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Eyes-On: The Xbox 360's Instant 1080p Streaming

Exactly how instant is "instant," anyway?


 New look, same marketplace.
 New look, same marketplace.
Once you get past Facebook and Twitter, one of the big additions that comes with the latest Xbox 360 dashboard update is the Zune Marketplace and the new "instant-on" 1080p video streaming. On the former point, it's only worth noting that "Video Marketplace" now equals "Zune Marketplace." The old video-buyin' interface has simply been rebranded and skinned with Zune signage, with a few new sorting options mixed in. So in terms of both technology and appearance, this is really more of an upgrade to the existing service than a whole new platform.

Anyway, this instant 1080p business. It works quite well from my initial tests, though the name is misleading, because it doesn't instantly start in 1080p. Instead, it begins playing almost immediately in a much lower-quality mode, then buffers itself up to full quality as fast as your connection will allow. The video timeline has a handy connection meter showing what quality level you've buffered up to that sits in the upper right, as seen below. It's divided into three bars and then an "HD" indicator; as far as I can tell, once the HD icon lights up, you've hit full quality. That took around 10 seconds even over the 360 Wi-Fi adapter to our shared Internet connection in the office, so in most cases you're probably going to hit 1080p before you get through all the studio logos at the front of a movie.

Microsoft provided us with a 24-hour rental of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to test this feature out, and here's how the movie looked immediately after hitting Play from the Zune Marketplace. (Full-size version here. Right-click and Save as, if your browser doesn't display the full pic.) As you can see, the image is pretty rough, with a lot of visible compression artifacts at the outset. 


No Caption Provided
And here's what it looked like a few seconds later, at full quality. (Full-size pic.) At a normal viewing distance, the HD version looked nearly as good as a Blu-ray to my untrained eyes.


No Caption Provided
Unfortunately, this instant 1080p hasn't made me like the Harry Potter films any more than I did before.

You can skip between chapters just like on a DVD, which happens more or less instantly, though of course you have to buffer back to HD each time you do it. I wish there were some kind of way to see all the chapters broken out in a list, but what can you do? You can also seek forwards and backwards at up to 32x, which happens instantaneously, even into territory you haven't buffered yet. At the higher speeds, seeking will only display single frames as you go.

So the tech works great, but the pricing of these movies still sticks in my craw. You're looking at between $6 and 8 U.S. for a 24-hour rental of new releases, which is cheaper than going to the theater but seems like highway robbery next to a $20 Netflix account that offers Blu-rays in the mail and unlimited streaming on the same console. Netflix's streaming selection remains pretty limited, though, so I could see this service being cool for impulse-watching the latest flicks. It beats driving to Blockbuster, anyway. Who still does that?
 
Show of hands: who regularly rents or buys movies on their Xbox already? If you don't, will this new upgrade make you start? (If you want to see all the new features of this latest update, including the movie in motion, you could always watch our quick look.) 
 
EDIT: Upon inspection, the rentals I've found in the Marketplace actually range from around $4.50 to $6. I guess that means the Microsoft Points system is doing its job.
Brad Shoemaker on Google+

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onlineatron

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Edited By onlineatron

Meh. 
 
No Zune branding for the Uk... no Netflix either. 
 
I much prefer buying a Blu-ray and getting extras as well.

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nok

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Edited By nok

I've been using Netflix like crazy to catch up on a bunch of shows that I never got to watch on the tele. It's cool to see that they have added these features and I hope they continue to do so. But I have to agree the pricing is really a bummer and I will probably only rent something if my wife  wants to watch a movie that just came out. 

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Timothy

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Edited By Timothy
@Chewii101 said:

" Sounds great. Cept for the Zune branding. "

What's wrong with the Zune branding? 
I've never rented any movies on XBL, and I don't think I'm going to start anytime soon since I have Netflix and a PS3.
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Wolverine

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Edited By Wolverine
@Brad:
$6-$8! I thought the current price of $4-$6 for new releases on Xbox Live was to expensive. It looks like I'll be sticking with my $10 Netflix subscription.
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Wolverine

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Edited By Wolverine
@ethan said:
"I use my Roku box instead of my 360 to watch Netflix.  The fan noise of the 360 is just too much. "
If that is the case for you then it must be really loud for you when a disc is spinning in your 360.
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Brendan

