Xbox 360 to Stream Netflix movies

by Frank Jovine on 07/14/2008 in Business, Internet

This could be a perfect match in heaven or at least business technology heaven. Netflix is the world’s largest online movie rental service, and with Microsoft Xbox 360 in its corner could be even bigger!

Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 video game console will be able to stream thousands of movies over the Internet, thanks to a deal announced Monday with Netflix Inc. that highlights the way gaming devices are expanding into all-purpose home-entertainment hubs.

The arrangement, revealed at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles, will let Netflix subscribers stream 10,000 movies and TV shows to Xbox consoles for viewing on television sets, beginning this fall. Xbox had movies and shows available for download before, but only half as many.

“This generation of consoles will change the face of home entertainment more than any other generation before,” said John Schappert, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment division.