AfterDawn: News

Xbox 360 HD movies help to outperform rivals

According to a report on Variety.com, the movie download service for the Xbox 360 is outperforming rival services like Amazon's Unbox service. It appears that consumers prefer ease of use over the broad availability of content offered by retail giant Amazon.

Since the Xbox 360 console is directly connected to TV sets, it leaves out the hassles of having to burn movies and other in-between processes that are necessary with downloaded movies. The availability of high definition copies of movies is even driving customers to download box office flops, with studios reporting a noticeable preference for HD versions of movies.



"If you look at our sales charts, movies like The Perfect Storm, Unforgiven and Swordfish are all doing disproportionately better than you would expect, and the only explanation is that they're available in HD," said Ross Honey, senior director for media at Microsoft's content and partner strategy group.

Apple is also trying to bridge the gap between PCs, Macs and your living room with the iTV gadget set to be launched within the next few weeks.

Source:
GamesIndustry.biz

Written by: James Delahunty @ 4 Jan 2007 4:13

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• 5 comments

• ZippyG

  There is a general lack of selection when it comes to downloadable or streamable HD Movies. For example, Comcast's free movies on demand in HD has less than a page of anything, and only crappy movies available.
  
  HD aside, check out "Zardoz" under "Free Movies" on demand. It is one of Sean Connery's best works. :)

  4.1.2007 11:26 #1

• hughjars

  If the XBox 360 became the all-singing and all dancing HD movie player along with it's HD-DVD drive and was capable of playing .mkv .ts x264 h264 .XviD HD .DivX HD etc etc it would kill and I'd have no hesitation in buying one tomorrow.
  
  But......
  
  Whilst it's getting closer but it's still not quite the kiddy yet.
  
  Sorry, still no sale, not at current prices (and not with that tiny & expensive hard drive either).
  
  Here's hoping things change soon as it could be a very cost-effective, capable & neat package.
  
  .....& btw I'm not shelling out on that grossly over-priced PS3 either.

  4.1.2007 16:05 #2

• IguanaC64

  I learned with my PS2 to never buy a high priced video game system to watch movies. The first thing to fail in nearly every optical media based video game system is the optical reader. Within a couple of years after the first PS2's came out, you had $50 dvd players. I decimated the life of my first PS2 using it as a DVD player. Now that PS3's are $500-$600 it would be completely stupid to use it as a player.
  
  This really applies more to movies on physical media rather than download services, but the point remains that you will degrade the life of your video game system doing something that could be done on a cheaper player.
  

  8.1.2007 05:36 #3

• eatsushi

  Originally posted by IguanaC64:Now that PS3's are $500-$600 it would be completely stupid to use it as a player.The fact is the PS3 is one mighty fine BluRay player and holds its own against the standalones from Samsung, Panasonic, and even Sony. It's not the best choice for standard DVD's but the PS3 is an excellent BluRay performer.
  

  "The flimsier the product, the higher the price."
  -The 82nd Ferengi Rule of Acquisition-
  

  8.1.2007 05:57 #4

• jzncarter

  Perhaps remembering that there are ppl not in the u.s. who would also like this!!! mr gates... us brits have no hd download.... get with the times..

  12.1.2007 10:56 #5