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Edited By Brendan
@hgill88 said:
" @88Fingers said:
" @hgill88 said:
" @88Fingers said:
" Impressive. Doesn't this kinda' make BluRay obsolete?   It makes me wonder about Microsofts next console.... I doubt it will have BluRay if it can stream 1080p. The only benefit from BluRay would be larger space on a disc.  But so far, games on a dual layer HD DVD seem to be enough space. In other words, there's no benefit of putting BORDERLANDS on a BluRay.  50Gbytes of space, yet only 10 percent seems to be needed....in most games. The only game to "supposedly" use an entire BluRay is Metal Gear IV. I don't understand why though. It's a 4 hour game if you remove the cut scenes. I think they probably just un-compressed it as much as possible to fill it up. That's why there are 20+ minute load times. (installs) I still say streaming this well in 1080p is another reason why the next consoles will be drive-less and digital downloads only.  And I welcome it with open arms. "
speaking of obsolete, has there ever even been a game on an HD DVD? Blu-ray is great for ppl who want to have the best video and audio quality, this instant on 1080p streaming seems like the equivalent of a dvdrip to a retail dvd, compressed video and low quality audio when put next to a retail blu-ray, but most people couldn't even tell the difference so it's still a great feature for them "
Ummm, am I mis-informed? I thought all games on 360 were HD.  Some play at 720p but most are 1080p.... I don't think you can get an HD game from a regular DVD. Or am I wrong? "
yeah your misinformed, 360 games are on regular dual layer dvds, same as dvd movies, they are just made in 720p or similar resolution, rarely in 1080p i believe "

There are no games made with a resolution above 720p, at least on the Xbox anyway.  You can view them in 1080p if your TV allows it, but all game's native resolution is 720p.
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zitosilva

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Edited By zitosilva

I still drive to my local rental place. I don't really feel like using my Xbox for anything other than gaming.

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TerraDelu

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Edited By TerraDelu

Dude, fuck no. I have Netflix and it seems to be about the same amount of time for Netflix to start streaming as it does for the movie to get to 1080p via Zune Marketplace. I agree with Jeff in that pricing being the bigger barrier here. I have Comcast and I can rent a HD movie from my cable box for $5 and I get it for 48 hours in most cases.  

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torus

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Edited By torus
@Vonocourt: Good point... how about an uncompressed image format?
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mehteh

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Edited By mehteh

Nice ugly picture quality.

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Frumpy

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Edited By Frumpy

If you think that quality is comparable to a Blu-ray then you're out of your fucking mind:

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2865/ratatouille133303131349.jpg 
 
And that's a 720p screen cap(not 'true' 720p)

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teh_pwnzorer

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Edited By teh_pwnzorer

If I wanted low bitrate and crappy video quality (i.e., low-def during scenes with a lot of motion), I'd just use bittorrent or emule... 
 
Buying south park episodes?  You guys heard of mr twig?

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teh_pwnzorer

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Edited By teh_pwnzorer
@Frumpy said:
" If you think that quality is comparable to a Blu-ray then you're out of your fucking mind:http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2865/ratatouille133303131349.jpg   And that's a 720p screen cap(not 'true' 720p) "
It's probably comparable...only when the credits roll. 
 
I've seen digital cable and even at that bitrate, there's a LOT of blockiness during high motion scenes.
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MyNameIsJoe

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Edited By MyNameIsJoe

Your carzy Brad, the Harry Potter movies are awesum.
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meteora

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Edited By meteora

Yeah actually I was wondering why the hell do they have this and Netflix. Kinda defeats the purpose...

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iam3green

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Edited By iam3green

interesting, how fast does the internet need to be in HD?    i have a slow internet connection, it runs about 1.5mb DSL. when netflix first came out it, the movie played bad. it was a little choppy and blocky on some parts.  it sounds like a cool feature that microsoft is adding.

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Reverseface

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Edited By Reverseface

HARRY POTTERS GONNA FUCK YOU UP WITH HIS ROUND GLASSES THAT NO ONE WEARS ANYMORE......FUCKS SAKE.
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Media_Master

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Edited By Media_Master

This won't make me go out and get a 360. 

