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Xbox TV Launch Planned Before End of Year
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has confirmed plans to launch its TV service over Xbox Live by this holiday season. Negotiations with content partners are still underway, but options for live TV will include both news and sports. 'Microsoft believes the key differentiator between Xbox as a TV platform and the sea of failed competitors will be its voice and motion search tool. Utilizing the Kinect attachment, users will be able to navigate through content with voice commands. The search function will be powered by Bing.' The company also wants to tie Xbox Live's social experience into viewing video content. Steve Ballmer said, 'You should have any entertainment you want with all the people you care about, really simply and on any screen.'"
All the TV shows I already don't watch because I'd rather play video games, now on my video game console. What a deal!
Circumcision is child abuse.
That many buzzwords and brand synergies concerns me greatly.
I am become
The key areas for almost all TV services is content, price and usability. Look at the success of Hulu in years past and the recent stumble of Netflix (somewhat attributable to both increased prices and the loss of the Starz contract which gave them Disney and Sony content). Look at the failure of divx (the single-use DVDs). Big Content two of these three key factors (they've learned since TiVo).
So Ballmer says "Negotiations with content partners are still underway, but options for live TV will include both news and sports"... good luck man. Perhaps big media is so scared of Netflix and Apple that they'll give you some great combo of content... but if the content isn't there, or the price is too high, it's a lose.
So they think Kinnect is somehow going to make their system more usable than say, an AppleTV or Roku? Novelty aside, that's just crazy talk. Poeple have been using remotes for decades now.
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
Yeah. That'll make for a killer app. After all, voice command has been promised for general computing for what, 20 years now?
And as good as software like Dragon is, it's still never been good enough to include in a "standard" desktop from any vendor.
Some people download TV. Some people PVR/Tivo it. Some settle for a standard cable/satellite feed.
But I have never heard anyone complain that they couldn't use voice commands to control their viewing.
I predict another epic fail...
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
in soviet redmond, the tv watches YOU.
Why not a damn browser?
Now I can watch Halo Big Brother where they put a transsexual brute, an effeminate elite and a naked Master Chief in the sauna together.
I put my books on Amazon, Smashwords, Demonoid, ISOHunt and Pirate Bay. Search for 'Michael Cargill'
If the fan noise didn't intrude over quiet pieces, as it does if using it as a DVD player, I still wouldn't be interested thanks.
Why bother using another power consuming item just to watch TV?
Isn't that what EZTV is for?
Utilizing the Kinect attachment, users will be able to navigate through content with voice commands.
Me: "HalTV, can you hear me?"
HalTV: "Yes, I can hear you, Kid."
Me: "Could you please select something intelligent from the program offerings for me to watch?"
HalTV: "I'm sorry, Kid. I'm afraid I can't do that . . . the program offerings seems to be the result of human error . . . "
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
The aren't remotely close to 50 million Xbox 360 owners.
The Xbox 360 is the worst consumer electronics hardware ever created. Most Xbox 360 owners have bought 3,4,5+ new models(not Microsoft replacements of their old RRoD models) hoping that each new hardware revision would finally fix the absurd hardware problems the Xbox 360 is plagued with.
There aren't 50 million Xbox 360s in consumer hands. Not even close.
I'm getting the feeling the next Xbox will just be a dumb Kinect terminal that connects to an OnLive-like service, or potentially an outright buyout of OnLive itself.
They can put out a box for $50, they get to do that whole cloud thing they like so much, all running on their own servers, collecting subscription fees, no need to give those pesky users access to the game data files, no need to compete with Sony on who has the most powerful hardware or lose face by licensing their optical media format.
And if the country you're in doesn't have Microsoft infrastructure you're probably all dirty pirates anyway and not worth bothering with, right?
Personally I wouldn't like this to happen one bit, but it seems to make a lot of sense to me from Microsoft's point of view.
http://www.xbmc4xbox.org/
Lets me watch all the TV I want on my XBox...
