Microsoft Reportedly Closing XBL Deals With Verizon, Comcast

UPDATE: As folks have pointed out, one way this did manifest itself is through the AT&T U-Verse program.

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It may not be long before Comcast and Verizon are both available in some form through Xbox Live, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

It's possible these and other details may be announed as soon as next week. Bloomberg sources claim Microsoft is in talks with "almost two dozen providers of music, sports, movies and TV shows in the US and Europe," and may include HBO, Crackle, Bravo, Syfy and others.

Microsoft has been talking about the idea of incorporating television into Xbox 360 for years. It's not a new concept, it's just taken the company longer than expected to close the deals making it possible.

iPTV (Internet Protocol television) was actually debuted at CES back in 2007. Making the technology work hasn't been the issue, it's been getting content providers on-board to make the access happen.

Maybe we're finally getting there.

No Time Warner Cable!!! Ahh!!! This will be no good to me:(

Sounds nice that a project and vision they have been having for the xbox for so long, might finally come to fruition.

Quit watching TV 4 years ago, but hey great

Isn't Crackle owned by Sony?

cool

This is exactly what I was afraid of. It sounds like All the XBOX Live TV thing is going to do is be a replacement for your cable tuner/box. Big deal. What I want is a replacement for my cable PROVIDER.

i have never understood how Microsoft wants the 360 to be the media center device when it can never truly be that until they get blu ray.

@DarthOrange: Including Blu-Ray feels like a step back in a future that is so rapidly moving towards digital only distribution.

@DarthOrange said:

i have never understood how Microsoft wants the 360 to be the media center device when it can never truly be that until they get blu ray.

Blue username.

So no new Xbox for at least, what, 3 more years?

Is it just me or do we hear stuff about this around the time of every dashboard update or E3. Will be interesting if it actually happens. Won't mean anything to those outside of the US.

If I can get channels a la carte, then bring it on. Or even a package deal at some sort of reasonable, netflix/hulu level price. If it's just viewing TV that requires a regular cable subscription, then no thanks.

Quit watching TV 4 years ago, but hey great

great, because if there's one thing our cable boxes didn't do yet, it's constantly overheating / dying.

now with the 360, that old dream has come true.

Streaming HD is so far below Blu-Ray quality...

@White_Silhouette said:

Is it just me or do we hear stuff about this around the time of every dashboard update or E3. Will be interesting if it actually happens. Won't mean anything to those outside of the US.

Could potentially do.

For example, Sky already has Sky Player access on its service. If this takes off in America, Sky may extend it to do proper service stuff. Heck, could get into a bidding war with Virgin for it.

This would be great if you could get FiOS or Comcast separate from TV. My guess is the pricing model will follow the bundling (ie $100 a month for good internet and whatever TV) :(

if it uses the media center interface I'm sold.

@Xer0Signal said:

great, because if there's one thing our cable boxes didn't do yet, it's constantly overheating / dying.

now with the 360, that old dream has come true.

Blue username.

If the cost ends up being less then what my local provider is asking for premium channels, then I'll go for it. So far Gold, netflix and hulu are all still cheaper then a basic cable plan + internet where I live.

One thing that I would love to see come with Microsoft setting up a deal to deliver this kind of content to the 360 is giving me the choice of channels I want, and adjusting the price accordingly. I would rater pay X dollar/mo for channels that I want to watch, then x dollars/mo for 60 channels, 55 of which I don't watch.

"...in the US and Europe."

Hurray, maybe Europe will finally get some of the services the US has had for ages?

@iAmJohn said:

@Xer0Signal said:

great, because if there's one thing our cable boxes didn't do yet, it's constantly overheating / dying.

now with the 360, that old dream has come true.

Blue username.

you're so neutral.

@Xer0Signal: Hey man, all I'm saying is you're gonna be making those obvious troll comments with that alignment, expect to be called on it.

@LordCrom said:

No Time Warner Cable!!! Ahh!!! This will be no good to me:(

We're in the same horrible world. TWC is the worst ISP to getting anything in a timely manner.

I swear I see this same news every year, yet nothing ever comes of it.

I don't really understand what this is. I'm going to get cable through my xbox, but to get that I'm going to need internet from the same exact cable provider and they probably won't let me see any of the cable stuff unless I have a cable package. So what's the point? Seems like a bunch of extra steps for something I already have.

No thanks. I already pay for internet, I already pay for gold, and I already pay for Netflix. I don't need to pay for 40-60 channels to only watch 3 or 4...which I wouldn't. No thanks, I am tired of paying for things to pay for things to be able to pay for things.

Hasn't the PS3 been doing something like this for a while now in EU?

I don't see all the hooplah over blu-ray. I have HD channels, and I rarely even watch them. I watch streaming movies, and they look just fine. I watch non-blu-ray dvd movies, even old CD movies - they look just fine. I don't think something is better just because it is the "newest thing", the human eye on average can only distinguish a certain amount of visual resolution anyway, anything more than that is a waste of time and money, no matter what the marketers of this stuff says.

