Xbox 360 - HD TV Shows & Movie Downloads Start November 22nd

[CheapyD]

Just got a phone call from Wombat, reporting live on the scene from an Xbox 360 event in NYC.

Peter Moore just gave a speech in which he revealed November 22nd as the start date for HD TV shows and movie downloads. No prices have been revealed.

Wombat also said he had a 30 minute conversation with Peter Moore...looks like we've got a great CAGcast planned for you guys for Wednesday morning. He also met Mark Ecco, Amani Toomer, Jason Sudekis (SNL), and more.

He also got the following freebies:
Gears of War
Wireless Headset
Xbox Live Unplugged disc
"Achievement Whore" t-shirt.


Official Press Release:
Nov. 6, 2006

Xbox 360 Teams With CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting, UFC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to Digitally Deliver TV Shows and Movies to Gamers



Xbox 360 will become first gaming console to offer downloads of over 1,000 hours of TV shows such as “CSI,” “Robot Chicken” and “South Park,” and movies such as “V for Vendetta” and “Nacho Libre.”

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 6, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. today announced agreements with CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to bring an initial lineup of over 1,000 hours of hit TV shows and movies to Xbox 360™ gamers in the U.S. by the end of the year. Furthermore, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console to bring standard and high-definition TV shows and movies via digital distribution over the Internet directly to the consumer.
Beginning Nov. 22, on its first anniversary, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console in history to provide high-definition TV shows and movies directly to gamers in their living rooms. Xbox 360 gamers will have access to the full-length TV shows as downloads to own and movies to rent via download from the Xbox Live® network, the worldwide leader in online distribution of high-definition gaming and entertainment content. This announcement also brings with it several additional “firsts”:

· For the first time, consumers will get an integrated gaming and entertainment experience on a gaming console that includes downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies. This new full-length content adds to the ever-expanding number of choices gamers have on their Xbox 360, whether they want to play games or play a movie on a disc or as a download in high definition or standard definition.

· For the first time CBS will deliver high-definition download-to-own TV shows including “CSI,” “Jericho,” “Numb3rs” and remastered “Star Trek” episodes; gamers can buy them and watch them repeatedly.

· For the first time on any platform, NASCAR.COM will deliver download-to-own condensed versions of select NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races from “Race Rewind.”

· For the first time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will make 50 of its most intense fights available for download as well as select episodes from the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.

“This groundbreaking announcement is a win for everyone,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “It connects our partners with one of the most coveted audiences in entertainment today, and provides even greater value to our Xbox Live community, allowing them to enjoy the games and entertainment they want, when they want it.”
The initial lineup of TV shows available for download to own and feature films available for download to rent will include a growing catalog of popular hits. Examples of content that will be available on the network by the end of year include the following:

· “Robot Chicken” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” from Adult Swim
· “CSI,” “Survivor” and “Star Trek” from CBS
· Emmy and Peabody award-winning “South Park” and “Chappelle’s Show” from COMEDY CENTRAL
· “The Real World” and “Pimp My Ride” from MTV
· “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and ”SpongeBob SquarePants” from Nickelodeon
· “Skyland” and “The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival” from Nicktoons Network
· “M:i:III,” “Nacho Libre” and “Jackass: The Movie” from Paramount Pictures
· “Carpocalypse” and “Raising the Roofs” from Spike TV
· “Race Rewind” provided by NASCAR.COM
· Select episodes of the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and the “UFC: All Access” shows from the UFC
· “Breaking Bonaduce” and “Hogan Knows Best” from VH1
· “The Matrix,” “Superman Returns” and “Batman Forever” from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Xbox 360 gamers can access Xbox Live Marketplace with a free Xbox Live Silver membership and a broadband connection. More information about the content available on Xbox Live Marketplace can be found at http://www.xbox.com/marketplaceentertainment.





More details on IGN (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/744/744355p1.html)

Television shows will be sold in much the same way that Live Arcade games are. After purchasing them with Microsoft points, owners will begin downloading them and will own the show. That means they can delete it off of their hard drive and download it at a later date without having to pay for it again. Movies will be output in a rental format. This is necessary in part due to the limited space on an Xbox 360 hard drive and the massive size of an HD movie. The standard definition movie we were shown clocked in at 1.2 GB while the HD version of the same movie was nearly four times as big at 4.7 GB. Once you download a movie, you'll have 14 days to begin watching it. After you start watching it, you'll have 24 hours before the rental expires and the movie is "returned."

These HD downloads can get huge and we all know how slow Xbox Live can be when we're trying to download the newest demo or trailer. To help solve that problem, Microsoft is launching a new service to handle the video marketplace that is outside of the one currently used for the old marketplace. Also, you'll be able to begin watching videos before they are fully downloaded, something you can't do right now with trailers on Xbox 360. Still, no guarantees were made about speed. We were told that downloading an HD movie would be more of an "overnight type of thing" or something to be done in the background while playing a game.
This is great news for me, as DVD and theatrical releases are very slow to make it over here in Japan.
I'm hoping that they will have new releases and of course that the prices are reasonable.

[guyver2077]

Just Saw This On Ign.. Wow

[LinkinPrime]

Damn I was about to post about what this was:

http://img463.imageshack.us/img463/2035/1106061807ku6.jpg

Saw it on the dashboard when i signed in. Guess you answered my question CheapyD.

[Kendal]

I wish Wombat would call me.

[darkrage]

nice, except one MAJOR problem:

size of hardrive, they will need a bigger one ASAP, and some way to transfer everything on your current harddrive to a new, bigger one


Unless they uselike a h.264 compression maybe they could stream it? Although I would place money on 'leasing' HD content. Meaning putting a time limit on each download. Say 3 days. After which it would auto-delete from your hard drive.

[Richlough]

Just got a phone call from Wombat, reporting live on the scene from an Xbox 360 event in NYC.

Peter Moore just gave a speech in which he revealed November 22nd as the start date for HD TV shows and movie downloads. No prices have been revealed.

Wombat also said he had a 30 minute conversation with Peter Moore...looks like we've got a great CAGcast planned for you guys for Wednesday morning.


Holy shit !!

You guys are officially big time . Not that I don't already consider you two "celebrities" .
Not some some 2nd rate reality show celebrity , either .

This is cool , but I hate when you have to pay [maybe] for something that was free to begin with .

[Kendro]

Suddenely 14 gigs seems rather small.

[Transformah]

Stream to the Zune? Anyone?

[CheapyD]

Added this to the OP:

Wombat got the following freebies from the event:

Gears of War
Wireless Headset
Xbox Live Unplugged disc
"Achievement Whore" t-shirt.


He's leaving the event now to go home and play GOW.

[GizmoGC]

Stream to the Zune? Anyone?

EXACTLY what I was thinking. Otherwise I would just rather buy the DVD/HD DVD.

[Brak]

Rather own something that can be placed on my shelf.

[Michaellvortega]

So they will now release the bigger harddrive?

[spoo]

A video showing it off.
http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/AD89D387-A1FE-47F3-8012-27BB9219063A/0/vidPegasusExplainerHi.asx

[VanillaGorilla]

That's all nice, if it weren't for the fact that most of the videos I download stutter constantly.

[VanillaGorilla]

Rather own something that can be placed on my shelf.Isn't that always the case around here? "Forget playing/watching it, I wanna keep it in it's original packaging in this snazzy bookcase, so I can show all my friends!"

[radjago]

Added this to the OP:

Wombat got the following freebies from the event:

Gears of War
Wireless Headset
Xbox Live Unplugged disc
"Achievement Whore" t-shirt.


He's leaving the event now to go home and play GOW.
I must see pics of that shirt.

[Michaellvortega]

That's all nice, if it weren't for the fact that most of the videos I download stutter constantly.

Streamed from the PC or downloaded of the market place none of my videos have ever stuttered.

[qpid]

Added this to the OP:

Wombat got the following freebies from the event:

Gears of War
Wireless Headset
Xbox Live Unplugged disc
"Achievement Whore" t-shirt.


He's leaving the event now to go home and play GOW.

I want an Achievement Whore t-shirt :(

[Chris in Cali]

I've never had a video stutter... ever. This is a horrible idea though, I'm not paying for this... I have cable TV, plus multiple DVD players, not to mention very limited space on my HDD.

[sying]

booo video rentals, bad form, bad form. Spend twice as much and keep it for free in h.264 goodness with itunes. Do like the TV shows though, as long as they are keepers, no rental crap. Sex in the City complete seasons in my xbox360, delish.


