Microsoft: Xbox 360 IPTV still coming...eventually

Software giant says Mediaroom functionality won't be in fall update, but says service providers will receive software by year's end--and they will decide when console-owners get it.

The Xbox 360 fall update is just around the corner and speculation is rife about what features it will introduce. Among the more talked-about-but-still-unconfirmed features is a tool that would allow parents to limit the amount of time their children can play. Another rumor claimed the fall update would finally give the 360s the IPTV functionality Microsoft promised it would have back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Today, Microsoft confirmed one feature would not be included in the fall update. Following the discovery of some IPTV functionalities in a recently serviced 360 by self-explanatory site Xbox 360 Fanboy, Microsoft said the functionality would be excluded from its console's looming firmware update.

"This was an isolated incident where these features were inadvertently exposed while the customer's console was being serviced and is unrelated to the fall update," the company said in a statement e-mailed to GameSpot.

Microsoft did not comment on the specific functionalities unveiled in the leak, which included onscreen chat while viewing live TV, recorded television, and on-demand movies. However, Microsoft did confirm that the 360's IPTV functionality will be a version of its Microsoft Mediaroom software, which was unveiled in June.

Unfortunately, Microsoft's statement also raised the possibility that IPTV won't make it into 360 owners' living rooms this year. At CES, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said his company was planning a holiday 2007 launch for 360 IPTV. Now, Microsoft says the functionality will be in the hands of IPTV service providers by year's end--and not necessarily those of consumers.

"Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) features will only be available from the Xbox 360 through a service provider who has deployed Xbox 360 with Microsoft Mediaroom (IPTV) services," read the Microsoft statement. "Xbox 360 with Microsoft Mediaroom (IPTV) will be available to service providers by the end of the year. Microsoft's IPTV service providers will ultimately determine the timing of Xbox 360 with Microsoft Mediaroom deployments."

123 Comments

  • Snk211

    Posted Nov 27, 2007 1:51 pm PT

    rob3nelson: Dude relax. I do not think he really met anything by it. He was just simply stating his opinion on the name. In America you allowed to do that. Why do you care so much if someone said what the name sounde like. Don't get so worked up.

    ANYWAY! I really hope that they can hurry this up maybe in the next few months so I can try this out. This is really going to break ANY social boundries. It is just COOL!

  • Pedro7_2000

    Posted Nov 6, 2007 7:45 am PT

    Still excited for this. It'll just further push the boundaries of the technological age.

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 4:54 pm PT

    I want it
    hurry

  • Rentago

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 4:33 pm PT

    I thought we had somewhat of this feature.

    Instead of monthly fees you just buy and watch the specific show you wanted to watch or mis and never pay for it again.

  • rob3nelson

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:53 pm PT

    @delcid... whatever the rest of your name is
    What are you a little kid or something that you become upset when something doesn't "sound" good? Who made you the judge and final arbiter of what sounds good. If you want to know the truth, I think your taste sucks! I like the name IPTV, even if it's a acronym. As a matter of fact, I like acronyms as a whole and think most of them sound cool. Who are you tell me that I'm wrong? What gives you the right to feel that your taste or aesthetic sense is any better than mine (or anybody else's, for that matter)? Have you studied Art for years at a school of higher learning? Or, are you a professional artist yourself? Or, perhaps you're a marketing professional with expertise in product branding? If so, I might be more inclined to listen to what you have to say. But, even then, I'd still think your taste sucks! But, I bet you aren't even any of these things are you? Your probably some 12 year-old kid who is interested in all of these things but whose experience of life is so limited, all you can do is to complain when you see something you feel is ugly that other people may have a completely different feeling about. Better do some growing up sonny.

  • fauljosh

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:27 pm PT

    Can't wait for this to hit the 360. I think this will be one of the defining features on the 360.

  • rasterror

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:34 pm PT

    I work for a sat antenna company and from what i heard when speaking to a "major sat company" is that MS and "them" are working on a pretty partnership along with other companies. I kid you not but from what i heard this will smoother than a brown stallion horse with skates on. You dig?

  • KingSigy

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 3:36 pm PT

    Still a cool featrure that I would rather see working instead of just being rushed onto our consoles.

