Xbox Live TV on track for "Christmas"

By Robert Purchese Published 16 September, 2011

Steve Ballmer demos new technology.

Microsoft top-dog Steve Ballmer has restated that Xbox Live TV will be launched this Christmas.

The last time we heard anything was at E3, three months ago, when Microsoft forecast an autumn arrival.

Ballmer demoed the technology at a Microsoft event this week on campus in Anaheim, California.

The presentation was light on detail about content partners, pricing and what films and TV series will be available, reported CNN.

But Ballmer said Microsoft would be working with "dozens or hundreds of additional video content suppliers".

Live television on Xbox Live TV will encompass "news, sport and your favourite channels" said Ballmer.

Ballmer hinted that this will work in a similar way to Sky works on Xbox 360 here in the UK.

Another stand-apart feature of Xbox Live TV will be Bing search combined with Kinect's voice recognition. "You say it, Xbox finds it," said Ballmer.

A demonstration was given where a Microsoft employee said, "Xbox, Bing, The Office," and the telly promptly displayed the available seasons of comedy show The Office (US version). A demonstration to search within the seasons of the show themselves didn't work.

"It's a good thing that's shipping for Christmas," Ballmer quipped.

The existing Xbox 360 Sky Player.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 8 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • TheDudesRug #1 8 months ago

    Say what you want about the guy, but he really does love that company.

  • Eraserhead #2 8 months ago

    Lemme guess... US only.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #3 8 months ago

    Announced as autumn for US and global territories back at E3. Presuming the same still stands.

  • oceanmotion #4 8 months ago

    Is this something different to Sky for UK, Canal for France etc. I suspect it's going to be a bigger umbrella that might have other content providers but as usual the price is ridiculous and you usually don't get anything better than your cable/satellite subscription so what the hell is the point.

  • geeza2020 #5 8 months ago

    How much extra is all this going to cost then MS, becuase you certainly dont give away anything for free, even it is a broken buggy mess.

  • Dizzy #6 8 months ago

    >Lemme guess... US only.

    Global but only in countries where monopolistic telecom companies don't restrict the market (basically that rules out most of Europe).

  • siro #7 8 months ago

    I fear US, and UK at best. Rest of europe likely to be ":("

  • Spong #8 8 months ago

    iPlayer for free in the UK or MS can fuck off. It really is that simple.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #9 8 months ago

    @Dizzy

    So US and Canada then?

  • Bravestinsane #10 8 months ago

    so iplayer then?


    nah what am i dreaming, it will be gold members only

  • Toothball #11 8 months ago

    This all seems handy, but I generally play games rather than watching TV so I can't see myself making much use of this.

  • TechnicPuppet #12 8 months ago

    Are we not ahead of the US here by having Skyplayer?

  • telboy007 #13 8 months ago

    Who has taken over djclownshoes account, I don't see any "ha"s at the end of the post.

  • rudedudejude #14 8 months ago

    IPLAYER

  • RodHull #15 8 months ago

    Hopefully it'll work similarly to how the MSN video service operates at the mo, with free shows like the mighty Big Train and such with just a pesky little ad at the beginning.

  • miiiguel #16 8 months ago

    What about my Mango mr. Ballmer ? Fuck sake... everybody thought it would be yesterday.

  • Quixz #17 8 months ago

    All i want is a Sky player with HD content!

  • crooky369 #18 8 months ago

    @TechnicPuppet's

    Don't the US get a "free" ESPN service if they have gold and the right ISP?

  • RedPanda #19 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • MarketZero #20 8 months ago

    Huh? TV on my TV? Sign me up!

  • SpaceMonkey77 #21 8 months ago

    Nice one, DJClown.

    For as much as I won't have a use for this, some will. MS know that when their palms are crossed with silver, from the big studios, they'll try to accomodate them. Fact of the matter is, that many of us gamers and tech savvy nerdcore peeps, largely don't watch tv like the masses do. Games are easily a better deal for price, content and reply value.

    Sure, I like to watch live sports and an occassional good series with friends etc, but scheduling is by and large still the biggest problem with traditional tv. We can pop our games in anytime we want, and when our media is catered to our tastes (ie, machinama, podcasts and Last FM), largely don't need most of what they offer. Hopefully the U.K should get Netflix and Youtube in the new year, making it easier to find something you like.

