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Reader Comments (142)

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:32PM SmilinGoat said

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any good article that explains how this works?

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:36PM Rocket Raccoon said

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@SmilinGoat

Hah, you beat me to the question.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:39PM Mcmax3000 said

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@SmilinGoat - I don't think there is one yet. I imagine it varies by content partner.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:16PM SmilinGoat said

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@Mcmax3000

Yeah, from what it looks like you will need to already be partnered with whatever company you are taking content from (subscription costs to HBO through your Cable provider (maybe verizon/att/comcast) or just netflix/hulu in the way they are already integrated.

my question is why would you use your Xbox if you already have a cable box? which is replaced quickly and for free if it breaks from using it a lot... not so much the case with your favorite game console.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:28PM Klearwater Killer said

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@SmilinGoat
I think your cable provider has to be Kabletown®
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:56PM rapidshot said

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@SmilinGoat I'm guessing/hoping this is like netflix and it allows you to watch stuff with your friends, otherwise it's useless.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 4:00PM (Unverified) said

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@SmilinGoat
I think some cable companies charge for an extra amount of cable boxes. So using your xbox might save you a few bucks when it comes to that cost.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 4:44PM PedoJokerBear said

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@Klearwater Killer

seinfeld vision!
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:34PM KungFuChaosNinja said

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Yay for nickel and diming.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:41PM kcswanko said

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@KungFuChaosNinja if you got Comcast and Xbox Live already, it's free
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:42PM Mcmax3000 said

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@KungFuChaosNinja - Nickel & Diming yet only one of the new partners is listed with the single asterisk that denotes additional subscription and/or XBL gold is required?
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:34PM liam said

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Super excited for the BBC :) This means they've dropped the requirement to only allow Xbox Live Gold members to access this stuff - that's a big policy change!

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:45PM iceytoa1 said

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@liam
I know it sounds stupid but who cares?

BBC iPlayer is a god awful, un user friendly, piece of garbage/
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:46PM liam said

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@iceytoa1 Yeh, but this won't be using the iPlayer experience on PS3, etc! It's part of the new xbox live TV framework. You'll be able to use kinect voice search..

It'll be a Microsoft experience with BBC content at the end of it. not a BBC experience!
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:28PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

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@liam

"Kinect functionality varies by feature, provider and region"
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 4:55PM oOWallaceOo said

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@liam

Hopefully one of the Xbox UK people outline how it is going to work here. I'm so excited for this though, it's great to see MS push a service worldwide rather than just in the US.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:34PM Wag said

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Well, there's one way to get me to re-up my Gold account.

I would only do it if they offered high-def streams though.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:35PM Rocket Raccoon said

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Sorry, I must be missing something. Does anyone know yet how this will work? Is Xbox Live Gold all you need to watch what is in your region or is an additional subscription necessary?

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:38PM Dave Hinkle said

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@Rocket Raccoon

Some stuff will require subscription to a third-party service -- for example, HBO Go requires you actually pay for HBO through your cable provider. This will be on a case-by-case basis and everything won't necessarily be given gratis to Xbox Live Gold subscribers.

Well, semi-gratis, since you're paying for Xbox Live...
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:40PM Mal F4cti0n said

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@Rocket Raccoon

Only says Partners....nothing about pricing or how to access content.

They still could require a MS Points deduction for watching TV shows. Now, ESPN is free but that don't mean HBO will be. However, I wouldn't mind paying per episode to watch Game of Thrones. I don't have HBO and don't want to pay a monthly subsription for a few unique shows. I don't like watching Game of Thrones on my computer with a crappy bootlegged digital version.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:50PM (Unverified) said

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@Dave Hinkle

This.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:35PM LosEndos said

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Well damn, quite an Impressive list.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:38PM Mcmax3000 said

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I'll give them credit for getting a lot of partners outside of the US, even though not many of them are here in Canada (and even less that I'll probably actually have access to).

As a HUGE UFC fan though, I'm glad to see that whatever the UFC is doing on Xbox Live will be available here.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 5:49PM TaintedKane said

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@Mcmax3000

I'm actually happily surprised that there is at least SOMETHING for people that located outside the US usually when something like this happens it is US Only. Glad to see something come up here for once.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 6:54PM TiLoBrown said

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@TaintedKane You just made me hope Vince is talking to MS for the WWE Network next year....
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:38PM un4gvn94538 said

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i refuse to give any money to comcast. to many horrible memories of abuse.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:38PM aray48 said

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I can't wait to use FiOS in my college dorm! I am so happy!

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:39PM Once known as Shadsy said

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If this is TV streamed over the Internet... not sure how I feel about that. I have a Comcast box right now, and the HD quality on there is much better than what I could probably get through my comparatively slow net connection.

Still, crazy curious. This update can't come soon enough.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:39PM SmashZilla said

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Goodie. A step closer the the "everything in one box" device we all secretly want.

How is this going to work though? Is it going to just be an app similar to Netflix/espn where I download it and enjoy live tv? Separate apps for each channel? Am I buying each channel individually? Package deals? Connecting my current cable service to my 360?

So much mystery!

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:39PM Shadowbender said

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Well I have Comcast...