Yes, IKIK, Family Guy FTW!!!!

[freezedried74]

Wow nice job Wombat. You got some sweet ass schwag.

[Ma12kez]

That's awesome. Hope to hear all about it on the next CAGcast.:bow:

[Michaellvortega]

I'm so jealous right now.

[sj41]

Wow, no offense to him, but why did they invite Wombat to such a big event? That's some awesome free shit, and i look forward to the interview. Cool news.

[zewone]

I have cable TV, plus multiple DVD players, not to mention very limited space on my HDD.
I'm excited to see what is available in HD, since HD television is usually very limited and with shitty lineups.

From what they have there, it seems like a promising start. We'll see how it turns out. If the price is at the same or cheaper than PPV, than it's not a terrible service. Saves you a trip to and from Blockbuster.

[Michaellvortega]

140pts for a episode of CSI = how much real money?

[Duo_Maxwell]

Sweet I always wanted to take up my entire Harddrive with only 3 HD movies (and have little to no room for saved games or other downloads). Fun times...

Seriously unless they upgrade the HDD to at least 80gb (and for a reasonable price) I really don't see myself caring at all.

Edit: Anyone wanna take a guess at how much they'll peddle a bigger HDD for? My guess is about $150. If that's the case I'm definately out. If I'm gonna pay out the ass for somehting like this I may as well tack it onto the ever growing cable bill for less money.

[zewone]

140pts for a episode of CSI = how much real money?
~ $1.75.

[mik]

I love the HD movie and TV show download concept. Their initial list of titles leaves a whole lot to be desired, though.

[Michaellvortega]

Sweet I always wanted to take up my entire Harddrive with a single HD movie...

Seriously unless they upgrade the HDD to at least 80gb (and for a reasonable price) I really don't see myself caring at all.


You DON'T keep the movie which takes less then 4GBs of space, so after you watch it(depending on the alloted views) the content is erased.

[Duo_Maxwell]

You DON'T keep the movie which takes less then 4GBs of space, so after you watch it(depending on the alloted views) the content is erased.

Yah, great, that's even better... (IGN article quoted an HD movie at 4.7 btw, that's greater than 4). I don't rent movies and this won't be any kind of competition for Netflix or even the local Blockbusters. It's trying to oust itunes and it probably won't work. Plus the size of the hardrive is still a factor.

I wish MS would put more effort into making Xbox Live a better gaming experience. It's still the best online gaming experience for consoles, but actions like this makes me think gamers are no longer the focus compared to pushing other products (Zune) and making it a "complete" media service.

[CYRiX]

Wombat can offically stop asking for free stuff for atleast a month, anyways I'm guessing he can't post on the forums because he's too busy w/GoW? Anyways, it'd be nice to see a pic of the acheivement whore shirt.

[Wombat]

Ill post a pic of the shirt when the new show goes up and to sj41, I wasn't invited, Cheapy was but I live in NY and they were not going to pay to fly him in. I have lots to talk about for the show that much is for sure.

[JBlade00]

Let us know about GoW so we can live vicariously through you... and it will contribute to me not being able to sleep because I want to run and buy it NOW!

EDIT: Gamespot has a video feature on this: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6161165.html?tag=latestnews;title;0

[Chris in Cali]

Less crap, more XBLA games please.

[RelentlessRolento]

where's all the NBC goodness shows... I need my conan skits and the office moments!

[thrustbucket]

Damn it don't I get props for having a thread on it first. I thought I was being a good sloothing cag reporting on this shit on marketplace even before major nelson. Where is my star!

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113688

Waaaaa! I want attention! :bomb:

Edit: I've said it a hundred times already, but one more won't hurt: The only HD tv show we need is Battlestar Galactica. We all have to suffer through the best show on tv (by miles) in standard def until it comes out on dvd a year later. Sucks bison balls.

[daphatty]

Hmmm. Let's think about this.

1) I can pay microsoft to buy TV shows that are offered for free* via my On Demand cable service, not to mention that I will probably only watch them once. On Demand FTW.

2) I can pay microsoft to RENT a movie that I can only watch once within a 24 hour period for the same amount of money a subscription to Netflix costs. Netflix FTW.

3) And I can do all of this on my tiny assed 20GB hard drive.
XBL FTL.

[thrustbucket]

Well call me crazy but I like the idea of buying Aqua Teen and remastered Star Treks to eternally download and retrieve as my own.

[zewone]

3) And I can do all of this on my tiny assed 20GB hard drive.
XBL FTL.
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/9062/29124626438b8c2cc82zh8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[thrustbucket]

dev kits are nice

[daphatty]

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/9062/29124626438b8c2cc82zh8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Keen eye my CAG brother. Yet, what you didn't know (through no fault of your own) is that I intentionally placed that complaint as #3 for a reason. You see, it is painfully obvious to everyone with even the slightest interest in video gaming that upgrades will be coming. That being said, a larger hard drive still doesn't quantify this new content as being worthwhile from a consumer's point of view. As I outlined in my previous post, there are better and more economical ways to obtain the content being provided.

I stand by my points and debunk this latest content announcement as all hype and no substance.

[TC]

I'm with daphatty.

Paying for TV shows I can record with my HD DVR. No thanks.

The movie thing would be cool except it appears digital distribution isn't making anything cheaper.

My gaming console will remain just that.

[Michaellvortega]

I'm with daphatty.

Paying for TV shows I can record with my HD DVR. No thanks.

The movie thing would be cool except it appears digital distribution isn't making anything cheaper.

My gaming console will remain just that.

The whole point of the product is to appeal to the people that buy seasons of shows and albums off Itunes and the likes. With Apple doing Itunes and Sony running PS3(a unnamed online "experience") both of which are trying to sell content of TV shows,movies and Music. Microsoft HAS too offer what they just showed to stay current with the comapetion or they will get left behind.

Alot of people don't have cable or satellite, look at all the people who picked up a 360 and don't even have a HDTV.

I'd say in my region 60-70% do not know how to use their "On demand" services.

Some people might find a PS3/Xbox 360 easier to use then their cable box (maybe)

MS and Sony are obviously adding focus to young professionals and people with disposable income IE:the people that buy season 1,2,3,4 of Lost on Itunes for more when they could have gotten a far better deal at Costco and Sams Club/

[thrustbucket]

I'm with daphatty.

Paying for TV shows I can record with my HD DVR. No thanks.

The movie thing would be cool except it appears digital distribution isn't making anything cheaper.

My gaming console will remain just that.

You guys seem to forget that the major 4 networks are really the only channels that air HD. Many other shows all over the cable spectrum are filmed in HD, but not broadcast in HD for various reasons (for example, everything on sci-fi channel) . If Xbox Live ends up being the only place to get HD versions of these shows without waiting a year for the disk press, then that's worth it alone

There is no show broadcast on a major network in HD that I really want anyway, except MAYBE heroes. The rest of my TV watching is on Cable, where it's rarely broadcast in HD.

[pimpinc333]

I'd rather go rent/buy a movie instead of paying to "Download" it and watch it once. When I want to watch or see I movie I'll go get it. With this you have to wait wait wait wait for the download to finish. Could take a long time.

[thrustbucket]

I'd rather go rent/buy a movie instead of paying to "Download" it and watch it once. When I want to watch or see I movie I'll go get it. With this you have to wait wait wait wait for the download to finish. Could take a long time.

Your local rental store is renting out high def movies?

From what I understand, you don't have to wait for the whole download to watch it. It uses some streaming. In other words, just buffer for a few minutes and start watching.

[spoo]

I stand by my points and debunk this latest content announcement as all hype and no substance.
I wouldn't blame MS on the lack of content. The (movie) industry has been against digital distribution for some time. I am actually shocked that they have as many studios on board as they do.

HD Tivo is expensive and your only other choice is to get HD DVD or BluRay players for HD movie rentals (or Comcast in a select markets). This is a good option for us that just can't get enough HD content but don't want to pay up the ass for more equipment that has an iffy future. They just announced the lineup for 2006. If it is a hit look out for a flood in HD content for the 360 in the coming years.

[pimpinc333]

Your local rental store is renting out high def movies?

From what I understand, you don't have to wait for the whole download to watch it. It uses some streaming. In other words, just buffer for a few minutes and start watching.

High Def Movies make no difference on a standard TV in my case ;)

[Brian9824]

Not exactly stellar news. For the TV shows your usually better off just buying the dvds as you get it for much cheaper then $2-3 per episode. Also lack of HD space doesnt help and what the heck is up with only allowing 24 hours for a movie rental? Would 72 hour rentals have killed them???

