Xbox 720 Rumors: System Will Feature Intergrated Broadcast TV Feeds

The next-gen Xbox may be many months away from release, and also several weeks from allegedly even being shown to the public, but that has not stopped the steady flow of rumors about the system from trickling in. The latest rumor about the device, via The Verge, is that the next-gen Xbox will integrate into a users cable or satellite programming to provide a unified user interface.

The way this would work is the next-gen Xbox would hook up to set-top boxes through a HDMI cable, and then users would be able to use a special interface with both devices to control the content given. This would include possibly using the Kinect to scan and recognize how many people are watching television, and if they make certain gestures or even turn away from the tv, then the program would pause or change. Microsoft is rumored to be working with content partners to make sure that this service would be as streamlined as possible.

Microsoft would face a few hurdles in this endeavor. Firstly, this service would be very similar to Google TV, and the Galaxy S4 has a similar functionality to its own video watching capabilities with the Kinect's ability to gauge viewers attentiveness and adjust accordingly. Secondly, having a program pause or turn off merely by moving your head potentially could be annoying, considering that some people actively do multiple things while watching television.

While this is still a rumor at this point, several signs indicate that Microsoft is focused and determine to bring this feature into reality. Notably, the company sold its IPTV branch, entitled Mediaroom, so that it could "commit 100 percent of its focus on consumer TV strategy with Xbox," which is exactly what this report is the center of. We shall see if Microsoft is indeed going through with this plan when the next-gen Xbox is revealed.