Updated: July 13, 2020 (November 13, 2006)

  Analyst Report

TV, Movies Come to Xbox

My Atlas / Analyst Reports

669 wordsTime to read: 4 min

Xbox 360 console owners will be able to download television programs and movies, some in high-definition formats, from the Xbox Live Marketplace. The agreement will help content providers, particularly TV networks, recapture some of the audience they’ve lost to video games over the last few years. Although the selection of content is fairly narrow, the move is the latest indicator that Microsoft’s home entertainment strategy is no longer centered on the PC.

Content and Pricing

Beginning Nov. 22, Xbox 360 users with an Xbox Live account (including free Silver-level accounts) and a hard-drive-equipped console will be able to purchase and download TV programs and movies. By the end of the year, regular episodes from about 20 TV shows and a handful of movies will be available. Content partners for the service include CBS (which will offer a high-definition version of the series CSI), MTV Networks (which will offer episodes of Comedy Central’s South Park and Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants), Paramount Pictures, and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. By way of comparison, Apple’s iTunes Store currently offers weekly episodes from more than 200 TV shows, but offers movies from only one studio, Disney, and no high-definition content. Movies are also available on Web-based video download services, such as Amazon’s Unbox and Movielink.

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