North American Xbox 360s get direct-download movie rentals over XBL

Microsoft has scored agreements with television networks and film studios to deliver standard and high-definition telelvision and motion picture downloads to the Xbox Live Marketplace. The partners in particular include Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, MTV Networks, CBS, and Turner Broadcasting. Digital distribution of TV and film content. While digital distribution of TV progamming and movies over XBL will be limited to the North American market for the time being, Microsoft hopes to forge similiar partnerships in other territories where the Xbox 360 has (or will) officially launched.

TV programming can purchased and downloaded to the Xbox 360 hard drive as many times as needed, while motion pictures will be limited to 24 hour rentals. TV/movie XBL Marketplace downloads will not be transferrable to PC for the time being, despite the overall push on Microsoft's part to bridge both its console and MCE-supporting PC platforms.

The initial lineup of TV shows and feature films available for download will include a growing catalog of popular hits. Examples of what will be available before the end of the year include:

• Robot Chicken and Aqua Teen Hunger Force from The Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
• CSI, Survivor, and remastered episodes of classic Star Trek from CBS.
• Emmy and Peabody award-winning comedy South Park and Chappelle's Show from COMEDY CENTRAL.
• The Real World and Pimp My Ride from MTV.
• Avatar: The Last Airbender and SpongeBob SquarePants from Nickelodeon.
• Skyland and The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival from Nicktoons Network.
• Mission: Impossible III, Nacho Libre, and Jackass: The Movie from Paramount Pictures.
• Carpocalypse and Raising the Roofs from Spike TV.
• Race Rewind provided by NASCAR.COM.
• Select episodes of the original season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series and UFC: All Access from the UFC.
• Breaking Bonaduce and Hogan Knows Best from VH1.
• The Matrix, Superman Returns, and Batman Forever from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Microsoft isn't the only player in town with a next-gen console supported by a digital-distribution network. Sony's soon-to-launch PlayStation 3 will also feature a similiar network we know as the PlayStation Network Platform, and they too intend on exploring movie downloads:

"Sony has natural in-house advantages with Sony Pictures film and television units and music divisions, which they haven't taken advantage of with PlayStation 2," said PJ McNealy, video game analyst for American Technology Research.

"Microsoft has their work cut out for them," McNealy added. "They've taken the highlights from what has worked with the iTunes model and are incorporating them into Xbox Live Marketplace. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery."