Xbox-One to Windows 10 Streaming Experience

[gorfias]

I just tried the Xbox-One to Windows 10 Streaming App.

I was worried. I got the PS TV to stream PS4 to another tv and it was unworkable. I could get sound and picture but the lag was so terrible it was a waste of time trying to even play on it. So I had misgivings about this. So, what happened:

1) I had to create a new account on my Xbox One married to an approved email address (I used one I had created on outlook.com but had never used on an Xbox before).
2) I have to be on the same network. I have wired and 3 wireless routers. It appears to work ONLY if I'm on the same wireless router, even though they all end up on the same cable modem.
3) I have no idea where to find the Xbox app so I typed it into the search field in Windows 10 and it came up.
4) The laptop I used is good, but I'm thinking the quality of the graphics are based upon them being formed on the Xbox itself. Therefore, this should work on any decent laptop. I'd recomend having them connect at 5.0 Ghz if wireless.
5) I used a logitec wireless controller on the laptop. It worked fine.

I used instructions from this.


It looked and played terrific. If there is lag, I didn't notice it. My laptop can be plugged into TVs in other rooms on HDMI. For all intents and purposes, this is like having a mobile XB1.

Your thoughts? Have you tried it?

 

[Benpasko]

It looked and played terrific. If there is lag, I didn't notice it. My laptop can be plugged into TVs in other rooms on HDMI. For all intents and purposes, this is like having a mobile XB1.

What, is your Xbone secured to the floor with heavy rivets? In what universe is this more convenient than just moving the console?

Feel free to answer that, I'm actually curious.

 

[gorfias]

It looked and played terrific. If there is lag, I didn't notice it. My laptop can be plugged into TVs in other rooms on HDMI. For all intents and purposes, this is like having a mobile XB1.

What, is your Xbone secured to the floor with heavy rivets? In what universe is this more convenient than just moving the console?

Feel free to answer that, I'm actually curious.

I have my power cords for the XB1 set up behind the 55" TV. That's cords, not cord, as it allows for 3TB exterior USB 3.0 drive that has its own power cord.

The laptop has it's own internal power that lasts about 6 hours at a time. I don't even have to bring the power cord. Sadly, I don't play for 6 hours at a time so, I don't run into a power issue.

The laptop weighs about 1/4th the what the XB1 weighs. Much more mobile.

But really, the laptop has it's own screen. The best thing: while the wife watches 4 hours of football on Sunday's, I can keep her company in the same room playing XB1 on the laptop.

Pretty cool stuff.

 

[NoMercy Rider]

I love it. Seriously, probably one of my favorite features of the Xbox One. My situation is similar to yours, occasionally my wife watches TV shows that I don't really care about. When that happens, I just boot up the XB1 streaming and play whatever game I feel like. We can still be in the same room being "together" while doing our own separate activities we enjoy. The experience has been pretty much seamless, I like that the resolution drops instead of introducing input lag when the data stream gets weakened, so it makes for a more streamlined experience. I probably wouldn't use it to, say, play Halo MP, but it works pretty well for most action games. I've had a few complete connection drops, but this seems to only happen when I've been playing for more than an hour and it only takes me a few seconds to re-establish the connection.

My setup has some added complexities since I have my cable box routed through the XB1 and my XB1 is directed into a stereo system. That way I can have the XB1 power everything on (TV, stereo, etc) when I turn it on. I guess I drank the MS Koolaid and made the XB1 my media hub This added some complexities for my wife being able to watch Cable. I solved this problem by buying an HDMI splitter for the cable box and have one output going to the XB1 and another going directly to the stereo. So when I decide to switch, I just change the input on the stereo and problem solve.

What, is your Xbone secured to the floor with heavy rivets? In what universe is this more convenient than just moving the console?

Feel free to answer that, I'm actually curious.

I never understood this argument. Why would I want to go through the hassle of digging behind my entertainment, searching through my rat's nest of cables, disconnect from the stereo, and do the same thing in reverse when I want to hook it back up? Especially when there is another method that is way more efficient and provides the exact same experience.

But really, the laptop has it's own screen. The best thing: while the wife watches 4 hours of football on Sunday's, I can keep her company in the same room playing XB1 on the laptop.

I just want to comment on how backwards this sounds, but that is just me. I would love to have a wife that loves to watch football on Sundays

 

[gorfias]

I love it....I just want to comment on how backwards this sounds, but that is just me. I would love to have a wife that loves to watch football on Sundays

It is especially great in comparison to how disappointed I was in PS TV. I had low expectations of this after that disaster. Totally, and happily, unfounded fears.

