Sony huh? that would be interesting.

Most of those bells and whistles are 100% useless in Canada.

The day we get Hulu is the day I grow a beard 2 feet long.

Love to see this. Hoping this kind of thing leads to a better tv viewing option than cable (stupidly expensive), netflix (terrible selection) or hulu (same as netflix). There just isn't an attractive option at all at the moment.

Depending on the price, this might not be any better, but it at least sounds like people are looking for the answer, and that's good news.

no no no no. Yes, Netflix is horrible selection (shit service, too). But Hulu has content out the ass! So much television, and new shit daily. NOT the same. Not even close.

<3 Hulu

@Dale - Seriously? With the scatter-shot selection? It's a crap-shoot which seasons you'll get on Hulu+ for any given show, plus every episode is still packed with fucking ads.. despite it being a FOR-PAY service. Fuck Hulu.

As for Xbox TV - FUCK YES. I'm not hopeful of ever getting an all-in-one solution to replace cable/satellite (I cut the cord anyway), but the landscape will be better with something like this.

this sounds very nice :)

and you'll still have to pay for xbox live so you can pay for another service that you can use and subscribe to without an xbox. It'd be one thing if the cost of subscription were reduced on one or the other, either XBL or netflix via XBL, but instead you just keep paying for microsoft to allow you to access internet content you're already paying an internet bill for. The deeper they go with this, the more stubborn it seems that they continue to charge for XBL as they do. I understand that they're giving you this variety which offers a more personalized entertainment expense, but so does a roku, a laptop, a bluray player and a PS3... Without an additional subscription fee.

... And I'm sure the response to this won't be a well thought counterpoint, it'll be "ANDDEN SOMEBODY TAKE YUR IDENNIDEE MOENYS AND CREDITS!!!"

Whoa shit, this is big.

I already have Verizon TV. It would be nice to have some addition On Demand options. Plus it saves me the effort of picking up the remote and changing the input on my TV. Thanks for making me fat MS.

Can't wait! My Xbox 360 media-remote control has a Live TV button that I haven't used for 5 years, .,.5 years!!! :)

You never know, they might even add torrents someday...that's like distant, distant future though, obviously.

Yes please, I have love film for my ps3 but the ui is fucking horrendous It just puts me off the whole experience.

So you still have to pay extra fees for the extra services anyway so I am failing to see what the real benefit here is besides turning the 360 into Windows Media Center (this was, after all, the overarching plan all along--a backdoor to get a Windows box in every house and they are moving rapidly toward that goal with every deal like this). I imagine the DOJ is watching all of this with greasy palms and firm erections.

@youngskeletor - Not really, just a simple "tired old argument - that no one with an xbox actually gives a shit about BECAUSE IT'S $3 A MONTH - is a tired old argument."

So, by your own post, I can pay:
1.)$100 for a 1080p Roku2 box, whose only unique quality is amazon vod, and has mediocre netflix quality.
2.)At least $500 for a decent laptop (which can do everything)
3.)$100+ for a decent BR player (which only does BR and MAYBE netflix)
4.)$200+ for a PS3, which has Hulu and Netflix.

Each of those choices has something, but #1 and #3 are non-competitors when you are stacking features up. Also, none of the above have the pay-tv channels that xbox will now have. Plus, the service charges for amazon, netflix, hulu+, etc. all still apply.

*OR*

Pay $200 for an XBox and a recurring $3-$4/month charge for Live, plus charges for individual services (which you'll pay for regardless of the "box" you are on.)

What was your point, again?

uhh i already have a cable service? why would i buy it again on a console?

im tired of this shoehorning more and more services into my gaming machines. am i the only one using my console for movies(off HDD) and games and thats it?

@youngskeletor.

You just got served Sir!!!

Uhh...how about freedom and choice? Cable providers bend you over every single day you decide to continue to pay them for service. A la carte programming beats pating exorbitant rates for a bunch of shit you never watch. And even if you do watch it, its still shit.

@fetusmilk - No, you're not, but there are a growing number of people who don't want to pay for 200 fucking channels of cable and satellite that we never watch. You're obviously new to the concept, but this is why services like netflix, amazon and hulu have become so popular, because they are a pick-and-choose alternative to a monthly waste of money.

Maybe I'm missing the point actually, I guess this service is bending you over even further. Now you won't have to ever turn your Xbox off though which is good cause overheating is never a...what?

@quantumriian - Oh look, another tired and obsolete argument.. lol.. RRODLOLWUT EGGSBAWXSUX.

HBO would be the one and only reason I'd be interested. If that happens, we'll see.

I like my ps3 and 360, and like most xbox users I feel the online is worth the money. That argument is stale.

I seriously don't think the Xbox is for video streaming or social networking if you get the same services without charge on EVERYTHING ELSE. Hell, I actually HAVE a Gold account and I won't use that stuff just because Microsoft rips people off for all of it.

@DasPooch

$3-4 for Live? Where do you live? It's $60 a year, the price of a game.

