If you want TV DVR on your Xbox One, speak up, Microsoft is listening

3 min. read

Published on June 27, 2016

published on June 27, 2016

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Last year at Gamescom, Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed the Xbox One would get DVR capabilities for Over-the-Air (OTA) broadcasts.

Xbox One TV DVR

The feature had a great deal of promise. The Xbox One can already connect to OTA TV tuners to display broadcast TV channels right in OneGuide. But with the proposed update you could set your Xbox One to record TV shows in advance and rewatch them on your Xbox One or other Windows 10 Devices. The tuner would turn the Xbox One into an even more compelling option for those looking to cut the cord with their TV cable providers.

Microsoft began testing the feature earlier this year, but, just days before E3, Microsoft revealed the program was on hold. A spokesperson told the Verge:

We’ve decided to put development of DVR for Over-the-Air TV on hold to focus our attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming experiences across Xbox One and Windows 10. We’re always listening to fan feedback and we look forward to bringing more requested experiences on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Live this year.

On the one hand, it makes sense to put the program on hold. The Xbox One took a lot of flak from the gaming community when it launched because its features were not focused on what gamers want. And ever since, sales have paled in comparison to the runaway success of Sony’s PlayStation 4.

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And Microsoft has plenty gaming-focused Xbox projects in the pipeline to concentrate on between the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Xbox Play Anywhere and Project Scorpio, to name a few. But if you feel that the Xbox team shouldn’t neglect full OTA DVR capability for the Xbox One, now is your time to be heard.

In an interview with Gamespot (via Windows Central), Xbox general manager Dave McCarthy alluded to there still being a chance. But only if enough people request the feature. McCarthy said:

We listen. We look at that User Feedback site on a regular basis and try and respond to what people want the most. I wouldn’t rule it out entirely, over time.

So, there is still hope that OTA-DVR capability could make its way to the Xbox One in a timely fashion, but only if enough people are requesting this non-gaming focused feature. To make your voice heard, you can head over to the Xbox Uservoice page and vote on a request for Xbox One OTA DVR.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.