Series X - HDMI passthrough dongle alternative

Asked to post here by an Ambassador on Twitter.

Since HDMI passthrough is officially nixed, support for USB HDMI capture dongles would be an acceptable alternative.

Phil's argument against it was that it added to the cost of the console hardware, and only some indeterminate percentage of the user base used it (obviously not high enough to be considered a profitable area). So, they did away with the built in passthrough hardware.

The USB TV tuner for Xbox One exists. Keep this in mind. This is officially supported.

USB HDMI capture dongles also exist. They're not exactly the cheapest things, but they exist in price ranges from relatively inexpensive (generic Chinese brands), to expensive (broadcast quality, like AJA). These devices already work and have driver support in Windows proper. If they expose support, Microsoft wouldn't even need to build or certify any hardware (for example, external HDDs for storage need not be officially validated), though they certainly could partner with Elgato or AJA or someone to build a reliable one.

For those of us for which HDMI passthrough is/was an important feature, it would be fantastic if the Xbox would officially support some or all of the dongles, or at least expose the feature at a your-mileage-may-vary level. They already support the tuner, and the guide functionality for cable is still there, and regular Windows 10 supports these devices, so hopefully the pieces are all there and just need to be assembled properly.

I can't be the only one who actually uses the Xbox as the core of the home entertainment center (as it was originally intended for; however much the concept was derided at launch). If HDMI input is valuable for you (whether for a legacy cable box or otherwise), show some support!

submitted by /u/Jaegermeiste
[link] [comments]