Xbox 360′s new video services won’t all launch straight away; Comcast, Verizon, and HBO Go delayed

REDMOND, Wash. – Dec. 4, 2011 – A revolution is going on within the lounge. Xbox 360 is transforming the way you enjoy TV entertainment and is supplying you with the flexibility to regulate it along with your voice. A higher generation of TV entertainment begins with the announcement by Microsoft Corp. of the launch of an all-new Xbox 360 experience including the primary group of recent, custom applications from world leading TV and entertainment content providers on Xbox LIVE.

“a brand new era in entertainment begins where all of your entertainment is together in a single place – your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With this update, Xbox 360 system owners will experience Kinect voice control integrated with Bing search, making your TV and entertainment experiences more social and private than ever.”

“Microsoft has just built and delivered it: A single box that ties together the whole content you would like, made easily accessible through a universal, natural, voice-directed search. This is often now the benchmark against which all other front room initiatives could be compared,” said James McQuivey of Forrester Research in “Engaged TV: Xbox 360 Leads Tips to a brand new Video Product Experience,”* Sunday, Dec. 4. “…with greater than 57 million people worldwide already sitting on a box that’s about to be upgraded for gratis, Microsoft has not just built the proper experience, it has ensured that it’ll spread quickly and with devastating effect.”

You are saying It, Xbox Finds It
How long does it take you to look and find your favorite movie or TV show? Do you end up searching hundreds of channels and multiple services and television inputs? What if the entertainment you craved was simple, discoverable and exactly what you wanted at that distinctive moment?

Now, finding your favorite entertainment is less complicated than ever. Last year, Kinect for Xbox 360 revolutionized controller-free entertainment by letting you employ your body and voice to play your favorite games and entertainment, turning you into the controller. The flexibility of Kinect combined with the intelligence of Bing search is popping your voice into the last word handheld remote control. With Bing on Xbox, you should use your voice to effortlessly find the games, movies, TV shows and music you would like and discover definitely the right offerings on Xbox LIVE, by simply saying what you’re in search of. You assert it, Xbox finds it. Beginning tomorrow and over the arrival weeks, Bing on Xbox voice search will initially be available in English within the U.S., Canada and the U.K. for Zune video, Xbox LIVE Marketplace and choose content partners. If you happen to should not have a Kinect for Xbox 360, text search can be available in Xbox LIVE markets.
All of your Entertainment, Multi function Box

This holiday, besides offering one of the best blockbuster and Kinect games, Xbox 360 consoles are set to deliver live and on-demand TV shows, movies, videos, sports, music and news, becoming the correct device to experience your entire entertainment. TV and film fans can instantly stream their favorite episodes of current television shows all season long, in addition to past favorites and new-release movies.
Xbox 360 is building on its expansive catalog of flicks, sports, television and music available through Hulu Plus, Last.fm, Netflix, Zune music and video and ESPN®, in addition to on its existing lineup of serious TV providers, inclusive of AT&T U-verse® TV within the U.S., TELUS in Canada, BSkyB within the U.K., CANAL+ in France, Vodafone Portugal, VimpelCom in Russia and FOXTEL in Australia, by also now rolling out the subsequent new entertainment partners and apps**:
Dec. 6:

· EPIX. United States
· ESPN on Xbox LIVE (ESPN). United States
· Hulu. Japan
· Hulu Plus. United States
· LOVEFiLM. Uk
· Netflix. Canada, United States
· Premium Play by (MediaSet). Italy

· Sky Go (SkyDE). Austria, Germany
· Telefónica España – Movistar Imagenio. Spain
· TODAY (MSNBC). United States

Later in December:

