Xbox NXE Fall Update 2009 (with E3 announcements)

[catisfit]

I don't have much faith on the whole 1080p video steaming. We'll see. While we might look at it from a technical perspective, the casuals will just see "1080p" and fall for the marketing.

I agree.

I notice they say nothing about audio. Blu-ray to me means top quality audio as well as video, and if they stream 1080p I bet they kill the audio quality to maintain as much visual quality as they can (whatever that is) at such a low bitrate.

It smacks of offering the number 1080 (as you say, for marketing) rather than the quality it represents.

 

[RudeCurve]

I agree.

I notice they say nothing about audio. Blu-ray to me means top quality audio as well as video, and if they stream 1080p I bet they kill the audio quality to maintain as much visual quality as they can (whatever that is) at such a low bitrate.

It smacks of offering the number 1080 (as you say, for marketing) rather than the quality it represents.

It's doesn't need to be equal to BR. In fact a lot of people are perfectly happy with 720p let alone 1080p. It also says the HD streaming movies will have 5.1 audio so please let's not compare that to lossless too.

 

[catisfit]

It's doesn't need to be equal to BR.

Strange, as that's how it was introduced...

In fact a lot of people are perfectly happy with 720p let alone 1080p. It also says the HD streaming movies will have 5.1 audio so please let's not compare that to lossless too.

I'm sure a lot of people will be happy with it, people who equate big numbers to quality - and there are a lot of them around. That doesn't mean it's not valid to mention it, surely? 5.1 could mean absolutely anything. Incidentally, so could 1080p.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I wouldn't put it past them. If they improve upon VC-1, which is already better than x264 (IMO), with their new codec then I think it could be possible for them to hit 1080p with good multichannel sound on a 8mbps connection. I just miss out on that since I'm only 7mbps here.

I could get 50 mbps (boosted) cable but I don't much like the shared nature of cable broadband. And 20 mbps fibre to the curb isn't in my area yet.

Either way, it's possible, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Regards,
SB

 

[Scott_Arm]

Here's something from Grandmaster ....

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/check-out-1080p-smooth-streaming-now

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Here's something from Grandmaster ....

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/check-out-1080p-smooth-streaming-now

Interesting the feel I get from that is with the 5mbps ceiling it's somewhere between cable and BR and it varies the quality based on line quaity so that playback isn't interrupted. Along with that is an option to up the ceiling in the future to match broadband advancements for higher quality eventually matching BR.

I'll have to give that app a shot once I'm don't using my bandwidth for the day...

Regards,
SB

 

[neliz]

is it silverlight based? in that case compression etc. seems to vary on bandwidth available indeed. if you want instant video with low-bandwidth. you'll get the quality that you deserve, if you decide to cache you will get (although compressed) 1080p which still beats watching your average DVD.

at my limited adsl connection (i get 7mb) I can fully utilize the video at it's maximum caps. working at the office on a shared 2mb sdsl I get between 340 and 1 meg in connection speed. I did notice that tabbing out will reduce bandwidth usage drastically, it's probably not rendering.

One thing I actually applaud.

 

[Asher]

I very much doubt it's silverlight base. The instant on technology is mostly a server feature than anything else. Silverlight is largely a container for VC-1 decoding, VC-1 decoding is supported natively on the 360...so they probably just added some code to use the server-side instant on feature.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

According to the Digital Foundry article, 'Smooth Streaming' is the tech in Silverlight : the new video streaming service is Silverlight based, providing progressive delivery.

 

[neliz]

BTW, the director of the movie, Sacha Goedegebure, was my "cartoon drawing friend" at grade school. he actually made his hobby his job, where I found it a means to other things.

good for him!

 

[Asher]

According to the Digital Foundry article, 'Smooth Streaming' is the tech in Silverlight : the new video streaming service is Silverlight based, providing progressive delivery.

Smooth Streaming is an IIS Media Services extension. There's just as Silverlight implementation of it for a client. 99% of the tech is serverside.

There's a .NET compact framework implementation of it as well, which is what I'm 99% sure is how this is implemented on the 360 (considering the .NET compact framework is ported to the 360, as that's how XNA works, and there's no Silverlight port to the 360 which would be ridiculous).

http://www.iis.net/extensions/SmoothStreaming

(At my old job we did lots of Silverlight consulting work )

Edit: To clarify, one thing I don't think a lot of people know is Silverlight is essentially just .NET coupled with a subset of WPF for GUI work. So a lot of people assumed when Netflix came to the 360 that it was an example of Silverlight running on the 360, which is pretty much guaranteed not to be the case. It's just running .NET, which is where the meat of the code is for things like this. They probably just ripped out the code-behind from the Silverlight app and got it up and running on the .NET CF, which was ported to the 360 for XNA.

