[update] New Xbox Dashboard preview now avaiable

[Guest]

They somehow need to get kinnect functionality into the UI which don't already have it. Same for speech.

[Ayepecks]

They somehow need to get kinnect functionality into the UI which don't already have it. Same for speech.

It's functional in every situation you'd need it in. I'm not sure why you'd need it for the remaining sections -- that'd be a pain in the ass to try to navigate through.

[Timan Veteran]

It's functional in every situation you'd need it in. I'm not sure why you'd need it for the remaining sections -- that'd be a pain in the ass to try to navigate through.

Can't stream music / videos from your library without a controller.

[spudtrooper]

Why would Bing on the 360 search the web when you can't do anything with those results? That makes no sense. There's no browser so a web search is pointless. It searches what it's suppose to, that's content on the Live service itself be it games, music or video.

It sucks that its limited to live only results.. some reason i was under the impression hulu and netflix were incorporated.. if youtube isn't incorporated that would just blow.

[Guest]

Can't stream music / videos from your library without a controller.

Exactly. I'm sure it wouldn't be amazingly hard to intergrate the bing stuff into media centre too but I bet that'll be with an update along side Windows 8.

There's just a little bit here and there where it still says you need a controller to continue which is annoying and makes the whole experience feel a little broken at the moment.

[Ayepecks]

Can't stream music / videos from your library without a controller.

Voice control would be next to impossible given all the possibilities of names and pronunciations of media titles, and I wouldn't want to control that stuff with a gesture. To each his own, though.

Exactly. I'm sure it wouldn't be amazingly hard to intergrate the bing stuff into media centre too but I bet that'll be with an update along side Windows 8.

There's just a little bit here and there where it still says you need a controller to continue which is annoying and makes the whole experience feel a little broken at the moment.

Media Center is an extender. You're just inputting what you want your computer to do -- Media Center isn't actually running on the 360, it's just streamed to it. The Bing stuff would therefore be extremely hard to integrate, and even if they could it would take forever to get results. The "little bit" where you need a controller would, again, be a pain in the ass to control with Kinect in my opinion. Why would you want to go through all the setting menus with Kinect, for instance? Just worthless.

[Hedon]

Horrible interface really, hard to see sometimes where everything is, so many tiles and such meagre indication of which one is currently selected. Then the ads are right up in your face biggest things you see, not the same size as the squares on the nxe but bigger!

Would happily go back if I could and first time I've ever felt like that about a dashboard update. Ah well, s'just a console UI :D

Odd. I have found it to be the best interface on console to date. Much easier to use. Ads, it's nice to see there are less ads, and smaller. Only one ad on mine, a Chevrolet Volt ad.

Best ever.

[NoLiMiT06]

Odd. I have found it to be the best interface on console to date. Much easier to use. Ads, it's nice to see there are less ads, and smaller. Only one ad on mine, a Chevrolet Volt ad.

Best ever.

I agree, it's very clean and smooth. I have only seen the one ad about the Volt as well.

[George P Global Moderator]

Bing should search anything on the Live service itself, that also covers hulu and netflix content as well since those are "on" Xbox Live.

[threetonesun]

Bing should search anything on the Live service itself, that also covers hulu and netflix content as well since those are "on" Xbox Live.

My understanding was that it was going to, which makes it kind of :/ at the moment.

Although, it does occur to me that Bing results for things that are on Zune, Hulu, and Netflix would be a catastrophe.

[Ayepecks]

I'm guessing the implementation with Netflix and Hulu would be rather hard to implement as well, since it would require a great deal of cooperation between the companies. I doubt either wanted to do that, since Microsoft is a competitor with them. That integration would have been nice, though.

[~Johnny]

I agree, it's very clean and smooth. I have only seen the one ad about the Volt as well.

It's not just the commercial adverts he was talking about - it's the adverts for all game content as well - which is basically everywhere. 2 - 4 tile of each homescreen are just taken up by content adverts, not your actual content. They're going out of their way to try and get more money :p

[Timan Veteran]

Voice control would be next to impossible given all the possibilities of names and pronunciations of media titles, and I wouldn't want to control that stuff with a gesture. To each his own, though.

My wp7 and iphone (pre siri) can play songs by naming the artist / title. don't see why not?

[Ayepecks]

My wp7 and iphone (pre siri) can play songs by naming the artist / title. don't see why not?

Do your Windows Phone and iPhone play songs by voice that are on a remote computer? And I'm pretty sure the Windows Phone looks at the Zune profile associated with the media. If it doesn't have a Zune profile, it likely won't get recognized unless it's a basic name.

Edit: I just tried it on my dad's phone, and it definitely struggles on band names that are hard to pronounce if they don't have a Zune profile. And that's without being on a remote connection.

[Timan Veteran]

Do your Windows Phone and iPhone play songs by voice that are on a remote computer? And I'm pretty sure the Windows Phone looks at the Zune profile associated with the media. If it doesn't have a Zune profile, it likely won't get recognized unless it's a basic name.