· 4 on Demand (C4). Uk

· ABC iView (Australian Broadcasting Corp.). Australia
· AlloCiné. France (AlloCiné), Germany (Filmstarts), Spain (Sensacine), Uk (Screenrush)
· Astral Media’s Disney XD (Astral Media). Canada
· blinkbox (Blinkbox). Uk
· Crackle (Sony Pictures). Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States
· Dailymotion. Available in 32 countries globally
· Demand 5 (Five). United Kingdom
· DIGI+ (CANAL+). Spain
· GolTV (Mediapro). Spain
· iHeartRadio (Clear Channel). United States
· Mediathek/ZDF (ZDF). Germany
· MSN. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom
· MSNBC.com. United States
· MUZU.TV. Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
· ninemsn. Australia
· Real Sports (Maple Leaf Sports). Canada
· Rogers On Demand Online (Rogers Media). Canada
· SBS ON DEMAND. Australia
· TMZ (Warner Bros.). Canada, United States
· TVE (RTVE.es). Spain
· UFC on Xbox LIVE (UFC). Canada, United States
· Verizon FiOS TV. United States
· VEVO. Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States
· Vudu (Wal-Mart). United States
· YouTube. Available in 24 countries globally

Early 2012:

· Antena 3 (Antena 3 de Televisión). Spain

· BBC (BBC). United Kingdom
· CinemaNow (Best Buy). United States
· HBO GO (HBO). United States
· MLB.TV (MLB Advanced Media). Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
· Telenovelas/Sports (Televisa). Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom
· Xfinity On Demand (Comcast). United States

In October, nearly 40 leading TV and entertainment providers world wide announced they’d bring customized, voice-controlled experiences to Xbox 360 systems. Today, MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, and VUDU became the newest leading entertainment providers to announce they’re bringing their experiences to Xbox 360 consoles. MLB.TV subscribers might be capable of access every regular season game, live and on-demand, in HD picture quality with an array of interactive functionalities. VUDU offers greater than 45,000 blockbusters, Hollywood classics, independent films and television shows, including the most important library of HD content available anywhere, with the very best quality streaming and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and seven.1 surround sound. With VUDU, movies come in a similar day they may be released on DVD and Blu-ray. Additional information is on the market at http://www.VUDU.com.
The ideal Entertainment Platform Offers Choice
Whether choosing the movie it’s essential to watch or the service you need to watch it from, the very best entertainment platform delivers quite a few options. Not just is Microsoft bringing all of your entertainment and entertainment services to Xbox 360 consoles, it’s providing you with multiple choices in the way you interact with that content, including your voice, your controller and now your Windows Phone. Starting Dec. 6, the free Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone let you find, learn more about and control content from popular entertainment services on Xbox LIVE.

About Xbox 360
Xbox 360 is a premier home entertainment and online game system. Way to the addition of Kinect, Xbox 360 has transformed social gaming and entertainment with an entire new approach to play – no controller required. Xbox 360 is additionally home to the most effective and broadest games in addition among the world’s largest on-demand libraries of music, standard- and high-definition movies, TV shows and digital games, multi functional place. The entertainment center of the lounge, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content with a number one social entertainment network of greater than 35 million Xbox LIVE members to create a limitless entertainment experience that may be shared at home or around the globe. Additional information about Xbox 360 are located online at http://www.xbox.com.
About Xbox LIVE
Xbox LIVE is the net entertainment service to your Xbox 360, connecting you to an ever-expanding world of games, movies, TV, music, sports and social entertainment. Xbox LIVE allows you to play the most efficient valuable games, enjoy one of many world’s largest on-demand libraries on any console, hearken to millions of songs and share the thrill with friends worldwide. Xbox LIVE also is the exclusive home of controller-free online entertainment through Kinect, making your Xbox 360 more intuitive and interactive than ever before. With an active community of greater than 35 million people across 35 countries, Xbox LIVE, including Xbox 360, will give you instant access to the entertainment you’d like, shared with the folks you care about, wherever you’re. Additional information about Xbox LIVE are located online at http://www.xbox.com/live.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the global leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
* “Engaged TV: Xbox 360 Leads How one can a brand new Video Product Experience,” Sunday, Dec. 4, Forrester Research,
http://blogs.forrester.com/james_mcquivey/11-12-04-introducing_engaged_tv_xbox_360_leads_the_way_to_a_new_video_product_experience
** Schedule subject to switch. Available features and content subject to alter. Xbox LIVE Gold membership and/or additional subscriptions/fees can be required. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For added details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live.

For additional information, press only:
Tina Yu, Edelman, (206) 268-2248, tina.yu@edelman.com
Jessie DiMariano, Edelman, (206) 268-2211, jessie.dimariano@edelman.com

For assets, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/xbox.

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