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dethfish

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Edited By dethfish

I like how Brad called this "Eyes-On" rather than "quick look" like last time.

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pandemic

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Edited By pandemic

When I had netflix, I used that as my streaming service.  I don't these days, so what I typically do is procure a high def file one way or another and then plug my external disk into the xbox and stream it that way.  Despite owning a zune and having a zune account, I don't see myself using this service (as nice as it is) simply because I'm not a big fan of the whole DRM business.  Plus my internet connection tops out at 1.5 megs, so no way I'm going to get true HD anyway.
 
All that aside, this looks like an excellent service.  Good break down Brad, as always.

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pandemic

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Edited By pandemic
@MyNameIsJoe said:
" Your carzy Brad, the Harry Potter movies are awesum. "
Looking at the spelling/grammar here, I think you just made his case for him.
 
For future reference: "You 're crazy Brad, the Harry Potter movies are awes ome."
 
Unless you made this post in the name of sarcasm, in which case I now look foolish.
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CronoXtream

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Edited By CronoXtream
@Media_Master said:
"

This won't make me go out and get a 360. 

"
no ones asking you to.
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michaelleung

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Edited By michaelleung

Get a Blu-Ray drive for the 360, and we'll talk.

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Edited By MrKlorox

  @Brendan said:

" There are no games made with a resolution above 720p, at least on the Xbox anyway.  You can view them in 1080p if your TV allows it, but all game's native resolution is 720p. "

Yes there are. Most of them are only on XBLA, but games that run natively in 1080p do exist for 360.

@teh_pwnzorer said:

" If I wanted low bitrate and crappy video quality (i.e., low-def during scenes with a lot of motion), I'd just use bittorrent or emule...  Buying south park episodes?  You guys heard of mr twig? "

Some people happen to have moral issues with illegally downloading videos. Also southparkstudios.com is the official website for free Southpark episode streaming.
 
@Meteora said:

" Yeah actually I was wondering why the hell do they have this and Netflix. Kinda defeats the purpose... "

Because Netflix has a very small and shitty selection of streamable movies. The Zune thing is both to provide movies that people actually wanna watch and for MS to make an extra buck.
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Desanvium

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Edited By Desanvium

You know what, I have a PS3, I love Blu-ray, and I'm a big fan of extras, commentaries, and bts documentaries that only come on a disc.  That combined with the fact that all streaming pales in comparison to blu-ray means, for me, I'm sticking with my blu-ray player.  
 
Nothing beats having a physical disc.  Nothing.

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Bouke

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Edited By Bouke

Man, i wish we had something like that over here in europe! Instead we only get the Facebook and Twitter integration which i'm not going to use...
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Edited By WilliamRLBaker
@Brendan said:
" @hgill88 said:
" @88Fingers said:
" @hgill88 said:
" @88Fingers said:
" Impressive. Doesn't this kinda' make BluRay obsolete?   It makes me wonder about Microsofts next console.... I doubt it will have BluRay if it can stream 1080p. The only benefit from BluRay would be larger space on a disc.  But so far, games on a dual layer HD DVD seem to be enough space. In other words, there's no benefit of putting BORDERLANDS on a BluRay.  50Gbytes of space, yet only 10 percent seems to be needed....in most games. The only game to "supposedly" use an entire BluRay is Metal Gear IV. I don't understand why though. It's a 4 hour game if you remove the cut scenes. I think they probably just un-compressed it as much as possible to fill it up. That's why there are 20+ minute load times. (installs) I still say streaming this well in 1080p is another reason why the next consoles will be drive-less and digital downloads only.  And I welcome it with open arms. "
speaking of obsolete, has there ever even been a game on an HD DVD? Blu-ray is great for ppl who want to have the best video and audio quality, this instant on 1080p streaming seems like the equivalent of a dvdrip to a retail dvd, compressed video and low quality audio when put next to a retail blu-ray, but most people couldn't even tell the difference so it's still a great feature for them "
Ummm, am I mis-informed? I thought all games on 360 were HD.  Some play at 720p but most are 1080p.... I don't think you can get an HD game from a regular DVD. Or am I wrong? "
yeah your misinformed, 360 games are on regular dual layer dvds, same as dvd movies, they are just made in 720p or similar resolution, rarely in 1080p i believe "
There are no games made with a resolution above 720p, at least on the Xbox anyway.  You can view them in 1080p if your TV allows it, but all game's native resolution is 720p. "
actually there are, atleast 2-3 1080p native games on the 360.
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WilliamRLBaker

