With a regular system update planned for Wednesday 7 February, the online gaming service known as PlayStation Network (PSN) will now be referred to as ‘Sony Entertainment Network’ (SEN), a process that will also cover the upcoming non-Japanese release of handheld console PlayStation Vita (but not previous incarnation PlayStation Portable). PS Vita users in Japan (where the product was released in December 2011) will experience the update in the same manner as PS3 users worldwide.

The move (which was originally just thought to be a renaming of the term ‘PSN accounts’ to ‘SEN accounts’) is planned by Sony to create a ‘clearer and easier’ experience for users, by giving them a singular log-in (data kept as it was pre-update), for the new collaboration of SEN services, including the PSN, Video Unlimited, and Music Unlimited.

Aside from the change of branding, only ’minor’ alterations in service terms will be made, and Sony have stressed that this will not have a significant impact on its users, as their username details will not be changed during the update.

Sony announced the move to its subscribers via e-mail, writing: “This transition is based on Sony’s goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering. As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation Network will be aligned with Sony Entertainment Network. This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account.”

It could be argued that Sony planned the changes as forming a new regime for their incoming corporate changes, with former PlayStation boss Kazuo Hirai last week announced as the incoming president of the company, replacing Sir Howard Stringer in the role (Stringer will fill the role of board chairman in place of retiring ).

Hirai said of his appointment, and the work of his predecessor: “[Were it] not for the strong leadership of Sir Howard Stringer these past seven years, we would have been in a much more difficult position. The path we must [now] take is clear – to drive the growth of our core electronics businesses – primarily digital imaging, smart mobile and game; to turn around the television business; and to accelerate the innovation that enables us to create new business domains.”

With small changes prepared for both behind-the-scenes and with their flagship services, will a more integrated ‘online entertainment’ structure help Sony achieve their goals of reaching a broader audience?

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Crackle comes to Xbox360

The kinect voice and motion activated controls allows Crackle viewers a vocal way to find the content they want. The Crackle cwebsite content is all available which includes over 200 movies from studios including Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics and more, is now available to watch.

Movies include, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The International, Donnie Brasco, European Gigolo,Jackie Chan Adventures,Groundhog Day, Year One, Defendor, The Messengers, The Mothman Prophecies, Bewitched, Samurai X, Blood +, Blue Exorcist, Why It Crackles, Urban Wolf, The Bannen Way

For TV show fans, the app also offers over 1,500 TV show episodes Download the Crackle app from the Xbox Live marketplace for free now in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

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It had been rumoured that Microsoft were planning a release of two separate consoles (the gaming-centric Xbox 720 and home entertainment/Kinect-based Xbox Loop), with a slim possibility of a late 2012 release. However, Cedrik Delmas of Microsoft France is of the belief that no new hardware will be released on the games console front this year from his company.

Delmas said of the prospects: “We’re in an industry that talks a lot, that likes telling stories. I am not convinced that things will happen this year. The Xbox 360′s cycle is not over at all. The proof is that we haven’t price cut this year. Afterward, what will happen at E3 [annual video gaming convention similar to the CES], it’s still too early to say. What’s certain is that there will be nothing new in 2012. If we wanted to counter Nintendo, we would have to be in a position to release something immediately, and that is not at all the case. We’re not here to counter Nintendo and they’re not here to fight the other manufacturers. Nintendo has put itself in a different cycle, it’s going forward to its own rhythm, with success as we have seen with the Wii, and now it’s their turn to present their innovation.”

Recent developments have suggested that when the Xbox 720 does get released, it will be up to 6 times more powerful than the 360, and will be compatible with Blu-ray discs like the 360′s current biggest rival Sony PlayStation 3. While their dual-console plans are most likely still intact (unlike the proposed Microsoft Online TV service), how long will Xbox fans have to wait before finding out the latest developments from Microsoft?

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Sky Internet TV service coming

The service will be an enhanced version of the Sky Go online service and is for customers who do not want to subscribe to to satellite and who do not want a Sky dish plonked on the side of their house. The streaming content can be viewed on laptop, PC, Mac, tablet, console, connected TV and smartphone.

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Netflix UK Imminent?

Netflix announced the Britain and Ireland launch last October and have been negotiating content deals ever since. The company dominate streaming in the US, Canada and Latin America already and have over 20 million subscribers around the world. Last week Netflix reportedvealed that viewers had watched over 2 billion hours of content in the last 3 months of 2011.

