New Products and Services Announced at CES


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New Products and Services Announced at CES

Bill Gates just took the stage, and we just issued a few press releases with some news:

Microsoft Unveils Wave of New Products and Services at CES

Gates and Bach announced several new products and services that include new Windows Vista-inspired PCs, never-before-seen Windows Vista features, an Internet Protocol (IPTV)-enabled Xbox 360, and a new partnership with Ford Motor Co. that will extend digital experiences to the car. The company also unveiled Microsoft Windows Home Server, which provides a central place to help store, protect and access all the digital content in your home.

Microsoft Integrates IPTV Software Platform With Xbox 360, Creating All-in-One Digital Entertainment Device

We announced a new solution that will bring together the Xbox 360 gaming console and the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform, to create a unique digital entertainment offering. IPTV on Xbox 360 is expected to be available to consumers by holiday season 2007 and will be offered by providers that are deploying TV services over broadband networks based on the IPTV Edition software platform.

Content Providers Validate Xbox Live as One of the Top Distributors of Online Entertainment Content

Microsoft announced that Xbox Live Video Marketplace became a clear leader in the distribution of online entertainment content. In just two months since the launch of the service, the Xbox Live community has been given access to top high- and standard-definition content, from CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Xbox 360 has become one of COMEDY CENTRAL?s leading digital distribution platforms. In nearly two months, Xbox has become its second highest performing digital distributor.

On stage at CES, we announced today that Lionsgate will be bringing a lineup of high-definition films to the service in the coming year. Films such as ?An American Haunting,? ?Blair Witch Project,? ?Crank,? ?The Descent,? ?Employee of the Month,? ?Hard Candy,? ?Ninth Gate,? ?The Punisher,? ?Requiem for a Dream,? ?Saw III,? ?See No Evil? and ?Stir of Echoes? will be available for download on Xbox LiveSource:lace in high definition in 2007.

Source: Gamerscore Blog

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thx spartan for spelling out what was announced. wading thru that other thread was pointless.

looking forward to more movies and for Live to make Video more workable...the slow downloads and possible queues aren't too appealing.

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No word on 360 v2?

All you care about is an HDMI cable? The HDD can just be bought in the store, when its released.

All you people seem to care about is HDMI. You would rather have an new cable instead of new features for your xbox. Get over it, HDMI is not the next coming of Jesus. You people are acting as if you are in pain when you use VGA or component. I am tired of hearing all this stupid bitching about how microsoft needs to release a new version. Then when you hear some rumor about how they might release it. All you hear is bitching about how they are leaving out all the "early adopter." Yeah when they do finally add HDMI, go ahead and plug it in, and enjoy the exact same quality I get over my component and vga, its going to be great.

No matter what microsoft does you people will complain

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All you care about is an HDMI cable? The HDD can just be bought in the store, when its released.

All you people seem to care about is HDMI. You would rather have an new cable instead of new features for your xbox. Get over it, HDMI is not the next coming of Jesus. You people are acting as if you are in pain when you use VGA or component. I am tired of hearing all this stupid bitching about how microsoft needs to release a new version. Then when you hear some rumor about how they might release it. All you hear is bitching about how they are leaving out all the "early adopter." Yeah when they do finally add HDMI, go ahead and plug it in, and enjoy the exact same quality I get over my component and vga, its going to be great.

No matter what microsoft does you people will complain

Wow, relax buddy. It's just a cable.

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The real question. Will IPTV be available in Canada?

if there's a service provider in your country yes, for this service MS is only providing the "box", you can get a service contract via XBL. :)

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An interesting announcement that perhaps has gone overlooked was more games supporting PC vs X360. Two that they showed was Uno and Halo 2.

Although already announced a while ago, it's going to be very interesting how Halo 2 will work against Halo 2 Vista as the game has already been in place for a couple of years already on the Xbox. Pretty interesting stuff, I think. Really shows off the power of software/Xbox Live.

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Customers of Microsoft TV are cable and broadband network providers around the world. The ecosystem of partners include hardware and software vendors, content owners, and application developers.

Stretching across the globe, the network of Microsoft TV customers and partners is continually expanding the audience for connected TV services and new entertainment experiences.

