Xbox One is getting new DVR Control, OneGuide in SmartGlass and more

Written by Brandon Hofer on April 01, 2014

News: Microsoft reveals new tools that they will be inviting some people to try out that will enhance your overall experience with Xbox One.

Microsoft has revealed that new Xbox One television tools, along with DVR control and OneGuide coming to Smartglass. Via Xbox Wire, Microsoft revealed that starting this week you can rent or buy a movie on Xbox Video, begin watching on one screen and pick up where you left off on another. This means that you can begin watching a movie on Xbox One but if you need to leave you can continue viewing it on Windows Phone 8, a Windows 8 tablet, XboxVideo.com or even on Xbox 360.

In addition to watching that content there are going to be a range of options for how you navigate Xbox One experiences. New SmartGlass features will make it easier for anyone around the world to navigate Xbox One. With these new features you would be able to do the following:

Easily navigate game options so you can quickly get to the full list of Achievements, challenges and game clips without jumping through multiple screens

View recent players to find people you recently met and played games with, easily add them as a friend, or issue a rematch challenge

Sort the Friends list by online status for a quick view of what your friends are doing

View your Activity Feed in a way that matches the view on your console

Launch an app in Snap from your mobile device and when you’re done, simply unsnap it

Receive Xbox Live messaging alerts on your mobile device, making it easier to stay in touch with friends when you’re on the go

New features are also being worked on for OneGuide and the SmartGlass update. Designed to improve the TV experience on Xbox One, the features bring elements of OneGuide to new markets (some new features will be available to Xbox Live members by invite only in the U.S., Canada and Europe) and they add OneGuide and universal remote control to Xbox SmartGlass. If you are selected to participate you will see the following:

An enhanced TV watching experience (that’s already available in the U.S.), which sees TV listings added to OneGuide, alongside Favorites and App Channels. This will work for people in Europe and Canada who have their TV connected to Xbox One via HDMI-In

More control over Xbox One, their TV, and set-top box, including setting new recordings and watching recorded content from their DVR, all from a tablet or smart phone. Xbox SmartGlass also adds a cool new feature to show the most recently-watched channels

New Kinect voice commands in Europe and Canada (already available in U.S.) which let you control your set top box and other AV equipment

These features will be available to those Xbox Live members which are invited in to the preview program for the time being and will officially launch for everyone later this year. What do you think about these changes? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section below.