Xbox One media remote coming in March

Microsoft is introducing an Xbox One media remote next month, which will control Blu-ray movies and streaming video.

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Microsoft is giving users a more traditional remote interface to use with Xbox One, with the release of the "media remote." It will be used to control streaming video and Blu-ray movies, and is planned to release in early March for $24.99.

Since it's designed specifically for Xbox One, it includes Back and OneGuide buttons, and can control the TV and receiver power through the Kinect device. It also sports a motion-activated backlight, which you can see in action in a Vine from Microsoft's Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson).

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  • reply
    February 20, 2014 9:00 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Xbox One media remote coming in March.

    Microsoft is introducing an Xbox One media remote next month, which will control Blu-ray movies and streaming video.

    • reply
      February 20, 2014 9:07 AM

      ... but I thought that voice commands were the way of the future?!

      • Ziz legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        February 20, 2014 9:13 AM

        But now you just talk to the remote and the remote translates it to the Xbox One.

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        February 20, 2014 9:17 AM

        There can only be one way of doing any one thing. Having multiple ways of doing a thing is clearly a waste. Choice is for suckers.

        PS: AFAIK, it already supported other remotes, like Harmony, at release. This is just their official version.

        • reply
          February 20, 2014 9:20 AM

          ... or maybe it's just that nobody wants to shout at their console all day long and people greatly prefer traditional input methods.

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            February 20, 2014 3:50 PM

            Literally nobody. Like my brother and his family, several of my friends and neighbors, a few of my coworkers; when they've expressed how often they use Kinect voice controls they are obviously lying or are just masochists.

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            February 20, 2014 3:53 PM

            I don't mind calling out commands at times, especially given how often my wife loses the remotes.

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      February 20, 2014 10:53 AM

      I like the minimalist-style design. But, if they were going to go that direction, they could have gone the same way as Samsung with the touch remote. That works surprisingly well, and would even be an echo of the smartglass experience in this case.

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      February 20, 2014 11:37 AM

      [deleted]

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      February 20, 2014 12:26 PM

      I guess we're never going to get network media streaming with Xbox One? Why was that never put in at launch? Xbox 360 has Windows Media Center, and your video library access, as well as being able to play mp3s over a network, etc. Xbox One? Nothing. And I guess that's the reason why I haven't bought it yet.

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        February 20, 2014 12:32 PM

        It does support it, but you have to do the stupid ass Play To shit...

      • reply
        February 20, 2014 12:34 PM

        You can stream to it but it's not quite as easy as with the 360. I've played around with it and was able to use the play to feature in windows 8.1 to play mkv on the One.

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