Microsoft gets patent for game console DVR technology

[ShareShiz]

Microsoft gets patent for game console DVR technology
By John Callaham

Microsoft has been pushing for its Xbox 360 game console to be more than a device that plays games. The recent launch of a bunch of streaming video and audio apps for the Xbox 360 shows that Microsoft would like to see the Xbox 360, and future versions of the console, be more of a fully featured entertainment center.

Now Bloomberg reports that Microsoft has been awarded a patent that gives the company the technology rights to add new features to game consoles. Specifically, Patent 8,083,593 will give Microsoft a way to turn a game console into a digital recorder. The patent was first filed in 2007 and was finally awarded to Microsoft in December 2011.

Adding a DVR-like feature to a game console would allow such a device to record and play back live TV shows along with movies and music, according to the patent. The DVR could record its media while a user was playing a game. The DVR feature could even record programs while the game feature was turned off.

Adding DVR features is a natural extension of Microsoft's ideas for the Xbox console business. It's possible that Microsoft could add such features in a future major Xbox 360 software update or it could wait until it could add the feature to Microsoft's next generation game console, which is not expected to launch until 2013 at the earliest.

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ShareShiz Reviewed by ShareShiz on 4th Jan 2012. Microsoft gets patent for game console DVR technology Microsoft gets patent for game console DVR technology By John Callaham Source Rating: 5

[Mr Happy]

But it will be a HDD recording feature surely? Why would anyone record to a DVR? That's so 2005. Recording to a flash or HDD drive would be cool which from I follow the patent covers. But lets face it. This isn't going to be that useful of a patent in the long term as data storage moves to the cloud. What fun is looking at a repeat of an old game on my own? Now if they managed to patent game recording storage to the cloud where it could be shared on social sites that would be epic. Look at all the people who record video games and upload it to sites like youtube (which in essence is a video cloud). That sorta stuff gets millions of views. If I'm playing QuickSand in COD and kick his ass and share it to the cloud, share it (tweet, FB, G+ etc) it and manage to patent that then I'd make billions. This unfortunately isn't what Microsoft has though so while it's an OK patent it's not reaching it's full potential.

It's the feature I can see on Google TV in a few years which you can play games on but remember it's a TV not a game console like the xBox. Google have all the infastructure and resources to do this.

This is just one patent. Google bought 187 patents of IBM earlier today most of which deal with mobile to help them defend Android. IBM had 5000 patents approved last year (just IBM) so this one by Microsoft is a drop in the ocean.

[Daniel]

This is cool. The more and more of these little patents that come out, the more it's painting a picture of what the next XBox is going to be like... I can't wait.

[cvrle77]

Um, DVR or Digital video recording...doesn't mention recording on DVD anywhere, for that, you need a DVD-R burner...