PS3 owners have noticed the familiar Netflix logo appearing amongst the other apps although the online service is not yet live. The app currently lets users register for updates. The Netflix service will cost £5.99 monthly for unlimited streaming of TV shows and movies, which is a similar price point to Lovefilm who will be their biggest rival.

So if you have a connected TV set, Blu-Ray player or other connected device, keep checking for the imminent Netflix app.

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As part of a preview of the third edition of their annual ’360° Gaming Report’ in the USA, Nielsen have announced some key statistics taken from the three main games consoles (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii).

As the charts in the picture demonstrate, online streaming  is increasing from last year’s figures, with the average PS3 user spending 15% of their console time viewing online video content (as opposed to 9% from the 2010), while Xbox 360 (14%, up from 10% last year) and Wii (33%, 20% in 2010) users have also been streaming more content to view.

For the Xbox, this means that users are now preferring to view content online rather than through physical media such as DVD’s (with the Blu-ray-applicable PS3′s differential between the two sources closing in fast), while the Wii’s higher comparitive standing can be explained by the fact that Nintendo’s console does not support Blu-ray or DVD.

Despite the rapid growth of streaming, though, gaming (online and offline) is still naturally the primary use of a video games console, with 67% of an Xbox 360 user’s console time dedicated to the purpose for which it was originally built.

Nielsen’s official blog said of the findings: “Streaming now represents a reported 14 percent of Xbox 360 time, 15 percent of PS3 time and 33 percent of Wii time. This growth is fueled by the availability of services like Netflix, Hulu, MLB Network and ESPN3. Time spent on game consoles in general is also on the rise. Metered console usage data from the first half of 2011 shows that the three platforms combined are up 7 percent in user time versus the year prior.”

While the three consoles are generally in direct competition with each other, Nielsen also notes that all of them seem to have a distinctive trait in usage statistics, with the Xbox 360 focused the most on online gaming, the Wii with offline games, and the PS3′s higher usage of physical media. While these trends are unsurprising given the long-standing nature of each console, could current growth see online streaming soon become the dominant activity for all three ‘home entertainment devices’?

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Xbox Live TV getting original content?

The news reported by Bloomberg says that the computer giant have been attempting to recruit The previous chairman of NBC, Jeff Gaspin and head of west coast operations for NBC, Marc Graboff.

Microsoft have made no secret that they wish to turn the Xbox 360 consoleinto an entertainment hub and already have a number of streaming services available including Hulu Plus, Netflix, Youtube, ESPN, Xfinity Fios and EPIX amongst others.

Other streaming channels coming December/early 2012 on the Xbox Live service include BBC iPlayer, Crackle, MSNBC.com, TMZ, and UFC, CinemaNow, HBO GO, Xfinity from Comcast.

Microsoft are no stranger to the idea of making original video content. Back in 2006 it launched MSN Originals, supplying exclusive video content for MSN. It was though a short lived affair.

Microsoft are aware that consoles are the most popular streaming device aand are following in the footsteps of Netflix and Hulu, who are looking at producing content rather than paying the ever increasing prices for streaming rights.

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Verizon Fios streaming app comes to Xbox360

box users will need to be Live Gold members and need to download the Verizon FiOS TV Xbox app to get the streaming entertainment. Back in October Microsoft announced partnerships for “the next generation of TV entertainment on Xbox LIVE.”

They are teaming up with almost 40 TV and entertainment providers in 20 countries around the world including Bravo, Comcast, HBO GO, Verizon FiOS and Syfy for the US, The BBC for the UK, Spanish network Telefónica, Televisa in Mexico, ZDF in Germany, MediaSet in Italy and Rogers On Demand in Canada.

The launch comes just as the Xbox 360 dashboard gets a redesign on December 6, including new features such as cloud storage, integrated voice and gesture controls and social network options.

If you’re an existing Verizon subscriber then you will need to ring Verizon who will add the streaming service, but you will need an Xbox Live Gold subscription plus a FiOS TV and Internet subscription to get the free streaming.

