Xbox Spring Update To Offer Codecs, MSN Messenger

adachan writes "It seems that Microsoft has decided to add Xvid playback into the upcoming Spring Xbox 360 dashboard update. Xbox.com has a list of all the upcoming enhancements to the dash. The playback of video using H.264 and mpeg4 codecs seems to be the biggest news for those using the system as a media extender. If this is indeed true, my Xbox Media Center will be used less and less." Update: 04/09 17:29 GMT by Z : MSN Messenger is kinda interesting as well. Several sites are reporting that instant messenging is being added to the Xbox Live experience, with a USB keyboard controller attachment to be offered sometime in the near future.

external drives

[donour]

The real question is whether I can play vidoes from an external drive, such as an iPod. Survey says...no. :(

Re:AppleTV?

[Have Blue]

Leaving Apple with just the tiny advantage of being entirely legal.

Re:If you have a Zune it works great.

[radish]

Ahh, the usual anti-Zune flame. What I don't understand is what exactly is wrong with a Zune? From what I can tell, the only things I see people marking it down for are either subjective (don't like the color, doesn't work with iTunes) or unique features which don't work as well as they could (wifi). In terms of core features (sync with music collection, playback, etc) it seems fine (recently fixed playback bugs notwithstanding). Let me put it this way, if they released an 80gb Zune I'd probably buy it. I think they look better than iPods (my preference, you don't have to agree), I find the controls much easier to use than the scroll wheel (likewise, personal preference) and if I could live in a world entirely free of iTunes I'd be a happier person. So sure, it could be better, but I don't see why all the childish mocking is justified.

Bluetooth Keyboards?

[MrPerfekt]

This should really be a no brainer. Just add a driver and/or pairing interface so we can use Bluetooth keyboards!

MSN Messanger, XVid, Codecs....Browser, Mac?

[theolein]

I personally think that the main reason Microsoft branched off into Games and the Xbox was to eventually have a home computing platform with its OWN hardware and its OWN absolutely controlled software environment. I'm pretty sure Microsoft would love to tell all the OEMs to fuck themselves (just not in so many words) and take on Apple directly with their own hardware and controlled OS.

In other words, I'm pretty sure they want to make the XBox a home PC, with games, messanging, browsing. email, Voip, a home version of office, some other home productivity crap and stuff. That way they can take on Apple directly in the market segment where Apple has an advantage, and slowly build up their own empire here.