those games wow.

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