Xbox One Digital TV Tuner Coming to Europe

Microsoft will release a digital TV tuner adapter for the Xbox One this year in Europe in a bid to expand the system's live TV features to more markets. Set to launch this October in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the UK, the adapter will plug into a USB port, allowing users to bypass a cable or satellite set-top box connected through the HDMI-In port.

The Xbox One digital TV tuner adapter will be able to pick up free-to-air DVB-T, DVB-T2, and DVB-C standards. Basically, the new Xbox One digital TV tuner lets users watch these channels without changing inputs. In the same way that it works via HDMI passthrough, you can also pause live TV, use Snap mode, see listings via OneGuide, and receive game notifications.

If you have Kinect, you can make channel selections using your voice. Microsoft's new Xbox One digital TV tuner is similar to Sony's discontinued PlayTV device, which let you watch, pause, and record digital free-to-air TV on a PlayStation 3. Sony has not announced a similar device for the PlayStation 4.

The Xbox One Digital TV tuner will be available beginning late October in the UK for ₤24.99 ($42), and in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain for €29.99 ($40). Microsoft did not say if it plans to release the device in other European regions or in other markets.