More details about IPTV on Xbox 360

Doug Anderson chatted with Microsoft yesterday and managed to scare up some interesting new details about that new IPTV service that is due out for the Xbox 360 later this year. Seems that their partner here in the US will be AT&T (no surprise there), which is rolling out its new fiber optic Project Lightspeed network (though last mile service will be over copper). The service will reportedly have enough bandwidth for viewing 2 simultaneous HD channels and 2 simultaneous SD channels and will require a router with special QoS features that can handle IPTV traffic. Sounds about right, since those are more or less the basic requirements for IPTV, and we figured that getting watching live HD broadcasts on your Xbox 360 wouldn't be as simple as a software upgrade.

[Geoff @ Jan 9th 2007 7:23AM]

Well, that settles it. There's A LOT of concern that the service will only work with the forthcoming HDMI 360. The fact that the question wasn't even broached during your talk with Microsoft says it all: it's almost certain now that we WILL need the HDMI model to use the IPTV service, and the first 11-15 million people that bought before version 2 was released? Shit out of luck, so sorreh.

A statement acknowledging the existence of the HDMI 360 wasn't required, either. All you had to do, Engadget, was ask whether the service will work with the existing installed base of 360s. All Microsoft had to do was make a statement clarifying things. The fact that they didn't almost certainly means we're all screwed.

[Jr. @ Jan 9th 2007 7:45AM]

A lot of concern? Xbox 360 owner here, who could care less if this service works with my v1.0 360, because I could care less about the service. The masses are underwhelmed.

[Jeff @ Jan 9th 2007 7:42AM]

How is this supposed to support HD when their partner is AT&T and AT&T (at least in my area) doesn't support HD?

[lp @ Jan 9th 2007 7:42AM]

Geoff: eh? Why would you need HDMI?
Nowhere in this article, or any other, has that been indicated, nor would it make any sense for it to be necessary for watching TV.

I call shenanigans

[Lonnie McClure @ Jan 9th 2007 8:22AM]

Geoff:

Why would it require HDMI when a typical digital cable box happily outputs HDTV content via component outputs?

[Frank @ Jan 9th 2007 8:25AM]

This is SO AWESOME!!!

I have a LIVE subscription...$50/Year..
My ZUNE music account....$16/Month...
Now I can subscribe to 360 IPTV...SO COOL!!!

MICROSOFT, can I setup a direct deposit account with you??

[Geoff @ Jan 9th 2007 9:03AM]

Does anyone here honestly think that the content owners are going to partner with Microsoft, to distribute their content via a gaming console - a toy, of all things, unless said content is copy protected?

Time for a reality check guys. 360 IPTV is NOT going to be distributed over component. Just because that's how it's done via cable providers at the moment doesn't mean Microsoft is going to enjoy the same privilege. Furthermore, if copy protection weren't imperative now, then Microsoft wouldn't have integrated it so fundamentally into Vista. They could easily have left it for the first Service Pack.

But, whatever. Believe what you like. Don't be surprised, however, when everything I've said turns-out to be right, and you finally have to admit you were wrong.

[Lonnie McClure @ Jan 9th 2007 11:16AM]

Geoff:

"Just because that's how it's done via cable providers at the moment doesn't mean Microsoft is going to enjoy the same privilege."

But it does put forth a very strong precedent. The only precedent you have put forth is Vista, which had to meet requirements for secure playback of HD-DVD and Blueray, not streaming IPTV.

Frankly, given that the 360 already plays HD-DVDs and HD download content over component, serves as further evidence that their IPTV service will NOT work only over HDMI.

If you do some more reading on the IPTV service, you'll see Microsoft will not be providing the actual service, but instead, it will be teaming with 3rd parties such as AT&T. Microsoft's "in" is saving these companies the cost of an IPTV settop box for 360 owners, and giving them a lower barrier to market entry.

