Rumor: Xbox Dashboard preview testing for Avatar Kinect, Hulu Plus [update: Avatar Kinect, Hulu not part of public beta]

by Richard Mitchell on Apr 11th 2011 5:10PM

It looks like Xbox Live preview program participants may be testing out more than a new disc format after all. According to an Xbox Live profile allegedly belonging to one of the beta program administrators, both Avatar Kinect and Hulu Plus features are being tested. Both applications can be seen on the profile, though links to their respective Xbox.com listings appear to be broken for the time being.

Of course, it's possible that Avatar Kinect and Hulu Plus are simply undergoing internal testing at Microsoft and may not be part of the current preview program at all. Still, even if that's the case, the finding could signify that we may see these new features once the upcoming Xbox Live update goes public. We've contacted Microsoft for comment.

In further Xbox Live preview news, Joystiq has received several tips that participants have begun receiving their Halo: Reach preview discs. It doesn't appear that users are receiving retail, boxed copies of the game, but rather plain, boxed DVDs plastered with a warning not to insert the disc into a non-preview console. Using the disc in a non-preview console will result in said console being unable to connect to Xbox Live until the update officially rolls out to the public.

Check out images of the (admittedly bland-looking) disc in the gallery below

Update: Microsoft has informed Joystiq that neither Hulu Plus nor Avatar Kinect are part of the public dashboard preview.

[Thanks, Paul]

Xbox Live Dashboard preview discs (Spring 2011)

Source: Xbox.com - Xbox Beta Admin

Tags: dashboard-update, dashboard-update-spring-2011, microsoft, xbox, xbox-live, xgd3

Reader Comments (72)

WordArt!

Got my disc today.

Had a little trouble getting it to update, but.. it worked itself out eventually.

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Same here, took like four tries. Deleting halo reach (installed game) from my hard drive seemed to help.

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze
I'm kinda lost...update came over XBL last week sometime and I have a new Beta section on the dashboard I got a disc today with Halo:Reach on the new disc format. I haven't noticed any difference in load times...maybe I'll play one of my other copies (bought legendary at launch and later got the Reach Edition XBox) to compare performance between the two.

I'm hoping there's more to the beta...we'll see as time goes.

@MDizzy Some people (like you and I) were chosen to receive the update via xbox live, others were chosen to receive it via disk which is why yours isn't doing anything. I got the update last week too, and have a beta section on my main menu. I hope I get to test Hulu plus, that would be awesome.

Got my materials today. I got the green disc. Green = disc update group. Silver = LIVE update group.

Reach does seem to load faster.

@Jason V

Yeah it was quick, I haven't played it much lately so I wasn't sure if it was some kind of update that did that. I wonder if it uses the installation I have on my hard drive already, or if you have to do a new one.

@Jason V I also got mine today (Silver though, I'm in the Live group) and have to say the same: Reach seems to load quite a bit faster even from the point of inserting the disk. No sooner had the drawer closed than the Reach image appeared. I'm also a little surprised at the look of Reach--when I played it before, it didn't strike me as looking quite so nice.

Of course, I've also upgraded to a much nicer TV since then, so...

@D3m0sthenes I never installed it on my HD. I was reading straight from the disc. So to gauge that against the last time I played this when I had friends over with their copy, it seems to be a noticeable difference in read times.

@D3m0sthenes
Was it any faster?
I just got my disc and I also have Reach already installed on the hard drive, but I just got home so I haven't tested anything yet.

@JasonGW

i got the silver today, anyone else not getting the option to select the "xbox beta program" link?

@Timerider
You can have both discs of Reach installed, and it will load whichever one you have in the tray.

is it me or is the dashboard getting....blander im not really sure.

@Special Agent Bob That photo is from xbox.com, not the new dashboard.

but... in general i agree. I think they're going for the more minimalist, apple/wii-esque design, but I just don't think it works as well for microsoft products. I still miss the old "fading backward" scrolling (it let you see more at one time) and the darker window color scheme (it made the achievement picture tiles "pop" more). Le sigh. I'm not against change, I just would prefer it if we had the choice in whether to adopt the new or stick with the old.

@shabby329
oh thats from the website didnt know my bad.

Got my Halo Reach disk in the mail about 20 minutes ago. I guess those terms I agreed to make it so I can't say much more. I haven't played Halo in too long. Everything is playing smooth. They've changed a lot of little things since the last time I played it.

Got mine today too. Admittedly, I was hoping they'd send me a new, good-lookin' copy of the game that I could enjoy forever and ever and ever (...even though I already have two copies), but this appears to be something that will cease to work after the preview is over. No surprises there.

@darkinchworm

I doubt it will just stop working, it looks that way so you won't trade it in or sell it.

It will probably only work with that console specifically.

I don't know, I'm under the impression that it will work on any 360, but only if that 360 has this particular dashboard beta installed. If anyone knows otherwise, feel free to correct me.

@darkinchworm

On the bright side, you got a mighty fine new jewel 360 case :P

@darkinchworm

It won't stop working. It just wont work with any system that hasnt gotten the update...be it beta or the final version of the update.

@darkinchworm I was hoping the same, then when I saw what it looked like, I laughed. Then I had my fingers crossed that they might have packed in the map packs on the disc with the increased space, but....... not so much.

It's been awhile since I played the retail version of Reach; is it me, or do some of the menu screens look different?

Side note: I forgot how much this game is!

