There are wild rumors, and there are interesting rumors, but here's a doozy for ya: Xbox Live could soon start vending HD movie content, according to one freshly minted Wordpress blog (take that for what it's worth). According to Shsibae (huh?), over 1000+ hours of video will make its way onto Live for rental at about $4 a go, or for purchase (at an unstated price). Hard to imagine Xbox 360 doing for PC-free online movie downloads what all the other companies couldn't or haven't (we're looking at you
TiVo,
Netflix,
iTV, etc.), but then again Microsoft did start up with that Xbox Live music video download thing last year. Seriously though, what a coup would that be if Microsoft swooped in to make the Xbox 360 the premier digital content hub -- with or without
HD DVD -- right underneath Sony's nose at the eve of their PlayStation 3 launch? We just hope Microsoft would have a
larger drive waiting in the wings if this one turns up roses though, our 20GB is already packed to the gills with game demos.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ken F @ Nov 3rd 2006 12:55AM
I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft worked out some deal with Warner and/or Universal for an Xbox360-based high-definition download service.
Sony is creating a massive library of 1080i MPEG-2 encodes, but it's hard to see how a 30+Mbps encode of Click could have much application outside of Blu-ray in the next ten years. In contrast, Warner and Universal's latest VC-1 encodes for HD-DVD are running 12Mbps ABR for video (Batman Begins, a reference title, is just 12Mbps. MI-2 runs about the same). In other words, the latest 90-100 minute movies from Warner and Universal are running about nine gigabytes with 1080p VC-1 video and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, excluding lossless audio, foreign language tracks, and extras.
Delivery of ~9Gb high-definition 1080p movies seems entirely feasible...with a larger hard drive. Microsoft demo'd a 100Gb add-on drive for the Xbox360 at Korean X06 last month, so that would have be a part of the offer.
Warner and Univeral both have high-quality quality content that is ready TODAY for such a high-definition download service. Because Sony has stuck with the older and far less efficient MPEG-2 format, it's transfers for Blu-ray are ill-suited for a high-definition download service.
Such a download service would achieve several things. First, it would be service that Sony could not match any time soon, because it's authoring all its titles in MPEG-2. Second, it would present a compelling argument for other studios to use VC-1. Just think what Microsoft will tell studios -- "take advantage of VC-1's superior efficiency to master your titles for HD-DVD, and you can also offer those titles to 6+ million Xbox360 users."
Rick @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:08PM
Since the new dashboard allows WMV files to be streamed from an attached PC, wouldn't it be logical for Microsoft to create a new PC download service for Xbox 360 users? That way capacity is only limited by the size of the user's PC hard drive.
Scott K @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:02AM
That would definitely be cool.
I'm almost certain I saw a story about the 100GB add on being a myth and the associated photo taken of the Korean presentation was a fake. Either way I'm sure a bigger HDD will be available soon.
Even though they would take a while to download, now that the 360 can just queue up downloads in the background it wouldn't be a big deal. It be a hell of a lot faster than I get discs delivered from Netflix.
Hope this one turns out to be true.
Ashley Allen @ Nov 3rd 2006 7:07AM
This is interesting.
In the long term I think this is almost a certainty. But short term it would be a bold move. If Microsoft want to be the first to get in the market now would be the time with iTV on the horizon.
The technology is certainly in place, all I think they'd need is a new front end for purchasing videos on Xbox Live and more storage. Broadband speeds are a problem now but application like this are need to drive speed increases, it's a bit of a chicken and the egg problem right now, someone has to make the first move.
The recent dashboard update added "video marketplace" to the media blade on 360 and with the additional WMV from USB device support you can see where this rumour has came from.
And with PS3 just about here this would also trump Sony's only remaining plus point "HD Movies out of the box".
Steve @ Nov 3rd 2006 8:52AM
So you have a Zune at 30GB, a potential larger HDD for Xbox360 up to 100 GB- including the ability to add a second or even third drive if they wanted- and one's PC with even more memory. Add full connectivity between all 3 devices and the abilty to stream content effortlessly. New IE 7.0 and Vista OS. Why would you limit your media choices to a plastic disk?