Do you really think Microsoft will kiss off the 10 million or so 360's already sold as a potential part of this market? Let's not forget that once the new HDMI-equipped 360 is 100% official, that doesn't mean it is going to ship tomorrow, next week, or even next month.

[Ryan @ Jan 9th 2007 1:49PM]

Not to turn this into a pissing content over 360 vs. PS3, but 360 has already proven that it is more than a Toy. The device has been out over a year, and the best "hack" anyone has done so far involved rewriting the firmware for the DVD drive. Security wise, the 360 has so far demonstrated an amazing resistance to attacks. The PS3 on the other hand, with its ability to run Linux practically OOB, demonstrates the weakness in having an open system like that. How long did it take for someone to start riping Blu-Ray movies on their PS3s creating ISO images? If you were a content provider other than Sony, and PS3 had a similar IPTV capability, which horse would you back?
The 360 has already proven its worth as an HD capable and secure device, in fact the only attack vector still available would be to capture the HD content over the component outputs. That said, I don't believe there is a CE device yet that can capture and record straight from component.

[Douglas @ Jan 9th 2007 9:06AM]

I expect this to work with the existing 360. 10 million potential subscribers is a tremendous market to ignore.

[Torben @ Jan 9th 2007 9:30AM]

"though last mile service will be over copper"

i guess that counts me out, regardless of what version of xbox I own. I have not had copper to my house in over a year, two fiber drops, that's it.

[lp @ Jan 9th 2007 9:36AM]

Geoff - copy protection isn't imperative in HDTV.

>>But, whatever. Believe what you like. Don't be surprised, however, when everything I've said turns-out to be right, and you finally have to admit you were wrong.

[Ben Hobbs @ Jan 9th 2007 9:36AM]

Geoff, you mean that isnt a HD DVD I just finished watching, and that it wasn't over component cables.

Get a life, HDMI is a frigging cable, which IME looks better than component perhaps 60% of the time, with the rest looking better on Component.

Microsoft is ALREADY distributing HD content via a TOY.

Distributors are more worried about digital copies nowadays than whether or nor someone can copy via the component outputs (which is why the DVD forum has not previously allowed 1080p over component).

Why all the hate for Microsoft, they are trying to do something that will enable us more control and better quality HD programming, whats to hate? I love my 360 as a MCE, all my movies, photos, songs etc... available at the touch of a button in any room of my house - All done for less than $1800 TOTAL.

[Veritas II @ Jan 9th 2007 9:42AM]

Seriously. Be happy that they're releasing a better version of an already good console and a great service to go with it. I'm glad that there will be an HDMI out, 'cause it'll look better on my HDTV. Wish they'd integrate an HDDVD drive in it too. I'd pay 600 for that. :)

[Kenban @ Jan 9th 2007 11:23AM]

What I don't understand is why Verizon is not the partner here. They use Microsoft TV for their IPTV service over FIOS. The hardware and network are already in place.

Also I don't see why this would require HDMI because we are talking about regular cable channels here. About the only HD there is the local channels which are broadcast over the air anyways. There are just too many people with older HD TV sets which do not have HDMI for a company to start cutting off HD output yet. I expect we might start seeing HDMI being a requirement in a few years but not yet. Also this same box can play HD-DVD's without needing that HDMI output the industry cares a lot more about those then anything broadcast over cable.

[Neil @ Jan 9th 2007 12:18PM]

I already use an IP phone instead of having a landline. I hope IP TV would be more stable, but my guess is that it would be worse. Though any excuse to ditch Charter (Cable company here) as a service provider would be absolutely priceless.

[evilfixx @ Jan 9th 2007 4:54PM]

Which means you're payin for it folks...

[Brent @ Jan 9th 2007 5:41PM]

You're a moron...you think you gotta have HDMI to run HD cable? You think the upcoming 360 is in some other form going to be more powerful and have re-written code that is more accurate for newer games and features or something? Read simple specs on cable signals & think before you speak.

[Jerry Muggins @ Jan 9th 2007 8:17PM]

So that's who bought a Zune.