CONSOLE-AFFILIATED MEDIA portals such as Microsoft’s Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network will soon provide stiff competition to incumbent cable and satellite services, says a new report from research consultancy firm TDG.
Leveraging broadband-enabled game consoles as over-the-top video platforms will let customers bypass cable and satellite TV operators entirely, and offer a “compelling” alternative to traditional TV programming” by providing a more immersive, interactive video experience”, said TDG’s press release about the report.
“(The) launch of Microsoft’s Experience and the Xbox Live Netflix streaming video service is a perfect example of how potent these services will soon become,” notes Michael Greeson, president of TDG and co-author of the report. “There is little doubt these services are finally ready for primetime.”
The report also found:
* Even before the recent launch of Experience, Microsoft’s Xbox Live had amassed some 15,000 movies (1,000 of which are HD) and some 13,000 TV shows for download-to-own. Xbox Live was the first online video portal to offer HD downloads for TV viewing;
* The Netflix partnership adds 12,000 movies and TV programs to the mix, all for free streaming to Netflix subscribers. This enables Xbox 360 users to access on-demand movies and TV shows within the Xbox Experience social environment with a click of their remote;
* Sony’s PlayStation Network has collected close to 1,000 movies and hundreds of TV programs for download-to-own. As well, it has announced plans to expand dramatically its video library in the next few months in order to compete with Xbox Live.
