Microsoft adds Universal, NBC to Xbox Live Marketplace, calls #1 in HD

Microsoft just announced Universal, and NBC Universal programming is coming to Xbox Live, delivering The Office, Monk, Battlestar Galactica, The Mummy, Bourne Supremacy and others to the service. Xbox Live Video Marketplace now claims over 10,000 movies and TV shows on the marketplace, which it says puts it as the number one HD provider. MGM and Constantin are pushing things forward in Europe, adding 700 new titles to the library starting today. Check out more details from the E3 keynote in the live blog.

[pmbAustin @ Jul 14th 2008 3:00PM]

When are they going to integrate this stuff in with the Zune Marketplace, so we can download TV shows and movies, and play them on our Zunes?

When are they going to unify their product line, so that I can rent or buy a movie or TV Show, and transfer it between my Media Center PC, my Zune, and my XBox360 at will, watching it wherever I want, whenever I want?

So much potential here, not yet realized...

[wetworker @ Jul 14th 2008 3:29PM]

I totally agree with you, come on MS give us the goods.

[tsukata @ Jul 14th 2008 2:59PM]

Now if we could just get the same free streaming available through cbs.com, hulu.com, etc. instead of having to pay for the episodes, I'd be in XBox 360's pocket.

[ProgGrrl @ Jul 14th 2008 3:21PM]

Very cool news...so are all those NBCU TV shows going to be in HD? (I'm really just wondering about Battlestar myself...)

[inteller @ Jul 14th 2008 3:22PM]

better yet, when are they going to tie this to your cable account so you don't have to PAY for something that you already buy the rights to. Paying for something that I can easily DVR and then sync to my Zune is completely lame.

Where is the new Zune news anyways? I don't want to wait until October and then voila, here is now Zune software.

[ericdano @ Jul 14th 2008 3:23PM]

Cool, so I can totally go over the cap that ISPs are putting on internet connections.......

[Tom B @ Jul 14th 2008 3:40PM]

#1 HD provider? Rubbish! More titles does not equal more downloads, and, last I checked, Apple TV was way ahead of XBox on downloads. XBox is actually playing catch-up, also, because they initially bet on HD DVD, even though it was obvious a long time back that that format was doomed.

[The Dude @ Jul 14th 2008 4:41PM]

Oh hai spawn of clak, you must be lost as this is not TUAW. "#1 HD provider" would be correct. PROVIDER not VENDOR. "Provider" is not exclusively defined as sales, and in this instance references availability of online HD content for purchase. You somehow managed to drag Apple into this? Bra-fucking-vo, lameass. Yeah, let's talk about the massive success that is the Apple TV...

(Success?! LOLWUT?)
... And we're done.

Wait everybody, it was OBVIOUS that HD-DVD was going to fail. That's right, obvious. Toshiba just loves to throw away money. Which is why they ignored the obviousness of the format's failure and continued. It all makes so much sense. Just because you have hind-sight doesn't make it obvious.

Can the banhammer be invoked for Tom's unrivaled stupidity? Please??

[D W @ Jul 14th 2008 5:26PM]

So there's a difference between Vendor and Provider? Not really, because neither one owns the product...

So the difference between iTunes who sells 50,000+ rentals a WEEK and Microsoft who hide's behind this "#1 HD provider" marketing speak is?

Sorry but this "#1 HD Provider" by numbers and no real sales figures to speak of or back it up sounds a lot like desperate HD-DVD marketing to me...

In my book, both AppleTV and XBox rental platforms fail when it comes down to overpriced re-broadcasted previously-free TV. HD or not.

[Geezer @ Jul 15th 2008 3:08PM]

shame the 360 is so noisy that having it in my cinema room is not an option.

[L.Rawlins @ Jul 14th 2008 4:14PM]

You can churn out as many Apple TV's and HD 360's as you like. It won't make the connections we're receiving in the UK any more capable of accomodating downloads beyond podcasts and albums right now.

I get that you're still a little sour over that whole HDDVD debacle Microsoft, but without Blu-Ray as a vessle it's just not happening for us.

Sorry but the infrastructure for this kind of wonderment just isn't here yet.

[The Dude @ Jul 14th 2008 4:51PM]

Fretting over Blu-Ray makes so much sense when they only make-up 7% of the market sales. Yeah. I'm sure you speak for the UK in its entirety as well.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/07/13/nielsen-videoscan-high-def-market-share-for-week-ending-july-7th/

[Dave B @ Jul 14th 2008 5:18PM]

Just wish the NBC A-holes would realize that not all of us want to waste money on a a gaming platform just to watch our fave shows. Get it back in iTunes. Yeah, Hulu is good, but I just got caught up to the 4th season and all of those episodes aren't available legally.

[Fanfoot @ Jul 15th 2008 12:06AM]

Ditto. Hey Engadget, how about running a poll on how many people think NBC should get over themselves already?

Mommy, why won't they take my money?

[Chris Macdonald @ Jul 14th 2008 9:03PM]

CAN I DOWNLOAD THE OFFICE OFF OF MY XBOX NOW?!?!?!