I mean its a nice feature for those who have to drive 100 miles to a movie store or can't use a service like netflix which gives MUCH cheaper prices. Plus d/l on xbox live gives you 0 re-sell value. Once you buy em you can't do anything with them.

[ryanbph]

it has flaws, but it isn't something they can't change down the road.

[thrustbucket]

Basically all this is, is a chess move by MS at Sony.

Microsoft knows Sony intends to sell video content through whatever bastard online service they end up putting together. And Microsoft just said "We already have the infrastructure, we will start doing it now, so whatever announcements you have about video downloads in the future now has no steam.... Check"

[deadite76]

I wonder if this is the "surprise feature" MS said they would reveal on the 360's first anniversary? Eh, just a move to 1up Sony.

[Graystone]

Sounds good, but I don't think I'll download any videos. I have my tivo which I can stream tv shows on to my pc, convert them and burn to discs if I want. Then I have itunes for other shows.

I guess Wombat forgot to call me, yea thats it he lost my number. :cry:

[spoo]

Not exactly stellar news. For the TV shows your usually better off just buying the dvds as you get it for much cheaper then $2-3 per episode.

I mean its a nice feature for those who have to drive 100 miles to a movie store or can't use a service like netflix which gives MUCH cheaper prices. Plus d/l on xbox live gives you 0 re-sell value. Once you buy em you can't do anything with them.

I hate to bring this up but you are forcing me to. Lost has been announced for BluRay and is rumored to be $199 per season. The $3 per episode is competitively priced when compared to the $8.50 on next generation formats. (I am only bring up lost because it is the only TV season that I know of that has been announced for HD.) This is more geared for HD content if you don't have HD yet this service isn't going to cater to you. Sometimes you also don't want a whole season but just a few episodes and this is nice.

I have yet to see any HDDVD or BLURAY at the local movie stores yet and Netflix is one of the few options that us HD whores have. I'm holding off to buy HD players until I can easily rent HD movies.

Also lack of HD space doesnt help and what the heck is up with only allowing 24 hours for a movie rental? Would 72 hour rentals have killed them???

24 hours is more then enough time to watch a movie from the time you start it. Once you download the movie rental you have 14 days to start the movie and 24 hours to watch the movie once you hit play.

Eh, just a move to 1up Sony.
MS has been stating digital distribution for a few years now. How does this have anything to do with Sony? This is a win / win situation for all of us. If you don't like HD digital distribution buy a PS3 or the HD DVD add on, if you like it buy away.

As you can tell I'm all about digital distribution and I have wrote a letter or two to my cable company for HD on Demand in the past. This is for people like me not the normal CAG that has and likes shelves and shelves of media. This is also more HD content for us that can't get enough HD.

[Brian9824]

Key word is rumoured, i'll wait and see what the prices are as we don't know what blu-ray seasons will cost OR HD downloads from microsoft.

And my 24 hour point is still valid. No reason they couldnt do 48 hours or 72 hours. I know I always have stuff pop up while watching movies and it will suck to waste money because i couldnt finish a movie because real life called.

[fraggedbylaggers]

Added this to the OP:

Wombat got the following freebies from the event:

Gears of War
Wireless Headset
Xbox Live Unplugged disc
"Achievement Whore" t-shirt.


He's leaving the event now to go home and play GOW.

Holy SHIT those are amazing freebies. Thats like $160+ of stuff:drool:

I am going to make an acheivement whore tshirt.

[daphatty]

Microsoft HAS too offer what they just showed to stay current with the comapetion or they will get left behind.

Left Behind? How? The 360's core business is video games. This new content, as others have pointed out, is nothing more than a chess move by MS to show the world that Sony isn't the only company offering this. "Me Too" Syndrome anyone?


You guys seem to forget that the major 4 networks are really the only channels that air HD. Many other shows all over the cable spectrum are filmed in HD, but not broadcast in HD for various reasons (for example, everything on sci-fi channel) . If Xbox Live ends up being the only place to get HD versions of these shows without waiting a year for the disk press, then that's worth it alone

There is no show broadcast on a major network in HD that I really want anyway, except MAYBE heroes. The rest of my TV watching is on Cable, where it's rarely broadcast in HD.

So what you are basically saying is that this new content will appeal greatly to a niche market...

Sorry my friend, but none of this new content will be worth a shit until Hi-Def becomes mass market. That will not happen during this generation of consoles.

[thrustbucket]

Left Behind? How? The 360's core business is video games. This new content, as others have pointed out, is nothing more than a chess move by MS to show the world that Sony isn't the only company offering this. "Me Too" Syndrome anyone?

I disagree. Microsoft has admitted that the entire reason they got into the gaming market was because they saw the future as direct download media in the living room. They knew that Sony was blazing it's way to be the main source of this in the future because of the Playstation and they had to stop it.

If you honestly believe the 360 was intended to be just a game machine and now Microsoft is just trying to slap on new features to play catch up with Sony, you are seriously mistaken.

Microsoft has planned even before the first Xbox, that their foray into gaming was to suck all media known to man into the living room and provide it. Xbox 1 - was just to get their foot in the door. 360 is to start rolling out other Direct Download content. Whatever is next will be massive all in one device of some type, to try and take over nearly every entertainment device in your house.

Of course, you would agree, the timing of all these announcements are far from accidental. They are very much to take the wind out of Sony's sails. But it's been in the planning for at least 6 years.



So what you are basically saying is that this new content will appeal greatly to a niche market...

Sorry my friend, but none of this new content will be worth a shit until Hi-Def becomes mass market. That will not happen during this generation of consoles.
Maybe. All very relative. But you are right, the only real useful purpose in this announcement is for more HD content.

[daphatty]

If you honestly believe the 360 was intended to be just a game machine and now Microsoft is just trying to slap on new features to play catch up with Sony, you are seriously mistaken.

No, I don't believe that at all. I believe that video games are the core (i.e. primary) business of the 360 and so do a majority of the people who currently own one.

Personally, I have enjoyed downloading HD content from XBL Marketplace but only because it was free. I refuse to pay for any content that does not come in a tangible package that I can do with it whatever I please, whenever I please. But I digress...

[radjago]

http://static.flickr.com/105/291353275_3f07ed33b9.jpg

Meh. It's not as cool as I thought.

[thrustbucket]

I refuse to pay for any content that does not come in a tangible package that I can do with it whatever I please, whenever I please. But I digress...


Hm. Well the future of pretty much all media is going to be pretty bleak for you then. Every studio, production company, cable provider, and media empire on the planet are praying to their gods nightly to hurry in the era of digital distribution only. Sucks, but that's the future.

Mark my words, it won't be long before direct download purchases of movies etc will be cheaper than buying the disk. They will intentionally gouge you if you want a disk, until all disks are gone.

[guyver2077]

wow matrix... thats gonna be bad ass...

i rather just buy the hd dvd..when the fuck does it release

[gofishn]

Sounds pretty cool. I have the Comcast HD-DVR box and they only offer maybe 10 movies in HD, some free, some pay. It is extremely convenient to just press a button and start watching a movie. Sounds like this could be a cool service for movie rentals.

[bayushi]

That's photoshop! Why I can make my 2" seem like 6.25" ...
I have said too much. *COUGH*

XD

[Sarang01]

I hate to bring this up but you are forcing me to. Lost has been announced for BluRay and is rumored to be $199 per season. The $3 per episode is competitively priced when compared to the $8.50 on next generation formats. (I am only bring up lost because it is the only TV season that I know of that has been announced for HD.) This is more geared for HD content if you don't have HD yet this service isn't going to cater to you. Sometimes you also don't want a whole season but just a few episodes and this is nice.


Key word there. If it was HD-DVD it would be cheaper for it. Also "The Sopranos" is coming down the pipe for both I think.
"The Promise", "Shinobi" and "Volcano High" I'd take for the HD movie downloads if I could OWN them instead of this rent crap.

[CAG 79]

Movies and TV shows are up now.

Standard Def movies are 320 pts and HD movies are 480 pts. TV shows are 160 pts. for standard definition and 240 for HD versions.

[LinkinPrime]

Available movies and shows list here: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/marketplace/moviestv/default.htm

[mykevermin]

Pootie Fucking Tang!?!?!

*deathblow to the PS3*

EDIT: Fuck, I gotta d/l Chinatown when I get home if it's in HD.

[guyver2077]

wow is matrix in hi def available now?

waiting for the damn hd dvd's to come out..would be nice to though to check this out

[doubledown]

So, $5+ for a HD movie....I'll pass. The rentals last a week right?

