Xbox One Is Getting A Free DVR For Live TV

Microsoft is adding another feature to its XBox platform as it moves towards making the gaming console an all-around media platform. The company announced on Tuesday that the Xbox One will soon be able to record live television shows and beam them to other devices.

The new DVR option was introduced at the German games conference Gamescom and will be available for free to users early in 2016. It will use the XBox One console's drive to store the shows and can be used either in conjunction with  cable TV subscription or with an optional over-the-air tuner.

The XBox One DVR will include many of the features available in a traditional DVR supplied by a cable provider: a TV guide, the ability to schedule and view recordings and the opportunity to schedule recordings from a mobile device or smart phone.

One additional feature of the free service will be the ability to download shows and view them offline via a mobile device or Windows tablet.