News Article

Xbox Gets Voice Search With Tomorrow's Dashboard Update

Posted Mon, 05 Dec 2011 by James Newton

"Xbox, show me hairy men"

"Xbox, show me hairy men"

All the details inside

The next big Xbox Live update starts rolling out tomorrow, taking the next big step to full voice control integration into the Xbox 360 dashboard.

We've got a full run-down of what's available from tomorrow, with Xbox Bing search the biggest addition for Kinect owners.

Are you as excited as we are?

The Future of TV Begins Now on Xbox 360

Kinect for Xbox 360 brings voice control to living room entertainment with update that launches December 6th

London. — Dec. 5, 2011 — Microsoft is pleased to announce an entertainment revolution starting tomorrow in living rooms around the world. Tomorrow, the future of TV entertainment begins with the launch of an all-new Xbox 360 experience, including the first wave of custom voice controlled entertainment apps on our online service, Xbox LIVE. Xbox 360 is transforming how you enjoy TV entertainment, giving you the power to control all your favourite content - games, music, movies and sports as well as live and on-demand TV – using your voice. Thanks to the unique combination of Kinect for Xbox 360 and Bing Search, you say it, Xbox finds it. It’s that easy.

“A new era in entertainment begins where all your entertainment is together in one place—your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With this update, Xbox 360 system owners will experience Kinect voice control integrated with Bing search, making your TV and entertainment experiences more social and personal than ever.”

“Microsoft has just built and delivered it: A single box that ties together all the content you want, made easily accessible through a universal, natural, voice-directed search. This is now the benchmark against which all other living room initiatives should be compared,” said James McQuivey of Forrester Research in “Engaged TV: Xbox 360 Leads The Way To A New Video Product Experience,”* Sunday, Dec. 4. “With more than 57 million people worldwide already sitting on a box that’s about to be upgraded for free, Microsoft has not only built the right experience, it has ensured that it will spread quickly and with devastating effect.”

Speak Up, Your Entertainment Awaits

With the new Xbox 360 experience, entertainment is now more intuitive with the launch of Bing on Xbox, which lets customers search entertainment services on Xbox using their voices. Last year, Kinect for Xbox 360 revolutionized controller-free entertainment by letting you use your body and voice to play your favourite games and entertainment, turning you into the controller. This year, the power of Kinect combined with the search intelligence of Bing is turning your voice into the ultimate remote control. With Bing on Xbox, you can use your voice to effortlessly find the games, movies, TV shows and music you want and discover the best offerings on Xbox LIVE, by simply saying what you’re searching for. You say it, Xbox finds it. It’s that easy.

All Your Entertainment, All in One Box

This Christmas and beyond, in addition to offering the best blockbuster and Kinect games, Xbox 360 consoles are set to deliver live and on-demand TV shows, movies, videos, sports, music and news, becoming the best device to experience all your entertainment. TV and movie fans can instantly stream live television via our current UK TV partner, Sky, as well as enjoy a variety of fantastic content from the likes of AlloCiné (Screenrush), blinkbox, Channel 4, Channel 5, Crackle, Dailymotion, LOVEFiLM, MSN Video, MUZU.TV, YouTube and Zune, as well as, in 2012, the BBC.

This ‘next wave’ of content and innovation sees Xbox 360 building on its comprehensive catalogue of movies and TV shows available through Zune Video and Sky TV here in the UK by rolling out the following entertainment apps*:
Dec. 6:

· EPIX. United States
· ESPN on Xbox LIVE (ESPN). United States
· Hulu. Japan
· Hulu Plus. United States
· LOVEFiLM. United Kingdom
· Netflix. Canada, United States
· Premium Play by (MediaSet). Italy
· Sky Go (SkyDE). Austria, Germany
· Telefónica España – Movistar Imagenio. Spain
· TODAY (MSNBC). United States

Later in December:

· 4 on Demand (C4). United Kingdom
· ABC iView (Australian Broadcasting Corp.). Australia
· AlloCiné. France (AlloCiné), Germany (Filmstarts), Spain (Sensacine), United Kingdom (Screenrush)
· Astral Media’s Disney XD (Astral Media). Canada
· blinkbox (blinkbox). United Kingdom
· Crackle (Sony Pictures). Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States
· Dailymotion. Available in 32 countries globally
· Demand 5 (Five). United Kingdom
· DIGI+ (CANAL+). Spain
· GolTV (Mediapro). Spain
· iHeartRadio (Clear Channel). United States
· Mediathek/ZDF (ZDF). Germany
· MSN. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom
· MSNBC.com. United States
· MUZU.TV. Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
· ninemsn. Australia
· Real Sports (Maple Leaf Sports). Canada
· Rogers On Demand Online (Rogers Media). Canada
· SBS ON DEMAND. Australia
· TMZ (Warner Bros.). Canada, United States
· TVE (RTVE.es). Spain
· UFC on Xbox LIVE (UFC). Canada, United States
· Verizon FiOS TV. United States
· VEVO. Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States
· Vudu (Wal-Mart). United States
· YouTube. Available in 24 countries globally

Early 2012:

· Antena 3 (Antena 3 de Televisión). Spain
· BBC (BBC). United Kingdom
· CinemaNow (Best Buy). United States
· HBO GO (HBO). United States
· MLB.TV (MLB Advanced Media). Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
· Telenovelas/Sports (Televisa). Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom
· Xfinity On Demand (Comcast). United States

Tags: Kinect, Updates, Xbox Live.

User Comments

32243

1. reejem Philippines 05 Dec 2011, 14:36 GMT

I do not see this free at all. I think most, if not, all of the channels are for gold subscribers only. If it is so, this is but a necessary enhancement to their patrons.

For me, I would rather invest for a smart TV or popcorn hour. I would better use Xbox for gaming rather than watching.

25361

2. RuneHawk6101 Netherlands 05 Dec 2011, 16:16 GMT

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

32650

3. Darth Australia 06 Dec 2011, 00:35 GMT

Nothing yet on Australian dashboard, same old washboard. Hope... 15 November...Later....25 November...Later.....6 December....Later?

32650

4. Darth Australia 07 Dec 2011, 01:47 GMT

32650

5. Darth Australia 07 Dec 2011, 01:48 GMT

Sorry address without LOL.

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