For new users, Verizon are offering a special deal until next January for Xbox 360 owners. For $89.99 monthly users can get a triple play package consisting of TV, phone and internet access plus a free 12 month subscription to Xbox Live Gold, and the game, Xbox Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

The range of channels available at launch in December will include 26 streaming channels including seventeen in HD that can be controlled using the kinect motion and voice system. It’s a good move by Verizon and Microsoft as game consoles are the number one device to watch streaming TV.

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However, Microsoft do not seem intent on implementing their expensive new ’video startup platform’ across all of their services, instead opting for a near-unanimous focus on the Xbox Live gaming platform (on the Xbox 360 games console) as their target for providing content, a likely move considering the ongoing growth of games consoles as a key online viewing method.

It is likely to be pushed straight to the front of the queue when it comes to video-based updates to the console, with other future developments for the Xbox brand including a planned console dedicated to online streaming (and games based on movement sensor Xbox Kinect).

Founded in 2006, VideoSurf describe their main service as ‘back-end computer vision technology’ capable of finding content based on individual frames within the videos themselves, promising users of its website that they will: “spend less time searching and more time being entertained”.

Xbox Live director Alex Garden said of a potential VideoSurf launch in the near future: “This holiday we will launch voice search across our entertainment partners on Xbox LIVE. Over time, as we integrate VideoSurf’s technology into our system, we are excited about the potential to have content tagged in real time to increase the speed and relevance of the search results.”

Videosurf’s co-founder Lior Delgo added his verdict on the move: “Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Division is at the leading edge of connected entertainment. We are incredibly excited to be working together on our mutual passion for creating amazing consumer experiences and reinventing how consumers search, discover and enjoy content on their televisions.”

With the newest Xbox 360 Dashboard update coming on 6 December likely to see their new aquisition’s debut, will Videosurf manage to be successfully introduced to Microsoft users little over a week after coming on board, and will it offer a further integrated streaming system for a console that already boasts Kinect voice searching?

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The report suggests that while one is set to be geared almost fully towards video gaming (including backwards compatibility for Xbox and Xbox 360 games) at a slightly more expensive rate, while the other will feature a set-top box-style system aimed mainly at providing gaming experiences for the body-sensor Xbox Kinect system, as well as online video streaming options.

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Designed to feature social viewing support for up to 12 (private) or 60 (public) users in a group session, the Crackle service takes place in Home’s virtual cinema.

With a selection of ’ad-supported’ and ‘full-length’ films and TV shows offered to users, with the integration with Home (which itself is a free service to people who own a PS3 console with Internet access) allowing users to transition from the regular service into the video viewer without added hassle, as well as the ability to chat to the other viewers whilst watching.

Although free video viewing is an option for PS3 users via other means, it is thought that the integration will be a key area of interest to many potential users, as well as a database of viewing options accessible from a single location.

Sony’s David Sterling said of the deal: “We are very excited to bring familiar social experiences from the real world into a virtual environment, so people around the globe can connect and communicate with each other while sharing their favorite movie, show, music, or event. This is the next big step in social networking and it will transform the way people consume media.”

In addition to the Crackle deal, PlayStation Home is set to be updated in December with user-generated content providers RadioIO (music) and Ustream (video) providing similar options for listening and viewing, adding to the content on offer in Sony’s virtual world.

For now, though, Sony will be looking to use their new partnership to compete with rival platforms (such as the Xbox 360), so will it manage to encourage an influx of new PlayStation Home users looking for a free online video service? And will it put Crackle on the online video map? An advert highlighting the features of this collective service can be seen below:

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Sony TV coming to Sony TV's

The news comes from the Wall Street Journal which reports that Sony have had talks with content suppliers including, “several big media companies” about their new Internet service. Sony would offer the service across their own hardware such as PS3 to Blu-ray players and connected TV sets.

Sony already have a pool of content to tap into as they own the online video service Crackle, the service would work by streaming television channels over the Internet to devices, but it is not known if those devices would be exclusively Sony branded.

They join a host of big name companies looking at launching online TV services. Google are said to be planning an online paid cable TV service and Apple are launching a connected television which can play content from the iTunes store.

No date for release is yet known, but watch this space for more info.

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While the hack did not affect the games (and games trailer) download and interactive service that the company are known for, Steam admitted that last weekend the servers, including those of their official forums, were ‘defaced’, and remain offline today.

