Gamers report IPTV Xbox holiday launch

IPTV-capable Xbox 360s will be available through BT by the end of the year, according to the gaming site, Xboxer. The TV-capable Microsoft game consoles would be exclusive to the British telco's video service, BT Vision, which uses Microsoft's Mediaroom IPTV middleware.

IPTV Xboxes were demoed during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last January; if the BT IPTV Xbox launch comes to fruition, it will be the first.

BT Vision became available last December and now has around 20,000 subscribers, The Independent reports. The U.K. newspaper also cited BT saying it was making 2,500 installations a week, and was expecting a spike after launching a sports package encompassing live soccer matches. Entrenched TV provider Sky has traditionally had a lock on soccer broadcasts in the U.K.; BT's entry is considered a signal that the telco is not going to back out of TV. An exclusive Xbox set-top could make it a more serious contender. 

For more:
- The Xboxer report is here
-
The Independent covers the BT Vision sports play here

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