HD TV and Movies on the Xbox 360

[Skyye]

Redmond, Washington?On November 6, Microsoft Corp. announced agreements with CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to bring an initial lineup of more than 1,000 hours of hit television shows and movies to Xbox 360? consoles in the U.S. by the end of the year. Additionally, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console to bring standard and HD TV shows and movies to the customer via digital distribution over the Internet.

Beginning on its first anniversary, November 22, Xbox 360 will become the first gaming console in history to provide HD TV shows and movies directly to gamers in their own living rooms. Xbox 360 gamers will be able to download full-length TV shows to own, and will be able to rent movies via download from the Xbox Live® network, the world leader in online distribution of high-definition gaming and entertainment content. This announcement also brings with it several additional firsts:

* For the first time, consumers will have an integrated gaming and entertainment experience on a gaming console, including downloadable HD television programming and movies. This new full-length content adds to the ever-expanding number of choices gamers have on their Xbox 360 consoles, whether they want to play games, play a movie on DVD, or watch a downloaded program in either standard or high definition.
* For the very first time CBS will offer high-definition download-to-own TV shows including CSI, Jericho, Numb3rs, and even remastered classic Star Trek episodes! Gamers can buy an episode and watch it as many times as they like.
* For the first time on any gaming platform, NASCAR.COM will deliver download-to-own condensed versions of select NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races from Race Rewind.
* Also for the first time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will make 50 of its most intense fights available for download as well as select episodes from the original season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series.

"This groundbreaking announcement is a win for everyone," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "It connects our partners with one of the most coveted audiences in entertainment today, and provides even greater value to our Xbox Live community, allowing them to enjoy the games and entertainment they want, when they want it."

The initial lineup of TV shows and feature films available for download will include a growing catalog of popular hits. Examples of what will be available before the end of the year include:

* Robot Chicken and Aqua Teen Hunger Force from The Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
* CSI, Survivor, and remastered episodes of classic Star Trek from CBS.
* Emmy and Peabody award-winning comedy South Park and Chappelle's Show from COMEDY CENTRAL.
* The Real World and Pimp My Ride from MTV.
* Avatar: The Last Airbender and SpongeBob SquarePants from Nickelodeon.
* Skyland and The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival from Nicktoons Network.
* Mission: Impossible III, Nacho Libre, and Jackass: The Movie from Paramount Pictures.
* Carpocalypse and Raising the Roofs from Spike TV.
* Race Rewind provided by NASCAR.COM.
* Select episodes of the original season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series and UFC: All Access from the UFC.
* Breaking Bonaduce and Hogan Knows Best from VH1.
* The Matrix, Superman Returns, and Batman Forever from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Xbox 360 gamers can access Xbox Live Marketplace with a free Xbox Live Silver membership and a broadband connection. More information about the content available on Xbox Live Marketplace can be found at http://www.xbox.com/marketplaceentertainment.

I've said it time and time again, its an exciting time to be a gamer....Now with the addition of HD TV, as well as movies, this console war is going to get VERY interesting. With the addition of this, one question still remains, what will it cost me, the consumer??? Thoughts??

 

[spidey07]

Make no bones about it...

Microsoft and cisco want to dominate the home entertainment network.

<hugs xbox360

 

[blurredvision]

Well, you asked for thoughts, and here's mine. Great idea, poor initial implementation. Despite any rumors that may flying around, we're still stuck with the fact that we only have 20GB hard drives. This introduces numerous problems when you can't transfer info from the hard drive (although I'm not 100% this can't be done). The very suggestion by a higher-up Microsoft exec to get around this limitation by buying another hard drive to keep movies and shows on is atrocious.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

They will simply have to provide some kind of expanded storage for this to be viable. I still think it's an exciting prospect, and I've already enjoyed the HD trailers on Xbox Live. What I want to know is, why the hell would they use Batman Forever as one of the launch titles?

 

[Skyye]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
Well, you asked for thoughts, and here's mine. Great idea, poor initial implementation. Despite any rumors that may flying around, we're still stuck with the fact that we only have 20GB hard drives. This introduces numerous problems when you can't transfer info from the hard drive (although I'm not 100% this can't be done). The very suggestion by a higher-up Microsoft exec to get around this limitation by buying another hard drive to keep movies and shows on is atrocious.

