How to use Xbox One and Kinect as a universal remote

The Xbox 360 let you use the Kinect to control your console and, to a limited extent, some of the menus. But the Xbox One lets you control your entire entertainment center.

If you're a new Xbox One owner and you haven't set your system up yet, the editors at CNET put together a comprehensive how-to guide to help you get started. However, the instructions note that the feature doesn't work with all TVs. They had problems setting up both the Philips 46PFL5907F7 or Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD; you can still play games, but you'd need the regular remote to change the system's volume.

Here are the necessary set up steps, but you can check out a video walkthrough video of the setup on CNET as well.

Step one: Plug your cable or satellite box into the HDMI-in port on the back of the Xbox One, and connect your HDTV to the HDMI-out port. If you have an audio receiver, connect it to the HDMI-out port on the system, and plug the TV into the back of the receiver.

Step two: Power on the Xbox One and go to Settings, TV & OneGuide, and select the "OneGuide" option. Click on TV Lineup, enter your zip code, and choose your cable or satellite provider from the pull-down menu.

Step three: Go back to the TV & OneGuide settings and select Devices. Choose your TV's manufacturer from the pull-down menu, or select "I don't see my brand" and enter it in manually.

Step four: After choosing your brand, select Next, choose Automatic setup, and click on Send Command. If the system is able to mute your TV, you're good to go. If not, try a few more automatic commands, or select the manual setup option, which will require you to type in your TV's model number.

Step five: From the Devices menu, enter the manufacturer of your cable or satellite box, as well as your audio receiver model (if applicable).

Step six: Go back to the TV & OneGuide settings, select Power settings, and choose which devices will be turned off when the Xbox One is powered down. The console can be configured to turn off your TV, cable box, or audio receiver with the command "Xbox turn off." You can also set the Xbox One to power on all of your devices with the "Xbox on" command.

Microsoft also released a complete list of voice and gesture commands for the Kinect, in case you've been fumbling around trying to figure out what the system wants you to do or say.

For even more information about the Xbox One, check out our Xbox Launch page, where you can find hardware overviews, system Q&As, and more.