Is your Xbox your New Cable Box?

When the Playstation 3 came out with a Blu-ray player, people were impressed and many got the gaming console just for the Blu-ray player. Now the gaming console is turning into an entertainment center. The Xbox 360 is looking to take TV entertainment to a new level.

Microsoft is in the midst of making deals with various cable and satellite providers to stream live TV and Video On Demand (VOD) through Xbox 360 to over 20 countries.

photo credit: Jami3.org

Who Else is Getting on Board?

Currently, Comcast’s XFINITY TV, Verizon’s FiOS TV, HBO, Bravo, Epix, and Syfy are already signed up. And the U.K.’s BBC, Canada’s Rogers On Demand, Televisa in Mexico, ZDF in Germany, Telefonica in Spain, and MediaSet in Italy will join Xbox’s line-up this fall. Best Buy’s CinemaNow and Sony’s Crackle will also be added to the system alongside the already available Netflix, as well as online entertainment and news such as MSNBC, NBC’s “The Today Show.” Other popular channels Dailymotion, iHeartRadio, AlloCine, and TMZ will appear as well. YouTube, Vevo and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fights are also set to be integrated into the Xbox.

With all the big names that will be offered through Xbox, the way we watch TV and play games is about to change for good. Previous set-top boxes, such as Slingbox, Roku and Logitech offer similar solutions, with one thing missing- the gaming element.

Netflix was one of the first companies to enter the market. Since half of their product is streaming movies and only requires an internet connection, it’s easy to imagine that they can stream over gaming consoles. Hulu followed shortly behind Netflix. With the two programs becoming popular enough that people are opting out of cable all together, it’s no surprise that the option of getting your cable through your gaming system is becoming so popular.

Can I Cut the Cord Yet?

With technology heading this direction, it is a surprise that it hasn’t been introduced earlier. You can’t cut the cord completely, however. You still have to have a regular cable subscription, and your device will need to be authenticated in order to run the TV programs. There are separate apps for each of the different subscriptions and with some of the companies you have to buy a hardware kit to get it set up.

So what about a more travel-friendly TV experience? Eventually, television will be more mobile as the computers are becoming smaller. Tablets and notebooks are gaining enough capabilities to process at the same speeds as regular sized computers. It’s reasonable to plan on seeing cable carried around in everything from your TV to your phone. I don’t see the need for a living room entertainment system changing anytime soon. People still prefer to have a big screen at home to curl up to when they aren’t on the go.

Brett is a writer for CableTV.com. He typically writes about Business, entertainment, and sports. You can follow him on Twitter, @TeachFromSLC.