Xboxist

Xbox 360 movie downloads a hot item

Though no specific figures are available to back up this story, Variety is reporting the Xbox 360 video download service proved to be one of the few bright spots in movie download services for 2006. Citing inside sources, the entertainment industry publication said "though there are fewer than 3.5 million 360s in the U.S. by last count, movies...are doing at least as well and, in some cases, better than on competing Web sites, which are available to anyone with a PC and high-speed Internet connection". The Microsoft offering reportedly is doing much better than Amazon's Unbox video service and similar offerings from the likes of Movielink and CinemaNow.

The reason for the success, said Variety, is "consumers who download a movie want a simple way to watch it on their TV, and those with high-def TVs want high-def content". The direct connectivity of the Xbox 360 seems to be filling this niche.