  • sonybru

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:16 pm PT

    I think the UK and the rest of Europe will have first. Cable companies here in the states has the industry in a headlock. Verizon and AT&T have started their own IPTV service but it's a small market.

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:38 pm PT

    what about getting some tv shows and movies to canada and europe first. they dropped the ball on some of their main income as their console owners watch as their US brotheren watch their fav movies of xbl. please give this feature too us like you promised

  • okassar

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:29 pm PT

    Sweet,OnDemand on the 360 would be amazing and 360 owners in America(not as much in other countries) would easily be able to have their TV service companies to hook them up.Chatting while watching TV,not bad...now I want to play while chatting and watching TV,that would be amazing.Now how about TiVo...

  • delcidanddarth

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 11:27 am PT

    rgsniper1

    I didn't ask them why they named it that way. I'm asking them to change the name. Read the post next time. My complaint is that "IPTV" sounds stupid. I don't know if Microsoft came up with that, or they are using some generically used name from the industry. But I am getting tired of condensing down large, very descriptive names into 3-4 letter acronyms. It's fine for whatever technical specialists need to quickly get the job done. HTML, HTTP, XML, FTP, etc. But don't try to bring it into the consumer world. IPTV does not sound cool. Neither does VoIP. Since when did the internet turn into "IP"? Give it a name that consumers will be attracted to, not a name that we have to learn. Pharma does this all the time. We don't want to know what the chemical name for Tylenol is, that is just confusing.

  • Allitherus

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 11:24 am PT

    whats supposed to be in the fall update?

  • VegetaMaelstrom

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 11:02 am PT

    To translate that last paragraph--"What we (Microsoft) really mean is that there is no way in hell that we will have IPTV ready for this 2007 year but we are passing the blame on to the service providers. Yup, its not going to be our fault, its THOSE guys who are to blame." Sure guys, whatever you say.

  • darkchaostitan

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 11:01 am PT

    I didn't know about this, but I know that MS is offering free HDTV for Vista Ultimate Users. So it'll be a matter of time, but what I wonder is that will this also be free, if MS just hands it over to someone else.

  • rgsniper1

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:57 am PT

    delcidanddarth - because a lot more people would laugh when you used the full name: unternet protocol television. Just a guess.

  • rgsniper1

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:55 am PT

    nesto423

    why were they meddling w/someones 360 , shouldnt they have just fixed it and not tried to look into someones 360 ... it shouldnt b there business. - probably the same reason when I used to do in home PC repair service calls I couldn't help but stumble across a load or pornography. Which by the way really sucks when the family is in the room watching you fix there pc and the dad is sitting there sweating bullets. When you repair things you need to look around a lot of the time to determine the actual problem. I'm guessing that was the case here. Trust me I'm thinking these people see enough of live downloads and save games that they aren't excited to have to go rummaging through more.

  • delcidanddarth

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:53 am PT

    Can they please call it something other than "IPTV"? I can only imagine how much the kids will laugh every time they are at the store and some geeky store associate is trying to sell this to their parents. "IPTV? Ummm.. no, I'd rather watch it, not pee on it. Why don't UPTV?"

  • masiisam

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:50 am PT

    Who cares??....I am working with a DVR already..I dont need functions that i will never use..

    Just bring on the games and that is something the 360 is o pleantly of..

  • APOLLOCJD

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:47 am PT

    skirlnik, what exacly are you refering to? I havn't heard of nay slams on Sony latley except that they are losing billions of dollars in the Playstation department.

    Anyways, when is the fall update scheduled for? Does anyone know?

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:43 am PT

    They better come out with bigger hard drives then if they want to do this

  • V-Nine

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:40 am PT

    Too much double talk. My guess is the infrastructure is still alil shaky.

  • ChickenHounk911

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:26 am PT

    Im not so sure how to feel about this. I will be waiting for a feature that I will probably not use. Im happy with the amount of games available on my Xbox 360 so I guess that makes me happy.

  • arroliga

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:21 am PT

    Microsoft will get it together.

  • Tom1243

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:21 am PT

    geussin it will be another 2 years till it gets to the UK

  • ashuncc2

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:12 am PT

    IPTV sounds like a great service. I'm disappointed that it's not hitting the fall update, but some things just take time.

