Partnering with 40 TV and entertainment providers, Microsoft's Xbox 360 will soon bring TV shows and live television to your living room through its dashboard interface.
Names like Bravo, Comcast, HBO, Verizon and Syfy are on board and will start sending content to gamers everywhere this holiday. Verizon's Bobbie Henson said:
We've announced that we are now collaborating with Microsoft to soon deliver a great selection of live, FiOS TV channels over the Xbox Entertainment System. What really makes this exciting is that this innovative, new service will integrate live, multi-channel streaming HD TV and Kinect voice and gesture commands via the Xbox.
We don't yet know how the service will look and how viewers will interact with content when they sit down with an Xbox 360 controller in their hand. Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of TV & Service Business Tom Gibbons said:
By bringing the technologically advanced Verizon FiOS TV service to Xbox 360 and Kinect, we are advancing our vision to provide the best in entertainment in extraordinary new ways. Xbox 360 brings all your entertainment, friends and family together in one place, and we look forward to introducing Verizon FiOS TV to the console this holiday.
We'll be sure to bring you more information on the upcoming service as it breaks, but until then, here's a list of the international TV providers already signed on with Microsoft.
• ABC iView – Australia
• AlloCiné – France, Germany, Spain, U.K.
• Antena 3 – Spain
• Astral Media's Disney XD – Canada
• AT&T** – U.S.
• BBC – U.K.
• blinkbox – U.K.
• Bravo – U.S.
• BSkyB** – U.K.
• Canal+* – France, Spain
• Channel 4 – U.K.
• Channel 5 – U.K.
• CinemaNow (Best Buy) – U.S.
• Comcast – U.S.
• Crackle – Australia, Canada, U.K., U.S.
• Dailymotion – Available in 32 markets
• EPIX – U.S.
• ESPN** – U.S.
• Facebook** – Available in all 35 Xbox LIVE markets
• FOXTEL** – Australia
• GolTV – Spain
• HBO GO – U.S.
• Hulu – Japan
• Hulu +**– U.S.
• iHeartRadio (Clear Channel) – U.S.
• Last.fm** – U.K., U.S.
• LOVEFiLM – Germany, U.K.
• Manga Entertainment – U.S.
• Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment/Real Sports – Canada
• MediaSet – Italy
• MSN with MSNBC.com – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, U.K.
• MUZU.TV – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K.
• Netflix**– Canada, U.S.
• Rogers On Demand Online (RODO) – Canada
• RTVE – Spain
• SBS On Demand – Australia
• Syfy – U.S.
• Telefonica – Spain
• Televisa – Mexico
• "The Today Show" – U.S.
• TELUS** – Canada
• TMZ – U.S.
• Twitter** – Available in all 35 Xbox LIVE markets
• UFC – Canada, U.S.
• Verizon – U.S.
• VEVO – Canada, U.K., U.S.
• VimpelCom** – Russia
• Vodafone Portugal** – Portugal
• YouTube – Available in 22 markets
• ZDF – Germany
• Zune** – Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain
Xbox LIVE Gold membership and/or other subscriptions/fees required. ** Denotes existing partners on Xbox LIVE available today.
Here's an image of what Comcast's xfinity service will look like on your Xbox 360:
