Gate CES keynote brings XBLVM announcements and more
Bill Gates gave his last CES keynote as head of Microsoft tonight. After a few predictions for the next decade and few neat demos, as well as a big announcement about the 2008 Olympics, Robbie Bach took the stage for the entertainment division’s presentation.
Bach began his presentation by touting the strength of Xbox sales, with software sales in particular dwarfing their competitors. Bach also announced that Xbox Live had passed the 10 million user mark. The video marketplace will also be getting a little bigger with ABC and Disney will now be bringing their shows to Xbox Live beginning this month. In addition, MGM will also be adding their movie library to Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Bach announced that Samsung and HP would be adding media extender devices into their new TVs. Bach also announced a partnership with British Telecom that will be the first Xbox 360 IPTV deployment. Stayed tuned for more announcements as they happen.
Update:
The keynote is over without any other major announcements. Notably missing is any hint of the rumored new version of the 360 with a built in HD DVD drive. This on the heels of the announcement that Warner Brothers would no longer be supporting HD DVD. The XBLVM and IPTV announcements are nice, but only for those that can enjoy them. As of now the Brits will be the only ones able to take advantage of IPTV deployment.
The ABC, Disney, MGM announcement will bring an additional 500 hours of content to the XBLVM. Hit shows like “Desperate Housewives”, “Kyle XY”, and “Hannah Montana” will be available as will “A variety of award-winning ABC News broadcasts and specials from its unparalleled archive dating back to 1963 and containing priceless interviews, stories and historical moments”. MGM will bring classics like “Rocky” and “Terminator” to XBLVM. Both content providers will be adding HD content as well as SD content. What was your favorite announcement, or what would you have liked to have seen announced?
Microsoft has announced that the Xbox 360 will become a fully functional IPTV set top box (STB) before the end of 2007 via a software update delivered by Xbox Live. The console will allow customers to access both video on-demand (VoD) and linear programming from their IPTV service provider in place of a regular STB. Microsoft gave no indication that it will expand its existing VoD offering on Xbox Live Marketplace to become an IPTV provider in its own right.
– Do ya think its free?
Nope… I’d guess you have to subscribe to BT Vision, as the BT Vision set top box was one of the first Microsoft Mediaroom devices.
I dunno about in the US but I know for sure it isn’t in anyway free in the UK…
Here in the UK I think you have to be subscribed to the whole BT Home Hub thing they have that does the TV, phone and broadband internet.
Considering that the majority of people in the UK are with Sky or Virgin Media these days… I don’t see how Microsoft partnering up with BT can be a good thing for them. I just don’t think enough people have BT or would be willing to move to BT lines and stuff to take advantage of the 360’s IPTV.
ive got BT broadband, wtfs bt vision?
Basically BT TV. Like sky, but bt
Im in the UK and im happy about IPTV. I have BT broadband so to me it’s nice that this agreement has been signed, whats also nice is that us Brits will be getting it first!!
http://arstechnica.com/ne...osofts-new-mediaroom.html
My favorite announcement was when Gates said that Sweden and Scandinavia will get Video Marketplace within a month.
Oh wait, that was just another cynical dream about Microsoft lies. Sigh.
Any word on the Netherlands video marketplace?
but what about all the LIVE issues
the LIVE issues are gone now. Americans went back to school today and everythings been running smoothly for a few hours.
“Americans went back to school…” hahahahahaha…. i just thought that was funny…
As If an influx of English Douchebags home for the holidays had no hand either in the live slowdown.
Its not fixed yet!
Sooooo. Basically, they had no games or anything else to mention for the 360?
Kind of a boring 360 announcement.
I have AT&T U-Verse which is the USA IPTV version of BT Vision. And they told me that my 360 can be used as a Set-top-box soon after they update the network.