Customers

AT&T, the largest telecommunications carrier in the United States, is conducting trials of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform. "Our service will change the way people experience TV. Finally, customers will watch what they want, when they want ? from a virtually unlimited and interactive content selection," said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., SBC Communications Inc. chairman and CEO. "We will deliver integrated communications and entertainment services to enhance the digital lifestyle of our customers." Bell Canadab>, the largest telecommunications carrier in Canada, is currently conducting trials of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform. Bell Canada is using Microsoft TV software to deliver engaging, high-quality digital TV programming over the company?s broadband network to provide Canadians with innovative ways to receive the information and entertainment they want, where and when they want iBellSouth, a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and a parent company of Cingular Wireless, is conducting trials of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform. BellSouth is using Microsoft TV to tap the advancing capabilities of its next-generation broadband network to deliver cutting-edge voice, video, and data services to customersBT, one of the world?s leading providers of communications solutions in Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, plans a trial of Microsoft TV IPTV Edition in early 2006, with delivery of a commercial service expected to begin in the summer of 2006. "BT and Microsoft share a common vision for converged entertainment in the home,? said Gavin Patterson, Group Managing Director of BT Retail. ?TV over broadband services will play an important role in BT's triple-play offering for consumers. The combination of Microsoft's best-in-class technology with BT's 21st-century network will result in an incredibly exciting set of next-generation entertainment and communication services available to consumers across the UKCablevision MexicoMexico, Mexico's largest cable operator, has used Microsoft TV software to serve its subscribers since 2003. With the Foundation Edition platform, Cablevision delivers advanced digital TV services such as dual-tuner digital video recording (DVR), High-Definition TV (HDTV), Video on Demand (VOD), an Interactive Program Guide (IPG), and interactive games to the company?s entire digital cable custoCablevision Monterreyonterrey, one of the top five Mexican cable operators, selected Microsoft TV to debut across its digital TV network in 2003. Cablevision, a subsidiary of its parent company Multimedios Estrellas de Oro, which owns a diverse array of businesses, currently deploys Microsoft TV Foundation Edition to serve their digital cable cClub InternetInternet, the French subsidiary of T-Online International, has selected Microsoft TV to run trials of next-generation television for its pilot project of triple-play services in France. Club Internet will use the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform to offer its customers a new way of experiencing TV and the Comcast Cablest Cable, the world's largest cable operator, began deploying the Microsoft TV Foundation Edition platform in 2004. Now Comcast's deployment of Foundation Edition reaches more than 1 million cable customers offering dual-tuner digital video recording (DVR) services and enhancements for video-on-demand (VODeutsche Telekom Telekom, Deutsche Telekom's T-Com is using the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform to offer standard- and high-definition programs, interactive TV, digital video recording and video on demand to customers across Germany through its T-Home triple-play service. T-Home combines high-speed internet access with IP telephony and IPTV television. The television service offers over 100 free and pay TV channels and an extensive choice of entertainment. "IPTV delivered via VDSL enables better, more service-oriented, more interactive and, above all, more customized television," said Kai-Uwe Ricke, chairman of the Board of Management for Deutsche Telekom AG. "With this advanced television service, Deutsche Telekom and Microsoft are writing another chapter in our longstanding cooperation, tapping new markets and together exploring exciting new growth opportunities." Deutsche Telekom is Europe's largest communications company and one of the largest communications carriers wReliance InfocommInfocomm, the largest broadband provider in India, is conducting trials of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform to deliver next-generation Internet Protocol (IP)-based television services. Microsoft TV software will enable Reliance Infocomm to leverage its nationwide high-speed infrastructure to deliver a unique set of television services and test the benefits to Indian households of leading Microsoft technologies such as Windows Media? 9 Series, Microsoft .NET, and Microsoft Windows SeSwisscom/Bluewinm/Bluewin, the largest broadband provider in Switzerland, is conducting trials of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform. As the premier broadband services provider to Swisscom, Switzerland's leading telecommunications company, Bluewin was one of the first companies in Europe and among the first in the world to conduct a trial of pay-TV services over an IP broadband network using IPTV technology developed by MicTelecom Italiaom Italia, the largest broadband and telecommunications provider in Italy, is conducting trials of the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform to bring next-generation television services ? including standard- and high-definition channels, on-demand programming, digital video recording, and interactive program guides - to consumers via the operator?s broadband network iVerizon Communicationsommunications, one of the world's leading providers of communications services, will begin deploying Microsoft TV in 2005. Verizon will use the Microsoft TV platform for the commercial rollout of its FiOS TV service. Verizon and its third-party partners also plan to use Microsoft software to add advanced applications to future FiOS TV service offerings, differentiating Verizon in the marketplace and bringing consumers the benefits of voice, video, and datSource:

Source: Microsoft

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The best news for me was the live service for PC! And now Halo2 can be played b/n PC and XBOX gamers. It would be interesting if keyboard/mouse combo wins against the XBOX game controller :-)

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No, no, no, no, no. Bungie has already stated that you cannot play Halo 2 cross-platform. I'm pretty sure it was just very poor wording on Bach's part and he was just trying to say that you can play Halo 2 on Xbox Live on your Xbox or on Vista, but not cross-platform. It's not written in the Xbox version of H2 to even be able to do that.

