iPlayer on Xbox with Kinect
March 20, 2012
The BBC has launched iPlayer on Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform with an interface to tie in to Kinect motion control. All the broadcaster’s TV catch-up content will made available free of charge to all Xbox console owners. Other entertainment apps, including Channel 4 and 5’s equivalent catch-up players, are only available for the console’s Gold subscribers.
Microsoft kicked off the first phase of its TV content rollout for its Xbox 360 console last year, ending Sky’s exclusive presence on the platform. Channel 4 and 5 have already launched their catch-up services Xbox and LoveFilm, Blinkbox and Netflix are there too.
BBC’s head of TV and iPlayer David Price said the broadcaster is expecting over half of all its programme requests to come from connected TVs and consoles by 2015. “Last year, we had 2bn radio and TV programme requests, 433m of them came from TV devices and this will continue to grow now that games consoles have evolved to become media entertainment hubs and the majority of them are connected in the living room.”