Connect Windows 8 to an Xbox 360
If you have an Xbox 360 console in your home you can connect your Windows 8 computer to it. This gives you the advantage of being able to enjoy your music, photos,
and videos on your TV.
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| You can connect your Windows 8 computer to your Xbox 360 console through the Xbox Companion App which you can download for free from the Windows Store. |
Connecting to Your
Xbox 360 Using
the Xbox Companion App
The Xbox Companion app allows you to remotely control your Xbox 360 console from your Windows 8 computer. This includes being able to easily manage your Xbox Live account settings and games, and to use a Windows 8 tablet as a remote gaming control for the Xbox console.
When you first start the Xbox Companion App, you will be asked to make your Xbox 360 console available. You do this on the Xbox console itself from the Dashboard by opening Settings, then Console Settings, then Xbox Companion and changing the status to Available.
Changing this status setting will make sure that Windows 8 can detect the Xbox console.
To connect your Windows 8 computer to your Xbox 360 console, you will need to be logged in to
both the computer and the Xbox using the same Microsoft account (your Xbox Live account).
When you connect your Xbox 360 console to your computer using the Windows Media Center software on your desktop or laptop computer, you can share your pictures, music, and videos with the console and enjoy it on your TV.
To do this, you will need Windows Media Center installed on your computer.
You can check by going to the All Apps view where, if Media Center is in- stalled, it will appear in the Windows Accessories section. If you don’t have Media Center installed, it is a chargeable extra that you can buy by searching for Add Features at the Start screen and selecting Add Features to Windows 8 from the Settings search results.
You will need to buy an upgrade to Windows 8, which you can do by clicking the I want to buy a product key online button, which will upgrade you to the full version of Windows 8 Pro with Media Center
To connect your Xbox 360 console to your Windows 8 computer using Windows Media Center
start Windows Media Center from the Video panel on your Xbox 360 Dashboard and follow the simple instructions.
Connecting to Other Devices in Your Home
While you can use HomeGroup to share files and printers between other Win- dows 7 and Windows 8 computers in your home, and you can use the Xbox Companion App or Windows Media Center to connect to an Xbox 360 con- sole, you can also connect your Windows 8 computer to other networked devices in your home. These could include a USB hard disk plugged into your Internet router or a wireless printer. There are a couple of ways that you can do this.
Connecting to Devices from the Charms Menu
Open the Charms menu and select Devices to see other hardware devices you can use and access from your Windows 8 computer. Not all devices will appear
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