When Microsoft ended its support of Xbox TV OneGuide Listings in 2021, it eliminated an elegant way for Xbox game consoles to access over-the-air TV.
The decision, in part, was a response to public backlash over making the game console a central hub for entertainment.
But if you own an Xbox Series X, or an older Xbox One, you can still find an abundance of streaming apps such as Netflix, Pluto TV, Plex, Prime Video and Sling TV. You can buy and rent movies.
And despite the end of OneGuide, there is still a way for antenna users to tap into free OTA TV. When you hook-up an HDHomeRun to a TV antenna, you can start watching live TV from major local broadcasters like NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC.
You can likewise record TV shows and live sports from these networks, and watch them on an XBox console whenever you like.
The great thing about having a HDHomeRun setup is that you can watch and record a lot of the most-watched TV programs and sports without a subscription.
Setting up OTA TV on XBox
Currently, HDHomeRun is the only TV tuner app that has an app within the Microsoft app store found on XBox One consoles.
Older Tablo units will still work, but the hardware for these units have been replaced by the 4th Gen Tablo, which doesn’t yet have XBox support. Of course, picking the correct TV antenna for your home is a crucial step in the process.
An HDHomeRun needs to be connected via Ethernet, but doesn’t need to be next to your TV. It works well with a Moca adapter if you want to tap into coaxial cables around your house for a wired internet connection.
You also need to connect an HDHomeRun to an external hard drive or NAS for recordings. Assuming your TV antenna is stationed in an optimal place, here’s how to set up HDHomeRun for getting OTA channels on Xbox:
- Connect a TV antenna, external hard drive or NAS to the HDHomeRun.
- Plug in the Ethernet cable to connect the HDHomeRun to your router.
- Plug in the power adapter to the HDHomeRun
- To detect the HDHomeRun on your network and scan for channels, use the web interface: http://hdhomerun.local
Once you complete a channel scan from the web interface, you can download the HDHomeRun app on your Xbox console from the Microsoft Store. You can also set up HDHomeRun to work with Plex on XBox One and XBox Series X consoles as well.
Watching OTA Channels on XBox game consoles
You can use your game controller as a remote control, and navigate the HDHomeRun app to pick live TV channels. At the bottom of the screen there are tabs for the DVR, Closed Captioning, Stereo Audio and Channel Guide.
There is a channel guide on the side of the screen as well called Slice View. You might notice more than just major networks like NBC and FOX. Channels like ion TV, Me TV and MeTV Toons are in many local TV markets as well.
Once you start watching live TV channels like this, you might never opt for a streaming service to get local broadcast channels again.
