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[Xbox-Scene]

BT and MS Announce Partnership to Deliver Entertainment Experience to 360 Posted by XanTium | January 7 13:05 EST | News Category: Xbox360

During the CES2008 keynote not much information or details were given about the deal with BT to bring IPTV to the Xbox360. Microsoft now issued the press release with a bit more info: Microsoft Corp. and telecommunications leader BT announced they are bringing together the next-generation TV service BT Vision with Microsoft's Xbox 360 games and entertainment system. All BT broadband customers will have the unique opportunity to receive the best in high-definition gaming, television and movies through an Xbox 360 console, in a powerful, all-in-one entertainment experience. BT Vision, which is powered by the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) platform, plans to make this first-of-its-kind device and service offering available to customers in the middle of 2008. The announcement was made during the keynote address by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Microsoft President Robbie Bach of the Entertainment & Devices Division at 2008 International CES on Jan. 6. The groundbreaking partnership will enable any BT Broadband customer to use an Xbox 360 console to access the BT Vision service and its extensive library of on-demand content, giving instant access to hundreds of movies and thousands of hours of sporting events, television programming, music videos and other digital content, such as BT Vision Sport's 242 "near-live" FA Premier League football matches. BT Vision customers with an Xbox 360 console will gain the option of accessing BT Vision from either the Xbox 360 console or a set-top-box. The service will be available to existing and future Xbox 360 console owners. BT Vision on Xbox will combine the richness of the Microsoft Mediaroom-enabled TV service with the benefits of next-generation gaming, as well as unique new capabilities that the integrated solution brings. Xbox LIVE, the largest online social network in the living room, will be seamlessly integrated into the experience, providing consumers with a wide range of community-based features, such as voice chat, sending and receiving text and voice messages, and accessing Xbox LIVE Marketplace, all while watching TV. For example, while a TV viewer is enjoying his favorite football game, he can receive a message from a friend inviting him to join a voice chat, or they could play a game of their own with EA SPORTS™ "FIFA Soccer." "We are pleased to partner with Microsoft to deliver a truly compelling connected entertainment experience to our customers," said Dan Marks, CEO of BT Vision. "For the first time consumers in the U.K. will be able to experience the advantages of an advanced TV service together with the benefits of next-generation gaming. Our aim is to provide BT Vision on multiple platforms -- giving customers greater convenience, control and flexibility over what they watch, when they watch and how they watch TV. It also means that we are able to potentially expand our BT Vision customer base by tapping into the popularity of Xbox 360." "This is an exciting moment in home entertainment," said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Connected Television Division at Microsoft. "Last year at CES, we announced Xbox 360 on Microsoft Mediaroom as a powerful platform capable of enabling new entertainment experiences for consumers, and we are pleased to team with BT to bring this service to market. Together we are enabling BT Vision customers to be the first in the world to enjoy this next-generation TV and gaming entertainment experience."

[bucko]

LoL BT monopolising the phone/broadband market as usual, it's annoying because they own all the exchanges. I hope it opens up to other ISP's. I'm guessing it's going to be like the old NTL cable TV? I hope ADSL can live up to the broadband of computers and IPTV, certainly an alternative for crappy Freeview signal in my room, accept we are not with BT  

[NeOCidE]

I'm all for more functionality but...........LIKE HELL I'm signing up with BT ever again!!! I absolutly hate the company and their RIP-OFF costs.  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grr.gif)  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grr.gif)

[Charbless]

QUOTE(bucko @ Jan 7 2008, 09:19 PM)

LoL BT monopolising the phone/broadband market as usual, it's annoying because they own all the exchanges. I hope it opens up to other ISP's. I'm guessing it's going to be like the old NTL cable TV? I hope ADSL can live up to the broadband of computers and IPTV, certainly an alternative for crappy Freeview signal in my room, accept we are not with BT  

How are they monopolising phone/bb they paid years ago for the lines and exchanges then share them with over 100 other isps do VM share no they don't.

QUOTE(NeOCidE @ Jan 7 2008, 09:26 PM)

I'm all for more functionality but...........LIKE HELL I'm signing up with BT ever again!!! I absolutely hate the company and their RIP-OFF costs.    

BT appear to be a rip off compared to others but there not most people forget because they own lines and exchanges they have to pay to maintenance and keep them running so they have to charge more because labour and parts aren't free in this world.

[spodee]

Now Microsoft just needs to make a 360 stable enough to handle this.  My own has broken down three times.

[bucko]

QUOTE

How are they monopolising phone/bb they paid years ago for the lines and exchanges then share them with over 100 other isps do VM share no they don't.

