Sometimes tech PR just does not go to plan. There was lots of excitement over the weekend in the game blogosphere when one of their tipsters sent in screen shots of a repaired Xbox that came back from Microsoft with a dashboard that looked for all money like settings for a TV service.
Click on the mysterious 0000 Icon and up came a menu for television services, including "Live & recorded TV," "On-demand movies" and "Chat while watching TV." It was unusable, but was enough to excite the fans who have patiently waited since Bill Gates had announced in January the Xbox would ship with IPTV, only to see Sony pip Microsoft with the release of its PS3/IPTV console in Korea.
It might all have ended up as rumor except that Microsoft then issued this statement: "Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) features will only be available from the Xbox 360 through a service provider who has deployed Xbox 360 with Microsoft Mediaroom (IPTV) services. This was an isolated incident where these features were inadvertently exposed while the customer's console was being serviced and is unrelated to the Fall Update. Xbox 360 with Microsoft Mediaroom (IPTV), will be available to service providers by the end of the year. Microsoft's IPTV service providers will ultimately determine the timing of Xbox 360 with Microsoft Mediaroom deployments."
In the US the main deployer of Microsoft's Mediaroom is AT&T and their U-verse service.
For More:
- Xbox360fanboy report of Xbox IPTV dashboard pictures
- Joystiq Report of Xbox IPTV
- IPTV on Xbox 360 Details: Mediaroom Report
Related Articles:
Sony pips Microsoft for IPTV Report
Gamers report IPTV Xbox holiday launch Report
No mention of IPTV for new Xbox edition Report