NXE provides access to Netflix’s 12,000 downloadable movies.
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For several years, consumer electronics and computer companies alike have fantasized about creating the ultimate entertainment hub, a single set top box that could manage all your music, movies, video games, and even tap into the Internet. With a major software upgrade this week, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 may come close to realizing the fantasy. The update not only goes a long way toward smoothly integrating all these features, but also includes direct access to Netflix’s instant play movie service, which could help the company win the war to become the iTunes of downloadable movies.
To be released on Wednesday, November 19, as an automatic upgrade the New Xbox Experience (NXE) jettisons the geeky “blade” user interface in favor a more legible and manageable interface. In general appearance, it looks more like the rotating screens of Aero from Windows Vista, which lets users sit back and flip through a virtual Rolodex of gaming options, downloadable features, and videos online. In other words, it looks more the face of a television entertainment hub than a computer-based gaming machine. Indeed, after a couple of weeks of testing NXE, I found it to be friendlier, faster, and cleaner than the old software, and it contains some elements Xbox owners—and those considering an Xbox 360 purchase—will likely find irresistible.
3D Avatars
There are now animated 3D avatars that owners can customize to represent themselves online. Unlike the kid-friendly avatars of the Nintendo Wii, you can adjust more features including body shape, face, hair, and sartorial choices. You can even join up to 7 avatar friends in a virtual area to chat while you’re playing a game or skipping through photos or just hanging out. The NXE also has a section promoting upcoming Live events, such as game previews and contests. Microsoft plans to expand this area to include original programming and game shows where Xbox Live subscribers can win real prizes (and not just new hair styles for their avatars).
One oft repeated criticism of the Xbox 360 is its cacophonous DVD drive whose constant grinding during game play can be a distraction. So the new NXE software allows owners to install a game directly to the hard drive, which should placate some players.
Netflix Access
The main attraction of the new software will doubtless be direct access to Netflix’s 12,000 (and counting) downloadable movies. To tap into this new feature, you must be an Xbox Live Gold member, which is $50 a year, and a Netflix subscriber. The minimum Netflix subscription required is the monthly $8.99 charge for unlimited streaming and one-at-a-time mail order DVD rentals.
In early tests, the video quality of the Netflix titles was surprisingly solid. However, much of this depends on the bandwidth available on your Internet connection (we tapped in at from 2 to about 4 Mps). Netflix can transmit titles at up to 1080i on the Xbox, making the experience fall somewhere between watching a standard DVD and an upscaled DVD. It falls short of true high-definition primarily because of the compression required to get the data down your Internet pipe. Consequently, perspicacious viewers will notice a loss of contrast and subtly in shadings, especially in dark scenes. Nevertheless, the picture quality is generally superior to that offered by competing systems.
The $99 Roku Netflix player, for example, is currently limited to standard definition titles at 480i so the picture quality is “soft.” Roku plans to upgrade its boxes via a software update to deliver HD movies from Netflix by year’s end. However, Roku will use a lower bit rate and therefore still lag behind what the Xbox 360 can potentially deliver.
One thing is clear here: We need to do a better job explaining to people that picture quality isn’t simply a matter of pinning a 1080p label on things. There are many different factors, especially as we see different compression schemes aimed at downloading movies (witness Vudu’s HDX). It’s a complicated story, but hopefully we’ll be able to make it clear to consumers as more services like Netfix instant play come online.
And no one is against a particular company. That’s just silly (isn’t the election over?). I hope they all create as many jobs as possible (we need them, for goodness sake’s, and if we didn’t have companies trying to create different products, I’d be out of a job!). However, when families need to watch their budgets and look for value, it is incumbent upon us--indeed, it is our primary purpose--to point out when they are getting ripped off, whether it’s a shoddily build car or a service that charges for things that are available for free. Let me say that again, FREE. That’s not a business model, that’s just cynical. You, the person paying for these things, deserves better than that.
At least the author of the article openly admits his anti-Apple bias in the comments.
Could you even hear the movies over the fan-noise of the 360?
JQ, obviously, there’s a lot(!) of confusion about interlaced vs. progressive. one point that seems to get overlooked is the TV itself - what is it best set up to handle. and for broadcasters, there’s also a myriad of reasons to send the signal one or the other format. from a content source like the xbox or atv, i think the first question comes into play - the viewers tv. sounds like you have a pretty nice set, i’m not sure everyone is so lucky.
as for apple charging “too much”, that’s an age old gripe. personally i think they’ve figured out how much people are willing to pay for convenience. remember, not everyone has the ability to get their computer content (ex Hulu) onto their big screen. the atv does that, albeit with a few caveats (price, drm, and in some cases, resolution).
like most, i’m tired of the mis-marketing of HD. i wouldn’t be surprised if a good chunk of it comes from the TV makers themselves, as well as the cable/sat companies. some of the confusion also also comes from the “opinion” side, much like blu-ray vs. hd-dvd. i’m certainly looking fwd to the day when HD is true 1080p with killer sound, bandwidth permitting.
btw, here are a few links i liked regarding the i vs p ssue:
link 1
link 3 - scroll down to the comic for the good stuff.
Didn’t the reviewer say that HD video quality is somewhere between DVD and up scaled DVD?
That isn’t HD. I don’t care what the resolution is.
Tell the damn truth, 1080i or 720P isn’t HD if the detail is gone. Stop playing with the numbers to push a product.
How about audio? Oh that’s right no lossless audio, takes up too much bandwidth.
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musicmatez The sound about wireless speakers are nice, I’ve plan to buy the… 
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Looks like you might have problems watching some of those streaming Netflix movies on your 360 after all…
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/sony_blocks_movies_from_xbox_360/