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Microsoft only needs to build support for 3 things to get 100% of the market, CableCard, DirecTV, and Dish. CableCard support is the easiest, covers all cable companies, does not involve any cable company negotiations, already familiar with by Microsoft and Windows Media Center and would be about 58% of all households according to Wikipedia. DirecTV with 19 million and Dish Network with 14 million are both sizable chunks to get 100% support. It wouldn't be hard to get support for both, and you really only need the support of one satellite provider in order to force the other one's hand (they'd be branded as the only company that doesn't support Durango's DVR functions, which is bad PR).
I'm sure Microsoft could work on an IPTV angle down the road so that CableCard isn't needed anymore and you can just login with account info, but it's not something that would be ready by launch. Again, there is little point in advertising features that won't be widespread for several years, as it just bites you in the ass later on (aka IPTV on 360 announcement 6 years ago).
From what I understand, the DVB standard in Europe is a lot easier to work with.
Something is fishy with those standards, in Denmark only LG and Samsung sells a DVD/HDD recorder that supports the current DVD-T and DVB-C standards.
TV tuners are an absolute mess, MS is well aware from their past forays with media center PCs. The future is to go over IP with applications like what Verizon is doing and also the "set top box replacement" initiative like RVU. (http://www.rvualliance.org) Oddly, MS is not a part of the RVU alliance right now however they are part of the DLNA Promoter Membership which added RVU to its spec last March.
I'm somehow puzzled why a lot people seem to think DVR is such a relevant feature. The internet generation watches less and less prepackaged TV and if something is doomed it's the current nature of TV. So why backup the TV program when the console target group can use the internet to watch TV/Films on demand, on DVD/Bluray, can watch NBA games through League Pass or get every TV show from hosters for "free".
A lot STBs these days come with USB ports for recording the noise. If the TV channel allows that.
Apparently one of the most common activities for XBL members is to watch Netflix.
On NBA League Pass specifically, nationally broadcast and locally broadcast games are blacked out. Content exclusivity, in general, is the only reason I still subscribe to cable TV service.
Problem being there are many countries they will need to deal with.
Not for international viewers or people who know how to use proxies. Never the less I don't think the old distribution model will survive as it's all about artificial control instead of service these days with a global distribution system available.
Look at french market… We already have DVR (in HD) with cable sat and internet provider box (look at: Canal Sat, Free, Orange, SFR, Bouygue, Numericable… So DVR in next xbox is a thing of the past… no need for it…
And more important DVR function is not "moneytized" (no ad, etc…), so no interest for MS and partners… Replay, VOD is the target for MS… Sell service or Ad, and don't need a big storage in customer box.
So the "always connect" is probably for these "TV" functions.
And more important DVR function is not "moneytized" (no ad, etc…), so no interest for MS and partners… Replay, VOD is the target for MS… Sell service or Ad, and don't need a big storage in customer box.
So the "always connect" is probably for these "TV" functions.
indeed France is at least well advanced in this regard 
(and price are overall low wrt services offered).
In the US I don't see any intensive in fact for the TV operators to let MSFT use their pipes and make money they could make them selves / they should might ask a pretty high price if they were to let MSFT use their infrastructure.
(and price are overall low wrt services offered).In the US I don't see any intensive in fact for the TV operators to let MSFT use their pipes and make money they could make them selves / they should might ask a pretty high price if they were to let MSFT use their infrastructure.
I am not sold on the DVR either, but at the same time i would really want one and i have very few channels
The TV market is right now is in a state of flux, most of the bigger classic TV stations and producing their own content, we have 2 big danish broadcasters here, they produce alot of their own content. Which means they have unique content that no streaming provider will ever be able to provide. However, every broadcaster here have their own streaming service (surprise!) which they bolster up with bought content that they have on their flow tv as well.
If i was Sony or Microsoft i would do my outmost to have the easiest accessible platform for every streaming provider out there, i would not try to battle with my own content, well except the content i already own (Sony).
On a related note (farout note), just as we have radio dj's i think that at some point in the future we will have TVJ's that mix and match different content and viewers will be tuning in/streaming their favorite TVJ's.
liquidboy
Regular
Over the coming years hotels will have XTV boxes in there rooms.. Cable providers will also move to XTV boxes, and all those TV's in public places , those are targets for XTV too im guessing.. ... MS have a compelling offering if it can pull this off ...
Then theres the Xbox itself which is what all us X gamers want, which im guessing is whats arriving in JAN/FEB next year...
This is what I'm going with as the devices MS are going to launch based on what ive been reading around the place
XTV
- low power (30-40 watts)
- low mem soc (32mb eDRAM)
- large HD
- no BlueRay (no need for one based on target demographic)
- 3 x XBox360 perf
- useful for : cable box, public TV, Hotels, light conference rooms etc
XBOX
- powerful (250 -300 watts)
- high mem soc (128mb eDRAM)
- blueray
- 8-10 x XBox360 perf
- useful for : gamers, home transmedia entertainment, business boardrooms etc
Then theres the Xbox itself which is what all us X gamers want, which im guessing is whats arriving in JAN/FEB next year...
This is what I'm going with as the devices MS are going to launch based on what ive been reading around the place
XTV
- low power (30-40 watts)
- low mem soc (32mb eDRAM)
- large HD
- no BlueRay (no need for one based on target demographic)
- 3 x XBox360 perf
- useful for : cable box, public TV, Hotels, light conference rooms etc
XBOX
- powerful (250 -300 watts)
- high mem soc (128mb eDRAM)
- blueray
- 8-10 x XBox360 perf
- useful for : gamers, home transmedia entertainment, business boardrooms etc
I thought the last set of rumours had removed Blu-Ray from the Xbox!?
AFAIK that was one site making the claim from one anonymous developer. I think we have far more evidence from leaked MS docs that there will be BR playback than we have evidence that there won't.
I think it's pretty much totally impossible it won't have a BR drive. It just doesn't work otherwise, many (or even most) peoples' internet connections aren't set up to handle the multi-gigabyte big-game titles of today. Merely looking at the problems certain devs have had with squeezing their games into DVD format for the 360 shows that. Going completely DL only is way, way premature.
(((interference)))
Veteran
It'll definitely have a BR drive, I think what we're unsure about is whether it will play BR movies (rather than just read MS's proprietary disc format for games).
I think it will play BR movies given MS's media box aspirations but you never know, they could think they'd make more money if people had to use Xbox Video to watch movies rather than renting/buying Blurays.
I think it will play BR movies given MS's media box aspirations but you never know, they could think they'd make more money if people had to use Xbox Video to watch movies rather than renting/buying Blurays.
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