 

[catisfit]

The Sky hookup they announced at E3 would tally, as Sky Player on PC requires Silverlight IIRC.

 

[Asher]

That's because like Netflix, they're implemented using IIS Media Services on the server and there are .NET components that are stream clients. Silverlight is just one .NET implementation.

 

[obonicus]

Microsoft Adding Silverlight-Based Rich Media To Xbox Live Ads

Microsoft plans to bring its Silverlight graphical framework to Xbox 360, enabling portability of online advertising campaigns between the console and other Silverlight-supporting platforms.

Since we were discussing Silverlight on 360.

The article specifically indicates that "Silverlight-powered media on Xbox will have the same appearance as ads seen on a Web browser."

The article also says that Netflix uses Silverlight, but as Asher pointed out, that may not be entirely correct.

 

[liolio]

Ms has also made a deal with Canal+ about bringing their VoD offering on live.
I know that the deal concerns France for sure but I don't know about other countries where Canal+ is present.

 

[AzBat]

I tweeted this last night, but for those that don't follow me. There are new details on the upcoming Last.FM service. Evidently Silver subscribers will be able to use it, but will only get 3 hours a month. Gold subscribers get 24/7 support, but it's ad-supported. The only way to go ad-free is by paying for a Last.FM subscription which costs $3/month. This is how it's always worked on Last.FM. You can do a recurring monthly payment or a one-time payment for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months.

Subcriptions benefits via Last.FM:

Black icon status
Show off an attractive black icon wherever you appear on the site.

No ads
You won’t see them; visitors to your page won’t see them. No one will, because they won’t exist.

Recent Visitors
See who’s been visiting your profile page.

Personal playlists
Build unlimited playlists and listen to them on shuffle. You can listen to your personal tags too!

Share the Love
Your “Loved Tracks” become a listenable radio station.

Top secret beta access
Be the first to know and try what we’re working on and help shape the development of the site. You’ll see a subscriber-only announcement during beta.

But according to Joystiq, they only mention no-ads & "more sophisticated personalization features, like Loved Tracks."

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/last-fm-on-xbl-free-to-gold-subscribers-3-hours-per-month-for/

Tommy McClain

 

[LightHeaven]

Interesting the feel I get from that is with the 5mbps ceiling it's somewhere between cable and BR and it varies the quality based on line quaity so that playback isn't interrupted. Along with that is an option to up the ceiling in the future to match broadband advancements for higher quality eventually matching BR.

I'll have to give that app a shot once I'm don't using my bandwidth for the day...

Regards,
SB

At E3, the press release on Ms press site stated that on 360 1080p streaming would start at 8 mbps, but it didn't gave a ceiling on how higher it would go.

But based on what i saw from this video, with 8mbps they can definately start scraching BR quality with video on demand.

 

[Tchock]

International Last.FM for Gold alone would be ace. Since now most parts of the world need to pay 3USD for Last already.

Makes 30USD for 12+1 even more justifiable. Although Spotify looks tempting too.


I think Last.FM mobile (iPhone/Android) requires a paid account like Spotify, no?

 

[AzBat]

Evidently there is some confusion about whether or not the dashboard is getting updated tonight or maybe Monday. Here's the detailed list of what's new...

Netflix Updates

Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.

Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.
Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.
Avatar Marketplace

Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.

Clothing

Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as "Halo."

Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.
Games on Demand -- Please note that Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.

Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.

Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.
Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.
It's Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.
User Ratings

User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!

Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.
Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone's been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.
Xbox LIVE Parties

Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.

Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.
Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.
Video Display Options

We've made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.

Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.
Other Improvements

We're always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.

Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you've been a Gold member.
Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.
Achievement Browser – We've revamped the Achievements browser so it's now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.
Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.
Streamlined Navigation - Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.
Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.
Friends List Sorting – It's now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.
Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

Account Management

We've made some changes to make your life easier.

Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.
Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
Account recovery – We've enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.
What does this Xbox LIVE Update not include?

The following features will be coming in future Xbox LIVE updates, which we'll be sure to let you know about.

Facebook
Twitter
Zune video and 1080p Instant On
Last.fm

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/16/xbox-live-update-rolling-out-includes-games-on-demand-netflix/

http://games.gearlive.com/playfeed/article/q309-xbox-360-fall-2009-update-preview/

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/07/16/xbox.360.july.update/

http://kotaku.com/5316580/xbox-live-update-games-on-demand-netflix-movie-party--more

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/xbox-live-update-detailed-games-on-demand-netflix-queue-movie/

http://gizmodo.com/5316525/new-xbox...-downloads-expanded-netflix-features-and-more

Tommy McClain

 

[Rangers]

So basically all the good stuff I actually care about (downloadable full games, streaming dynamic 1080P) isn't in this update