Still a great idea though...no knock to the service, just seems a little pricey

[mykevermin]

So, $5+ for a HD movie....I'll pass. The rentals last a week right?

Still a great idea though...no knock to the service, just seems a little pricey

480 points = $6. Not bad, but the Xbox website seems to imply that "rental" videos (which it is early, but safe, to assume will include all movies) can only be viewed one time.

You have 14 days from purchase to view it; once the program starts, you have 24 hours to watch the whole thing.

[guyver2077]

yea kind of expensive.. dont see how they can make money but who knows...

i rather put that cash toward the purchase of the actual movie..

[mykevermin]

I'm gonna look and see if movies purchased from iTunes ($4 more than XBLM) can be played on the PS3 via memory card. I know you can play video from the memory card on PS3, but if it plays videos from iTunes, you have a marginally more expensive, but more importantly, permanent, means of watching movies.

iTunes movies are, lamentably, 480p at best, I think. Dunno if the HD movies from XBLM are 720p, but my guess would be that they are.

[guyver2077]

yea hd ones have to be 720p (like all other hd content on 360)

[Radioactive_Man]

This is great for someone like me who watches a movie once then puts it on his shelf for who knows how long. That's the reason I stopped buying movies. Now I can rent HD quality movies without buying a added drive.
I'm going to order one later when I get out of work.

[thrustbucket]

And don't forget that if you rent/buy HD content you also get access to the SD as well.

I'm really going to use this for tv shows, especially if they get BSG. I'm very curious how the 'streaming' works. They said you can start watching a download before it's finished.

Edit: browsing that website.... It just displays what tv shows are available, but which episodes? Just this season? All seasons? Classics only?

[spoo]

I am happy with the prices On Demand movies are about $5.50 for SD movies after the crappy high taxes through my cable company.

[jrutz]

I'm happy about the price structure too. When they said competetive, they actually meant it this time. And they have a lot more variety in movies than I had anticipated. mykevermin said it best: Pootie fucking Tang!

I'm definitely taking advantage of this. V for Vendetta will be my first rental in HD. The Hunger will also be cool to see in HD.

Wow! I'm impressed!

Jeremy

[thrustbucket]

I can't see this till tonight, can someone tell me how many tv shows there are? Say for aqua teen hunger force? Do they have every season or just recent episodes?

[spoo]

I'm happy about the price structure too. When they said competetive, they actually meant it this time. And they have a lot more variety in movies than I had anticipated. mykevermin said it best: Pootie fucking Tang!

I'm definitely taking advantage of this. V for Vendetta will be my first rental in HD. The Hunger will also be cool to see in HD.

Wow! I'm impressed!

Jeremy

I just checked it out on Live and the now I am disappointed, not because of the lack of movies but the lack of HD movies. I know this isn't MS fault but the studios have been dragging their fucking feet with HD movies.

[Sporadic]

Ok here's what they have up so far. If Cheapy could add this to the front page that would be cool.

All content available in HD is bolded.

Movies:
9 1/2 Weeks
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
Analyze This
Art Of War
Ask The Dust
ATL
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
Batman Forever
Chariots Of Fire
Chinatown
Clash Of The Titans
Congo
The Core
Crandle 2 The Grave
The Dead Pool
Deep Blue Sea
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Failure To Launch
Gallipoli
The Hunger
The Lake House
Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World
Mad Max 2
The Matrix
National Lamppon's Christmas Vacation
Natural Born Killers
Patriot Games
The Perfect Storm
Pootie Tang
Poseidon
Rat Race
Rebel Without A Cause
Romeo Must Die
Rosemary's Baby
The Shining
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
Star Trek VII: Generations
The Sum Of All Fears
Superfly
Tequila Sunrise
Three Kings
THX 1138
Timeline
Unforgiven
Untouchables
V For Vendetta
We Were Solders
Zoolander

TV Shows:
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Season 4)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Seasons 1-2)
Beavis And Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection (Seasons 1-3)
Breaking Bonaduce (Season 1)
Carpocalyse (Season 2)
Chappelle's Show: Uncensored (Seasons 1-2)
CSI (Seasons 7-8)
CSI: Miami (Seasons 4-5)
CSI: NY (Seasons 2-3)
Daybreak (Season 1)
Drawn Together (Seasons 1-3)
UFC Fights (4 single fights listed)
Frisky Dingo (Season 1)
Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law (Season 2)
Hogan Knows Best (Season 1)
Invader Zim (Seasons 1-2)
Jackass (Seasons 1-3)
Jericho (Season 1)
Mind Of Mencia (Seasons 1-2)
Moral Orel (Season 1)
Muscle Car (Season 1)
NCIS (Seasons 2-4)
Pimp My Ride (Season 4)
Punk'd (Seasons 1-7)
Raising The Roof: Uncensored (Season 1)
Robot Chicken (Season 1)
Sealab 2021 (Seasons 3-4)
Skyland (Season 1)
South Park (Seasons 1-4, 10)
Space Ghost: Coast To Coast (Random Episodes)
Spongebob Squarepants (Seasons 1-4)
Star Trek: The Original Series (Season 1)
Studio 60 (Season 1)
Supernatural (Season 2)
The Adventures Of Chico & Guapo (Season 1)
The Andy Milonakis Show (Seasons 1-2)
The Nine (Season 1)
The Real World (Season 17 - Key West)
The Venture Bros (Season 2)
Veronica Mars (Season 3)
Viva La Bam (Season 1,5)
Wildboyz (Seasons 1-4)
Wonder Showzen (Season 1)
Xtreme 4x4 (Season 2)

[thrustbucket]

Wow that's really not much selection of HD.

Well what I find upsetting most, is that the price for tv shows is across the board. The cost of a 40 minute CSI episode is the same as an 11 minute Aqua Teen. I hope they adjust that.

Edit:

WTF happened with Star Trek? I thought the remastered HD versions would be up, isn't that what they've been advertising?

[LinkinPrime]

The Matrix is not in HD...boo.

[guyver2077]

The Matrix is not in HD...boo.

your fucking kidding. fuck that

[Sporadic]

your fucking kidding. fuck that

Check my list I posted.

Only HD movies up so far are ATL, Clash Of The Titans, The Perfect Storm, Poseidon, Unforgiven and V For Vendetta.

[zewone]

I'll more than likely be renting V for Vendetta in HD, just to see if I really need a HD-DVD drive.

I'm quite impressed with the selections available, just wish the prices were cheaper. I'd probably be buying more shows if they were $1, versus buying none at $2.

I like the fact that even the latest episodes of South Park are up there, like last Weds. episode. I wonder when/if they will put tonight's episode up.

[thrustbucket]

I like the fact that even the latest episodes of South Park are up there, like last Weds. episode. I wonder when/if they will put tonight's episode up.

I think I heard somewhere that the plan was to put them up the day after the air date.

[CaseyRyback]

Prices in general are just way too high IMO. Hopefully this service flops and they chop the prices in half.

[doubledown]

Still too much for me.....for $9 you can own the HD-DVD or just rent from blockbuster.com I can probably get 20-30 movies a month for $20 through them...HD and normal DVD.

Basically, once you get 3 HD rentals from XBOX LIVE you are at the cost of a Blockbuster.com membership (or Netflix)

[Sporadic]

Prices in general are just way too high IMO. Hopefully this service flops and they chop the prices in half.

They aren't that bad but the UFC fights are outrageous.

160 for standard definition/240 for high definition per fight.

Griffin vs. Sinosic (9 minutes)
Leban vs. Silva (5 minutes)
Diego vs. Karo (22 minutes)
Riggs vs Lytle (13 minutes)

[jrutz]

Prices in general are just way too high IMO. Hopefully this service flops and they chop the prices in half.

I don't know - isn't iTunes priced the same way for their TV content? Isn't it a straight $1.99 for every episode regardless of length?

Still too much for me.....for $9 you can own the HD-DVD or just rent from blockbuster.com I can probably get 20-30 movies a month for $20 through them...HD and normal DVD.

Basically, once you get 3 HD rentals from XBOX LIVE you are at the cost of a Blockbuster.com membership (or Netflix)

I don't know where you are getting HD-DVD movies for $9 each, but more power to you. The reason I want to download V for Vendetta is because I don't have to drive to the store or wait for the movie to arrive in the mail (let alone wait for it to become available in the queue), but also because $6 is a lot better than paying $20 for something I'll probably watch once anyway.

Check my list I posted.

