Microsoft E3 announcements for 360 Options

[impala454]

http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2...ntStreamPR.mspx

LOS ANGELES — July 14, 2008 — An exciting new home theater experience is coming to living rooms this holiday season. At the E3 Media and Business Summit, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) and Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world’s largest online movie rental service, today unveiled an exclusive partnership to offer consumers the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Xbox 360 will be the only game system that lets users instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix. This movie watching innovation will be available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix subscribers and will let those users enjoy streaming movies from Netflix on Xbox LIVE at no additional cost.

This could be huge for both companies. It might also blow the newer boxes like roku and others right outta the water.

MS also announced a complete software overhaul. not sure what I think yet, looks kinda wii like.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/14/microso...-new-dashboard/

either way, a couple of pretty interesting announcements.

[impala454]

more updates (via engadget)

Netflix

For now, Netflix will only stream in about-SD resolution.
As Netflix transitions to HD, Microsoft said it stands to reason that streaming HD to the Xbox should be feasible. (Read: eventual.)
Netflix will be for Xbox Live Gold members only, so you'll be paying that $50 per year if you want it.
Netflix video sharing ONLY works with other Netflix / Xbox Live Gold subscribers. You can't share video with a Silver member, or who doesn't subscribe to Netflix.
Microsoft doesn't seem to have concerns about redundant content between Netflix and XBLM, or Netflix cannibalizing XBLM sales. Makes sense -- if you had content available to rent or stream with Netflix, you probably weren't going to pay to rent it on XBLManyway.

Xbox Dashboard / Guide and Live

"No functionality goes away" in new Dash -- so you won't be missing anything you have now.
Microsoft's Shane Kim says the company has "no plans to create a [Sony] 'Home'-like environment. ... It's about delivering base functionality at the service level." So it sounds like the avatars won't have a Home-like virtual theme-park to run around in.
No comment was made about Xbox price drops or how long it will take to get to the all-important $199 price point.
There will be no increase in your number of Xbox Live friends. Psh.
Don't like the new Dashboard look or avatars? Sorry, sucka, it's a mandatory update. Hey, at least it's free.
Microsoft didn't have any comment on what it intends to do about the whole modded controller thing.
The content Marketplace will be overhauled and revamped to ensure it's easier to navigate and much more scalable for the huge amount of content it's got.


Microsoft sure had itself a doozy of a press conference this year, but there's still more in store for Xbox 360 users than what was detailed during the keynote. First off, with the upcoming update, Microsoft will let users store and play back games from their hard drives. You'll have to have the disc in your drive for piracy reasons, but it won't be spinning during game play, which means quieter gaming and quicker load times (and more 60GB sales, we thinks, how convenient). Next up, Microsoft will let users make Xbox LIVE Marketplace purchases on the web, which are then automatically downloaded to your 360 for your enjoyment when you get home -- or walk across the room. The old "blades" Dashboard interface will be moved to the new Xbox Guide, which will provide a quick way to access everything on your 360. Finally, the 360 will support the 16:10 aspect ratio over VGA or HDMI, and work in 1440 X 900 and 1680 X 1050 resolutions.