Slashdot Mirror
Bugs Plague New Xbox 360 Video Service
eldavojohn writes "The BBC is running a story on problems with the Xbox 360's HD video service that went live a few days ago. I have wondered quite a bit how Microsoft runs the proxy caches for this service and how they are ensuring that their end consumers are not creating high amounts of internet traffic while downloading HD video." From the article: "Gamers can buy TV programmes but the movies are rented and are automatically deleted from the console's hard drive after a fixed period. 'We've made progress over the past 24 hours, and the team is dedicated to fixing the issues and continues to work as fast as they can around the clock to get the service running as seamlessly as you have come to expect,' wrote Mr Hryb, who is Xbox Live's director of programming, on his Major Nelson Xbox blog.
I can't imagine trying to deliver downloadable via the Internet high definition content to a XBL subscriber base of 4 million people! MS has said that they have over 1.5 million paid downloads already, and it was only introduced this week. I wonder if they can sustain that rate...if so that would be huge added revenue to the XBL service group!
Well.. I logged into live on the first day this service was offered (stupid I know) and have been trying to dl a HD movie for a couple of days now. When I went to bed last night it was at 59%. If this is the best they can do "It's not soo good!". IMO.. :)
--Hired Net Grunt
There will be bugs for a while. Microsoft will attempt to iron out those bugs. Microsoft has the advantage that this is an added feature. People buy the Xbox 360 as a game system, it won't be a big deal if the video download service takes a while to get up and running. Of course people who have paid for downloads that haven't worked will be pissed.
Microsoft released a product/service before it was ready?!? Tell me it ain't so!
This guy's the limit!
I'm surprised there aren't a million "Zomg! Microsoft is teh sux, x rullzz" (where x is the name of their console of choice) comments already. The troubling thing is that Nintendo seems to have the same problem, and I bet once Sony has stuff to sell in their online PS3 stores they'll suffer from it as well. It is obvious that there is a demand for online movie/ television sales, but this raises a damn fine question, are ISPs really able to dish out enough bandwidth? I think that while we are entirely ready to receive these services it is evident that our ISPs and Microsoft's/Nintendo's/Sony's server farms are not ready to provide us. I see in the news all the time that in the UK and Japan 10MBit/S connections are fairly common, but here in the US and Canada a 1 to 3 MBit/S connection is fairly uncommon. (Keep in mind I'm talking about home connections, not business or corporate)
It's like our ISPs are keeping their services low, their profits high, and their pockets lined. . . But that's a whole other ballgame. . .
disclaimer: I've been known to store numbers in my ass for which to dig out when quantities are required.
Why do they even have a fixed period of time before a movie is deleted from a person's hard-drive?
The XBox 360's hard-drive is 20GBs which (should) allow for (about) 20 to 40 SD movies or 5 to 10 HD movies; eventually they will have to 'return' the movie (that is delete it) or they will run out of hard-drive space. Currently most rental places have eliminated late fees (with a small restocking fee after a week), and online services have no time limitations, so why would I pay the same ammount and be put in a far more limited system?
The God's honest truth is that the general bandwidth available and the 360 hard disk size conspire against downloadable HDTV content. If you're using this service, you're basically trying a beta service that going to have difficulities until the consumer infrastructure is updated.
That said, this is the future. Pure and simple. IMHO, Bluray and HDDVD disks will not gain traction in this generation, and will end up losing to download services like iTunes and 360 Videos. So keep an eye on this space, but expect a few bumps until the technology is ready.
(Not that Bluray and HDDVD isn't without their own bumps...)
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Switching my wireless router to channel 11 as suggested on the Nintendo site seems to have fixed all of my online problems.
Heh, yup I tried to buy one of those. 2 mins before 11 PST the site slowed t oa crawl, and for about 5 mins after the site just did not respond.
That is kinda impressive to do to amazon.com.
Do Or Do Not, There Is No Spoon, There Is Only Zuul. Everything in the above post is probably opinion.
What resolution are the shows and movies? I've read that they sell them in HD and SD, but it is like Apple's definition of HD, which is something ridiculous like 640 pixels wide? How is the compression?
I don't have a 360 yet but this service interest me very much. Info would be much appreciated.
This doesn't look to be a problem due to poor engineering. This merely looks like Microsoft has underestimated the popularity of it's service. If anything, it is an indicator of Microsoft's continuing success in this console war, even as the PS3 and the Wii launch.
games journalism blog
I have wondered quite a bit how Microsoft runs the proxy caches for this service and how they are ensuring that their end consumers are not creating high amounts of internet traffic while downloading HD video.
