HD TV shows and movies on your XBox

Subscription Wins! I use Netflix and eMusic and they have the features people want. You can re-download mp3 on emusic if you need to. The Netflix queue is steady stream of stuff you want to see in your mailbox. Even if MS or Apple drop HD downloads, how much to watch a single movie? I'm one of those dudes with a Mac Mini hooked to my plasma and while I love more solutions for my living room these two companies aren't innovating past what people have been doing (possibly illegally) for years. Offer people services they'll use that are reasonable on the price point.

Good comments here. This was a great move by Microsoft, one that Apple should be concerned about. MS is offering critical value here that Apple is not with iTV: the promise of HD content. That's huge, because likely folks that are big on digital downloads in the living room are going to have the HD gear and want to use it. Add to this the fact that a fully loaded X360 is only $100 more than iTV, plays HD games, and can already do the PC streaming thing and Apple has a problem.

As of today, Microsoft's solution is the best presented for the digital living room.

Confirmed: Apple store is indeed closed!!!!! :D

iTunes needs a movie subscription or rental service. I agree with everyone that says HD content is too big for current harddrives, but if we had the ability to download it, watch it, and then a week later get rid of it, we'd all be happier. I can't stand the lowres of Apples content. I really want Apple to succeed here though.

Apple Store is closed! Go to popeie.blogspot.com

So Josh (#5), it's not totally Microsoft's fault either?

However, there is always that free WMV encoder from Microsoft.. or Sorensson Squeeze.. or VLC (yes, VLC can also encode from anything it can play to WMV).. to name a few.

Looks and nods at my Xbox 360. ;-)

To those wondering, YES Xbox LIVE members are allowed to re-download any and all purchased content. Unlike the iTunes store.

To Josh, yes there is a program out there for XP users that converts, on the fly, DivX and XviD to WMV and streams to the Xbox 360. Front Row on the Mac also can be made to play Xvid and DivX files in seconds. I really don't see a use for the iTV for me as my Mac can connect to the TV.

You're all concerned about hard drive space? What about download times? a full movie at 1080p would take hours to download. HD download via broadband is years away from being a practical reality.

Enjoy............................G

just to a previous comment about the small hard drive, you can plug in any standard USB external hard drive and use that as your storage device, and im sure ms will release a bigger hard drive soon. Im a apple user all the way but i installed windows media center on my mac and i use my 360 and that to control my living room as at the moment it far suppresses anything apple has to offer.

For those who just want to watch programmes and films, I'm not sure they would go out and buy a games console.