E3: Microsoft movie download service to "make Blu-Ray obsolete"

Mike Bantick
Tuesday, 02 June 2009 11:11

Opinion and Analysis

iTWire spoke to local Xbox Product Manager Andrew Jenkins about the Microsoft E3 conference announcements and how they will affect the Australia/New Zealand markets.  Finally Australia gets that HD movie on demand service that we have been so envious of, and possibly another nine-inch-nail in the coffin of video disc formats such as Blu-Ray?

iTWire spoke to Australia/New Zealand Xbox Product Manager Andrew Jenkins to give us a regional angle on the announcements made by Microsoft in LA early this morning.

For regions outside of the US mainland, and Europe, one of the most exciting announcements was that of being included in the world wide roll out of a new movie on demand instant streaming service.

“The most exciting news for Australian and New Zealand residents is that we are getting the movie on demand,” Jenkins said “I landed here eighteen months ago and it was the first question I was asked ‘When are we going to get video on demand?’ and I am excited to say, we’re getting it this year”

How will the service work, and what sort of quality could be expected?  Australia is not known for its widespread availability of fast broadband.  In fact the very definition of the word broadband in Australia pales in comparison to the more advanced nations of this globe.

“It’s going to be instant high def video, the instant you hit play it will play right then.  Using multibit streaming it will scale to your broadband connection.  It will be able to deliver the quality of a 1080p 5.1 High def audio, pretty much making Blu-Ray obsolete” said Jenkins.  “It’s delivered to your living room giving you access to heaps of movies, a complete library right there at a touch of a button”.

Blu-Ray obsolete?  The Sony championed HD Video disc has been taking a battering lately, including the first reports of technology hoping to deliver over 1.6TB of data on a single DVD disc.

Jenkins also went onto say that, like much of the Xbox 360 offering, there will be options if the streaming does not work to satisfaction.  This involves having the option to download selected titles and delaying the viewing until enough is buffered.

The Netflix download and stream service has been available in the US for some time, and has made Australian consumers feel a little second rate in terms of service.  But Jenkins quite rightly points out that this was due to red-tape of trying to sign distribution deals as well as dealing with the Australian censorship board rather than any technological hurdles.

“100 percent correct,” Jenkins confirmed “to be honest with you, today’s technology that Xbox 360 owners in the US have had to enjoy Netflix video on demand is very revolutionary, but it exists.  So the challenges in our market have been in trying to secure the rights and identify partners to deliver a great movie experience over Xbox 360. “

“At the same time we secured these rights, we are able to bring the next wave in this technology, adapting this instant streaming, 1080p 5.1 digital audio, so we get the best of both worlds in Australia, and we are doing it at the same time as the rest of the world.”

But who has Microsoft struck deals with?  Despite showing off an obvious link with Warner Bros (The Dark Knight featured at the E3 conference), and surprising use of ‘Quantum of Solace”, a Sony studio pic, Jenkins was tight lipped.  

“We are not making any announcements about what will be available at launch or who we will be partnering with.  We have relationships with all major studios, as can be seen by the library we have in the US.  It will be an announcement made at a later date.”

Jenkins did confirm however, that Australia and New Zealand will have access (via Gold Xbox LIVE membership) to the service by the end of this year.