I'm stunned how people aren't seeing that with TV, in five years from now, people will laugh at what we've had. ... Certain things like elections or the Olympics really point out how TV is terrible. You have to wait for the guy to talk about the thing you care about or you miss the event and want to go back and see it. ... Internet presentation of these things is vastly superior.
But to be fair, I said it first. :-p
This is great news for MS and anyone working with their technology; not so good for Sony and their inadequate successor product. This shows just how much thought the guys at MS have put into this product experience. HDMI and integrated HD-DVD players in the 360 are just around the corner. My Zero Hour launch faceplate had better fit those new 360's!
Microsoft Links Xbox 360, IPTV
Gates and Bach announced several new products and services that include new Windows Vista-inspired PCs, never-before-seen Windows Vista features, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)-enabled Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, and a new partnership with Ford Motor Co. that will extend digital experiences to the car. The company also unveiled Microsoft Windows Home Server, which provides a central place to help store, protect and access all the digital content in the home.
Starz, Microsoft to offer download service on TV
Computer users who run Microsoft's new Vista operating system or owners of Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console will be able to watch movies downloaded from Starz's Vongo Internet movies subscription service, the company said.
Microsoft decision could lead to extending lead in race to capture market share; $100 reduction not unthinkable, says one.
So Warner Bros. figured out how to put various layers on a disc, BFD. They are calling it TotalHD. Great, more confusion.
Why not just put two discs in a single case? Oh that's right, because you content producers and distributors do not want them to last. I bet this thing is just a double sided disc - which if you think about, is a whole lot more prone to scratching than the single sided discs I abuse today.
I love the continued Blu-ray / HD-DVD war - it continues to make the case for clear, straightforward delivery on the wire. So maybe now you'll listen to what I've been saying about digital content delivery and stop fighting over little round pieces of plastic that will soon be extinct.
From CNET News:
"There's no question having two incompatible next-generation DVD formats is an untenable situation," adds Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach. "The real question is whether either of them will make it. Today, it's not clear why anyone would spend $800 or more on a Blu-ray or HD DVD player, when you can get a perfectly good DVD player for $30. The difference in quality just isn't that great, especially if you don't have a home theater."