Erm,

QUOTE

BT and MS Announce Partnership to Deliver Entertainment Experience

We can't get it because we are with TalkTalk, so they are monopolising the price of the whole package for other ISP's to follow.

[ironopolis]

When i got BT vision about four months ago and saw that the box was made by M$ i had a feeling that something was in the pipeline with these two.

I'm quite interested to see what they are going to offer and how much it will cost me.

Virgin are not in my area so i am forced to go with a BT landline, as of cost personally i have not had a bad experince with them, and when i came to renew my contract they gave a really good deal to stay with BT broadband.

[Base8]

ahh.. i see that BT is a British company after a little googleing.  I guess that explains why i have never heard of it.

Interesting..

[soopahfly]

Just a shame the broadband speeds offered by BT are so naff that you won't be able to watch anything all the way through anyway.  I wonder if it will also fall in with traffic shaping.  "your watching too much tv, you can stream at 5kbps, whilst you are waiting please go outside and do something else"

[bone135]

If the software is similar to the Microsoft software running on AT&T Motorola Uverse IPTV set top boxes, no one will be happy, except the most desperate people, looking for cable/satelite TV.

[Charbless]

[quote name='bucko' date='Jan 7 2008, 10:35 PM' post='4192750']
Erm,
We can't get it because we are with TalkTalk, so they are monopolising the price of the whole package for other ISP's to follow.
[/quote]

Well choosing to go with talktalk you deserve not to get it  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) and talktalk (Carphone warehouse group) tend to use llu now so they do not use bt equipment in exchange so bt don't set price.

[
quote name='soopahfly' post='4192850' date='Jan 8 2008, 01:04 AM']
Just a shame the broadband speeds offered by BT are so naff that you won't be able to watch anything all the way through anyway.  I wonder if it will also fall in with traffic shaping.  "your watching too much tv, you can stream at 5kbps, whilst you are waiting please go outside and do something else"
[/quote]

Not everyone gets naff speeds and you don't have to be with BT there are other ISP you could choose you just wouldn't get this new function so it's a choice.

It wont be under traffic shaping BT has had a policy for long time they don't count Xbox Live as part of it and speed issues are not always down to traffic shaping there can be many reasons for this contention is a main one.


[quote name='bone135' post='4192911' date='Jan 8 2008, 02:28 AM']
If the software is similar to the Microsoft software running on AT&T Motorola Uverse IPTV set top boxes, no one will be happy, except the most desperate people, looking for cable/satelite TV.
[/quote]

I agree the software on VM+ box which is done by MS has so many issues and BT Vision is nothing special just a freeview recorder with few extra functions

This post has been edited by Charbless: Jan 8 2008, 01:39 AM

[tutu]

I have Sky Broadband so I don't expect to ever see it supported!

[elitegamer360]

QUOTE(Charbless @ Jan 8 2008, 12:32 AM)

Well choosing to go with talktalk you deserve not to get it   and talktalk (Carphone warehouse group) tend to use llu now so they do not use bt equipment in exchange so bt don't set price.

[
quote name='soopahfly' post='4192850' date='Jan 8 2008, 01:04 AM']
Just a shame the broadband speeds offered by BT are so naff that you won't be able to watch anything all the way through anyway.  I wonder if it will also fall in with traffic shaping.  "your watching too much tv, you can stream at 5kbps, whilst you are waiting please go outside and do something else"
Not everyone gets naff speeds and you don't have to be with BT there are other ISP you could choose you just wouldn't get this new function so it's a choice.

It wont be under traffic shaping BT has had a policy for long time they don't count Xbox Live as part of it and speed issues are not always down to traffic shaping there can be many reasons for this contention is a main one.
I agree the software on VM+ box which is done by MS has so many issues and BT Vision is nothing special just a freeview recorder with few extra functions

No offence but you sound like a BT Fan or something or may be you work for them... lol....

any ways BT is the worst company I've ever seen for broadband but not only BT, about 90% of the ISP's in the UK have (Caps, throttling, and download limits) on your line. So I dont see how the hell they will allow people to download all that stuff of 50GB+ with out reaching their limits pretty quickly.

I've always been with AOL but since they capped their service and became the Shitest of the Shit (Thanks to CarphoneWarehouse for that), I've changed to 'BE' they offer 24MB/s Broadband at very cheap prices with superb free customer support 24/7 and with no capping, throttoling or other bullshit that BT have and other companies have. I've been with 'BE' for 2 years now and I have no problems at all and I can tell you that their FUP is very relaxed.