@darkinchworm its not going to stop working, the reason they are just silver and green is to stop people from selling them to gamestop. Im not sure why everyone thinks its just a burnt copy. Its the actual game, put on the disc the same way as any other game, it just doesnt have the lables printed on it. Making it cheaper to produce and harder to sell to a second hand store. The only stipulation on it is that you can't put it in a non beta test console because since its a new disk format either it will not read or it will update the console without permission which would lock it out of live until the update went public.

I'm aware of the stipulations involving trading, use on non-beta-participating consoles, etc., but thank you for your input regardless (that goes to everyone).

I would not be surprised in the least if they *did* have some means of determining this version of Halo Reach and discontinuing at least its Live use after the dashboard beta has run its course - though I have no technological evidence of such a thing being feasible, nor do I have the ambition to develop my theory that deeply. But hell, if I do have a third, ugly-ass copy of Halo Reach to my name that only requires I play on updated consoles, I'm fine with that.

@disguy

+1 (I had a broken one on another game, so what the hey) ;-)

The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club.

@Brando Calrissian
The second rule of xbox beta is you don't talk about xbox beta.

@DarkNightRJ
I think that's the first rule, considering there was a non-disclosure agreement about it. Including specifically to not give information to the press.

@Timerider
I know, I was just trying to continue the fight club thing. For example:
The third rule of xbox beta if Microsoft says stop, or your xbox crashes, red rings, the beta is over.

I'm confused, were you guys sent a new console to test on?

@esbeekay

/s

@esbeekay No, just a letter and the disk. You use the disk to install the update and play Reach.

Kinda upset I didn't get in. First year I didn't get in even though I got my application it. I always left such food feedback to. Oh well at least i'll be able to talk to my friends in party chat

@MarkHawk

Delicious

@MarkHawk Wow my typing sucks. That must be why my feedback was deemed unusable, thus excluding me from the program. GG Microsoft.

@MarkHawk

This beta doesn't affect party chat...the only reason the other one did is because it was a new voice codec that wasn't compatible with the older codec...

Well the article stated the disc says not to play it in non preview consoles, which to me sounded like they sent test ones out.

@esbeekay no you just had to register your xbox with them to make it a beta test console and get the update.

Wait just a minute here. So if Reach can be burned onto a plain ole vanilla DVD, why can't we do that...you know, as backup?

Would be cool if Hulu+ is finally coming to Xbox. Now if they would just get the Android app out we'll call it good.

@DarkNightRJ I was just watching hulu on my laptop today. They had an advertisement for Hulu Plus and listed some TVs, other devices and the Xbox 360 as 'coming to these devices soon'

@stokedone
Yeah they have a page showing all devices and a lot say coming soon.

Got the new disc today as well

Weren't we supposed to get Kinect enabled Netflix in the Spring update too? Or did I make that up?

@Kenaf i really want this. The main reason I wanted Kinect is for menu navigation. better voice commands too please

@Kenaf
and weren't we supposed to get Hulu+ in the spring also? i hate how MS went to a once a year update. any features not ready by the fall have to wait a year.

@Kenaf
Yeah, they said both Hulu+ & Kinect Netflix were being released in the spring update. It's probably just not noticeable here because it will just adding kinect functionality to the pre-existing Netflix - ie not a new "app" like Netflx-kinect or something. (hopefully that's it anyway)

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/05/hulu-plus-netflix-getting-kinect-enabled-this-spring/

My disc looks different but its dull also

A guy on my friends list has been testing Hulu Plus for months. The Hulu logo shows up everytime he uses it.

Really annoyed with the amount of people who are perfectly fine with not only sending out images but of discussing what is going on regardless of the fact that we have been told not to.

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Rumor: Xbox Dashboard preview testing for Avatar Kinect, Hulu Plus [update: Avatar Kinect, Hulu not part of public beta]

Xbox Live Dashboard preview discs (Spring 2011)

Reader Comments (72)

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:13PM Mr Hett said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:13PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 8:36PM Rhamsey said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 9:27PM MDizzy said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 9:40PM Xero Theory said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:13PM Jason V said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:20PM D3m0sthenes said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:27PM JasonGW said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:29PM Jason V said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 7:13PM Timerider said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 7:46PM SmilinGoat said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 8:01PM RedgeHammer said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:16PM Special Agent Bob said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:32PM shabby329 said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:31PM Special Agent Bob said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:17PM D3m0sthenes said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:19PM darkinchworm said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:22PM D3m0sthenes said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:23PM darkinchworm said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:36PM disguy said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:12PM NinjaJesus said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 7:13PM Mwendel said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 9:58PM Xero Theory said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 10:50PM darkinchworm said

Posted: Apr 12th 2011 12:25AM FinderKeeper said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:23PM Brando Calrissian said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:49PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 7:18PM Timerider said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 7:28PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:24PM esbeekay said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:36PM Mr Hett said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:37PM deweyspunkis said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:39PM MarkHawk said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:47PM King Johngie the Fourth said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:58PM MarkHawk said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:14PM NinjaJesus said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:43PM esbeekay said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 9:48PM Xero Theory said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:50PM FlashJS said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:50PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Apr 12th 2011 7:45PM stokedone said

Posted: Apr 12th 2011 9:55PM DarkNightRJ said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 5:54PM StormChaser91 said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:00PM Kenaf said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:42PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:59PM LexStewther said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 7:14PM swooded said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:03PM Master X said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:18PM cool8man said

Posted: Apr 11th 2011 6:26PM Rawrnosaurous said

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