Microsoft has been trying to make its Xbox 360 into much more than a gaming console. What once was a pure gaming system has quickly transformed into a centralized media hub for your entertainment center. You can set it up to stream from any networked PC with Windows Media Center, you can watch and manage your Netflix movies and listen to your last.fm stations, to name a few. Now, according to sources reporting to Engadget, AT&T and Microsoft are rolling out a new feature to the U-Verse broadband platform that will enable U-Verse subscribers to use their Xbox 360 as a U-Verse receiver. Since U-Verse allows for 4 HD connections on a subscription, this will nullify the need for another receiver for your gaming setup. It will be implemented in the form of a Dashboard app, and it will have all the same functionality as a normal AT&T box. The roll out will begin in early November, and the only prerequisite is that you already have one AT&T DVR box somewhere in the house; the Xbox can’t be your only receiver.
This is almost expected, as Microsoft is actually a partner with AT&T in its U-Verse venture. The set-top boxes that AT&T gives to U-Verse subscribers are running Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV software, after all. It isn’t a huge leap to say that Microsoft would port the software to the Xbox as soon as possible. This also means that the service will not likely be coming to the other consoles. Microsoft likely plans on leveraging their relationship with AT&T to make a unique spot for their darling console as not just a gaming system, but as a true media center.
Image Credit: Engadget
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