Found it:

Q

Will Halo 2 Vista players be able to play against Halo 2 Xbox players?

A

No, Halo 2 Vista players will only be able to against other Vista owners.

http://www.bungie.net/games/halo2vista/con...k=Halo2VistaFAQ <<< It's like the third question.

-Spenser

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The IPTV things sounds cool, however, it'll probally end up been another 360 feature that will never been used in Australia :( (like been able to download TV shows off Xbox Live Marketplace...well you can't in Au) Even if we do get it here, I've already got a subscription TV service and I don't particularly wish to pay for another one just so I can watch it in my 360 :p still for people who don't have one, this might appeal to them I guess :)

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No, no, no, no, no. Bungie has already stated that you cannot play Halo 2 cross-platform. I'm pretty sure it was just very poor wording on Bach's part and he was just trying to say that you can play Halo 2 on Xbox Live on your Xbox or on Vista, but not cross-platform. It's not written in the Xbox version of H2 to even be able to do that.

Found it:

http://www.bungie.net/games/halo2vista/con...k=Halo2VistaFAQ <<< It's like the third question.

-Spenser

I think it's more than just poor wording, though, right? It really did come off as if you'd be able to do PC vs Xbox in Halo 2.

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I think it's more than just poor wording, though, right? It really did come off as if you'd be able to do PC vs Xbox in Halo 2.

I think you're getting your hopes up for something that indeed was just poor wording. That FAQ hasn't been the only place Bungie (a very credible source on this, mind you) has stated that. I mean look at it - what kind of a mess would it be for them to be able to pull that off, if it's even possible at all. I don't think it is based on how the original game for Xbox is written and how they're changing it for Vista (you gotta keep in mind - they're completely redoing the whole matchmaking system for H2V, something they can't do for the Xbox version).

/edit - I would like to iterate that, obviously, I could be very wrong, but I generally like to go by what Bungie has stated, even if MS specifically says something contrary, but in this case, it wasn't really that specific either.

-Spenser

Edited by stifler6478
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An interesting announcement that perhaps has gone overlooked was more games supporting PC vs X360. Two that they showed was Uno and Halo 2.

Although already announced a while ago, it's going to be very interesting how Halo 2 will work against Halo 2 Vista as the game has already been in place for a couple of years already on the Xbox. Pretty interesting stuff, I think. Really shows off the power of software/Xbox Live.

I'm glad that Halo 2 will be available for Vista - I've had Halo on my PC since it's release and the same with Halo 2 on my XBox, and playing Halo was infinitely better for me than Halo 2; I have a difficult time with FPS games and gamepads.

--ScottKin

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All you care about is an HDMI cable? The HDD can just be bought in the store, when its released.

All you people seem to care about is HDMI. You would rather have an new cable instead of new features for your xbox. Get over it, HDMI is not the next coming of Jesus. You people are acting as if you are in pain when you use VGA or component. I am tired of hearing all this stupid bitching about how microsoft needs to release a new version. Then when you hear some rumor about how they might release it. All you hear is bitching about how they are leaving out all the "early adopter." Yeah when they do finally add HDMI, go ahead and plug it in, and enjoy the exact same quality I get over my component and vga, its going to be great.

No matter what microsoft does you people will complain

moron.. maybe before going off on your rant you would remember that there are a large amount of people who have HDTV's that do not support 1080p over component or vga... so while new features may be important to you... some others would like to be able to enjoy the features that are currently only available to some...

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All you people seem to care about is HDMI. You would rather have an new cable instead of new features for your xbox. Get over it, HDMI is not the next coming of Jesus. You people are acting as if you are in pain when you use VGA or component. I am tired of hearing all this stupid bitching about how microsoft needs to release a new version.

Wow, aren't you bright.

Ever thought of the HD-DVD format on the 360 has being half-arsed without HDMI? Well guess what, it is. In its current form the 360 does NOT output HD Audio, Optical cable doesn't have the bandwidth to transmit it. The only way to receive HD audio is through HDMI or 6-7 channel Analog cables, which I highly doubt MS will release a dongle with a million cables on it. So before you go off ranting about what others would like to see to complete a TRUE HD experience I suggest you actually research the topic instead of making half-arsed assumptions.

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