OK, so reading up on all the excitment for IPTV on the 360, I got to wondering . . . how will this integrate into my HTPC?

Right now, I'm running MCE 2005 with dual analog tuners.  Eventually I'll be using Vista MCE and dual ATSC tuners.  Will it all be made moot by an Xbox running IPTV?  Will I be able to use my Xbox as my primary DVR, then off load content to a server to save space?  What about my music collection?  DVD collection?

Am I basically just going to have two separate DVR's on my shelf?

Where are we heading with all this?  If there are any developers on the forums, it'd be interesting to hear what the grand scheme is here.

It doesn't integrate with a PC.  The Xbox will just be able to become a PVR, assuming your IPTV provider allows it to.  If you live in the US, AT&T U-Verse is the only IPTV service that has a chance of running on the Xbox.  For that to happen (and with any provider), your telco has to allow you to do it and enable it for you.

Just because you have an Xbox 360 doesn't mean you can get IPTV on it.  In other words, instead of using one of the STB's that AT&T provides, you could use an Xbox 360.

OK, so in my area it's Comcast as the major Cable provider.  Their version of IPTV is Comcast On-Demand.  It's not too likely that they will start broadcasting IPTV out in packages (as least as far as I can tell). 

So, for now, this feature is largely useless for me?

Comcast On Demand is not consider "IPTV" either.  Comcast will not move to IPTV, they have way to much invested in cable.

So yeah, this would be useless for you (as it will be for the majority of the US anyway).  It is an overhyped feature.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6439264.html

Maybe not?  Seems they are interested in it, but for use with DOCSIS 3.0 (probably late next year).  Interesting read.

Bottom line, the Xbox 360 IPTV is nice and all, but not really a viable option for many of us.  Time to start getting IPTV onto my MCE box.

Interesting.  Too bad that's only a very small part of the picture.  For the Xbox 360 to work, Comcast would need to deploy a setup based on Microsoft's IPTV services.  Comcast and Microsoft have not had the best relationship (from the outside atleast).  A few years ago they did a test market in WA using Microsoft TV.  Now, they offer TiVo and nothing with Microsoft TV. 

Chris is right. The XBox 360 will only support Microsoft Mediaroom, there IPTV solution. And currently at&t is the only provider and only very spotty with the service so far. Soon in my area at&t will be rolling out U-Verse but I have heard nothing about supporting the Xbox nonetheless MCE. I imagine they are more concerned with just getting it out as they keep lengthening their rollout schedules.

But maybe once more customers have it and request this it may be available. But you'll have the same issue with the Xbox versus the extender. The at&t box is small and silent and the Xbox obviously has its issues there. 

Dave

The basic advantage of using the Xbox 360 is just to cover an additional room where you already have an Xbox 360.  Other than that, the concept is useless (my guess, it will flop).