# Microsoft launches Xbox TV service: on-demand entertainment from BBC, Ch4, Ch5 & Lovefilm!



## Kid_Eternity (Oct 6, 2011)

This is big news.









> Microsoft has signed deals with more than 40 television and video-on-demand companies to launch a range of entertainment services on XboxLive this Christmas.
> 
> Xbox 360 owners in the UK will be able to access a large selection of on-demand and streaming media from such providers as the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 and the movie rental services blinkbox and Lovefilm.
> 
> Much of the content will be searchable via Microsoft's own Bing engine, and with some of the services, users will be able to use voice commands to find movies and TV shows, via the Kinect device.



Very happy to hear about Lovefilm on this, hope iPlayer arrived too. Would be brilliant to have that in HD without using a computer.


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## Yetman (Oct 7, 2011)

about time as well, the current offering of Sky with subscription to both Gold and Sky is crap


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## 100% masahiko (Oct 7, 2011)

Coolio.


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## TitanSound (Oct 7, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> This is big news.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Aren't they also doing a major revamp of the Dashboard? Looks like it from the screengrab above.


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## fen_boy (Oct 7, 2011)

Lovefilm on the PS3 is average. No HD and no Dobly 5.1, hope this is better.
The iPlayer is really good on the PS3 though.


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## sim667 (Oct 7, 2011)

Awesome!

I already have bbc, itv,4 and 5 on my virgin box anyway, but this would tempt me into a lovefilm subscription.


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## mwgdrwg (Oct 7, 2011)

Sky is already on there and isn't HD, so I wouldn't get your hopes up. Saying that, the picture is far superior to SD freeview etc.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 8, 2011)

TitanSound said:


> Aren't they also doing a major revamp of the Dashboard? Looks like it from the screengrab above.



Yup there's a revamp coming soon I believe...


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## gavman (Oct 8, 2011)

i'd like to sack sky, but losing the 'series link' optionwould be cutting off my nose to spite my face


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## sim667 (Oct 8, 2011)

gavman said:


> i'd like to sack sky, but losing the 'series link' optionwould be cutting off my nose to spite my face



What to record a series? That's available on most recorders now


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## mwgdrwg (Oct 13, 2011)

gavman said:


> i'd like to sack sky, but losing the 'series link' optionwould be cutting off my nose to spite my face



Do you know someone with Sky that doesn't have an Xbox? An older relative, or your parents perhaps?

I've heard that some nefarious types just ask for their details (postcode and number on the Sky card in the box) so that they can stream Sky onto their Xbox for FREE!


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## sim667 (Oct 13, 2011)

mwgdrwg said:


> Do you know someone with Sky that doesn't have an Xbox? An older relative, or your parents perhaps?
> 
> I've heard that some nefarious types just ask for their details (postcode and number on the Sky card in the box) so that they can stream Sky onto their Xbox for FREE!



OOOoh I'd never thought of that......


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## mwgdrwg (Oct 13, 2011)

They do need to have a certain package (I'm sure it's "multiroom"), but you can get Sky Go added to their current package for a fiver or something

So I've heard.


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## sim667 (Oct 13, 2011)

eccelente...... Im on the look out for someone who has sky, but no xbox then 

I wish they do a xbox only subscription.


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## cybershot (Oct 13, 2011)

You don't need a sky go subscription anymore it's all as standard. So you don't need multiroom to access it on an xbox.

My work colleague let's me use his sky id, which is all you need to access sky go on the xbox. There's not a whole load of content on there worth bothering with unless the person your going to leech of has movies and sports. The picture quality is about freeview standard in terms of some of the lower spectrum channels. Think VIVA and the like, while not brilliant, you can't argue if your getting it for free, or as standard to be fair. If you want picture perfect, pay for it, or if you already do, get multiroom. I really only use it to watch the football.

I wouldn't watch movies on the xbox, it would just annoy me, as it does occasionally buffer. When I moved out of my house share I was paying for the internet, and had the account transferred, they didn't want to pay out for the 30mb package so had it downgraded to 10mb before transferring. It buffered terribly when on that package and other people in the house were using the internet. So again it does require a good connection, and again we know how flakey xbox wireless can be. If possible wire it so you get full speeds, or use a powerlink adapter to wire it to your wireless router via the power plugs in your house.

Also bizarrely it doesn't let you watch the simpsons in sky one! Must be some restriction in the simpsons contract. Yet I can watch premier league football.

As for xbox only subscription, it was available, and was ridiculously overpriced. In the whole sky go rebranding they plan to relaunch it. There is a page on their site to be notified when it's available. No doubt it will still be overpriced for what it is.


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## Yetman (Oct 14, 2011)

Very interesting about the Sky registration thing, that would be handy, though I suppose you need to be Gold as well - something I'll get around to once I complete COD4 on 1 player mode


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## cybershot (Oct 14, 2011)

Yep you need a gold account.

Also It's not letting you watch the India Vs England ODI on Sky Go either, I guess because it's whoever broadcasts it India selling the rights, not including online. Which has pissed me off this morning as I'm off work and fancied having that on in the background.


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## 100% masahiko (Oct 14, 2011)

...i have the full package on Virgin so am thinking this whole TV thing maybe a waste of time.

Do you get HBO on demand? (I saw the logo HBO Go, so I'm assuming you get this on demand?).


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## cybershot (Oct 14, 2011)

There's some on demand. Not really looked. Sky Atlantic is there. It's certainly not good enough to replace Sky or Virgin if you use their services a lot.

I only have freeview and freesat. I don't watch much TV, and have no PVR. I'll generally download series I like from the web (Dexter, Big Bang Theory, Californication and the like) via torrents/newsgroups and watch what I want, when I want as my PC is connected to my TV. I only access Sky on the Xbox to watch live sports.


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## 100% masahiko (Oct 14, 2011)

Yes, that is similar to how I view content.
I download films/music from web and watch it through home cinema system.

Do you need to be already subscribed with Sky in order to watch live sports through the Xbox?


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## cybershot (Oct 14, 2011)

100% masahiko said:


> Yes, that is similar to how I view content.
> I download films/music from web and watch it through home cinema system.
> 
> Do you need to be already subscribed with Sky in order to watch live sports through the Xbox?



Yes, or do as I do. Ask a friend who already has Sky with Sports and doesn't use an Xbox for their sky id and password (the one they use to access sky.com) Plonk it in, and away you go.


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## mwgdrwg (Oct 18, 2011)

I have a 6.5MB line and the picture via Wi-Fi is far superior to Freeview. The football in particular looks much better.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 18, 2011)

Freeview standard or HD?


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## mwgdrwg (Oct 19, 2011)

Standard. Films look about the same as DVD quality and I have no buffering issues.


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