Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has given us an update on the Xbox LIVE TV service that we’ve heard of previously, confirming that the service will go live before Christmas 2011.
Previously known as ‘Project Orapa’, the live streaming TV service will be launching this Christmas according to Ballmer.
He demonstrated the service last week at a Microsoft-hosted event in California, with those in attendance being under the impression that it was almost finished and ready to go.
We last heard about Microsoft’s live TV service for Xbox 360 a few months back at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles. Rumour spread that Microsoft would be introducing a new level of Xbox Live membership to incorporate the TV service; Xbox Live Diamond.
At the recent presentation Ballmer stated that Microsoft have been working closely with “dozens or hundreds of additional video content suppliers”. He also said that the service would bring “news, sport and your favourite channels” to the Xbox 360.
We have also learnt that Microsoft plans to mix both its Bing search engine and the Kinect accessory with the TV service. Ballmer says you’ll be able to speak your search criteria aloud; Kinect will pick it up using its inbuilt microphone and process it into a Bing search to bring you video results. “You say it, Xbox finds it” Ballmer says.
We’re told this feature was demonstrated at the Microsoft event, whereby a Microsoft engineer spoke the words “Xbox, Bing, The Office” and watched as Bing produced realtime search results for episodes of the Office which would be viewable through the new TV service.
From the information garnered from the event, it would seem that the forthcoming live TV streaming service will work in a very similar way to that of the Sky Player feature currently available in the UK.
We’ll be bringing you the latest on Xbox Live TV as we hear it. In the meantime why not let us know what you think of Live TV on the Xbox 360, what would you like to see?
Via: Eurogamer