End of story.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:45PM RevolutionJ12 said

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@Shadowbender Comcast customers just get Xfinity on Demand access.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:41PM jbs1018 said

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I would imagine there's an additional subscription required, but a guy can dream, can't he?

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:42PM adt20 said

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I'd probably be more pumped about this if I could get ESPN to work on my xbox already...(Stupid TIME WARNER)

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:52PM HobbitGamer said

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@adt20 Same here. Yet my mother miles away gets ESPN for just being a Knology internet customer.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:44PM RevolutionJ12 said

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Verizon FIOS customers get access to live HD TV Channels streaming...

Comcast customers just get access to Xfinity On-Demand .... thanks Comcast... don't get TOO crazy....

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:46PM RevolutionJ12 said

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@RevolutionJ12 Though it will still be nice for Verizon Customers that have their Xbox in rooms that have TVs without cable connected, or that don't have the main set top box.

Or if they let you get the the HD content with non-HD boxes, then this better than nothing!

But overall, always good when Xbox gets more content.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:48PM kazD said

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This has the potential to be pretty awesome, but c'mon Microsoft wok your bags of money magic and get me (in America) some of those U.K. Channels. Please?????

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:48PM kazD said

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@kazD
*work*
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 5:20PM DigitalEmporer said

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@kazD

I want some of the US stuff here in the UK!
HBO!
UFC!
HULU!

Not good :(
Wanna swap for a year? :D
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 8:18PM kazD said

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@DigitalEmporer
I would gladly trade access to those 3 things for access to the BBC and Channel 4.
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Posted: Oct 7th 2011 12:23PM docalien said

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@kazD

This. Because waiting for Netflix to get the current season episodes of Doctor Who will be the death of me.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:55PM sykane said

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I don't know, the best way I can say how this thing will work is as follows:

If you have comcast INTERNET or Verizon Fios Internet, from those two cable provider, you will be able to watch syfy,Bravo, and EPIX on the 360. You don't need to be a comcast cable subscriber to watch it. I have Direct tv, but I have comcast internet, I can still watch ESPN games live and everything else. So it will be great if that is how it is going to work. Maybe the Comcast and Verizon that is listed means just that. You need to have internet from one of those 2 providers to enjoy it on tv.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:03PM spin cycle said

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@sykane Comcast only gets you ESPN3 content, not the full ESPN content. At least so far.

Also realize that this content is not free. If you can get ESPN3 or ESPN content from your internet provider, then your internet provider is taking money from your bill and giving it to ESPN. This means your internet bill will rise. This is what the cable content providers want to do, since people are cutting the cable cord, they want to get a cut of your internet bill instead. Don't fall for it, or else your internet bill will be $150 some day because you're paying for Animal Planet as part of your bill.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:30PM sykane said

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@spin cycle

True on the whole ESPN3 thing. Forgot about that. Actually I don't know what to think of it then. It will be stupid if you need to have xfinity or verizon fios TV cable. To watch TV shows on your consoles. However, why in hell would you need to watch or want to watch TV shows on the console when you can watch TV shows on your TV! i understand apps like HBO GO and others cause you can watch it on your way to work. This, this I don't understand at the slightest. Well, like tv shows says near the end of an episode, To be continued...
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:44PM Vidikron said

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@spin cycle

Well, if you dump your cable you probably come out the same anyway (e.g. Internet bill goes up, cable bill goes away... it's a wash). Also, ESPN3 is a bit of a different animal since it actually provides largely different content than the ESPN channels. Stuff like HBO Go is provided at no extra cost beyond the normal fee you pay for the channel itself.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 12:56PM theangryheretic said

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I hope it is not blocked based on your ISP.

Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:01PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

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@theangryheretic oh it most likely will be. Just like ESPN is.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:04PM spin cycle said

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@theangryheretic These things aren't "blocked based upon your ISP". These things are available if your ISP is taking a portion of your internet bill each month and forwarding it to the content providers.

The content providers aren't doing this for free, they want to attach their suckers to your internet bill so that if you cut your cable bill they still get paid.

Reject this nonsense. A la carte or nothing.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 1:49PM Vidikron said

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@spin cycle

You're a bit naive if you think a la carte is the magical solution. Sure, if you watch a few channels, sure, but we're still talking about the cable companies and content providers here. They would simply set the a la carte prices high enough that they won't take a big hit financially. You'll wind up paying much more on a per channel basis.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:02PM copa said

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@Vidikron

I think a la carte is the solution. Except for a few big channels (ESPN, network stations), the cable company pays maybe 15 cents a month for rights to carry a channel.

Under your scenario, if Comcast decides to charge $10/month/channel for a la carte, in order to recover revenues from people like me who watch very few channels, what will happen?

The companies will just start directly marketing their stations to consumers through internet services like websites and XBox Live. They could sell their station for $3/month in this scenario, vastly undercutting Comcast. Even with a significant drop in subscribers, they would be making much more money than they get under the packaged cable deal.

The current monopoly setup, "You will buy every single channel offered, from a single provider, for one enormous sum, or you get nothing" creates an artificial economy. Introducing a la carte channels would create competition and market pressures that would bring pricing more in line with actual consumer demand.
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