# Voice activated Tivo, via Xbox One... whataya guys think?



## riz (Dec 30, 2000)

Voice activated Tivo Premiere, via Xbox One... whataya guys think?

I have used voice commands on Netflix/HboGo via Kinect for some time. It is convenient. This may take your average home hum cable box (not Tivo Premiere XL4, love it!) into the next gen of features. Looks interesting to say the least.

I just don't get how it can work with all the different boxes out there but voice activation is convenient and does work on my 360 right now so next gen it should be even better.

XboxOne is using some sort of hdmi passthrough/overlay system. So it is NOT controlling out Tivo but somehow accessing all the content within it (kinda like Google TV, I think). This is a good article that came out a couple weeks ago "Microsoft's next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box" http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/10/42...tainment-plans

Your thoughts?


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## DrunkOnWine (Nov 13, 2006)

One question that springs to mind is HOW it controls the Tivo -- will it have an IR blaster like Slingbox?

The delay of an IR relay might give me pause about using it as a primary device.


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## riz (Dec 30, 2000)

^^ XboxOne is using some sort of hdmi passthrough/overlay system. So it is NOT controlling out Tivo but somehow accessing all the content within it (kinda like Google TV, I think)

This is a good article that came out a couple weeks ago "Microsoft's next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box" http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/10/4208970/next-xbox-tv-entertainment-plans


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Since you are asking opinions...

Unless I'm driving, voice activation annoys the living crap out of me. Things are loud enough already without me having a conversation with my tivo.


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## DrunkOnWine (Nov 13, 2006)

If its network-level, that's disturbing .. Tivo can't even transfer shows from one Tivo to another in true real-time.

I don't see how the Tivo could be controlled over HDMI.

That all being said, I want to see this work.. Thanks for the article link.

[Edit: The Tivo iPad app controls the Tivo as a network remote -- so perhaps a combination of HDMI pass-through and the Xbox as a network remote]


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## riz (Dec 30, 2000)

jrtroo said:


> Since you are asking opinions...
> 
> Unless I'm driving, voice activation annoys the living crap out of me. Things are loud enough already without me having a conversation with my tivo.


I hear ya. I am NOT a Siri supporter... Talk.. then talk back.. then talk again is simply slow and annoying IMO BUT...

Google voice and Xbox voice implementations are simply command it and it shall do it. It's actually really convenient saying "xbox pause" and getting up and upon returning "xbox play" to continue...

To each his own but simple voice commands work flawlessly on Google platforms as well as Xbox, I have high hopes for the new Xbox One and their approach you already own it, control it though us (smartglass and kinect)


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## DrunkOnWine (Nov 13, 2006)

Agreed. Sorry to go off-topic .. I do find the voice activation and motion activation in the Xbox 360 to be pretty buggy. Often we'll be watching a movie and it'll somehow flip into command mode (likely because it thinks we're "waving", which is how you invoke it without speaking) and it'll start to fast forward unexpectedly.

It's going to need to be pretty smart tech to figure to filter out the "noise", both visual and auditive.


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

Meh. Still requires Xbox Live. No backwards compatibility on digital content. I don't use voice navigation even on my phone. I stopped using IR blasters with the Series 2. 

Skipping the Xbox One.


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## riz (Dec 30, 2000)

^^^ Well its much more than voice controls. It would seem to be a GoogleTv esque overlay system allow you to use the xbox interface with your existing boxes. Though, they certainly didn't show that much today, which was disappointing to say the least... yet i am still hopeful they've got something special on their hands

_The new way to watch TV.

Connect your cable or satellite box to Xbox One and watch all your favorite television 
shows right through the console.1 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._... http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xboxone/what-it-does


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## innocentfreak (Aug 25, 2001)

If I didn't like the UI of TiVo, I would use Media Center. The overlay is designed around having a crappy UI like most of the cable STBs.


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## jim2011 (Apr 20, 2009)

As someone who currently owns Google TV, I am definitely selling it on ebay ASAP.

I am hoping that Microsoft partners with Tivo to allow control via the network. It would be great if the Xbox is able to determine what you have recorded and start the programs through its own interface. Tivo's interface is so slow.

I really don't think any of this would be that difficult. All of this is already implemented in the iPhone and iPad app. It's just a matter of Tivo and Microsoft working it out. I doubt Tivo would like you being able to bypass all of its ads however that it has in its slow laggy menu.


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## riz (Dec 30, 2000)

jim2011 said:


> As someone who currently owns Google TV, I am definitely selling it on ebay ASAP.
> .


You selling it because you want the Xbox version or because GoogleTV sucks?

A pic revealed on the back of the Xbox One, damn, I think thy should of called it the Xbox Entertainment System or Xbox ES, XES for short (like Nintendo did in the 80/90s) Anyways, pic revealed a IR output


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## b_scott (Nov 27, 2006)

riz said:


> ^^ XboxOne is using some sort of hdmi passthrough/overlay system. So it is NOT controlling out Tivo but somehow accessing all the content within it (kinda like Google TV, I think)
> 
> This is a good article that came out a couple weeks ago "Microsoft's next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box" http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/10/4208970/next-xbox-tv-entertainment-plans


it CAN control if the device has HDMI CEC controls. However the Tivo Premiere is poverty and does not. So, IR blaster it is.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

TiVo has a well documented network control protocol so if MS wanted to use that, instead of IR blasters, they could.


