Game and Watch: IPTV coming to the Xbox 360

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox 360 will get digital television features based on the company's Microsoft TV IPTV software. The online television service offers users channel guides, digital video recording, on-demand video, and other online features.The upcoming IPTV features expand on the Xbox 360's already formidable multimedia features, like iXbox Live downloads, HD-DVD support with an optional drive, and compatibility with Windows XP Media Center media streaming.

The Xbox 360-IPTV connection was announced at Bill Gates' CES keynote address on Monday, and details remain sparse. Beyond the mention that IPTV features will become available to the Xbox 360 later, Microsoft has been pretty vague on the subject. No specific features or dates were announced, and the only remotely specific statement offered was a hypothetical scenario: a gamer watching a football game can get Xbox Live voice chat or challenge friends in Madden 07 while enjoying the game. We can only assume that Microsoft will explain more about the Xbox 360-IPTV connection later this year.