As for football, I have to come to grips with the fact.. and it is a fact.. that my wife would leave me for Tom Brady in a New York Minute.

Ever heard this?


I feel pretty safe though. Harmless fun and she has a gas watching the game, I have a gin martini and play a game (many: Vita, Android tablet and now, XB1 remote).

And if I get invited to any kind of football party with her, there is usually good snacks.

 

[votemarvel]

The best part of the streaming for me is being able to use my Xbox 360 controller to play Xbox One games.

I don't know what it is but the One controller just doesn't feel right in my hands, despite it being near identical in design to the 360 controller. I don't know what it is, it just feels off.

There was noticeable lag I found though while using a wireless connection. When connected by Ethernet cable the performance was near flawless.

 

[LetalisK]

So wait...you said streaming, but is this a two way street? You can use an Xbox 360 controller for the game if it's on your PC? What about keyboard and mouse?

 

[CrystalShadow]

huh. You found a use for it.
I mean, given what I think of when I Think 'PC', this seems ass backwards.
(streaming xbox games to PC seems much less useful than the reverse).
But... I guess for a laptop that might actually make some sense.

I mean, my PC weighs 12 kg (without any peripherals at all) and then has about 20 wires plugged into it...
Moving a console would be much easier...

 

[NoMercy Rider]

I mean, my PC weighs 12 kg (without any peripherals at all) and then has about 20 wires plugged into it...
Moving a console would be much easier...

Well, that's the joy of streaming, you don't have to relocate your console or your PC to enjoy the XB1 games on the PC. You just have to make sure the XB1 is on, open the Xbox App on the PC, push the "stream" button in the app, and you are good to go. I actually upgraded my router to improve the performance when I realized I was still using a 10 year old router. So I made sure the router had 5GHz band signals available and I have both the PC and XB1 connected on that band. The router is on the other side of the house and I have had no issues, aside from the rare connection loss. Very little latency that is barely noticeable.

So wait...you said streaming, but is this a two way street? You can use an Xbox 360 controller for the game if it's on your PC? What about keyboard and mouse?

Unfortunately right now it is only a one-way street, you can only stream XB1 games to a PC, not the other way around. From what I understand, you can only use a 360 or XB1 controller peripheral to play the games. A message comes up on the stream that will not go away until you connect one of those two peripherals. So sadly, no kb+m on a XB1 game.

MS has hinted that they are at least looking into the possibility of implementing the reverse functionality (stream PC on a XB1), but haven't made any promises. I could see this being somewhat feasible, given that the new XB1 dashboard that is about to roll out is basically a Windows 10 shell. I am really hoping in the future they implement streaming between Windows 10 devices. I have a really nice gaming desktop upstairs in the office. I would love to be able to stream my massive Steam library to my laptop and game in the Living Room. Sure, there is Steam's In Home Streaming, but it has been awful in my experience.

I don't know what it is but the One controller just doesn't feel right in my hands, despite it being near identical in design to the 360 controller. I don't know what it is, it just feels off.

I know what you mean, the layout and shape of the controller doesn't seem that much different. Yet, after holding one for more than an hour, I start to get cramps in the palms of my hands near my pinky finger. The only thing I can hypothesize is a slight change in the shape or angle of the handles of the controller.

 

[CrystalShadow]

I mean, my PC weighs 12 kg (without any peripherals at all) and then has about 20 wires plugged into it...
Moving a console would be much easier...

Well, that's the joy of streaming, you don't have to relocate your console or your PC to enjoy the XB1 games on the PC. You just have to make sure the XB1 is on, open the Xbox App on the PC, push the "stream" button in the app, and you are good to go. I actually upgraded my router to improve the performance when I realized I was still using a 10 year old router. So I made sure the router had 5GHz band signals available and I have both the PC and XB1 connected on that band. The router is on the other side of the house and I have had no issues, aside from the rare connection loss. Very little latency that is barely noticeable.

something of a hypothetical point regardless.
I don't have a TV worth the effort to hook anything up to. Besides which, often I can't even use it because someone is... You know. Watching TV.

I have my consoles set up on the same desk as my PC and attached to the same monitor. Streaming is literally useless to me anyway.

The only thing that would make streaming remotely useful to me is if I had a method of playing PC games in bed...
Other than that my setup doesn't benefit from streaming in the slightest.
(well... Being able to watch video from internet streaming services on tv would be useful)

Regardless of all that, even hypothetically, streaming to my PC from a console is still the least useful possible streaming arrangement I could think of.