Europeans will be able to watch over-the-air TV through Xbox One this fall

Microsoft is launching an Xbox One add-on in Europe this fall, the Digital TV Tuner, that will allow Xbox One owners to use the console's TV features with over-the-air broadcast TV, the company announced today.

Currently, the Xbox One can interface with cable or satellite set-top boxes via HDMI pass-through. The Digital TV Tuner will allow the console to support the free DVB-T, DVB-T2 and DVB-C broadcast standards. Customers plug a coaxial cable from their antenna into the device, which tunes and decodes the signal, then sends it to the Xbox One over USB.

Owners of the Digital TV Tuner will be able to watch and pause live TV on the Xbox One, although the unit won't offer full DVR functionality for scheduling recordings of particular shows. The tuner will support the OneGuide for TV listings on both the Xbox One and its SmartGlass app, as well as video on demand options, Snap mode and Kinect voice control.

The Xbox One Digital TV tuner is set to be available this October in France, Germany, Italy and Spain for €29.99 and in the U.K. for ₤24.99.

Reached for comment regarding plans for a release in North America, a Microsoft representative provided Polygon with the following statement, which suggests that the Digital TV Tuner won't be available stateside anytime soon:

"Over-the-air television reception varies region to region. A good experience may rely on antennas that not all households have. Consequently, it is more difficult to provide an out-of-the-box consumer solution for over-the-air TV in the U.S. compared to other markets around the world. We will continue to evaluate new technologies and future opportunities to bring over-the-air digital TV to Xbox One in other markets."