Only HD movies up so far are ATL, Clash Of The Titans, The Perfect Storm, Poseidon, Unforgiven and V For Vendetta.

That sucks. MS made it sound like every movie would be available in HD and SD. I'm surprised more new movies aren't available in HD, like Failure to Launch. I was going to use that to show my wife how great the Xbox 360 really is (and why we need another one).

Wow that's really not much selection of HD.

Well what I find upsetting most, is that the price for tv shows is across the board. The cost of a 40 minute CSI episode is the same as an 11 minute Aqua Teen. I hope they adjust that.

Edit:

WTF happened with Star Trek? I thought the remastered HD versions would be up, isn't that what they've been advertising?

Wait - are you Brian Crescente? He just said the same thing on Kotaku...

And it's weird that Star Trek isn't the HD version. MS might have meant it's the new version which has been enhanced in HD but widely syndicated in SD.

[thrustbucket]

Wait - are you Brian Crescente? He just said the same thing on Kotaku...

And it's weird that Star Trek isn't the HD version. MS might have meant it's the new version which has been enhanced in HD but widely syndicated in SD.


Hehe, no I'm not him, no idea who that is.

I haven't been following that closely but I was under the impression all the hooplah with the new star trek was you can watch it in HD and see the new effects and shit. And since it was going to be on live, you could get it in HD. I would happily pay $3 an episode to own, of my favorite star treks in HD.
Effers.

This leads me to another point though, can anyone verify if you can download tv shows you bought on another persons xbox?

[KaneRobot]

I love how they are doing this with points instead of money. Stocking up on points cards whenever there is a deal really helps out now. All I need is another 1600-for-$5 deal and I'll have enough points to buy anything I'd want on there.

V for Vendetta and Unforgiven in HD! The two movies I'd WANT to watch in HD! The two movies I JUST BOUGHT for my HD-DVD drive...

...sigh. That's ok I guess, I prefer having the physical copy anyway and both those movies are good enough to warrant as "keepers."

Anyway, as long as they get off their ass and start putting more HD movies up, I won't bitch. Using the "I got points cards for $5" conversion, those HD movies are only $1.50. Only $4.50 if you get in on a more common 1600-for-$15 deal.


They aren't that bad but the UFC fights are outrageous.

160 for standard definition/240 for high definition per fight.

Griffin vs. Sinosic (9 minutes)
Leban vs. Silva (5 minutes)
Diego vs. Karo (22 minutes)
Riggs vs Lytle (13 minutes)

240 POINTS PER FIGHT? Please tell me that I read that wrong.

Wow, I remember back when the UFC content was my reason for wanting to use this service. Seems like ancient history now.

[zewone]

Per fight.

[Undertaker4eber]

Is it going really slow for anyone else? Like I tried downloading some of the preview clips for Conan and they wouldnt start at all. It just went really slow till it got to the progress bar and it would never go above 0%. Im hoping its just because alot of people are on.

[thrustbucket]

Is it going really slow for anyone else? Like I tried downloading some of the preview clips for Conan and they wouldnt start at all. It just went really slow till it got to the progress bar and it would never go above 0%. Im hoping its just because alot of people are on.

MS responds:


Due to the overwhelming popularity of the new full-length content following the launch on Xbox Live Marketplace we are aware some gamers are experiencing temporary difficulties accessing content, due to the volume of demand. Download times will vary depending on broadband speed and size of content, and we expect the current issues some gamers are experience will be resolved soon.

And
The rep went on to tell me that in a perfect world a two-hour HD movie would be about 5.85GB and, with a 6Mbps connection, should take about 2 1/2 hours to download. Fortunately, the service's streaming technology should let you start watching the movie in about ten minutes or so. Of course all of that is based on a bunch of variables, so experiences won't be the same for everyone.

[Undertaker4eber]

Ok good deal then. Im going to get a points card on the way home and get some Hogan Knows Best:)

[LinkinPrime]

I missed Daybreak premiere last week guess that will be my first DL.

[jrutz]

Is it going really slow for anyone else? Like I tried downloading some of the preview clips for Conan and they wouldnt start at all. It just went really slow till it got to the progress bar and it would never go above 0%. Im hoping its just because alot of people are on.

Slow as ass for me right now. I would imagine I have to let this thing go all night.

Jeremy

[doubledown]

5.85GB for a 2Hour HD movie? Is that why HD-DVD is 25GB? Hmmm....I guess no extras, not the same sound....oh well.

As for the $9 comment above...I meant to say $9 more....HD-DVD's are going for $15 with Google deals these days.

[KaneRobot]

This thing is behaving screwy right now, an error message pops up sometimes while trying to bring up more info about a show. Also, downloading Small Arms seemed to take longer than it should as well.

Everything is slowed down right now I guess.

[Requiem]

Where is the promised SuperMan Returns in HD, they said the 22nd!

Same with Matrix HD. There's no point releasing it in 480p, we all have the DVD for christsakes.

[Sarang01]

Ok I'm getting some "WTF?!" moments with some of these HD selections and the one's NOT offered. With the HD "V For Vendetta" and "Unforgiven" are the ONLY one's I can give much a shit about in HD for offerings.
Explain this to me. If "Clash Of the Titans" is in HD then where is "Spartacus" and "Ben Hur" on being given the same treatment. I'd also like to catch "Casablanca" in HD with how spectacular it supposedly looks.
Now as to the NON-HD selections being offered what NEEDS to be HD is THX and the Akira Kurosawa flick. Now can SOMEONE explain to me WHY "Supernatural" is not being offered in HD? Is Marc Cuban or some HD Cable channel offering it because last I checked he ONLY ran reruns of "Smallville".
P.S. WB do me a favor and give me visual oral pleasure in the way of offering "The Promise" in HD! Wuxia Fantasy flicks in HD! "Zu Warriors" and "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" but I suppose if you buy any more rights under your independent label that'll have to do.

[Radioactive_Man]

OK so I left for work right before I left I started downloading V for Vendetta, I come back home to find out it only downloaded 5% of the movie. : |

[D4rkN1ght]

i think its an awesome selection to start with... i just hope they add alot more

[Milkyman]

OK so I left for work right before I left I started downloading V for Vendetta, I come back home to find out it only downloaded 5% of the movie. : |

i did the same thing only i had zero percent of the movie when i came home.. been trying to redownload but it keeps disappearing from my active downloads... this sucks.

[thrustbucket]

yeah they definitely are being hit hard as hell right now

[Roufuss]

Where is the promised SuperMan Returns in HD, they said the 22nd!


I would be VERY surprised if the movie came out on the 22nd, since the official release date is next Tuesday.

[Radioactive_Man]

i did the same thing only i had zero percent of the movie when i came home.. been trying to redownload but it keeps disappearing from my active downloads... this sucks.

That happened to me an hour or two ago. Now the download is going well at 25% or so.

[seanr1221]

So can anyone confirm you keep the tv shows?

[KaneRobot]

Just once I'd like to see someone launch a service that EVERYONE KNOWS is going to be hit ridiculously hard, and have it go off as planned.

[CheapyD]

So can anyone confirm you keep the tv shows?Confirmed...by me.

[lilboo]

It also says it in the description. "Video RENTAL" and "Show PURCHASE" :)

[Milkyman]

anyone succesfully download a movie yet? im still at 61% of v for vendetta... my dsl isnt this slow.

[seanr1221]

Thanks cheapy....hmm another thing, can these things be saved to an external HDD? See that would make a TON of sense. A few episodes of CSI, and a huge chunk of your HDD is gone.

I might download some soutpark, but if I can't save these to an external usb HDD, I wont be getting much.

[Radioactive_Man]

anyone succesfully download a movie yet? im still at 61% of v for vendetta... my dsl isnt this slow.

I did, still haven't had a chance to watch it though.

[sj41]

I'm downloading the WoW South Park episode. I miss most T. V. shows, so this is pretty cool. $1.60 for an episode of South Park that I can watch as much as I want whenever at full video quality is good to me.

EDIT- "Can't play this content because it may not be supported." WTF? LET ME WATCH MY GOD DAMN VIDEO THAT I BOUGHT! What is wrong with this thing?

EDIT 2- Okay, it's working now. Sweet stuff.

[thrustbucket]

Thanks cheapy....hmm another thing, can these things be saved to an external HDD? See that would make a TON of sense. A few episodes of CSI, and a huge chunk of your HDD is gone.

I might download some soutpark, but if I can't save these to an external usb HDD, I wont be getting much.

