As part of its CES announcements, Microsoft has announced plans to bring Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) to its Xbox 360 gaming system. As envisioned, the technology with enable Xbox 360 owners to tune into television content streamed to their consoles via the Internet and home broadband connections, and integrate with other IP-based services on the Xbox 360 like instant messaging, voice and text chat, and even gaming.
"Both Xbox 360 and Microsoft TV IPTV Edition by themselves deliver unique and exciting entertainment experiences today, but IPTV on Xbox 360 is truly a solution that is greater than the sum of its parts and will enable even more exciting experiences to delight consumers, service providers, content providers and game developers alike," said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division. "By integrating these industry-leading solutions, we are delivering on our promise to drive innovation and enable new connected entertainment experiences for consumers in a way that only Microsoft can."
The XBox 360’s IPTV capabilities will be built on the existing Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform, which Microsoft claims will offer capabilities for a rich on-screen interface on the Xbox 360, with advanced features like channel zapping, video-on-demand, digital video recording, and high-definition television programming—Microsoft’s announcement is essentially that it intends to make the Xbox 360 into a client for its already-underway IPTV efforts, similar to other set-top-box solutions. Unlike the video download service offered via Xbox Live, Microsoft will not be serving as a content provider for IPTV services to the Xbox 360. Instead, subscribers will have to subscribe to an ISP or other compatible IPTV service which supplies compatible programming. Microsoft’s current partners for IPTV are telecommunications companies, not studios or television distributors: AT&T, Deutsche Telecom, British Telecom, C-Com, and Swisscom are already on board, and already deploying Microsoft’s IPTV service using set-top boxes.
Timetables for IPTV services on the Xbox 360 haven’t been released, but Microsoft says it expects the service to be functional in time for the end-of-year holiday season in 2007. Take a deep breath now if you plan to hold it.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.