Turn your WinPhone into an Xbox remote

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Dashboard update this week will introduce a smart phone application that turns your Windows Phone handset into an Xbox system remote. The Xbox LIVE for Windows Phone application will let you browse and search through films, TV programs, games and other content available via Xbox 360. The app will let you …

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps finally a use for a Windows 7 phone.

as a very expensive remote control.... yay....

[Spearchucker Jones]

Barry Shitpeas

Mr. Fandroid, bang on schedule, as usual.

[Sorry that handle is already taken.]

Awesome!

But what if you're not one of the three people who owns a Windows Phone handset?

[Anonymous Coward]

Whooppee Do

You can control an ancient gaming console with a brick.

[Kane]

As opposed to one of those shiny new gaming consoles that has just been relea.....oh, wait a minute...

[Mark C Casey]

No iphone or android?

I understand MS wanting to have that whole platform integration thing, but really? Just winphone?

I'm sure the two people who use it are overjoyed. I'm quite surprised MS still have yet to get iplayer integration sorted out, oddly it says "2012 BBC".. not "2012 BBC iPlayer".

[koma]

big news duh

I have been using my Android to do much the same thing with XBMC and my dreambox for a couple of years already ....

[StrictlySocial]

...and how many mainstream consumers use XBMC and a dreambox?

WinPho is for the mass market, like iOS. It is designed to work out of the box!

[Anonymous Coward]

Sales suggest otherwise.

[The Original Steve]

Yes, I recall Google beating consumers away with a stick 13 months after they released Android....

[Sloppy Crapmonster]

Are you one of the lucky few for whom the official xbmc android remote doesn't have the sticky buttons? Or are you using some other remote?

No, really, I have XBMC and an Android, I'd really like to know. Of course, I'd *really* like for my DirecTV HR24/500 to be able to Media Play from mediatomb, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.

[g dot assasin]

Not iPlayer

Apparently its just the BBC World Service stuff on that rubbish MSN video player thing, not the actual iPlayer....GRRRR

4OD will be a good addition though

[Anonymous Coward]

Pffft

I have a WinPho handset and it's freaking awesome. This only helps to cement the usefulness of the handset.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeh right.

What's the weather like in Redmond/Reading...

[Shaun 1]

I don't know

But it will be easy to find out on my Windows Phone

[Ian Ferguson]

Amazing

ly pointless!

I wonder if the xbox dashboard update will still allow me to play games. I don't want to watch video or socialise through it, that's what my TV and tablet are for.

[Ben Alderson]

iPlayer?

I saw elsewhere (the BBC, funnily enough) that iPlayer is coming via an Xbox Live app.

What it doesn't mention though is if you need a Gold account to access it. Anyone know? I'm not paying twice for Beeb content.

[Flugal]

I have read (can't remember where) that is the reason the BBC do NOT make iPlayer available through Xbox. They want it to reach as wide an audience as possible, but not if the customer has to pay a premium to access it.

[Anonymous Coward]

$$$$$

Microsoft will only add iPlayer, if it means they can attract more people to pay for Xbox Live. BBC won't do iPlayer because BBC licence payers shouldn't pay twice...

[Magnus_Pym]

It's the LAW!

AFAIK the BBC are not allowed to charge domestic users for content (apart from via the licence of course). Microsoft doesn't allow stuff on the XBox that users don't pay for. Cue stalemate of ideologies.

[Magnus_Pym]

Both Barrington and myself pointed out a perfectly reasonable explanation for this and got down voted without any comment or reasoning. Bitter somewhat?

[Anonymous Coward]

Iplayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16029825

I-player due early 2012 according to the BBC

And @ Alan Smithie ... An ancient gaming console? Nealy 1 million sales in the US last week alone would suggest otherwise.

[Anonymous Coward]

LOL

I knew there was at least one idiot that believed Microsoft's unsubstantiated sales figure claims.

Much like when they claimed they sold 8m Kinects at launch, idiots everywhere believed them, then audited numbers 10 months later show 8m Kinects ACTUALLY sold in the entire 2012...

Microsoft's usual strategy of make numbers up, stuff the channel and hope it turns out to be true and nobody notices...

[Chad H.]

Err

Since when did "Ancient" refer to popularity and not age?

[Chad H.]

Why the wait?

I mean come on its on Major Nelson's blog. The guy has access to a Genie for goodness sake, should be no problem to get it out in a blink...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Dream_of_Jeannie

[The Original Steve]

Very interesting

Having a Windows 7 PC (which I'll probably upgrade to 8 when it comes out), a new Nokia Lumia 800 and an XBox 360 means I'll be rather enjoying 2012 by the looks of things.

It's very much what Apple have done, however I won't pay the premium for Apple products (and I just dislike their ethics).

Zune is great in terms of UI, performance and being a few thousands times better than iTunes, the 360 is a decent console still and my main PC is a media centre Windows 8 box under my TV (Windows Media Centre for telly).

Nice little ecosystem!

[Magnus_Pym]

apple vs ms

The difference is iTunes for Windows. Apple say "We would clearly like you to buy a mac to go with your iPhone but you don't have to. On the hand, MS say "Got and xBox? Well get a Windows phone or F**k off.

[Anonymous Coward]

hmm...

I've been using my wp7 as a mythtv controller for a while now.

Oh and @Barry Shitpeas: please find a more interesting rant, you are very, very boring. If you are this annoyed by a telephone, I hate to think what happens when you come across subjects that actually matter.

[JDX]

MS are more concerned getting WP7 to grow, than making the 360 gain universal phone-as-remote functionality. There are a lot of XBox users, and if they can put a USP on the phone that could get the ball rolling with user take-up.

[squilookle]

Admittedly, not particularly newsworthy, but still a very good idea and most likely very useful to anyone that has both an XBox and a Windows Phone.

I have an XBox, but I don't think will will be enough to tempt me to switch from Android...

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, I could take my Palm from several years ago and use it as a universal remote, and it didn't blue screen.

[Fuzz]

Make this work with Windows Media Centre too

I don't have an Xbox but I'd like this functionality for Media Centre, especially if there was the ability to remotely schedule recordings.

[Anonymous Coward]

RE AC: Wednesday 7th December 2011 10:08 GMT

"I knew there was at least one idiot that believed Microsoft's unsubstantiated sales figure claims"

At what point did i say they went to end consumers? Even if the figures relate to consoles sold to retailers, in this day and age none are stupid enough to stock up with "an ancient console" which would imply no-one would buy them. I was merely pointing out that the commentard was some way off the mark IMO (or more likely a PS3 fanboy still living at his mum's house).

Hope that cleared it up for you.

[JDX]

@Taylor 1

1)It's NOT a universal remote, it's a 360 control device.

2)When did you get your 360 to blue-screen? When has WP7 been reported as blue-screening