Uh, no, because the moment they support that, the HD videos show up on bittorent sites and bye bye xbox video marketplace.

If you buy a lot of tv shows, you will eventually run out of space. But the thing is, the tv shows are forever and ever and ever tied to your gamertag account, you own them. This means you are free to delete them and download them later if you like. This combined with the fact that you can start watching a show after it's been downloading just for a couple minutes almost eliminates the need for a huge hard drive.

Movies are a different story, they take up nearly 1/4 of your hard drive. But since they are rentals, that's not too big of a deal. (They will self delete 24 hours after you watch them)

[seanr1221]

This combined with the fact that you can start watching a show after it's been downloading just for a couple minutes almost eliminates the need for a huge hard drive.


Didn't know this, it helps a little, but couldn't they make the videos coded to work only on the system they were downloaded for/gamertag? And THEN make it so it can be saved on a USB HDD?

[KaneRobot]

Downloaded two things so far. A Hogan Knows Best episode that took 4 hours, and a Space Ghost C2C episode (the 22 minute one, so it was similar length to my first download). The Space Ghost episode started off quick, but once it got around 55% it started going turtle speed again. Took about 2 hours total.

Both files were around 250 MB.

[Sporadic]

Where is the promised SuperMan Returns in HD, they said the 22nd!

I thought it was coming December 22nd?

[MillerTime2523]

Hopefully i'll D/L some Chapelles show this afternoon.

[thrustbucket]

Didn't know this, it helps a little, but couldn't they make the videos coded to work only on the system they were downloaded for/gamertag? And THEN make it so it can be saved on a USB HDD?

Probably, maybe. I'm not sure. I'm sure if there was a way they could, they would, or maybe they are working on it.

I know there is a kit out there you can buy that sits on your xbox that your hard xbox hard drive plugs into, that lets you 'intercept' everything sent to the hard drive. But I am sure it wouldn't just be immediately accessible on your computer even if you retrieved the WMV's, there is no way (yet) that I know of to scrub off the DRM from the files.

In a way, I sympathize with microsoft, since part of the legal requirements from these studios is to have a certain level of DRM before they'll let their material be put on live. However, they still could make a larger hard drive, and I am sure if this download service becomes popular they will.

[KaneRobot]

I thought it was coming December 22nd?

Negative - the Superman Returns HD-DVD/Blu-Ray/DVD, Superman Box Set, Superman II Donner Cut HD-DVD/Blu-Ray/DVD, Superman HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, history of Superman DVD, Superman lunchbox, Superman toothpaste, Superman nose clippers, and Superman douche all come out this week.

Maybe MS is waiting until tomorrow to put it up? This would probably be the first (and for now, only) movie I download from the service.

[Sporadic]

Negative - the Superman Returns HD-DVD/Blu-Ray/DVD, Superman Box Set, Superman II Donner Cut HD-DVD/Blu-Ray/DVD, Superman HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, history of Superman DVD, Superman lunchbox, Superman toothpaste, Superman nose clippers, and Superman douche all come out this week.

Maybe MS is waiting until tomorrow to put it up? This would probably be the first (and for now, only) movie I download from the service.

Are you positive? I was sure that during that Warner Bros. teaser they put up on the XBLM it listed Superman Returns as a December 22nd release.

[Trakan]

Are you positive? I was sure that during that Warner Bros. teaser they put up on the XBLM it listed Superman Returns as a December 22nd release.

DVD Aficionado has them listed for November 28th.

[Chris in Cali]

Wow, a 5 minute Chris Leben vs. Anderson Silva UFC fight costs the exact same amount as the 22 minute Karo Parisian vs. Diego Sanchez fight. That's crazy, I really hope no one is stupid enough to pay $4.00 to watch a five minute fight. Actually, the fight isn't even five minutes, it's about one minute, the other four are just announcments. So basically, you're paying almost $5.00 to watch a highlight clip.

Also, Microsoft really need to get some good Zune to 360 connectivity action going here... then maybe this would be worth looking at.... maybe. Considering there is no simple, or offical way to even put videos on the Zune yet, it would be really nice if the stuff you buy in the XBLM could be transfered to your Zune.

By the way I downloaded the Karo vs. Diego fight... it took 12 hours for 997mb. Insane.

[Chris in Cali]

I have to say this coudl be an extremely promising service, but right now it's complete shit.

-It's too much money.
-Downloads take way too long.
-There shouldn't be "rentals," Microsoft needs to support external hard-drives or come out with a much larger one of their own for the 360, and let us actually own these movies.
-A 2 minute fight should not cost the same amount of money as a 30 minute TV show.
-Waaaaay more stuff needs to be in HD, if not everything. Excluding the obvious TV shows that aren't made in HD.

[seanr1221]

I have to say this coudl be an extremely promising service, but right now it's complete shit.

-It's too much money.
-Downloads take way too long.
-There shouldn't be "rentals," Microsoft needs to support external hard-drives or come out with a much larger one of their own for the 360, and let us actually own these movies.
-A 2 minute fight should not cost the same amount of money as a 30 minute TV show.
-Waaaaay more stuff needs to be in HD, if not everything. Excluding the obvious TV shows that aren't made in HD.


I agree with you on every single point.

[thrustbucket]

I have to say this coudl be an extremely promising service, but right now it's complete shit.

-It's too much money.
What is too much money? Movie rentals? TV purchases? Be more specific. Are you basically saying you want everything to be 15 cents?

-Downloads take way too long.
Visit major nelsons website. They know they got hit harder than expected and are working on it. Their goal is for your connection to the internet to be the bottlneck, not them. Checking earlier today, it was already 10x faster for me. This is actually good news, I feel. Showing the networks and studios that are still in negotiation "Hey look how much people like our service and how much their spending"

-There shouldn't be "rentals," Microsoft needs to support external hard-drives or come out with a much larger one of their own for the 360, and let us actually own these movies.
This is where you are dreaming. You people that feel this way need to step back and realize this: Microsoft has been working for well over a year, with a warehouse full of lawyers with these Studios/Networks to get this content. Part of what takes so damn long is Microsoft proving to these content providers that THEIR customers (Networks/Studios)intellectual property is secure and can't be compromised easily. Drilling further down, part of that is not allowing users to grab a WMV file to put on their own storage and trade with their friends and experiment with hacking it. So if Microsoft suddenly granted your wish of storing movies on anything you wanted, they'd breach billions of dollars in contracts. Just accept that. It isn't Microsoft limiting you, it's the content providers and their demands.

Oh and the main reason you can't keep movies is cost. Do you realize the MSRP set by studios for a movie is around $25-$30? That would mean that's how much you'd pay if you want to keep your 6 gig movie. I think MS is smart enough to know that most people would say "no thanks".

-A 2 minute fight should not cost the same amount of money as a 30 minute TV show.
I agree, sort of. But you can't blame Microsoft for this, this is how media has always been. If you want to start bitching about this then maybe we should first tackle why CD's with 30 minutes of music cost the same as CD's with 70 minutes of music. Why do DVD movies that are only 80 minutes long cost the same as a 3 hour DVD?

So until all Media everywhere starts being sold like gas at the gas pump, this is reality.

-Waaaaay more stuff needs to be in HD, if not everything. Excluding the obvious TV shows that aren't made in HD.
I'm pretty sure Microsoft knows this. Keep in mind the service has been up for 4 days. They have already added more. Do you honestly think the decision makers sat in in office and said "Well shit, let's just give them 4 or 5 things to download in HD, the rest will be fine in SD". No. Actually the legal contracts are far different and more complicated for HD content. If they weren't, you'd have seen Itunes selling HD tv shows 2 years ago. Give MS some time, let their legion of lawyers work, and I bet this service increases in quality immensely even by summer. The sad thing is, they will have at least a year jump start on Sony's similar service.

[RelentlessRolento]

so far the only thing I've downloaded was the "300" trailer that I've been trying to find in WMV format forever just so I could play it wirelessly on my 360, but now I don't have to.

[Ryandb2]

I purchased the south park season 10 World of Warcraft episode. Download only took 15 minutes (ish) and the quality was really good. So far the service seems good. I might purchase some more TV shows since you can keep them.

Also that episode is hilarious.

[thrustbucket]

Damn it to hell. Everything I want to buy on the service says it's "unavailable". Day Break specifically. I notice Conan has nothing too.

I really hate how they put shows up to select but then tell you that there is nothing at this time to download. Just don't put it up at all then!

