Let's face it: the television remote is so yesterday. As anticipated, Xbox Live's Marc Whitten has taken the stage at Microsoft's keynote address to describe and promote some of the features we can expect from the company's new Xbox Live TV functionality.
Voice-Controlled
No more buttons, no more joysticks. Users will be able to access and organize film, television, games and music all by means of voice prompts.
A Factor of Ten
Microsoft has promised to expand its content partnerships by "a factor of ten." We can expect to see dedicated support for YouTube – in addition to the support the platform already provides for Hulu and Netflix subscribers. We'll be seeing an expansion on live television streaming, via Microsoft's IPTV and cable partnerships with Sky and Canal.
UFC president Dana White announced "UFC on Xbox." The programming will include live broadcasts of weigh-ins, fights and other UFC events. Those watching through Xbox Live will be able to predict the fight's outcome, scoring points for correct guesses.
Bing and a New Interface
Microsoft search-engine Bing is set to be incorporated into Live's new interface. Queries such as "Xbox Lego" will return a list of available Lego video games that the user can then download. The new interface is reminiscent of the one introduced for the Windows Phone 7 and what has already been revealed of Windows 8.
The new Xbox Live TV functionality is scheduled to launch this Fall. We'll try to keep you updated as we learn more about how these features are going to be implemented.