Edit: I just tried it on my dad's phone, and it definitely struggles on band names that are hard to pronounce if they don't have a Zune profile. And that's without being on a remote connection.

Ah well streaming wise yea doesn't do that. So I guess that is an issue. They could at least let us use our hands to select the stuff. Is really annoying.

[DigitalE]

Exactly. I'm sure it wouldn't be amazingly hard to intergrate the bing stuff into media centre too but I bet that'll be with an update along side Windows 8.

I can't wait to see what Microsoft does with WMC in Windows 8. It's really under appreciated.

[George P Global Moderator]

It shouldn't be hard for Bing to index netflix, they'd just give them the database file that they have, it shouldn't be much work IMO. And while netflix and zune video does, to an extent compete, they're on Xbox Live so why wouldn't they want to work with the new search feature and thus get more hits for netflix content as well?

I'm thinking this should happen and it's just not there at this time is all.

[bgjerlow]

The more I use it, the more I like the new dashboard. It's way better than the old one in my opinion.

[Ayepecks]

It shouldn't be hard for Bing to index netflix, they'd just give them the database file that they have, it shouldn't be much work IMO. And while netflix and zune video does, to an extent compete, they're on Xbox Live so why wouldn't they want to work with the new search feature and thus get more hits for netflix content as well?

I'm thinking this should happen and it's just not there at this time is all.

You're missing the point (or perhaps I didn't state it clearly enough): streaming on Netflix and Hulu takes away from Zune video rentals and purchases. Microsoft isn't going to want to cannibalize its own sales by helping competitors. If you provide links to Netflix and Hulu streaming, someone likely won't purchase or rent a Zune video.

I'd like it, but I'm not sure we'll see it happen because of that. Microsoft wants to make cash money money money.

[spudtrooper]

You're missing the point (or perhaps I didn't state it clearly enough): streaming on Netflix and Hulu takes away from Zune video rentals and purchases. Microsoft isn't going to want to cannibalize its own sales by helping competitors. If you provide links to Netflix and Hulu streaming, someone likely won't purchase or rent a Zune video.

I'd like it, but I'm not sure we'll see it happen because of that. Microsoft wants to make cash money money money.

Microsoft wants netflix to succeed, afterall, Netflix has been a large partner of consuming and implementing microsoft technologies.. Those netflix subscriptions on xbox 360 require xbl gold as well, so there is revenue for MS in integrating features.

[BajiRav]

You're missing the point (or perhaps I didn't state it clearly enough): streaming on Netflix and Hulu takes away from Zune video rentals and purchases. Microsoft isn't going to want to cannibalize its own sales by helping competitors. If you provide links to Netflix and Hulu streaming, someone likely won't purchase or rent a Zune video. I'd like it, but I'm not sure we'll see it happen because of that. Microsoft wants to make cash money money money.

I think that also explains why [redacted] has been [redacted]. :p It is also the #1 reason I don't like the way things are laid out. I love the UI just don't like the organization.

[Ayepecks]

Microsoft wants netflix to succeed, afterall, Netflix has been a large partner of consuming and implementing microsoft technologies.. Those netflix subscriptions on xbox 360 require xbl gold as well, so there is revenue for MS in integrating features.

No they don't. Microsoft wants your money. They don't want Netflix to succeed -- it's already succeeded. They want to provide people with added reasons to buy an Xbox and subscribe to Live. Netflix is one of those reasons; it's just a way to provide for customers. If Microsoft had a choice between getting you to purchase or rent videos on Zune, or helping out Netflix, which do you think they're going to pick?

And there's no added revenue from Netflix for Microsoft. It's not additional revenue, it's simply a way to make consumers happy. I very seriously doubt a significant amount of people say "I subscribe to Xbox Live for Netflix."

[Hedon]

It's not just the commercial adverts he was talking about - it's the adverts for all game content as well - which is basically everywhere. 2 - 4 tile of each homescreen are just taken up by content adverts, not your actual content. They're going out of their way to try and get more money :p

Oh..GAME adverts...advertising GAME content on the Xbox or coming to the Xbox, and MOVIE adverts advertising MOVIE content on the Xbox or coming to the Xbox. If those are considered disruptive unrelated ads to gaming, I am all for it.

Now if I turn my Xbox on, and the big square in the middle is advertising HANES boxers and briefs, PILLSBURY DOUGH or TAMPONS, then I can see the complaints

[NoLiMiT06]

Oh..GAME adverts...advertising GAME content on the Xbox or coming to the Xbox, and MOVIE adverts advertising MOVIE content on the Xbox or coming to the Xbox. If those are considered disruptive unrelated ads to gaming, I am all for it.

Now if I turn my Xbox on, and the big square in the middle is advertising HANES boxers and briefs, PILLSBURY DOUGH or TAMPONS, then I can see the complaints

This...

[Bloodwork]

Now if I turn my Xbox on, and the big square in the middle is advertising HANES boxers and briefs, PILLSBURY DOUGH or TAMPONS, then I can see the complaints

No complaints with the currents advertisements for Sobe, Doritos, Marines, Kia, etc.? I know they're not RIGHT in the middle of screen but kind of.