[slickkill77]

I want to get season two of the venture brothers...Is there a way to download a whole season/ if so does it save money

[Sarang01]

What is too much money? Movie rentals? TV purchases? Be more specific. Are you basically saying you want everything to be 15 cents?

Visit major nelsons website. They know they got hit harder than expected and are working on it. Their goal is for your connection to the internet to be the bottlneck, not them. Checking earlier today, it was already 10x faster for me. This is actually good news, I feel. Showing the networks and studios that are still in negotiation "Hey look how much people like our service and how much their spending"

This is where you are dreaming. You people that feel this way need to step back and realize this: Microsoft has been working for well over a year, with a warehouse full of lawyers with these Studios/Networks to get this content. Part of what takes so damn long is Microsoft proving to these content providers that THEIR customers (Networks/Studios)intellectual property is secure and can't be compromised easily. Drilling further down, part of that is not allowing users to grab a WMV file to put on their own storage and trade with their friends and experiment with hacking it. So if Microsoft suddenly granted your wish of storing movies on anything you wanted, they'd breach billions of dollars in contracts. Just accept that. It isn't Microsoft limiting you, it's the content providers and their demands.

Oh and the main reason you can't keep movies is cost. Do you realize the MSRP set by studios for a movie is around $25-$30? That would mean that's how much you'd pay if you want to keep your 6 gig movie. I think MS is smart enough to know that most people would say "no thanks".

I agree, sort of. But you can't blame Microsoft for this, this is how media has always been. If you want to start bitching about this then maybe we should first tackle why CD's with 30 minutes of music cost the same as CD's with 70 minutes of music. Why do DVD movies that are only 80 minutes long cost the same as a 3 hour DVD?

So until all Media everywhere starts being sold like gas at the gas pump, this is reality.

I'm pretty sure Microsoft knows this. Keep in mind the service has been up for 4 days. They have already added more. Do you honestly think the decision makers sat in in office and said "Well shit, let's just give them 4 or 5 things to download in HD, the rest will be fine in SD". No. Actually the legal contracts are far different and more complicated for HD content. If they weren't, you'd have seen Itunes selling HD tv shows 2 years ago. Give MS some time, let their legion of lawyers work, and I bet this service increases in quality immensely even by summer. The sad thing is, they will have at least a year jump start on Sony's similar service.

First you're full of shit about the HD movie ownage. If the studio's put out full editions instead of this play games halfassed shit then they wouldn't have to worry much about cheaper sales from OWNED movies on XBL because some of the DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-Ray content would make it desirable to buy. If it isn't, the studios should ask themselves WHY it's not selling with extras like "Is this something I give a shit about watching?". Just ask themselves that question.
I mean if WB or Miramax would off a Wuxia Fantasy movie in HD for ownage I'd immediately bite. Btw Wuxia means Martial Arts in Chinese and I'm talking about movies like "The Promise". I wanted to say "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "House Of Flying Daggers" but I know Sony owns the rights to the latter here and I think they own the rights to the former too. Oh and PLEASE don't tell me about "House Of Flying Daggers" on Blu-Ray because I read the quality varies all over and I'm actually surprised most of it doesn't look like a piece of shit since to my knowledge it's a first generation Blu-Ray with MPEG2 encoding on a single layer disc.
On some more info with HD and SD shows wtf is South Park's "Passion Of the Jew"?! I got on immediately hoping to download it and found it wasn't available. As for HD why doesn't MS just make a huge deal with MBC to have all their series shot in HD available as well as some of their concerts to people like me who are interested. Also I think following the same for SBS and KBS would be a good idea. Oh and in the end make sure they have the HD versions exclusively.
For people who don't know MBC, SBS and KBS are all Korean channels, at least two of which I'm pretty sure have HD channels and some good shows so I think it would be a great idea. If they don't do this but do it for Korea I'll FIND a way to download them off XBL regardless since it's going to take who knows how long to get to HD-DVD and Blu-Ray and as it stands almost NO TV shows are available on either except for Soprano's coming and most of the shit I want is Showtime programming like "Dead Like Me", "Weeds" and "Huff" to list a few.
Also to mention some additional stuff, am I the only one who wouldn't mind buying some "Newsradio" episodes off XBL?

[thrustbucket]

First you're full of shit about the HD movie ownage. If the studio's put out full editions instead of this play games halfassed shit then they wouldn't have to worry much about cheaper sales from OWNED movies on XBL because some of the DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-Ray content would make it desirable to buy. If it isn't, the studios should ask themselves WHY it's not selling with extras like "Is this something I give a shit about watching?". Just ask themselves that question.

The studios set the prices of full movies if they were to be on XBL. The MSRP of DVD's you buy in the store are almost always a lot higher than what you pay, because the store usually sets a lower price. So you are saying that you would pay more $ to get it on Live than buy the disk in a store? If so, I think you are in a minority.

I have nothing to say to the rest of your post, as it didn't make a lot of sense to me.

[Milkyman]

The studios set the prices of full movies if they were to be on XBL. The MSRP of DVD's you buy in the store are almost always a lot higher than what you pay, because the store usually sets a lower price. So you are saying that you would pay more $ to get it on Live than buy the disk in a store? If so, I think you are in a minority.

I have nothing to say to the rest of your post, as it didn't make a lot of sense to me.

I think what he meant by full releases was the fact that most hd-dvd and blu-ray releases right now have no extras, or fewer extras compared to their standard definition versions.

as far as the rest of sarang's comments, i would love to have access to international content in hd, especially korean music videos!

[thrustbucket]

I think what he meant by full releases was the fact that most hd-dvd and blu-ray releases right now have no extras, or fewer extras compared to their standard definition versions.

as far as the rest of sarang's comments, i would love to have access to international content in hd, especially korean music videos!

I had no idea he meant that. If so, I'm not real sure how a direct-download movie could have extra content, but I am sure it's possible.

I'd love international releases but I fear that's a ways off.

[ryanbph]

I only DL one thing, a southpark episode, and it took less the 5 min. I did it yesterday around noon.

[Sarang01]

What I meant is that I think the movies, HD and SD, should NOT expire and be cheaper than their HD-DVD/Blu-Ray and DVD counterparts since they have NO extras. If they're worried about losing money from making those cheaper than their concrete counterparts then maybe they should put extras on the discs making them WORTH purchasing. You get as much out as you put in and this is why if a barebones DVD sells less than the direct download expect that since most people don't give a rats ass about one trailer included on the disc as well as a 5.1 audio track and some other alternate language tracks as well.
I also mentioned the Korean content channelwise because I get the impression a LOT of their content is being filmed in HD, especially their big name Drama's and since I'm a fan and can find NO way to receive them in the U.S. other than grabbing off a bittorrent this would be a WELCOME thing especially since I prefer most Korean Drama's to what's airing in our Primetime now unless it's on a Pay channel.
edit: Btw in terms of ABC stuff being offered they really should offer more since I think now most of their stuff is being filmed in HD, ESPN, ESPN2 and The Disney Channel. I don't know about Lifetime but that might be the case too. The only thing I can think is maybe they have a deal with Sony and their download service since I don't remember "Lost" being offered on XBL.

[thrustbucket]

So I noticed they took Daybreak off now. Anyone know when it's getting put back up. I'd really like a website dedicated to what is available, and when stuff is added, if anyone knows of one. (I can't see anything on Xbox.com)

[D4rkN1ght]

after messing around with the movie/show downloads a little bit i have mixed feelings

I think 240 or whatever the cheaper movies are is not a bad price, but i think that it is lame to pay more for new releases, and then pay more for the HD version, it should all be one price like blockbuster. I am also not liking the fact that you cant keep them (or have an option to pay more maybe to keep them) which is what many services such as "on-demand" or other cable/satelite services do, so i know it can be done as far as the media rights.

Overall however it is very convenient, i can download the movie i feel like watching RIGHT then, i dont have to leave the house, and it is ready in about 2 minutes (to start watching).

They definatly need to step up the library, at least weekly like blockbuster does because it cannot be too dificult to up load them, and the usage rights wont be hard after dealing with the same companies ect.

The TV shows definatly cannot cost at much as they do if they want people to buy them (at least me) i could understand if you got a whole season of a show (like you would at a rental store) for the price of a full length movie, but per show is insane.

I think it was a good start, but needs a lot of improving before i will be an avid purchaser, because right now i can do pretty much the same thing with my cables ON-DEMAND for a bit cheaper...

[zewone]

The TV shows definably cannot cost at much as they do if they want people to buy them (at least me) i could understand if you got a whole season of a show (like you would at a rental store) for the price of a full length movie, but per show is insane.