As far as this deal is concerned, we will see what kind of library is offered, which will determine whether it was a good move or not. I cancelled Netflix recently because it didn't live up to it's promise - I could hardly find anything I wanted to look at, way too much was unavailable or only available on DVD. Tremendously disappointing. Unlike a lot of people here (will admit), I DO watch a lot of TV and movies (at home, can't stand theatres) it would be nice to have a service that will provide a decent selection and features for people who are looking for a multiplicity of viewing options.

I guess I don't understand how this would work from a corporate level, with there being long-established "service territories". I could subscribe to Verizon or Comcast television services, despite the fact that I'm on Charter Internet? I can't imagine Charter would be thrilled.

Or could this be the a la carte "pay for the channels you want" nirvana that so many have wanted for so long?

@aGuyNamedJustin said:

I don't really understand what this is. I'm going to get cable through my xbox, but to get that I'm going to need internet from the same exact cable provider and they probably won't let me see any of the cable stuff unless I have a cable package. So what's the point? Seems like a bunch of extra steps for something I already have.

This.

if this means i can send back one of the two boxes in my house and save 16 bucks a month, then i will be a very happy boy

@Hameyadea said:

So no new Xbox for at least, what, 3 more years?

I'm hoping Microsoft develops something like the 32x. :)

Now I can watch TruTV on my 360!

The shows I like gets cancelled. Like The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Caprica, Firefly and Dollhouse. There's no good new sci-fi, at least that I've heard of. It's made me finally check out Stargate SG-1. It's not the best sci-fi, but it's watchable.

@Isnagov said:

@DarthOrange: Including Blu-Ray feels like a step back in a future that is so rapidly moving towards digital only distribution.

While i agree that digital is ultimately the future if you spend a lot of money on a big t.v. the quality of streamed stuff comes no where near the crispness of hd. Until there is 1080p streaming (which there will be eventually) there will always be want for discs. I disagree that its a step back but it is in no way the end all media format either.

@iAmJohn said:

@DarthOrange said:

i have never understood how Microsoft wants the 360 to be the media center device when it can never truly be that until they get blu ray.

Blue username.

i meant no disrespect to the 360 but if you are going to imply that i am a blind fan boy then i might as well act like one. (for fun, everyone knows there are more then two 360 exclusives)

@Isnagov said:

@DarthOrange: Including Blu-Ray feels like a step back in a future that is so rapidly moving towards digital only distribution.

i meant no disrespect to the 360 but if you are going to imply that i am a blind fan boy then i might as well act like one. (for fun, everyone knows there are more then two 360 exclusives)

No thanks. I already pay for internet, I already pay for gold, and I already pay for Netflix. I don't need to pay for 40-60 channels to only watch 3 or 4...which I wouldn't. No thanks, I am tired of paying for things to pay for things to be able to pay for things.

AT&T U-verse has offered this functionality for a while now.. http://www.att.com/u-verse/explore/xbox-receiver.jsp#fbid=4pHUV5EeP2k

More stuff I can't take advantage of, that americans can, but I still pay the same for Gold. Why do you hate canada so much? You already charge us more for points.

@aGuyNamedJustin: It would let you use the 360 instead of renting another STB. I'm guessing there will be a charge for this that is pretty much the same, though.

I'm cool with my 360 or the future Microsoft console being a better version of MSN TV (aka WebTV). I always had the strong feeling that Twitter, Facebook, ESPN, and Zune integration were Microsoft trying to do what they hoped to do with MSN TV.

@DonPixel said:

@DarthOrange said:

@Isnagov said:

@DarthOrange: Including Blu-Ray feels like a step back in a future that is so rapidly moving towards digital only distribution.

i meant no disrespect to the 360 but if you are going to imply that i am a blind fan boy then i might as well act like one. (for fun, everyone knows there are more then two 360 exclusives)

It wouldn't surprise me if Gears en up in the Playstation in a couple of years also, That depends on how much money is Sony whilling to pay.

Don, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Microsoft owns the rights Gears and not Epic. Sony doesn't have enough money to buy it from Microsoft.

Who wants to use a console with 80 extra menus over a DVR?

@LordCrom said:

No Time Warner Cable!!! Ahh!!! This will be no good to me:(

As a fellow TWC victim, are you really surprised? It's a year later and we still don't have ESPN3 through our xbox :(

Don, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Microsoft owns the rights Gears and not Epic. Sony doesn't have enough money to buy it from Microsoft.

@George_Hukas said:

Who wants to use a console with 80 extra menus over a DVR?

Set top box UI is ass so anyone with standards I'd say

This would be great for me. I already subscribe to Comcast cable TV, but we only have one cable box hooked up to the TV in the living room downstairs. In my bedroom upstairs I can watch Comcast IPTV on my laptop, but it would be great to be able to have an app on my 360 so I can use watch IPTV on my 32 inch widescreen in the bedroom. Currently I just use it for gaming, but having access to all the TV I already pay for anyway would be great, especially without having to install another cable outlet and pay the monthly fee for another cable box.

hurr durr needs bluray i <3 ps3 soo much hurr durrr

Neat. I hope Sony does does something similar with the PS3.