:P).
:P).
Isn't a full HD rip of a 1 hour show a few gigs? It would seem MS is selling compressed files, wouldn't it? I can't imagine anyone really using this, with the exception of premium channels, because digital cable isn't really that expensive. Even if you're in an area without cable service, (lets say you had broadband, but DSL only) there's still the option of satellite (speaking about the US of course
This whole deal appears to be Microsoft's attempt at consolidating multiple forms of entertainment under its own service. They aren't the first, but they're launching a VOD service on a game console with only 20 GB of storage space (or 0GB of storage space if you have a stock Core X360
Can anyone comment on the quality of the shows?
But.. if this was another one of Sony's screwups, they'd be vilified as being "evil" here on /. at this time. Or if it was Nintendo, people would be claiming that Nintendo's screwups just make things more fun or some such nonsense.. =P
Yeah, so this does in fact suck for people wanting to use this service. OTOH, it's a hard problem, and I don't see any other company offering a similar service. I didn't expect this to go off without a hitch.
So, I take it you'll give Sony an equally easy pass when their HD movie download service has similar growing pains?
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
That said, this is the future. Pure and simple. IMHO, Bluray and HDDVD disks will not gain traction in this generation, and will end up losing to download services like iTunes and 360 Videos
No. No way. You can't lend movies to friends this way, play it in your van on the way to grandma's, play it again at grandma's when the kids want to see it again, you can't have a copy of a movie on your shelf for later whenever you feel like watching it and wherever. This will fail. Maybe as a rental-only service it could pass, but I still like to bring rented movies over to parties or a friend's house or whatever. If this is the only way to watch a movie, then watch DRM go down the tubes fast, and even mega-corp-x doesn't want that to happen.
Twinstiq, game news
1) Yes, Amazon needs to "wootify" their servers. (Actually Woot.com goes down every day also...) I also missed out on the $100 Xbox deal, but it's no biggie since I already have one. (Was trying for a friend of mine.)
2) The fact that Microsoft's servers are literally OVERLOADED with people trying to use a gaming console for video shows that there seem to be a good many people wanting to do that. I mean, I know the whole "everybody thinks exactly like me!" disease is rampant here on Slashdot, but when the *article itself* shows that you're wrong, you'd think you'd hold-off posting it.
Comment of the year
I downloaded a few shows off of the 360 Marketplace, only to find that for some of them, the episode was under the wrong name (aka, episode 4 was listed as episode 7, etc.) Not only that, but each one took a few hours to download. I think I'm going to just keep using torrents to get TV shows until they (Microsoft) can fix those problems.
V for Vendetta: 132 minutes
Standard Definition: 1.7 GB, $4
High Definition: 6.1 GB, $6
Poseidon: 98 minutes
Standard Definition: 1.3 GB, $4
High Definition: 4.5 GB, $6
Clash of the Titans: 117 Minutes
Standard Definition: 1.3 GB, $3
High Definition: 5.2 GB, $4.50
CSI Season 6, Episode 1: 43 Minutes
SD: 745 MB, $2
HD: 2.6 GB, $3
UFC Fights, Episode 1: 9 Minutes
SD: 240 MB, $2
HD: 997 MB, $3
Transformers Teaser Trailer: 1 minute
SD: 25 MB, Free
HD: 86 MB, Free
(1000 points for $12.50)
SD AVG: 10 MB per minute
HD AVG: 50 MB per minute
The quality of the normal-res shows are about what you'd expect for a mid-bitrate rip. I'm guessing a rip from an already compressed video source, just by the particulars of the artifacting. It looks fine for most filmed daylight videos, assuming there isn't too many solid sheets of light or dark. It does break down quite a bit on cartoons, a place where WMV has not done traditionally well, as the solid color gradients get stepped like a mayan temple and edges get fuzzy. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a high-def show on a high-def set, but the high-def videos that I've seen on regular resolution seem worth the upgrade if you like pretty pictures. If you just want to laugh at the South Park Warcraft video, the regular resolution stuff is fine. If you want to own a pristine, perfect, never-to-be-touched version... wait for the blue-ray.
BTW, a 100 GB disk is rumored / expected shortly. And now, badly needed.
The ______ Agenda
Here in Japan, you can get an optical fibre terabit connection for about 50-60 bucks a month.
I've had an 8mbit ADSL for about 5 years now for 25 bucks a month, and if I pay an extra 2-3 bucks I can get 50Mbs or more. For another 10 bucks I can get a 100mb optical fibre connection too.
It's even cheaper in Korea apparently.