Kinect TV Mount for Xbox One review – A cheap and essential accessory for many users

Earlier this week we published a list of must-have accessories for Xbox One. Among those is the Kinect TV Mount for Xbox One from PDP. The mount not only positions the Kinect motion control accessory above a television, it also offers a privacy cover for the Kinect camera. Maybe you do things in front of your TV that you don't want Microsoft to see; we're not here to judge.
Having already recommended the Kinect TV Mount, it's high time that we give the Xbox One accessory a proper review. Will the mount take your Kinect experience to the next level, or will it snap apart during the set-up process? Read on and check out our hands-on video for the full word!
Give me some privacy
Open up PDP's Kinect Mount box and you'll find two simple components: the mount itself and the privacy cover. The box also contains a large instruction sheet in several languages.
Before we analyze the mount, let's look at the privacy cover. The cover is basically a hollow rectangular matte black piece of plastic. One side of the cover is longer than the others, allowing it to fully cover the camera array on the Kinect.
Just slide the cover onto the left side of the Kinect and it will sit securely on the device. It comes right off too. The mount does not provide a method to store the cover when not in use.
Arm wrestling with the mount
The mount itself is sort of a triangular array of glossy black plastic.
The first step in setting it up involves pulling down the back arm which will rest behind your television. This arm is my least favorite aspect of the product. When pulled, the arm doesn't want to come down. Pull long and hard enough and it will start coming out in steps, making loud clicks. Because it's so tight, I had trouble telling when the thing had fully opened.
At every step during this process, I feared that I would break the arm. I understand that it needs to be tight enough to grip the television, but still. There needs to be a way to loosen the arm temporarily and to tell when it has fully extended.
Adjusting the mount and attaching the Kinect
Having extended the back arm, you'll want to test the mount's fit with your television. If you have a thicker flatscreen TV, the mount will require a bit of adjustment. Squeeze the two tabs on the main body of the mount and the back arm will extend outward.
Even having done so, I think my ~6 year-old television is slightly thicker than intended for the mount. But it does sit on my TV, and it wouldn't fall off unless somebody pushed or pulled on it.
Actually connecting the Kinect to the mount is easy. Remove the mount from the TV and place the bottom of the Kinect on the mounting screw. The Kinect fits onto the device perfectly, so alignment won't be an issue. Then look under the mount for the mounting screw wheel. Turn it clockwise and it should screw in, holding the Kinect securely in place.
Overall Impression
Having installed the Kinect and mount on your TV, you might need to adjust the tilt of the Kinect. Go into the system settings and adjust it from there. The result has been a big improvement for me. The Kinect can now see the user's legs as intended - perfect for games like Dance Central Spotlight and Just Dance 2015!
Mounting the Kinect atop your TV will generally give it a better field of vision than below. Some users have even reported better accuracy with voice commands by distancing the Kinect from the television speakers. Also, who wants to have their Kinect sitting around taking up shelf space down below? Not me.
The Kinect TV Mount for Xbox One has a few issues like the difficult-to-open back arm. But it's the only game in town as far as Xbox One Kinect mounts go (unless you choose to use a camera tripod instead of a mount). At a retail price of $19.99, it won't break the bank, either. If you're looking for a new place to put your Kinect, give PDP's mount a try. Amazon currently has the product on sale a few bucks below retail, so now's a great time to order.
- Kinect TV Mount for Xbox One – $19.99 – Amazon Link (opens in new tab)
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Paul Acevedo is the Games Editor at Windows Central. A lifelong gamer, he has written about videogames for over 15 years and reviewed over 350 games for our site. Follow him on Twitter @PaulRAcevedo. Don’t hate. Appreciate!
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I might get this just for the cover. Mostly to protect the thing sometimes, not because I am afraid of being spyed on. I wish someone would make an extension cable for the Kinect (Xbox One).
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Mate just put a sock on it! I actually have a custom built box with sound proofing inside so it can actually hear me while the speakers are on...DOESN'T WORK LMAO!
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Yes where is the extension cable Microsoft? This should be released immediately!
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extension cable seems to be in the planning: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kinect-camera-extension-cable-Xbox/dp/B00JFX1JOO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1410977322&sr=8-6&keywords=xbox+one+cable
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Kinect One has a universal camera screw for use with a fully adjustable tripod mount - height, tilt, rotate.
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http://support.xbox.com/xbox-one/kinect/sensor-mount-options See the Notes section.
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FYI: Kinect 360 has a proprietary base and requires a TV/wall mount. -
I use one of these. Working fine.
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I'm sorry, but that privacy mount is the most stupid thing I've ever heard. Microsoft is not spying on you with Kinect.
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That's what people said about the government, facebook... Etc. There is lots of money in data.