  • skirlnik

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:11 am PT

    Slam on Sony for delays, but MS gets a by. Fairness!

  • xXHackettXx

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:02 am PT

    Dont really care about the fall update I just hope they fix the age limit for msn messanger, so when I turn 18 it will work.

  • andrewhateme

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:56 am PT

    The only thing i want to see in the fall update is....well hmm i cant think of anything. I just want to play games on it....

  • kori911

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:40 am PT

    Parents setting up time limits on video game playing...interesting.

  • darkzerogamer

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:30 am PT

    I already can record shows and watch them through the 360 media center extender. Why would I need IPTV?

  • prioritymail

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:10 am PT

    Microsoft, underperforming once again...

  • nesto423

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:04 am PT

    why were they meddling w/someones 360 , shouldnt they have just fixed it and not tried to look into someones 360 ... it shouldnt b there business.

  • MonkeysDad

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:50 am PT

    Meh. Still waiting for Video Marketplace in the UK...

  • mattrix33

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:43 am PT

    I can`t say im botherd either way...

    I don`t want to pay to watch episodes i can see for free on TV and whats the point of having movies you can only watch once or twice then have the autowipe of you HD.??

    www.thegamingrevolution.com

  • xboxrulze

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:33 am PT

    I just want Canada to finally have the downloadable movie service....oh and that whole glitch where those of us who signed up for live way back when it first came out and we were under 18 but now we're way over and still can't see featured downloads, or use the messenger service....

  • laitheybaby

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:12 am PT

    I love 360 and I love Halo 3.

  • nbs-predator

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:02 am PT

    WAit wait wait im only 17 but will be 18 really soon are you telling me i wont have my account automaticaly updated to and adult one

  • Cap_n_Crunch

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:54 am PT

    OK screw the IPTV thing, I wanna know when MS is planning on finally launching their video/tv marketplace in Canada? The US has had this function on their consoles for what, close to a year now, and we still have any word on it? IPTV is cool but I think they should try and make their current offerings more universal.

  • mr_brigante

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:53 am PT

    "it's called the Playstation3 and in Europe it's outselling the Xbox360 2 to 1."

    yeah your just talking rubbish now.. thats not even true

  • melmel84

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:46 am PT

    U shouldn't have to pay for this if you have a year of xbox live

  • megamega777

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:46 am PT

    As long as I get it on this-gen console, then I'm happy!

  • jrod9999

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:33 am PT

    Now why cant they offer an accessory that might be quite useful like a dual tuner??? That would crush everything out there, i wouldn't mind paying for a subscription $10 a month and get my locals taken care of. Finaly ditch cable forever!

  • 007ybse04

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:28 am PT

    IPTV, Watching TV channels without antenna , streaming directly from internet feeds (pay services)

  • localgod325

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:28 am PT

    yay- i guess :/

  • zgreenwell

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:08 am PT

    This would be nice but I'm not on the edge of my seat waiting. It looks like it is going to be a while anyway.

  • markpeachey

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:00 am PT

    I still don't even understand what it is that IPTV does.

  • TTDog

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:59 am PT

    "ScottEFresh:
    ebookerd1 you do know that Europeans already are enjoying the fruits of the BEST system...it's called the Playstation3 and in Europe it's outselling the Xbox360 2 to 1."

    Funny as I've never seen anyone even look at a PS3 in the game stores in my town, let alone actually buy a PS3. Hard to use European sales figures when half the countries don't publish them. There are plenty of European gamers who ahte Sony just as much as the US gamers do.

  • darkride66

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:38 am PT

    ebookerd1 said "Dude if your going to be a fan boy you got to bring better heat than a system with less than 3 stellar games that aren't multiplatform."
    Although I agree that his comments about variety on the 360 shows an ignorance of the 360 in general, what does multiplatform games have to do with anything. Just because a game is multiplatform doesn't mean that I won't play the hell out of it on the PS3 or the 360.

  • ScottEFresh

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:36 am PT

    ebookerd1 you do know that Europeans already are enjoying the fruits of the BEST system...it's called the Playstation3 and in Europe it's outselling the Xbox360 2 to 1. By mid-year 2008 the 360 will be the worst selling next-gen system in Europe...please quote me on that too.

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