Rumor: Zune Marketplace Getting Streaming Media Revamp

[vansau]

Rumor: Zune Marketplace Getting Streaming Media Revamp

From the sound of things, the Zune marketplace on Xbox Live might be competing with Netflix and Hulu soon.

Microsoft's Zune Marketplace might be getting a pretty drastic revamp in the near future, if rumors out of Washington are to be believed. Reportedly, the service will still deliver media to people who are looking for it, but the entire business model might be completely different from its current incarnation in only a few months.

Anonymous sources out of Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, WA, have told The Daily that the Zune Marketplace is apparently scheduled to become a a new source of streaming media content, much like Netflix and Hulu Plus are at the moment for Xbox Live users. This doesn't seem like a totally ridiculous rumor, since (at E3 last month) Microsoft did vaguely announce that it intends to bring its own form of streaming television to Xbox Live this Fall. Of course, the Zune Marketplace has been able to stream content for a while, but apparently the new rumor is based around users paying a subscription so they can have access to the content they want to stream.

Of course, when Joystiq asked Microsoft to confirm or deny this new claim, the company would only say that it "doesn't comment on rumors or speculations." Sounds like the public's going to have to wait a while before anything official is announced.

Source: Joystiq

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[hansari]

The only way this will work is if Microsoft makes a truly earnest effort to see what the competition is doing wrong, then do the opposite and have everyone love them for it.

One example...Netflix's lineup of movies you can stream has always struck me as a bit pathetic. Chances are you will find at least one or two movies you consider watchable whenever you log in, but the service lacks recent hit movies and popular classics. You wanna watch the Batman movies? Well, you have to sign up for our mailing service and pay extra if you want Bale or Kilmer in a cape.

Indiana Jones? Sure we can stream you Crystal Skull...oh wait, you want the good ones?

 

[Ishadus]

Well I hope this is true. In Canada, at least, netflix's selection is pitifully weak. For every thing I find that I'd like to watch, it doesn't offer 5 things that I want. Zune will usually have them, but buying everything piecewise gets extremely costly, so I usually just do without.

If it's priced competitively with netflix, I'd swap over in an instant.

 

[Anti-Robot Man]

Well it better be available outside the US. I recently tried to download the zune exclusive podcast Tell 'em Steve-Dave Overkill, and it wouldn't let me because of my region. A podcast Microsoft specifically paid for to promote their service and they didn't make it available outside the U.S. - one of the dumbest promotional decisions I've seen in a while.

If we don't get it I'd like to see LoveFilm on the xbl the same way America has Netflix.

 

[Arehexes]

Yet the Zune is not being made anymore...interesting.

 

[blankedboy]

Yet the Zune is not being made anymore...interesting.

But that was confirmed as bullshit, wasn't it? I thought they were still selling them. It's still there on the website.

 

[Baresark]

Yet the Zune is not being made anymore...interesting.

But that was confirmed as bullshit, wasn't it? I thought they were still selling them. It's still there on the website.

They aren't making new models of Zune anymore. The ones they have already are going to stay in production for the time being though. But, the Zune software is still being updated and used regularly, as well as the Zune market place.

OT: I can't imagine a service that pretty much mimics other services is going to help them. Also, I personally found the Zune software and Marketplace really annoying, so I stopped using it. I even have an older Zune and used to regret having to use their software, when it's really no better or different and no less intrusive than iTunes.

I would think that most people who watch streaming movies are already entrenched in Netflix. As a previous poster said though, if they can offer more updated material for streaming, they could definitely compete with Netflix and Hulu. I think there is a legal time limit before companies stream the movies though, so as not to interrupt the DVD sales.

 

[Catalyst6]

The only way this will work is if Microsoft makes a truly earnest effort to see what the competition is doing wrong, then do the opposite and have everyone love them for it.

One example...Netflix's lineup of movies you can stream has always struck me as a bit pathetic. Chances are you will find at least one or two movies you consider watchable whenever you log in, but the service lacks recent hit movies and popular classics. You wanna watch the Batman movies? Well, you have to sign up for our mailing service and pay extra if you want Bale or Kilmer in a cape.

Indiana Jones? Sure we can stream you Crystal Skull...oh wait, you want the good ones?

Ehhh, while I won't deny what you're saying, it's less Netflix's incompetence and more the people that actually own the movies being hardasses. Quite a few publishers flat-out won't let their content be streamed because it effects sales of DVDs, yaddah yaddah yaddah. They're getting better, though; Netflix signed a deal not too long ago to open up a few more studio's stuff.

OT: Zune... zune... I've heard that name before... *checks garbage bin* Oh, there it is!

While it might, *might* be all right if it worked on PC and Xbox as well, so does Netflix. So, yeah.

 

[robert022614]

I dont know I think if Microsoft wants to start a Netflix kind of service they should ditch the Zune name because for so long that name has been synonymous for piece of crap mp3 and will only hurt the service.