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no one said facebook wasn't spying, it's in their freaking agreement terms...
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I'm talking years ago. Add model has always been about data.
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You actually can adjust the angle on the Kinect for Xbox One, mine tilts up and down just fine...there's also an on-screen instructional when you set it up from the settings menu.
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This. Definitely tilts up and down
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Good catch! Thanks for the correction.
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I have this on my TV, works great, the privacy filter is for the tinfoil hat types. Paul, the Kinect does tilt down. If you calibrate your Kinect you'll get to a screen to manually tilt it up or down, so feel free to seat the stand securely.
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Thanks man. Corrected it.
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Nice! An accessory I will be sure to buy......once I can afford an Xbox One all my own *le sigh*
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Would have been helpful if you included a picture of how it looks on a TV.
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Right? That was a huge oversight.
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I bought one and if you have a very slim tv then it doesn't work right and it's not stable.
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Well let me put black tape over my ffc on my phone and my ffc on my laptop. Like Micheal Jackson "It always feels like someone is watching me!" /s.
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The mount is nice, I even use the sleeve. I am not worried about security but the sleeve prevents me from accidentally pausing what I am watching when I lift my hand and Kinect things I am sending it a command. So annoying!
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Yep! No privacy concerns... but I dont need Kinect picking up movements that I did not mean to initiate.
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There is a setting to turn gestures off when watching video.
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I am concerned that the heat coming off of the TV will damage or shorten the life-span of the Kinect device. My 60" LCD throws off enough BTUs to warm a small room.
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I was going to buy an Xbox and a new TV for our new home as the entertainment machine. Thing is the Xbox One doesn't support live TV in Australia without buying an EXTRA piece of hardware nor does it have an EPG for Australian television.... a shame seeing as Windows Media Center does. I think I'll just buy an LG Smart TV as the media centre. A shame that the Xbox One it's quite US centric and has a fair was to go in international markets as "the ultimate media machine".
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Yep. +1 for this mount. I've been using it since day one and it works great. I swivel my 55" tv in its wall mount at least a couple times per day and the kinect is rock solid. My tv is only an inch thick, too. No problems.
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I got a generic TV mount for the Gen 1 Kinect off Amazon for like $8 shipped. It's been a great investment overall. Don't know if I would pay $20 though.
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Will this give the Kinect a wider range of vision in a small room? What I mean by that is, right now, I have it sitting in front of my TV atop the TV stand (about 32" off the ground), but it's only about 5.5' away from my couch. It works fine from this distance for facial recognition sign in, gesture scrolling, and for playing certain minigames in Kinect Sports Rivals that allow you to be seated, like Wake Racing. However, if I want to do Dance Central Spotlight or Xbox Fitness, I need to move the couch out of the way and get an additional 2' of space. But, even then, I have to adjust the tilt on the Kinect depending on what I'm doing. If I'm dancing in Dance Central or doing tennis or rock climbing in Kinect Sports Rivals, I need to tilt it slightly up so it can read arm movements above my head, but sometimes this makes it difficult for the Kinect to see my feet. When I'm doing Xbox Fitness, particularly sessions where there are a lot of floor exercises, I have to tilt the Kinect way down or it won't pick them up at all (stupid red line always shows up). I know that on Microsoft's website they recommend placing the Kinect above the TV, which this mount would allow, and I'm just wondering if it would fix my "have to change the tilt and move the couch every time I want to play" problem.
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The only issue we've run into, because our 47" TV is mounted up on the wall, placing the Kinect just over our height when we're standing, is that it sometimes mistakes one of our dachshunds as a person when they climb up on the back of our couch. We got a good laugh when I was sitting center of the couch and suddenly I see the hand icon darting back and forth on the screen. We looked over my shoulder and one of the dogs was up on the back of the couch wagging her tail. Aside from those kinds of things, it works well. It definitely sees the floor better, making some of the gestures and movement more recognizable.
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Yes, it will extend the Kinect's field of view. Definitely worth buying one from Walmart or somewhere that lets you return it if it doesn't work out.
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I bought this immediately after getting the Xbox One. I had no issue with installation & adjustment--mere moments after unboxing our Kinect was in place. We've never used the cover -- just don't see the need for it. Overall, a worthy purchase, though.
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I need a Kinect v2 extension cable! :/
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+1 Need extension cable....
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Have you seen their latest xb1 accessory? Its a clip that goes on the controller that holds your smart phone for smart ass use
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Oh yeah, I need to use that! I am something of a smartass, after all. :)
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Blutac does this for like a tenth of the price
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I have one of these, just use it for the mount and it works great. Solid. They do need an extension cable, keeps me from putting one downstairs.
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Had to custom make a mount for under my wall mount tv.
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I have the Kinect mount. It works great. Well worth the money.