I
t turns out that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is
good for more than just playing games
and streaming the occasional transcod-
ed video fi le. Indeed, the game console can
also be a source of movie and TV-episode
downloads using Microsoft’s online store,
Xbox 360 Marketplace.
Unlike most of the other services we
tested, Marketplace doesn’t have a PC
component. You rent movies using the
Xbox’s interface and the videos are down-
loaded directly to the Xbox’s hard drive,
where all the standard rules apply: You
have 30 days to begin viewing and 24
hours to fi nish once you start. Of course,
you’ll need a network-connected, hard
drive-equipped Xbox 360 to play. And you
should know that the browsing interface
uses the Xbox’s standard design, which
isn’t exactly “mom” friendly. TV content is
for purchase only and typically costs $2
per episode. Each network’s key program-
ming—think Lost and CSI —is available in
high def for an extra buck but don’t expect
to see much from NBC here.
There isn’t a massive library of back
content available—the service featured
fewer than 400 movies as we went to
press. In our catalog tests, Marketplace
fared OK in the new-releases department,
offering the same titles you’d have to fi ght
over at the video store. It didn’t fare as
well with classic and cult titles, but the
good news is that much of the content for
sale is also available in high defi nition. Like
the other services that use WMV tech-
nology, videos rented from Marketplace
suffer from the soft edges and large fi le
sizes common to the codec. Standard-defmovies look slightly worse than traditional
DVDs, and the high-def content is notice-
ably inferior to Blu-ray.
For whatever insane reason, Microsoft
chose to base the payment scheme for
Marketplace around Microsoft Points,
which have an extremely confusing con-
version scheme. One dollar buys you 80
points, and each movie rental costs 360
points for standard-defi nition fi les and 480
points for high defi nition. For folks who
have trouble with math, SD movies cost
$4.50, while HD fi lms cost $6. That makes
SD movies on Xbox Live Marketplace
pricier than the competition, but HD con-
tent is on par with Vudu’s prices for 1080p
content. What’s more annoying is that youcan’t buy just the number of points that
you need. Instead, you have to buy points
in multiples of $5. So, to rent a movie for
$6, you need to buy at least $10 worth of
points. Lame. Points are tied to your Xbox
Gamertag. Assuming you have the points
to make the purchase, click the purchase
button and the video will start downloading.
As soon as the Xbox has suffi ciently fi lled
its buffer, the content will begin playing.
Like the other WMV-powered services,
Marketplace could use a codec refresh.
Despite the outdated codec, this is one of
the few services that actually delivers HD
content. We’d also like to be able to play
downloaded content on portable devices
and our PCs. That just seems like a natural
option, especially given the rich ecosystem
that Microsoft has built for media playback.
Finally, we’d really like to see a lot more
content on the service. Three hundred mov-
ies and change just isn’t enough for serious
movie buffs.36 MAXIMUMPC | MAY 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com
Xbox Live Marketplace
A gaming box and high-def movie-download device in one
Xbox Marketplace’s interface is a tad clunky; it’s designed for both standard- and high-
definition screens.The only way to play videos from the Xbox Marketplace is with your Xbox 360; any
hard-drive-equipped 360 can download and play them.VERDICT6
Hardware: $350
Movie rentals: $4 to $6
Movie purchases: N/A
TV episodes: $2
http://www.xbox.comDOWNLOAD
SERVICES
MOVIE GUIDE