MS has been talking to Blu-ray all along
Jeff Bell never says never.
Xbox marketing bigwig Jeff Bell says Microsoft has been talking to Blu-ray about the possibility of a partnership all along.
He was speaking about Warner Bros.'s recent decision to exclusively pick the Sony-championed disc format, and did not rule out the possibility MS will adopt it at some point in the future.
"We've been talking to Blu-ray all along because we have the best piece of software in the business, called HDi. It is the backbone that powers interactivity in HD-DVD and we have that available to potentially partner with others," Jeff Bell told 1UP.
"You never say never. I think we'd like to see how things evolve. Our commitment, however, to HD-DVD is profound and consistent, and we have done very, very well in term of our accessory sales."
Microsoft still counts Universal, Paramount and DreamWorks among the supporters for HD-DVD, and Warner Bros. continues to be one of the largest contributors to its IPTV service.
Interestingly Bell also highlighted the relationship between Microsoft and Sony, as its rival uses Windows software on its laptops and what not. They do more talking than you might expect. Bell calls it "coopetition".
Xbox Live Video Marketplace launched last December in the UK, offering downloadable films for digital rental; you splash out 250 MS Points (GBP 2.13 / EUR 2.91) for standard definition and 380 MS Points (GBP 3.23 / EUR 4.42) for high definition, and films will become unwatchable 24 hours after you first start viewing them or within 14 days of download.
The service has been available in the US since late 2006 and also lets you download television shows like CSI or Star Trek. No word on when this will happen here yet.