Happy birthday Xbox 360! For your first birthday, daddy got you something really cool ... downloadable movies and television shows! While the PS3 Blu-ray marketing machine is busy selling folks high-def movies on little discs, Microsoft decided to forgo the discs and just sling the bits straight into your 'box. They already spilled the beans on this one a couple weeks ago, and we even picked Microsoft's Scott Henson's brain on it, but there was still one thing they wouldn't dish on: the price.
Prices are broken down into six categories: new release movie rentals, classic rentals, and television purchases, with high-def and standard-def offerings in each.
New releases
"Classic" feature film Television purchase So far they've got 48 movies and 50 TV shows broken down between 2 movie studios and 12 television networks. We're surprised Universal, who're supporting the HD-DVD and Zune platforms in a big way, didn't climb on board for the initial launch but we're certain there's a warehouse full of lawyers working to get more content partnerships established. Pics of the service after the break.
[Update: Video of the service added after the break]
Nothing new here ...
What's that? Movie and TV Shows and Star Trek?
The Movies page. KHAAAAAAAAAAN!
9-1/2 Weeks totally nails the lonely teenager demographic ... well, it doesn't nail it. You see, what we meant was ...
A classic, to be sure (and one of our favorites) but it didn't win the Academy Award for best picture in 2006! At least the prices reflect the "classic" scheme.
V for Vendetta on the other hand is most certainly a new release and priced accordingly.
Here's a classic without a high-def counterpart. We wonder if there will be a reduced fee upgrade option should one arrive ...
If you can't see The Lake House in high-def, then why bother, y'know?
High-def movie trailers; another arena where Microsoft is challenging Apple's dominance.
The TV Shows page ...
More Star Trek. What are they trying to say?
More demographically astute programming.
You can search by network so you can keep all your CW shows in one place!
Check out the branded sub-pages. Pretty swanky.
Where's our Daily Show? We're guessing the whole "daily" part may be a problem.
Some shows even have the network branding built right in there, like CSI here.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
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And guess what, this can and will also be done on the PS3, except you get more space on the HDD and you can add more at will of the brand you want, no crappy proprietary HDDs. PS3 FTW!
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I could see myself using this, though. Good job, Microsoft. Just get Battlestar Galactica, and you'll be rocking.
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Still a pretty neat feature they finally added.
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The downloadable TV shows are looking great though. Adult Swim FTW!!!!
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no thanks I can easily rent any of those movies or tv shows from netflix
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#7: You keep it on your HD for 14 days, when you watch it the first time you have 24 hours to watch it as many times as you want.
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They just need a bigger drive, already. Whether it comes in the form of a new HD to buy or support for an portable HD via USB - make it happen, MS.
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1.how large (GB) are these "rentals"?
2.After you "rent" them, and delete of your HDD for space reasons, do you need to rebuy them if you want to see them again?
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If MS introduced a subscription of something like $30-40 per month for unlimited downloads, I could very potentially cancel my cable tv subscription and do-away with blockbuster...
Interesting...
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I'll agree with everyone though...MS needs to introduce a new and AFFORDABLE HD very, very soon.
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I'll give the TV shows a try though.
Hopefully, they'll be constantly adding new content as well as releasing larger HDDs though I think allowing an external HDD would be better.
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Then realizing that they could take advantage of the virtual oligopoly that major banks enjoy, they made money from both ends by charging for the atm services that they were already benefitting from.
Microsoft is trimming much of the overhead of a brick and mortar Blockbuster store through digital distribution. They could discount the movie prices and enjoy the same kinds of profit margins as the brick and mortar stores.
But no. They're going to charge similar prices, snatch up the savings for themselves and try to have their pr staff convince enough of the younger demographic that online renting through their Xbox is cool and will make them reek of sex and revolution.
I like my 360 but I recognize Microsoft as the devil I know.
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If you want an entire season... it's not worth it. But if you want to just download an episode here and there from a season, it is worth it. As far as the Hi Def movies... yeah 6 is kind of high. But It beats buying an HDDVD or BluRay for $30 plus bucks, especially if you are like me and will only watch it one or two times. At this price, it is still cheaper to rent it 4 times than it is to buy it (how often do you guys rewatch your dvd's?)
I'm impressed with this service. Now just get some more shows and movies as well as a bigger hd and I'm a happy camper.
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I don't have any HD players, nor do I have Tivo and all that stuff as I don't watch much t.v. I have basic cable so for wife, son and I this is awesome.
