Microsoft has announced that Hollywood producer/talent producer Peter Safran has signed a deal with the company to produce original content for Xbox Live (via The New York Times). The first shows will scripted (i.e. not reality shows), run under 10 minutes in length and are expected to come out in the Fall.

Said Scott Nocas, Xbox Live's global marketing manager for programming: "We definitely look at this as the first of many." The shows, according to Safran, will be exclusive to the service for a time and might then appear elsewhere. Safran also said that some of the content would be supported by advertising.

As noted by the NYT, Safran represents Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Nia Vardolos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and the directors of Epic Movie. Safran said he expects to recruit "established filmmakers" but was not planning to seek out major movie stars.

[Via Engadget]

Just in case you – the loner, who refused to get "caught up" in Lost hysteria – feel left out while everyone (everyone who still cares that is) watches the season opener of the popular cliffhanger-fest, Microsoft has announced that their deal with ABC Television and MGM (first announced at CES) is finally coming to fruition. Part of that deal is ... wait for it ... high-def Lost episodes on Xbox Live Video Marketplace. You can nab the first three seasons now – at 160MS points for SD, 240 for HD ($2 and $3 respectively) – or get the first episode of season four tomorrow (or at abc.com for free if you prefer).

Other ABC shows like Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives are being added, along with Disney Channel programming like Hannah Montana (you know, for kids). Those MGM movies are being added beginning February 18th, including the complete Rocky series, some James Bond pics, and Mr. Brooks. Most notable, perhaps, is this month's addition of King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, the well received documentary about two arcade champs.

Up until yesterday, the living room set-top box was simply a "hobby" for Apple; its fumbled Apple TV product did little to unseat the HD video rental download champ, the largely uncontested Xbox Live Video Marketplace. With a fresh splash of software for new boxes and a free upgrade for current users, Apple TV Take 2 is giving it another shot.

Of course, for an audience of gamers (that's us!), Apple's product has a particularly severe handicap but, on a strictly video entertainment scale, it manages to best the Xbox Live Video Marketplace in just about every category. Now we realize this is, in many ways, an apples to oranges comparison (sorry), but Microsoft isn't just competing for gamer dollars anymore and competition is growing (in fact, the at-home-rental set-top box industry will see another entrant later this year with Netflix).

To get to the bottom of which service provides the most bang for your e-buck, we ran some data through our handy-dandy (and patent pending!) Tabulator and it spit out the table found after the break. Be sure to let us know in the comments if there's anything we're it's missing.

Sundance Institute and Sundance Channel have announced that a selection of 45 short films from the 2008 Sundance Film Festival will be available for sale on Xbox Live Video Marketplace beginning Friday, January 18, 2008. The films will be sold separately for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points). There are currently no plans to offer the films in bundles or for rental at reduced prices. (A complete list of all 45 shorts is posted after the break.)

In addition to Video Marketplace, these films will be sold on the iTunes Store ($1.99 download-to-own) and made available to Netflix subscribers through the rental service's 'instant watching' feature. During each day of the 10-day festival, one short will also be available to watch for free at Sundance.org.

[Via Press Release]

As expected, and later confirmed, the Xbox Live Video Marketplace just went, err, live in five more regions, which we'll present to you here in order of density of stand-up comic talent: Canada, followed by the UK, Ireland, France, and Germany (sorry, Germans).

After what seemed like an eternity spent watching the US hoard the video marketplace's direct-to-video horror films and forgettable sci-fi action flicks all to itself, our international friends can finally throw their Microsoft Points down on some SD and/or HD content delivered in clean, environmentally friendly zeros and ones. Coincidentally, that's about the Metacritic average of most of the movies on the service. Experiment in Torture? Really?

Like a thunderbolt hurled from Mt. Olympus, "Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store" (aka Video Marketplace) clashes onto Canadian and select European servers next Tuesday, December 11th. As promised, Microsoft will deliver its digital movie rental service (TV content is on the back burner for new territories) before the winter solstice, bringing endearing classics like Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon 4 and Analyze This into the homes of millions of Xbox Live users.

As foretold, Video Marketplace's initial European expansion will be limited to the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and Germany. Films will be available to rent in both standard definition and high definition for 250 and 380 MS Points, respectively. While that may sound like a bargain to Americans used to the 320/480 points tag, the European pricing has simply been adjusted to reflect the strength of the Euro (1 Euro is now worth nearly $1.50). Usage restrictions will be identical to those found in the US, and video rentals will expire within 24 hours of first usage or 14 days after download.

A recently purchased Microsoft Points Card package (manufactured in Ireland) confirms the impending launch of Xbox Live Video Marketplace in Europe, apparently limited to the UK, Ireland, France, and Germany. The packaging also suggests that users will be able to rent "great movies" (in high-def), but does not mention the possible availability of television content.

Microsoft has loosely targeted a year-end release for Video Marketplace in parts of Europe (and Canada), and with this new evidence, we should expect Tuesday's Dashboard Update to include the service in all relevant territories.

[Thanks, RazorD]