If I join BT I think they will lock me out within a week because my monthly usage is over 100GB+/m, beleive it or not!!....

Yea right XBL usage dont count how do you know that!? + it does not make sence if your speed is crap is not going to become really good when you start using XBL and every one knows that by now. OK even if thats true the speeds that they offer is pathetic and not sutabile for live HD experience (Whats 8MB compared to uncapped ADSL2+"24MB/s Down and 2.5MB/s UP,  with an Actual 2MB/s download speed in IE).

[Charbless]

QUOTE(elitegamer360 @ Jan 8 2008, 03:46 AM)

No offence but you sound like a BT Fan or something or may be you work for them... lol....

any ways BT is the worst company I've ever seen for broadband but not only BT, about 90% of the ISP's in the UK have (Caps, throttling, and download limits) on your line. So I dont see how the hell they will allow people to download all that stuff of 50GB+ with out reaching their limits pretty quickly.

I've always been with AOL but since they capped their service and became the Shitest of the Shit (Thanks to CarphoneWarehouse for that), I've changed to 'BE' they offer 24MB/s Broadband at very cheap prices with superb free customer support 24/7 and with no capping, throttoling or other bullshit that BT have and other companies have. I've been with 'BE' for 2 years now and I have no problems at all and I can tell you that their FUP is very relaxed.

If I join BT I think they will lock me out within a week because my monthly usage is over 100GB+/m, beleive it or not!!....

Yea right XBL usage dont count how do you know that!? + it does not make sence if your speed is crap is not going to become really good when you start using XBL and every one knows that by now. OK even if thats true the speeds that they offer is pathetic and not sutabile for live HD experience (Whats 8MB compared to uncapped ADSL2+"24MB/s Down and 2.5MB/s UP,  with an Actual 2MB/s download speed in IE).

LOL BT fan nope not but what they have done for the country is a good thing if they didn't put down the lines and put in place the exchanges hardly any of this country would have communication like it does now.

BT broadband lines cover over 90% of the country no one else can say they have coverage anywhere near that Virgin has about 30% if lucky.

yeah I agree this country and its fair usage download limits are awful but they had to do this because bandwith in this country is very expensive and people like you happy downloaders would be hiking up the prices even more if they wasn't in place.

I'm with BE myself great company but I can see they bringing in limits soon with most people jumping to them to download all the time and BE has fair usage so you say they are relaxed there not if you continue to download 250gb per month.

BT has fair usage on there top package now so no caps or limits and like I said they allow unlimited Live they said this to me and engineers I know who work for them have also said this to me.

Your just being picky now comparing speeds hardly anyone will get 24mb in the first place most people will get around 8mb so why offer packages that the normal person don't need. 24mb is not needed to play games or watch streaming media 2mb can do that fine.

People moan about BT all the time but what are Virgin offering people nothing so why do people not complain about them they have fibre and look how poor there speed is. if it is such an issue everyone that has bb could put there money together to get new cabling but they wont and spending over billion for everyone to get 50mb speed is not something BT can afford considering they are already in debt

[ca102455]

BT are one of the worst ISP's in Europe, Fact!

It's becuase of their lack of spending we still suffer slow download speeds & very very poor upload speeds in the UK. All exchanges are overwhelmed by traffic because they wont invest in the future & now there's talk of IPTV. OMG with current download caps we'll be able watch like 1 HD movie & thats it for the rest of the month as our download limit will be bust. We still use copper cable to our doors here which is limited on the speeds it can deliver & those copper lines break everytime it rains or gets cold. All copper is good for is speach & not much else unless 56k modems are your thing. Now if this was being backed up with a total upgrade to fibre lines across the country this news may have grabbed my attention but sadly just angers me more at what a disgrace service the actually offer.

21CN networks are being enabled across the UK but the upgrade will not finish until 2012 & they want to implement IPTV later this year, HOW? They haven't the infrastructure to cope with the traffic, it cant even cope now. 21CN wont solve future wows either as this will only offer 'up to 24mb' downstream, so when exchanges are congested best hope we will get 8 - 10mb downstream? So in real terms the HD movie i want to watch now will still takes a few hours to download, might as well just watch it on digtal sattelite that will deliver it to me instantly.

No what this is is a last ditch effort from BT to try a revive their failed BT home hub & TV set top box which is an absolute joke even down to the absolute 'toy' quality of the hardware they supply their customers with. Like just about everything BT do this will fail so dont get you hopes up peeps your better off using other sites across the internet to watch your favourite shows or invest in digital sattelite TV

You might have guessed BT are not my ISP, long live ADSL24 who know exactly what their customers require