The difference is that you get to keep the TV shows forever, instead of renting them like the movies.

[D4rkN1ght]

The difference is that you get to keep the TV shows forever, instead of renting them like the movies.

oh i didnt know that, they should still offer a package deal, but thanks for correcting me for the 2nd time in less then a minute

[thrustbucket]

I think I may have asked this before, but I feel like asking again, so sue me.

Does anyone know of a website dedicated to tracking changes on the video marketplace, as well as news about it? I have a feeling majornelson has not/is not announcing every little video they add.

[KaneRobot]

This service is reminding me that Space Ghost C2C is the most wonderfully screwy show in existence. I love it.


Does anyone know of a website dedicated to tracking changes on the video marketplace, as well as news about it? I have a feeling majornelson has not/is not announcing every little video they add.

I don't think there is anything like that yet. People are definitely bitching about it, we'll probably see something before too long.

[Sporadic]

Does anyone know of a website dedicated to tracking changes on the video marketplace, as well as news about it? I have a feeling majornelson has not/is not announcing every little video they add.

I was thinking about starting up a site to do this. It would be fairly simple to keep up after the initial set up.

---------

I love the video marketplace so far.

Overall I bought a 60 minute best of Celebrity Deathmatch for 160 points, currently downloading A Clockwork Orange (been wanting to see it for awhile now and Blockbuster Online has it on Very Long Wait) and as soon as my VGA cables come in I'll be getting Swordfish in HD (Hallie Berry's titties/exploding marble scene in HD :drool: )

[thrustbucket]

I was thinking about starting up a site to do this. It would be fairly simple to keep up after the initial set up.

---------

I love the video marketplace so far.

Overall I bought a 60 minute best of Celebrity Deathmatch for 160 points, currently downloading A Clockwork Orange (been wanting to see it for awhile now and Blockbuster Online has it on Very Long Wait) and as soon as my VGA cables come in I'll be getting Swordfish in HD (Hallie Berry's titties/exploding marble scene in HD :drool: )

I would definitely frequent that site if you made it.

[zewone]

As would I.

[thrustbucket]

Looks like a good chunk of new content is up. Most noteworthy (to me) is the entire first season of Enterprise in HD, which means all of them will eventually be on.

MI3 is also up for rent, among some various new MTV and UFC shit I didn't bother to look at.

[Puzznic]

I finally made my first downlaoad after I saw that they put The State on there. I have been wanting to rewatch the episodes for a long time.

For anyone that isn't familiar with the show; it's a 90s MTV skit show that has many of the same actors as Reno 911 (Dangle, Junior, Weigel). It also has Michael Ian Black, who is always funny.

[gsr]

Looks like a good chunk of new content is up. Most noteworthy (to me) is the entire first season of Enterprise in HD, which means all of them will eventually be on.

MI3 is also up for rent, among some various new MTV and UFC shit I didn't bother to look at.

What is the pricing on Enterprise?

BTW, Enterprise was shot with a VERY soft focus, so the HD isn't going to look "great", relatively speaking.

Also, Enterprise has been airing on HDNet, which is most likely available on your local cable/satellite provider not named Comcast.

[thrustbucket]

What is the pricing on Enterprise?

BTW, Enterprise was shot with a VERY soft focus, so the HD isn't going to look "great", relatively speaking.

Also, Enterprise has been airing on HDNet, which is most likely available on your local cable/satellite provider not named Comcast.

They were 240 points I believe.

[2Fast]

Looks like a good chunk of new content is up. Most noteworthy (to me) is the entire first season of Enterprise in HD, which means all of them will eventually be on.

Very nice! The season set DVDs are ungodly expensive and I'd rather just have a few of the episodes that I really like (and probably all of season three).

[thrustbucket]

Very nice! The season set DVDs are ungodly expensive and I'd rather just have a few of the episodes that I really like (and probably all of season three).

I only ever saw the pilot, but I'm curious about buying these if they are worth watching. Same with Jericho, anyone have any review of that?

$2 for 40 minutes of entertainment isn't that much.

[2Fast]

I only ever saw the pilot, but I'm curious about buying these if they are worth watching. Same with Jericho, anyone have any review of that?

$2 for 40 minutes of entertainment isn't that much.
I just recently finished watching all four seasons of Enterprise (rented them over a few months from Netflix) and I really enjoyed it. Most people never gave the show a chance (especially Trek fans), but I found it to be very well-written and it seemed relatively realistic compared to other Trek shows, I suppose.

I liked Scott Bakula as the lead and found the supporting cast to be more than capable. The visuals, costumes, and make-up are far superior to any other Trek series as well.

There's not really a god-awful episode among all of them (except perhaps the series finale); it's just that no one ever gave this show a chance.

[jrutz]

What is the pricing on Enterprise?

BTW, Enterprise was shot with a VERY soft focus, so the HD isn't going to look "great", relatively speaking.

Also, Enterprise has been airing on HDNet, which is most likely available on your local cable/satellite provider not named Comcast.

Bumping for new discussions. Maybe we can combine Daphatty's thread with this one?

Also, the only reason I haven't yet purchased any Enterprise episodes is because Paramount is likely to be releasing these season sets on HD-DVD in the new year, FYI. I may though buy one episode just to sample.

[Sporadic]

I was thinking about starting up a site to do this. It would be fairly simple to keep up after the initial set up.

---------

I love the video marketplace so far.

Overall I bought a 60 minute best of Celebrity Deathmatch for 160 points, currently downloading A Clockwork Orange (been wanting to see it for awhile now and Blockbuster Online has it on Very Long Wait) and as soon as my VGA cables come in I'll be getting Swordfish in HD (Hallie Berry's titties/exploding marble scene in HD :drool: )

Swordfish was incredible on my monitor.

Took about 6 hours to download it but it was fully worth it.

Looks like I have to go get the HD-DVD attachment soon.

[Sporadic]

Xbox Live members in the U.S. can download ‘Superman Returns’ in either SD or HD from the Video Marketplace.

http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2006/12/31/new-on-video-marketplace.aspx

7.0 GB - 480 points

They also have The Ant Bully in HD 4.0 GB - 480 points

[doctorfaustus]

http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2006/12/31/new-on-video-marketplace.aspx

7.0 GB - 480 points

They also have The Ant Bully in HD 4.0 GB - 480 points

What can I get for 100 points?

[Sporadic]

What can I get for 100 points?

Video Marketplace wise? Nothing.

Get 60 more points though and you can buy a tv show. I bought a 1 hour special of Celebrity Deathmatch for that price.

[LinkinPrime]

After having huge success on Xbox LIVE Marketplace with content from MTV, Comedy Central and VH1, this month MTV Networks is bringing two more properties to the service:

Country Music Television. On June 6, country music fans on Xbox LIVE will enjoy a great lineup of TV shows from CMT, the #1 country music network in the nation. Fans can download the first seasons of hit shows such as, “Comedy Stage,” “Foxworthy’s Big Night Out” and “Prankville” starting tomorrow, with more series and episodes rolling out this summer.
Logo. On June 11, Xbox 360 will become the first gaming console to offer content from Logo, the network for the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender audience from MTV Networks. Xbox LIVE will offer a bevy of popular Logo shows, from comedies “Wisecrack,” and “The Big Gay Sketch Show,” to scripted dramas like “Noah’s Arc,” and other programs including, “Curl Girls” and “Real Momentum Documentaries.”
Beginning June 12, two of the biggest anime distributors in the US will join current Xbox LIVE partner ADV Films with popular shows, movies, gamer pics and themes, making LIVE Marketplace an unparalleled online source for quality anime content:

FUNimation. The epic adventure series “Samurai 7,” adapted from Akira Kurosawa’s legendry film “Seven Samurai,” is coming to Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Also coming from FUNimation: “Trinity Blood,” “Gunslinger Girl,” and “Basilisk.”
Geneon Entertainment. Die-hard fans and those new to the genre alike will enjoy the U.S. HD debut of the anime classic “Akira,” available exclusively from Geneon on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Also available from Geneon Entertainment at launch: “Gun Sword,” “Last Exile,” “Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo” and “Lupin the 3rd.”
June will also bring award-winning films and blockbuster hits to Xbox LIVE Marketplace, starting with ‘Team America World Police,’ which launched in HD on the service on June 1st. Other top new films coming this month include:
Dreamgirls
Letters from Iwo Jima
Shooter
Black Snake Moan
Pan’s Labyrinthhttp://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/13631/New-Content-Coming-to-Xbox-Live-Marketplace/