Yes! Exactly how I feel, but I also read a rumor that they are planning on releasing a new 100gb drive in the near future, even still, I wish for there to be a way to catalog the digital files I pay for, and I am not just talking about leaving them on the Xbox hard drive. It is a shame that we can't throw on an external hard drive that would be nice.

Mostly though, I want to know what price am I going to pay to watch these shows and movies. I understand they want to turn a profit, but what would you think is fair?? Like what something like 3 dollars for HD maybe 1 dollar fo SD?? I have no idea there, just a shot in the dark. What does Itunes charge for TV shows?

 

[intogamer]

The quality must be good cause it has to be Fullscreen/Wide

They are probably going to stream it with the option of DL?

Either ways its going to take massive bandwidth

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Skyye

Originally posted by: blurredvision
Well, you asked for thoughts, and here's mine. Great idea, poor initial implementation. Despite any rumors that may flying around, we're still stuck with the fact that we only have 20GB hard drives. This introduces numerous problems when you can't transfer info from the hard drive (although I'm not 100% this can't be done). The very suggestion by a higher-up Microsoft exec to get around this limitation by buying another hard drive to keep movies and shows on is atrocious.

Yes! Exactly how I feel, but I also read a rumor that they are planning on releasing a new 100gb drive in the near future, even still, I wish for there to be a way to catalog the digital files I pay for, and I am not just talking about leaving them on the Xbox hard drive. It is a shame that we can't throw on an external hard drive that would be nice.

I wouldn't be amazed to see them implement an external drive. I guess we'll see.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: intogamer
The quality must be good cause it has to be Fullscreen/Wide

They are probably going to stream it with the option of DL?

Either ways its going to take massive bandwidth

Streaming HD isn't feasible over a residential-caliber broadband connection, is it?

 

[Skyye]

I have wondered since the 360 came out as to why they don't have streaming content, guess bandwidth is probably the reason....But come to think about it, how much does it really cost to stream something?? I mean there are plenty of places that stream stuff for free.

 

[Skyye]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: intogamer
The quality must be good cause it has to be Fullscreen/Wide

They are probably going to stream it with the option of DL?

Either ways its going to take massive bandwidth

Streaming HD isn't feasible over a residential-caliber broadband connection, is it?

Hmm, good point, what about SD though??

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Skyye

Hmm, good point, what about SD though??

At that point, why not just use your cable box, which allows both HD and SD, including recent pay movies on demand?

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: intogamer
The quality must be good cause it has to be Fullscreen/Wide

They are probably going to stream it with the option of DL?

Either ways its going to take massive bandwidth

Streaming HD isn't feasible over a residential-caliber broadband connection, is it?

If you have FIOS then I'd say it is.

 

[Skyye]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: Skyye

Hmm, good point, what about SD though??

At that point, why not just use your cable box, which allows both HD and SD, including recent pay movies on demand?

Oh Snap! Yeah ok guess you got me there.. :beer:

 

[JasonCoder]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: intogamer
The quality must be good cause it has to be Fullscreen/Wide

They are probably going to stream it with the option of DL?

Either ways its going to take massive bandwidth

Streaming HD isn't feasible over a residential-caliber broadband connection, is it?

Good question. I think it is feasible. In my area Time Warner gives 5 mbit downstream & 512k up. Add to that the media formats that Microsoft has engineered in the past couple of years (WM 9 format & VC-1 video compression to name a couple) and you've got some good possibilities.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Skyye

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: intogamer
The quality must be good cause it has to be Fullscreen/Wide

They are probably going to stream it with the option of DL?

Either ways its going to take massive bandwidth

Streaming HD isn't feasible over a residential-caliber broadband connection, is it?

Hmm, good point, what about SD though??

umm, streaming on-demand HD content is already available and is shaping the triple play package from providers. Yes, it's entirely possible and offered in certain areas.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: spidey07

umm, streaming on-demand HD content is already available and is shaping the triple play package from providers. Yes, it's entirely possible and offered in certain areas.

Are you sure you're not thinking of On Demand or something similar? I have, and have often used, On Demand in HD, but it's not an internet-based service.