So it's just ... saving the cable company the cost of sending you out a cable box? Huh. I'm not really sure I understand. Sounds like an awesome deal for Comcast and Verizon.

Personally, I just went with a couple of HDMI cables. Desktop connected in my living room, laptop connected in my bedroom. I mainly watch Amazon Prime, if I watch anything at all.

"Hell, the Xbox 360 does more on the TV/movie front than it does for games!"

This is what troubles me, I think consoles being all-around media devices are a good thing, but I feel as if Microsoft cares more about being a media device that it does about being a videogame console.

@quantumriian
That's actually a good point, and part of the reason I don't use my PS3 for anything except playing games. I have ALL my original consoles, NES, PS2, Dreamcast, everything, even my Atari 2600, partially because I've always done my best to prolong their life-cycles.

I say the more features the better.

I want to get game invites during Kinect/Skype calls while watching Pawn Stars live through Xfinity, all on my 360.

...also, if this leads to being able to watch your cable while on the go with Windows Phones/Tablets, that'd be cool too.

... what MIX said. Though we do get Crackle in Canada, but even then we don't get the same shows as those in the U.S. (no Seinfeld!)

Le Sigh.

So instead of in investing in what actually matters (first party games) they are wasting their time and money on useless shit (at least for most people) that you can get else where with out a yearly subscription fees.

What's microsofts priorities again? I thought the xbox was a gaming machine.

@daspooch. its nice to see you assuming something untrue. im not new to this. i just dont see the need to pay for internet, cable,netflix,hulu and all the other services when i can jsut pay for cable and use on demand for all those purposes.

"but there are a growing number of people who don't want to pay for 200 fucking channels of cable and satellite that we never watch."

yet they will pay for multiple service where they can pick and choose through a bunch of stuff they will never watch. its the same as cable. your just not channel flipping to find something.

@pedrovay2003 - Online purchase of live subscription cards. If you've been paying full-price for a Gold account for the last 6 years, that's your own damn fault.

@pokota - Where does it say in the article that this is for people who already subscribe to Comcast or Verizon Fios? What kind of an idiot would do that? The point of this service is for people who DO NOT WANT a cable/satellite subscription and are looking for ways to get content a la carte.

pretty soon they will add a new feature that lets me play games on my console.

We can't just play games anymore. Needless to say I've been waiting for youtube support for ever.

@fetusmilk - Jesus, why would you pay for this if you already have a cable/satellite TV account? This particular new service isn't for you. It's for people who are not paying for a TV account, just internet.

Also, how is it the same? I have an HD antenna that gets me all the local channels in 720p or 1080i (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.), I pay $8/mo for Netflix, get an assload of movies for free via my Amazon Prime subscription, and now I will (ostensibly) be able to subscribe to a few channels over XBL that I'm interested in.

So far I'm paying a grand total of $8, and will add however much for certain channels via XBL. Pretty sure I'm paying less than someone with a cable/satellite TV subscription.

yeah, where the hell is YouTube support?

can we all agree that netflix can go die in a fire? ok, good.

@DasPooch dude, you need a drink I think. You have to be parched after all that product allegiance. Microsoft should give you a gold star. (well they would only give you a silver star until you paid them for gold) I'm here all night btw...

Rumours of this sort of thing have been about since the Xbox 360 came out, I'm rather beyond caring now. Especially since non-US owners won't see any such functionality.

@Dale

Pretty sure I read that YouTube is in the next update as well.

@daspooch

I have to ask you one thing. What the fuck is wrong with you? Your jumping on everyones opinion that isn't positive about this or microsoft Lol.

I'm assuming its because your penis hurts from masterbating to microsoft too much.

@Ardent Snow - I don't give a fuck WHO offers me the services I want at a good price, and I'm guessing that neither do you. All I'm doing is making points about the reasons this will be desirable to some people and what the comparative costs are. I'd do the same fucking thing if it were an Apple TV or PS3, so kindly kiss my ass.

@ KwikPwn and Dale

I so want that.

@SayWord - If I'm jumping on anyone, it's only to point out factual errors. For instance, that this service is for people who already subscribe to a TV service. But knowing you, a statement of "OMGWTFBQQLULZ i have tv dis is stoopidz" is an opinion worthy of intellectual consideration. Gotcha.

@daspooch haha breathe a little buddy. I didn't attack you. :) I was giving you a good natured ribbing. Everything is gonna be okay. Really. It will.

With Xbox Live gold and rising fees everywhere in the realm of consoles I just can't help seeing little more than fees on fees on fees here. That is their brand; a fee machine.

No thank you.

What? No Qwest? Well damn.

I eventually set up my 360 controller with xPadder on my laptop for doing various things on my entertainment center and no need for a keyboard and mouse to fumble with.

I remember the days when console where about making great games that push the boundaries of the console not putting more features that i already got around the house in the console

I think im more excited just for the sheer fact i can subtract the hd box from my fios bill