Watching TV through the internet is great, so long as you can watch it on the big screen. Xbox 360 owners are about to get even more Internet TV awesomeness, with the launch of ABC iView, SBS On Demand and YouTube on the games console later this year.
While iView has been available on the Sony Playstation 3 for a couple of years now, the Xbox integration promises to be a much more compelling service. Where Sony uses the PS3’s in-built browser to access iView, the Xbox will have the catch-up TV services integrated into the new-look dashboard expected to roll out next month. What’s more, it will support Kinect controls – including voice controls, once they officially launch in Australia. That means being able to navigate to iView by simply speaking to your Xbox.
The two free to air catch up services join the international rollout of YouTube, DailyMotion and Crackle as well, and when combined with Foxtel on Xbox, plus the Zune video marketplace, makes the Xbox a clear leader in Internet TV services.
There’s no official date for the update other than “later this year”, but it should arrive around the same time as the next Dashboard update, which is expected sometime in the middle of November. Also worth noting is that both iView and SBS On Demand will be available to all Xbox Live customers, not just those who spring for the Gold subscription.
It’s an exciting development for a console that’s now over five years old. Hopefully we’ll continue to see more services added before the next generation of consoles begins to roll out.
Price: Free
Web: Xbox
