Ted's Take: How Microsoft's New Xbox 360 Dashboard Will Compete with Apple TV Despite the hiccup of not having the new Xbox 360 Dashboard ready as advertised starting December 6, the inevitable rollout of the firmware upgrade spells the first real shot of TV content competition among Microsoft and its rivals.
In fairness to Microsoft, the Xbox 360 has been some sort of a media hub since its inception. Steaming software like Orb or Connect360 allowed Windows PCs and Macs to stream content directly to the console for playback on a TV years ago. Music and movie downloads and rentals followed, along with Netflix support and other content deliverables.
But this latest upgrade takes things to new levels because it also includes live TV. The UFC and Real Sports apps, for example, are based on live sporting events and a 24-hour carousel of consumable content. The Rogers On Demand Online app also does much of the same, lending itself as a complement to Netflix in that it provides access to recently aired programming; albeit only to those who are actually Rogers Cable customers.
Other apps like Disney XD, Crackle, VEVO, YouTube, and even the Zune Marketplace, each offer something unique that can be useful to any consumer. Some content comes free, while others come in the form of rentals or outright purchases. If, at some point, Microsoft adds a SlingPlayer app for use with a Slingbox, that would also prove to be a great step forward in turning the console into a quasi-set-top box.
Compare all this to what Apple TV brings to the table, and it's easy to argue that Microsoft is ahead of the curve. The irony is that despite Apple's monstrous App Store for iOS devices, it doesn't really apply this to its Apple TV box. Sure, AirPlay makes it possible to playback content from an iPhone or iPad with ease, including streaming shows from certain apps. But why not have all that developed for the Apple TV natively?
In addition to that, the Apple TV is a limited streaming device. It can only stream the few file formats it likes, and has no USB ports to playback anything else offline. While it's true that the Xbox 360 also only plays a limited number of formats, it still supports more than Apple TV does.
Format compatibility, for the most part, has actually been one of the strongest points for media players like the Boxee Box and WDTV Live Hub. They play almost anything, and offer a unique mix of streaming, apps, browser-based stuff, and offline functionality.
In fact, the concept behind Smart TV, like with LG's Smart TV Upgrader, for example, is largely based on the premise put forth by devices like the Boxee Box: connectivity, apps, and format agnosticism.
Except there is one key differentiator that Microsoft has under its belt: the Xbox 360 is also a premium game console, too. That's what the public generally knows it to be, and that is arguably its main purpose. But the marketing push behind the Dashboard update and Kinect, the voice-activated camera peripheral, suggests that the company wants to put out a wider message.
For the current price tag of $199.99, plus the $60 annual Xbox Live Gold subscription, the 360 comes in at a competitive price. The Boxee Box is $199.99 at retail, while the Apple TV is $119. There is no Google TV box in Canada as of yet, but it will probably be priced somewhere in that range as well. Roku will be launching a set-top box in Canada in early 2012 that should raise the stakes further. And last, Boxee will be launching a TV tuner USB dongle in January that will allow the Boxee Box to play live TV from a digital antenna or other source. And, of course, rumours will continue to run rampant on what Apple has brewing for the TV space.
While the Xbox Dashboard update may be free, the apps that come with it won't necessarily be. Rogers On Demand Online is useless to those who aren't Rogers customers. Real Sports, with its Leafs TV (Ontario only), NBA TV and GolTV channels, will come in a bundle or separate subscriptions. UFC will offer pay-per-view access to top events. Movie rentals on Zune Marketplace require purchasing Microsoft points beforehand.
But these factors shouldn't be seen as detractors. Microsoft deserves kudos for at least trying to make headway in what is still a confusing category. Melding live TV and content deliverables to an existing and recognizable platform is commendable, even if the final result still lacks certain elements. And the current offerings indeed put Microsoft right in the running with Apple and others for garnering customer attention in this burgeoning space of the market.
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