Xbox Becoming TV and Movie Hub

The Xbox Live service available to Xbox 360 console owners received a refresh in Dec. 2011, bringing users TV, movie, and music content from the first set of dozens of new providers. The refresh further extends Xbox Live’s reach beyond gaming into video and audio delivery and demonstrates that Microsoft intends its Xbox platform to drive living room entertainment, supplanting set-top boxes and competing with contenders such as Apple TV and Google TV as traditional TV, movie, and music delivery models and technologies may become obsolete in coming years. The strategy creates partner opportunities for content providers, social networking companies, and advertisers.

Xbox Live Is the New Microsoft TV

Microsoft began adding third-party content services on Xbox Live in 2010, complementing its own Zune movie, TV, and music service. Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, and Last.FM have been accessible through Xbox Live for over a year. Additional content from more than 40 announced providers began to appear on the service after a platform update was delivered to consoles in Dec. 2011. (See the sidebar “Xbox User Interface Updated“.)