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Edited By WilliamRLBaker
@Frumpy said:

" If you think that quality is comparable to a Blu-ray then you're out of your fucking mind:http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2865/ratatouille133303131349.jpg   And that's a 720p screen cap(not 'true' 720p) "

Um....
1. if its a 720p screen cap then its TRUE 720p....If something is native  1280x720 then its 720p. 
2.that screen capture is  1280px × 544px which doesn't equal 720p like you say and definitely not TRUE 720p.
3.The images shown thus far by giantbomb are totally comparable.
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sheetsy77

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Edited By sheetsy77
@TerraDelu said:
" Dude, fuck no. I have Netflix and it seems to be about the same amount of time for Netflix to start streaming as it does for the movie to get to 1080p via Zune Marketplace. I agree with Jeff in that pricing being the bigger barrier here. I have Comcast and I can rent a HD movie from my cable box for $5 and I get it for 48 hours in most cases.   "
Yeah its almost the exact same amount of time for the movie to load Netflix/Zune.  Zune seems to be a couple seconds faster, IMO. Not a big deal really! The only thing I think is cool out of this whole fall update is just Twitter. And what I seen of Twitter on the QL, seems meh.
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Edited By thewerty
@Venatio: Its coming to norway with this update, and most likely coming to sweden also.
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Edited By jaycrockett

I've never rented a movie on my 360.  I can wait the 2-3 days to get it in the mail from Netflix.  I did buy the last few episodes of Battlestar Galactica, because I had dropped my cable tv, and I found hulu to be spotty.  Plus I wanted to watch in HD. 
 
I'm baffled by the Zune branding.  Almost anything would have better than that.  Do most people even know what Zune is?  Is there supposed to be some interop between the 360 and a Zune device?

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Edited By Sestren

Would this make me start? No. I've never needed to see a movie so badly that I couldn't wait a few days for it to arrive in the mail via Netflix. Especially at 6 to 8 bones a pop.
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wickedsc3

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Edited By wickedsc3

I really cant see my self switching over from netflix to this because the price is just crazy.  At least when u go to the theater and spend 8-10$ u get the whole theater expirence, big screen, sense of being out, atmosphere of the theater, ect..... And since i pay only 9$ per month for unlimited streaming on netflix plus one in the mail.  Why pay that much for one movie.  Yea its in 1080 but was it really worth the price, imo its not.  And the bad thing is that i love my zune!!!! ahhhhh.......
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@FlipperDesert said:
" @DanielJW said:
" I still go to Blockbuster, thank you very much! "
Me too! There isn't much of a choice in the UK. "

Me three! I rent all my games from there.
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Edited By DarthB

I wish that NetFlix existed in Canada for the streaming stuff.  I use another service that does Blu-Rays in the mail and it's pretty cheap.  Why?  The xbox 20gb is too small, the movies cost at least twice what I'm already paying and the video library isn't big enough.

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Nettacki

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Edited By Nettacki

Honestly, even the PSN movie store has cheaper prices than this, even if it's not always "instant." $1.99 SD rentals and $2.99 HD rentals in general, sometimes rising up 2 bucks.

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irishjohn

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Edited By irishjohn

That revised rental price is a lot more appealing.  Still though, I don't see myself renting a movie on my Xbox when I can do it on my TV.

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dbz1995

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Edited By dbz1995

Brad doesnt like the Harry Potter films? Awesome!

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02sfraser

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Edited By 02sfraser

i am not sure that Microsofts take on digital media is the way forward for HD films. for films i always like to have the disk. can take it round to other people and get extras which is why i like Blu-ray. either way it is a great concept and if it does work flawlessly on UK bandwidth speeds then there is no reason for this not to be a success

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Diablos1125

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Edited By Diablos1125

I just recently got into Netflix so the service is alright but sux that they dont offer their full library from the net. Its not doing it for me.
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hardcorebunnni

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Edited By hardcorebunnni
@slint said:
"We need Netflix in Canada.  The fact that we don't is completely retarded. "

Ah, Canada.