I'm getting the feeling the next Xbox will just be a dumb Kinect terminal that connects to an OnLive-like service, or potentially an outright buyout of OnLive itself.
Good luck getting ISPs to cooperate. They're having enough trouble with 720p24 Netflix as it is, and that's pre-encoded and buffered. Imagine what it'll take to get 1080p60 video with low latency over home users' last mile, especially in rural areas where the Xbox 360 is the only thing kids have to do after farm chores.
If they focus on live sports with video chat for virtual game parties they could have a win. It's an under served market in this space - likely because of existing contracts of course but if it could be done... Imagine watching favorite sports teams with friends abroad or big game face-offs between rivals and being able to say "eat it" to your rival fans.
A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
Isn't that what EZTV is for?
Yeah, if you're fine with the six-figure statutory damages for file sharing that fellow console maker Sony won in a U.S. federal court.
It's called the Windows Media Center extender. Sadly, MS don't seem to be that interested in WMC which is a shame. It's one of their better products.
Your watchers want to know whether you are watching them, to twist a phrase.
"Microsoft believes the key differentiator between Xbox as a TV platform and the sea of failed competitors will be its voice and motion search tool. Utilizing the Kinect attachment, users will be able to be identified by number and state of activity, providing valuable feedback to the content providers and their customers, the advertisers." Fixed that for you.
Bonus if they build profiles of individuals and estimate ages by correlating with easily available databases and public records. Extra bonus if Microsoft listens to all other programming being played in the room and identifies it audibly.
Now I can replace live TV on my TV!
The fact that TV will soon stream over the internet is too obvious, many companies are vying to be first mover. But the complete ecosystem is still missing, preventing mass adoption.
Interface - We use an old Dell re-purposed to drive our HDTV, but the masses will not want to use a wireless keyboard and mouse to find something to watch. Someone will have to get a simple to use interface going that you can use with a simple remote from your couch. There have been several attempts, like Boxee, but none are really ready for prime time. btw we cancelled our Netflix because they aped the interface, not the price increase.
Interface Push vs. Pull - Many people watch tv to sit and unwind, and do not want to constantly select content. Imagine the dentist office constantly having to select something to watch off the food network. On demand is wonderful when you really do want to watch something specific. I believe the internet interface of the future will have both, some channels you can just "tune" to and they stream, and then an on demand interface to watch content from those same channels. Give the power to choose to the users.
Content Sports - I only follow a couple local teams, but many want to follow more. Our local teams are usually playing on a network channel that my real antenna can pick up. But many people want to follow a college or pro team from a different part of the country, and they are not on local over the air channels. Some people like ESPN, and/or want to watch Monday Night football. For this demographic cable is the only way to follow what they want.
Content Original - HBO makes original content just to push their premium channels, and soon original content will soon start showing up on internet only channels not available to Cable companies. This will help drive adoption. Who will be first?
Content Ala Cart - Price is what is driving us cable cutters today, but could also drive mass adoption. To do so will require the provider to choose what "channels" they subscribe to. Discovery channel is not going to take a price cut simply because it streams over the internet, and they should not have to. I would gladly pay for Discovery, Science, Animal Planet, HGTV, etc., but not $60 a month to include all the stuff I don't watch. In other words the content providers that are getting watched will get paid, and the ones not getting watched will not.
Content Movies - As a casual movie fan that doesn't watch everything that comes out, the older selection on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu is enough. Many people want more. Apple (and Amazon?) has a lot of this covered through rentals (I hear). Get a nice internet interface to stream HBO, and then a way to rent a huge selection of movies, and everyone wins. This should also include a ton of Indy content.
Kinect as remote?- As someone that owns a Kinect, and loves it, I'm not sure this would make a great remote. You have to be right in front of it for it to track you correctly, so across a big room, to the side of a small room, etc. and it doesn't work. Voice? So now we have to watch what we say or the channel changes?
