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Microsoft's Xbox To Have Streaming TV Service?
BogenDorpher writes "Microsoft is reportedly in talks with major TV networks about having its Xbox Live service stream TV channels in the United States. This would be an interesting move on the company's part as it would allow an Xbox 360 user to stream TV channels though their Xbox."
Wait, no shit, a streaming TV service would be an interesting move because it would allow users to stream TV? Never would have thought of that myself.
Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
If only there was already a way to get cable channels onto my tv...
Multi-cast uses just as much bandwidth as uni-cast (regular connections). It war INTENDED to be implemented in a way that allowed less bandwidth, but is now nothing more than an easy way to establish multiple uni-cast connections.
Disclaimer: The above is true on the *internet*, local networks may act differently!
...you've been able to stream Sky on the XBox in the UK for years. Why is this a big deal?
The whole point of streaming (well other than maybe to pay less than cable/satellite) is on demand. You watch what you want when you want. That the the reason Netflix's streaming is so damn popular. You get to choose what it is you want and it starts and stops at your pleasure.
Can't do that with multi-cast.
http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/Live/Foxtel/
What do you mean? Do you think that the quality of video provided through a streaming XBOX service is going to somehow be worse than the HD you get from Netflix? Or the pseudo-HD you get from Comcast over cable?
Are we all really pissing over a way to possibly finally introduce some form of competition to the cable monopolies? As someone who has no interest in spending $100-$200 month (depending on whether you just want the crap channels that you don't watch or the crap channels plus the few channels with good content on them that are a ridiculous part of your monthly subscription) for the few worthwhile things on television, I'm interested in a possible alternative. If this can somehow get me reasonably priced access to just the channels/content I care about without having to install digital cable boxes all over the house, pay an expensive bill to the Cable company (who kept raising prices 10% or so per year for as long as I had it), then they might have a customer. Especially if it includes time-shifting capabilities.
Of course, if it turns out to just be "yo dawg, we put cable television on your xbox!" then . . . maybe not. Unless it'll be in competition against your cable television provider, rather than just another way for your existing provider to send you content (the way that ESPN content currently depends on whether you're already a cable subscriber in certain areas). Because, then, it's not any form of competition, after all.
Slashdot is just trying to be more efficient by duplicating articles sooner.
We (in the UK) have had Sky Player on XBox for ages. I'm amazed America doesn't have anything similar already.