Being able to rent an HD movie from the comfort of my own home is plane sick and it doesn't take that long to do it. It does however sicken me to the core how some of you will find anything to complain about, something that runs rampant in society today, spoiled ass kids/teens. Being a gamer for over 23 years and haveing a family of my own, we didn't have cool stuff like that coming up. Download a movie on your Turbo Grafx 16?, hell what is a download would've been more like it. Thank you MS for raising the bar again. At least older gamers, those of us who have been there since the beginning anyways, for upping the entertainment value of your product.
360 is a great name for a great system. Centered on games, revolves around entertainment, that's hot.
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There are major flaws to this Video Marketplace as some mentioned above. 20GB? 1 HD movie will fill up almost half the drive (We only have access to 13 GB). And where is the HARD DRIVE upgrade before this (Maybe they're waiting to see how it pans out?). And does this mean all the Core owners are shit out of luck unless they spend another $100 for the Hard Drive?
Secondly, 5GB of download will take a 2-3 hours to download on a good connection day.
Hmm...That PS3 is looking very attractive just about now, if I can actually find one for the actual retail price. Beat Gears of War in one sitting (kinda dissapointed actually, don't know why there's so much praise about the game). R6 Vegas (Demo looks good already) will be on PS3. COD3 is on PS3.
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I can't believe the negativity round here sometimes...
@#3 ahtheirony... your 'internet is too slow' statement is the lamest bash against the Xbox360 I have ever heard.
If people think $6 is too steep, vote with your wallet.
I like the idea of being able to download HD shows and movies for a small amount. It's all about choice and promotes impulse purchases. If I want to watch something do I have to go down to Blockbuster? Nope. Do I have to go and buy the disc? Nope.
The 20GB HDD is too small, waaaay too small, but is the 60GB PS3 HDD any better when GB's of space may be snatched for installs?
The Xbox360 may have lost 7GB, but that's it for caching, OS etc, and I've still got 8GB left since buying the console at launch - some people just have to let go of those crappy trailers... just how many times CAN you watch the DoA Extreme 2 trailer??
By the way, out of interest, how much of the 60GB PS3 HDD is actually available?
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Not really.. considering that anyone with access to the internet can watch these, and more at http://apple.com/trailers
You don't need a 360 for that. What exactally is the challenge here? Apple isn't attempting to dominate the highly competetive HD MOVIE TRAILER market.. come on.. *eye roll*
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It doesn't matter of what it failed. It failed, period. All my computers have had better lasting, better, bigger and still cheaper HDDs. I shouldn't have to pay another 100 bucks for 13 gigs when there are better HDDs out there that are cheaper, especially if it's Microsoft's fault. As I said, I'd be on my third HDD (the first one failed, the second one didn't work to begin with), learn to read. Too bad Microsoft won't support them. Now, you can STFU.
"13. #4: PS3 could do this, of course, so could wii. Alot of people just love the whole "pay for potential" marketing jazz, how about we compare it to what's actually avaliable."
Don't worry. It'll be better than this. Sony has a Music studio of their own, and two huge movie studios. It'll be a lot better than this; especially considering you have more HDD space. It's not just "potential", it'll be there. Use your think-tank next time. NEXT.
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AMEN to that!
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You sound like an idiot. Just wanted to point that out.
NEXT
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Definatly need a bigger hard drive, though. The 100GB hard drive cant come soon enough.
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Note: This poster does not approve and/or encourage the downloading of pirated movies. Mostly because where you live it is considered illegal (and immoral?).
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I don't have an HDtv let alone and 360, but i am interested in how thought through and integrated that addon hardware is to the whole system
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Anyway, the adult swim shows and avatar, as well as CSI. Good stuff. Throw some Numb3rs up there too darn it.
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How do you figure it'll be better than what MS is doing NOW. Hell they can't get the online gaming part right, even though they've had a full year to copy MS, learn from there mistakes etc. If your dumb enought to think this is it then maybe you should think next time. MS a softwar company, knows what it's doing unlike another company we know. Online is MS and they will continue to pimp it. You Sony bots amaze me with your dumb ass theories and conclussions, totally denying the actual reality of the situation. The PS3 isn't "the shit" like Sony claimed (big surprise) it will get better than it is now but certainly not the be all end all they'd have you believe.
Sheesh some people...
p.s. Enjoy 40 player no lag Resistance while you can. Get back to me on that when they're are enough systems out with players logged on playing and we'll see how that free online works out for ya.
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Yeah, if you are a loser.
I have a 10 mbit connection and it seems to be working pretty nicely to me.
Enjoy your ps3 fanboy.
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