Xbox 360 Review by LAPTOP Magazine

In many ways, the Xbox 360 is the ultimate media streaming device. (And it plays a few games, too) The console can handle streamed video, audio, and photos from any PC and lets you download movies and TV shows directly using Xbox Live.

That's right-Microsoft recently started offering a new direct download service for high-definition movies, such as Unforgiven and V for Vendetta. The selection is not that impressive for now, but the movies look fantastic-they are actually encoded for 1080p playback. Initially, more than 25 movies will be offered from Paramount and Warner Bros. New releases in high-definition will cost 480 Microsoft points ($6), and standard-definition titles will be 320 Microsoft Points ($4) each. You can plug a Zune into the Xbox 360 to play video, music, and pictures. Or, you can connect a PC to the Xbox 360 using Windows Media connect to stream content.

Compared with iTunes, the selection of TV shows is relatively meager at this point, but there's enough here to keep you entertained. Content includes all three CSI series, Chappelle's Show from Comedy Central, and Hogan Knows Best from VH1. You'll also find a smattering of shows from MTV, Nickelodeon, Turner Broadcasting, and Warner Bros. High-definition TV shows cost 240 Microsoft Points ($3) per episode and standard-definition episodes run 160 Microsoft Points ($2) each.

To download movies and TV shows using your home network, you'll need the Wireless Networking Adapter ($99), which uses 802.11g and is compatible with most routers. During testing, one 1080p download took about three hours over a 4MB broadband connection. (The file was 5.7GB.) Of course, you can also download lower-resolution versions in 480p or 720p, at smaller file sizes.

The Xbox 360 is also a Media Center Extender device, which means you can stream content over a wireless connection from your laptop. This allows you to manage multimedia files for any purpose, not just streaming. So once you download a movie, rip an audio CD, or load your photos, you can view and listen to them on your laptop, another PC, or through your Xbox 360.

Also, despite some industry confusion, any Windows XP or Windows Vista laptop-not just Media Center laptops-can stream files to an Xbox 360 (see www.xbox.com/pcsetup for the required software downloads), so there's no extra hardware investment. At least, other than the Xbox 360 and an HDTV.

Streaming Test Results
We tested several 1080p downloads from wmvhd.com (a free Microsoft HD movie portal). We streamed the files from a Dell Inspiron E1505 Media Center 2005 laptop, with the Xbox 360 connected wirelessly to a Belkin Pre-N router. Playback was absolutely flawless. In fact, it made us wonder why other high-def streaming devices performed so poorly over a similar 802.11g connection. There was no buffering or lag, and the 1080p files looked spectacular on a Gateway 24-inch LCD FPD2485W TV.

Photo and video playback over wireless were also amazingly smooth. The 360 even has cool photo transitions, and you can play audio tracks in the background. Most media streamers focus on capability (streaming content such as videos and music), and not the experience (making it all enjoyable), but the Xbox 360 does both in spades.

When you add the fact that, as a Media Center Extender device, the Xbox 360 also supports protected content from providers such as Akimbo and Movielink.com, it's hard to see any flaws in using the Xbox 360 as an all-in-one multimedia and gaming system.

So where's the catch? If there is one-other than the still-limited content lineup-it's the simple fact that the Xbox 360 is a game console first, and a media player second. Controlling playback with a controller is a bit cumbersome, for example. So pick up the Universal Media Remote for $30 and you'll be in streaming heaven.

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