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## Grakthis (Oct 4, 2006)

b_scott said:


> it CAN control if the device has HDMI CEC controls. However the Tivo Premiere is poverty and does not. So, IR blaster it is.


On account of all of those other devices out there that reliably implemented CEC.

Wait, there are none? Weird. It seemed like you were suggesting cable boxes routinely supported full control over CEC.


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## SugarBowl (Jan 5, 2007)

More likely, Tivo would have to implement a Windows8/Xbox app that could control the Tivo and display live TV.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

TiVo is sort of competing with MS to be the "one device" so I doubt either company will go out of their way to support the other.

It's possible the next gen TiVo will support CEC, although even if it does I'm not sure how useful it will be. CEC does not provide enough commands to use the full functionality of a TiVo so there is no way it could be used as a full UI replacement for the TiVo.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> TiVo is sort of competing with MS to be the "one device" so I doubt either company will go out of their way to support the other.
> 
> It's possible the next gen TiVo will support CEC, although even if it does I'm not sure how useful it will be. CEC does not provide enough commands to use the full functionality of a TiVo so there is no way it could be used as a full UI replacement for the TiVo.


Being able to control the TV/receiver volume, mute and power directly would be reason enough to use CEC in my opinion.


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## muzzymate (Sep 2, 2004)

Dan203 said:


> TiVo has a well documented network control protocol so if MS wanted to use that, instead of IR blasters, they could.


I hope Microsoft "partners" with Tivo to do this.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

morac said:


> Being able to control the TV/receiver volume, mute and power directly would be reason enough to use CEC in my opinion.


How is CEC any better for those things then the current remote that uses universal IR instead?

I was playing with CEC on my receiver and TV last night and the volume was annoying because it would get out of sync and the number value on the TV did not always match what was on the receiver. Plus it had two OSDs one from the receiver and one from the TV and there was a slight delay between them. Seems like a silly way to do things when IR works better. I guess if you had everything hidden away in a cabinet it would be better then an IR repeater, but other then that....


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## riz (Dec 30, 2000)

Dan203 said:


> TiVo is sort of competing with MS to be the "one device" so I doubt either company will go out of their way to support the other.


You have a good point. No way TiVo would be jumping at the chance to have MS overlay and take over the TiVo UI

On the other hand, i really like simple voice commands. I know, I know, everyone mostly thinks it's useless but simple one way (no siri two way) commands, like Xbox pause, xbox fast forward, xbox play just works. It already works perfectly on 360 so improved kinect will probably near flawless


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Well MS could still do something, even without TiVo's cooperation, if they want to. Like I said the network command interface is documented. I think it might even use some sort of industry standard.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> How is CEC any better for those things then the current remote that uses universal IR instead?


It would let TiVo's remote control app control the volume and mute functions. Also the Slide remote would work with TVs/receivers without needing to be pointed at said device.

Personally I use the CEC function between by TV and receiver and it works great. The TV detects the receiver and mutes it's own speaker (disables all audio options) and the TV volume controls the receiver. I only get one overlay. If I switch the TV to use it's internal speaker, the receiver mutes. Also when I turn my TV off, the receiver turns off and vice-versa. Works great.

Sounds like in your case either the TV or receiver isn't doing something correctly.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I have the TV speakers turned off. I never use the TVs built in speakers, I always use the HT system.

The only reason I even played with it is because I was setting up ARC so I could get rid of the optical cable running from TV to HT. (didn't realize my HT system supported ARC until last night) With my Harmony CEC isn't really necessary, was just playing with it to see what it could do. My HT system is like 4-5 years old, right around the time this stuff first came out, so it may not work as well as a newer system.


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## TrooperOrange (Apr 23, 2012)

UI over UI, IR blaster, and only live TV support with voice commands?

No thanks. Just hit a button on the harmony and actually use the inputs on the TV. *shurg*

It is a bit weird that current tivos don't support CEC however.


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## TrooperOrange (Apr 23, 2012)

I also have to wonder about scenarios like the wife being deep in a menu on the tivo, or in netflix app or something, then asking the xbox to tune a channel. I guess it could send a "live TV" type command, then pause, then tune the channel, just seems so half assed though.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

TrooperOrange said:


> I also have to wonder about scenarios like the wife being deep in a menu on the tivo, or in netflix app or something, then asking the xbox to tune a channel. I guess it could send a "live TV" type command, then pause, then tune the channel, just seems so half assed though.


It could easily send the same commands a Harmony remote would send when it's programmed for an activity.

And the IR blaster could be something like the new Slingbox does. It could just be a cube that floods the room with IR. The slingbox works great. It doesn't need an IR blaster on top of the devices IR receiver. It just floods the room and the device responds. It works well with my TiVo. MS could have the same thing for the IR connection.


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