Complete System - The internet video distribution is a lot like music before iTunes, with people working on different parts of the whole, but nobody has put together a complete system. The company that can make an interface anyone from a 5 yo kid, to a 95 yo grandad can use from their couch, with a great selection of content, with original content, with sports, with ala cart pricing will win! The problem is... simple is hard to do.
But how will they price it? MS needs to follow the low cost model. But they won't because well they're Microsoft.
so will there be mirroring fees or outlet fees to get less channels that you will get that adding a full box or cable card will get you?
Also this will kill the download caps as well. MS should try to make a cable card powered box with the same UI as ATT U-Verse.
You can add a xbox to ATT U-Verse but then like cable card there are lot's of BS fees like
* Purchase of $99 Xbox kit required. For existing U-verse TV members, additional $55 installation charge will apply. Requires subscription to U-verse TV with at least one standard receiver, U-verse High Speed Internet service, Xbox 360 with hard drive, and Xbox Live Gold membership. Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Gold membership must be purchased separately. DVR not included with U100 or U-basic packages. Xbox 360 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Also the outlet / rent fee may also be needed as well.
Yeah because I really want to share my obsession with desperate housewives with all my friends. Even better my xbox live friends.
I watch Netflix and Hulu + using my Xbox+Kinect with a DSL link, which saves a lot of money compared to Comcast, the cable TV monopoly in my area, which I used to use until six months ago or so. My observations:
1. The Kinect is a detriment to my TV watching experience, not a benefit. About once every 2 or 3 nights, the Xbox will start fast-forwarding or fast-rewinding for no apparent reason. The Kinect software did it, either because my wife or I said something it interpreted as a command, or because the actors on the TV commanded the Kinect to do it. I'm told the Kinect software attempts to subtract the Xbox's audio output from the room's environmental sound, in order to prevent the latter; but in my personal experience it seems to happen sometimes anyway. I know it's the Kinect because my wireless controller turns itself off after a few minutes, and it's always off when this event occurs. By the way, the event does suck; it's not minor. It takes about a minute to fumble with the controller to turn it on and rewind to where we were. We don't use voice command for this because my wife and I are usually shouting or throwing things at each other, and voice command isn't amenable to panic situations.
2. I love this setup for the ability to watch our favorite series one-after-another without waiting a week for each new show. However, now that NFL football season has started, I miss football. A lot. The PS3 we also have next to the TV has a new NFL Ticket option, I'm told, but it's over $300 for the year, which I can't afford.
3. More minor point: About once per week, the Xbox used to display an unwanted Kinect UI at the bottom of the screen in response to me stretching my arms out, shifting my position, or otherwise moving a little whilst sitting on the couch. This problem was unintentionally fixed by my wife when she actually rotated the Kinect to point away from us, and to point right at the wall, because she is sure there is some network hack available that will let strangers use the Kinect camera to spy on us as we sit in our living room. (Yes, the kids rotate the Kinect camera back to face them when they play Kinect games.)
Although point #2 is the most pedestrian comment above, it's the most important one. Content is the killer app. Not voice command while watching TV. As msobkow posted above, I, too, have always heard complaints about being able to access content, and I have never heard anyone complain about not being able to use gestures and voice to control their television.
OnLive has a built in latency problem that is impossible to solve, which would be universally rejected by the Xbox 360's user base of fast-action gamers.
'You should have any entertainment you want with all the people you care about, really simply and on any screen.'
Except Blu-ray
Success of internet TV is based on content and price vs the competitors of cable and satellite. Also, quality has to be taken into account for low speed internet connections. My guess is this will fail miserably because Microsoft thinks people care about voice command and hand motions when watching TV. I want a quality DVR, good selection of channels, and good price for the features. That will be hard for any internet TV because of the overhead required to run the servers.
Now I can replace live TV on my TV!
There's a "yo dawg" in there soemwhere ... I just know it.