Larry @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:03AM
The 900lb gorilla in the room is Walmart who made a big fuss when Apple implemented this feature through Itunes. I can not imagine they would like this idea. I think setting up a 480p download service would be a good start. Downloading tv shows ala Itunes would be a perfect market for this kind of thought.
Joshua Smith @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:12AM
Very good points here.
I tend to think that one day microsoft will be rememebered as "having once been just a software company" Once they take over more market share of content distribution, the company will have completed Bill's final legacy of morphing in a new animal.
"take advantage of VC-1's superior efficiency to master your titles for HD-DVD, and you can also offer those titles to 6+ million Xbox360 users." + how many windows users + how many zune users?
Next... all of Microsoft's investments in dark fiber start lighting up...
Next... the Zune becomes an ip phone, just as the xbox became a media center.
Video conferencing becomes a reality...Virtual reality enters the world through video games
The only thing Orsen Wells left out: How much money Big Brother made before the government took control.
Tim Stall @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:43AM
This is the next step in the xbox 360's evolution to be a digital media hub. I don't see why you would want to store anything on the xbox however, it would be much more efficient to keep the movies on your PC. I can see next year buying a window's vista machine with multiple cable cards sitting in my basement acting as my DVR and HD VOD host. I then will have my Xbox 360 as the only device in my TV room streaming video from my PC/server in the basement utilizing huge hard drives on a NAS. HD VOD adds the only feature that was missing vs. my Comcast DVR. With a PC, I can manage storage and expand to multiple rooms via media extenders or additional 360s as the price drops over the years. The biggest hurdle hear as always is content and the politics around it (Walmart, etc.). The digital future is bright!
zombieflanders @ Nov 3rd 2006 10:48AM
"Why would you limit your media choices to a plastic disk?"
1) Because no one other than South Korea has either the infrastructure or the bandwidth to support HD DVD/Blu-ray picture quality, and the US probably won't for several years. Maybe you want others' "good enough", y'know the same people who claim DVD is near HD and can't stand black bars. I don't want their "good enough".
2) Because if you're worried about DRM now (I'm looking at everyone who claims Blu-ray's copy protection will murder your family), think of how much worse it is without a physical copy. See also: the multitude of problems with the VC-1 DVDs like T2
3) Because it gives Microsoft yet another avenue of control over content (and therefore pricing), and if you're already pissed at companies like Sony for the same reason, then you have no reason to roll over for an even more cutthroat one like Microsoft.
4) Because given their track record on information security, it gives hackers and virus creators even more ways to steal or destroy your information, software, and hardware.
RP @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:10AM
Please please please.
DarrylH @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:49AM
Now if they could only get an hdmi cable so I can get 1080p on my Sony set.
Anjou @ Nov 4th 2006 8:05AM
It makes SO much sense that it is likely to be just a rumour. That's how these things always go.
Ed @ Nov 4th 2006 10:07AM
Xbox 360 HD DVD actually cost from $99 or $120 at Amazon.com. But only this first shipment will come with the free movie and remote, I hear the second shipment wont. The package cost $200 but King Kong is free -$40, the media remote is free -$30 and shipping is free -$10 so you actually be paying $120 for the HD DVD!!! Plus, if you apply for the Amazon Visa you'll get $20 off!!! so you actually be paying $99!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joe Spiegel @ Nov 6th 2006 11:35AM
I think some of the above comments are logically, right on. Either Microsoft will flip another little switch and let you WRITE to the USB port or using your XBOX ID login to the rental/purchase site and download a movie to your PC and stream it to the 360. One of these has to be the answer, if not BOTH!
Joe
griffon @ Nov 8th 2006 11:58PM
Biger drive waiting in the wings? Screw that shit, I should be able to just plug in a usb2.0 external and be ready to rock and roll.