14 DAY TRIAL // A new, first-of-its-kind entertainment experience is coming to Xbox 360 users, courtesy of a new partnership between Microsoft and BT, announced at 2008 International CES on January 6th, 2008. That is the promise of the Redmond company, as the duo is working to bridge the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system with the next-generation TV service BT Vision. As a direct result of the partnership, the Xbox 360 console will permit BT broadband customers access to high-definition gaming, TV and movie content. According to Microsoft, BT will debut the new set of offerings starting with the summer of 2008.
"This is an exciting moment in home entertainment. Last year at CES, we announced Xbox 360 on Microsoft Mediaroom as a powerful platform capable of enabling new entertainment experiences for consumers, and we are pleased to team with BT to bring this service to market. Together we are enabling BT Vision customers to be the first in the world to enjoy this next-generation TV and gaming entertainment experience", revealed Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Connected Television Division at Microsoft.
In fact, the deal between Microsoft and BT comes as a consequence of the bridging between the Xbox 360 console and Mediaroom, as BT Vision has as its foundation in the Redmond company's Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) platform. Essentially, the new service will allow access to a wide variety of digital content, including movies, TV programming, music videos. All that users will need is a BT subscription and either a Xbox 360 console or a set-top-box.
"We are pleased to partner with Microsoft to deliver a truly compelling connected entertainment experience to our customers", said Dan Marks, CEO of BT Vision. "For the first time consumers in the U.K. will be able to experience the advantages of an advanced TV service together with the benefits of next-generation gaming. Our aim is to provide BT Vision on multiple platforms - giving customers greater convenience, control and flexibility over what they watch, when they watch and how they watch TV. It also means that we are able to potentially expand our BT Vision customer base by tapping into the popularity of Xbox 360."