    I have a Sky set up, but stopped my full package because there was so much crap on, that I just didn't want to watch or pay for. If I was able to cherry pick channels I wanted, I might still have it hooked up, but they aren't up for that. At nearly £600 a year, I'm saving that money to indulge in games and other things. There's also plenty of other media I can indulge in, free or paid wise.

    If this is for you, check it out. I just pray that all the streaming bandwidth they intend to use, and all that Kinect use too, don't end up bringing Live to its knees. Its corely still a games based service.

  • Cobalt_Jackal #22 8 months ago

    Steve Ballmer Demo's New Tech

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc :D

  • dr_zoidthrob #23 8 months ago

    /crosses fingers and hopes for iPlayer/

    also, could I win the lottery this weekend? Ta.

  • slickster #24 8 months ago

    people wants iplayer itvplayer and 4oD for free.how much this shit going to cost people crazy when they pay for gold subs.

  • Dr_Cowley #25 8 months ago

    Cool and the gang. Got rid of my T.V. License about 3 years ago now as I watched everything on the internet and found out that the License fee only applies to 'signal' services (cant think of the proper term at the mo) such as Normal TV, sky, radio and such.

    Use a TV for only games and/or DVDs? No fee.
    Watch stuff online? No fee.

    Seeing more and more alternatives to terestrial TV makes me glad I'm shut of that pointless monthly fee from the Beeb

  • Mr_Brown #26 8 months ago

    All I want is HBO on demand service available in the UK. Even for an extra fee I'd be willing to pay it. That would keep me happy for a while at least.

    I'm always sceptical of these Xbox TV things, they are bound to cost a monthly sub and I really don't see why I should pay extra when I already pay for a Virgin media package. Only unless it can offer me something they do not...

  • cheeky_BILLY #27 8 months ago

    Xbox fans make far to much noise to make TV watching enjoyable .

  • dmt2 #28 8 months ago

    I'd pay for hbo but iplayer has to be free.

    It'll probably just be some mupped YouTube content with most of the service for America only

  • IronGiant #29 8 months ago

    How underwhelming and will they please god stop treating people like idiots, talking at a console is not clever or amazing whatsoever.

  • TheEnforcer000 #30 8 months ago

    This sounds nice and all, but living in Canada, I'm sure we're going to get the shaft as usual. I blame MS greed combined with Canadian government greed. Can't come to terms, so everyone loses out. Get your crap together already!

  • alcides #31 8 months ago

    isn't there an iplayer on some set-top box or sth?
    or a PS3?

  • SBfistfun #32 8 months ago

    Bingo

  • Biker_Bob_1971 #33 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 16:59:10 06-02-2012

  • addugg #34 8 months ago

    Hurray! BBC I-Player!

    Great....

  • woodnotes #35 8 months ago

    We already have this in the UK - they're just trying to do a Sky Player but in the US where they'll have to liaise with more networks.

  • martlev #36 8 months ago

    Dont expect iplayer at all. Unless MS give it to all users and not just gold the BBC board wouldnt go for it. they have said in the past that it has to be free to access on any platform for it to appear on it.

  • Xboxfanuk #37 8 months ago

    I get BBC iPlayer on my Xbox right now through media centre...as well as freesat HD+ with my pc and Xbox...no fees.
    The problem is not Microsoft...it's greedy us based media companies that refuse to offer their content streaming. Also Sky Go is free to sky customers so they get away with blocked program and no correct aspect ratios as well as no HD content. Yet they charge same as satellite subs....fuckers.

    America gets everything because the UK media companies have no innovation.

    I am hoping for 4OD and the like that PS3 already has. That is where MS could impress.
    Edited by Xboxfanuk at 17/09/11 @ 18:36

  • MattRobson #38 8 months ago

    Is it really necessary? I want a games console to play games on. i already have the content they are likely to offer through other means. Microsoft and Sony need to stop trying to be something they are not.

  • Quetza #39 8 months ago

    sounds cool

  • kongzi #40 8 months ago

    hmm I really hope Bing reacts better to my voice input than it does to typed search queries.. and is my avatar going to do a nice little dance when it returns search results? That would be so awesome... I already love the way it waves at me when I start up. Great..
    And all my favorite channels?? Really now?? All zero of them? Jesus..