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Games consoles have this week been listed as the most popular platform on which people watch online TV through their TV sets, suggesting that the ability to connect mobile devices (such as tablet computers and smartphones) and desktop browsers streaming content are not quite as mainstream as most would have thought, with the same applying for the purpose-made and Internet-connected ‘smart TV’s’.

The survey of online TV users in the USA was conducted by the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices, in a report entitled Multiscreen Connected TV: Assessing Device Usage and Ownership.

It discovered that while computers (and monitors) are still the most prominent approach to watching content online, many viewers prefer to connect their online devices to a larger TV screen, with games consoles (and their online TV services) seen as the easiest way to achieve this, with IP-based content generally delivered to the bigger screen via HDMI cables.

A key statistic released was that a total 12% of households in the USA use game consoles (mainly the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360) as a means of watching online content as a whole (as compared to just TV screens), a rate higher than that of any other device-to-TV method.

Meanwhile, age could be seen as starting an upward trend of alternative online TV, with around 65% of Xbox 360 aged under 25 claiming to use their console as their main means of accessing TV series and films online, with computer-based viewing lower down the list.

Jia Wu, a senior analyst on the survey, said of the results of his team’s research: “These findings indicate significant levels of consumer demand for such services. The upcoming Xbox TV launch for the holiday season will demonstrate an expansion of the partnership between the games consoles and the online TV and video industries. Games consoles have already become the key media hub in US households.”

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While the past few annual installments of the Call of Duty franchise have notably seen buyers queuing outside to get one of the first copies as soon as midnight falls, this edition is no different, though the developers of the game have decided to do something a little different for their more high-profile fans, with online TV playing a critical role in the proceedings.

Broadcast live on YouTube (with the stream also accessiable for free on numerous other websites and through gaming service Xbox Live) for 5 and a half hours (starting at 7pm), Call of Duty series producers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games (in association with console providers Xbox) threw an official launch party in London (England), one which the hosts advertised as ‘the most prestigious launch event of the year’. The event contained a large number of celebrity attendees, as well as live music alongside coverage of gaming tournaments, and highlights of similar events from across Europe. Interviews with developers were also featured.

The idea of a live launch party broadcast online seems to be a fairly new and interesting one for the industry, and judging by the publicity the event got, it may have managed to do a good-job of some last-minute recognition for the new release.

While it is a little late to enjoy the ceremonies now, clips advertising the event can be seen below. It is an interesting idea, but is any other gaming franchise big enough to justify such a large-scale ceremony?

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Sony have confirmed that revenue figures for the PlayStation Network connected gaming store are up by 14% following the headline-making service outage, while over 3 million new PSN members have also been recorded since the service resumed, though part of this rise in popularity may be down to the lucrative PlayStation Store ’welcome back’ packages (with free games and movies amongst the options available to customers) offered to affected users following the problems.

As a business side-effect, Sony seem to have also been boosted in other areas of their media empire, with 800,000 new customers for their ’Music Unlimited’ service and a 5% revenue increase on their Video Unlimited pay-per-view movie company.

Sony’s global business development director So Saida said that the news surrounding the PSN this year might have: ”…woken up [Sony's] dormant customers back to life. The outage has actually made us more available to those customers and reminded them of all the services available. But it’s got nothing to do with PR.”

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Hulu Plus coming to Nintendo consoles

Along with Hulu Plus, Nintendo also announced that the 3DS handheld console will also be able to record up to ten minutes of 3D video recording on the 3DS by the end of November.

The Nintendo consoles already have a streaming service available in the form of Netflix since July, but the Hulu Plus service increases the number of movies and TV shows available.

The Hulu free service will not be available on the Nintendo consoles though as only the Plus service costing $7.99 monthly can be used on non-pc devices.

Nintendo will also be adding new content to the Nintendo Video service, which will include a Dreamworks short with the Shrek characters singing Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

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Viewers love online streaming at the expense of cable

According to the 1500 respondents of the study, in the last six months viewing video on their computer grew by 26%, watching on a mobile device grew by 19% and watching video on game consoles grew 18%. The growth in web watching had to come from somewhere, and the loss is being felt by cable companies as the study showed that watching cable TV fell by 9% in the period

The migration online is not confined to the younger generation either, average age for web viewers is 33 and both male/female, and most are college educated. The time that most viewers watch is during the 8-11 PM primetime slot, second popular time was 6-8 PM.

Speaking about the study, Dina Kaplan, co-founder of Blip.tv said, “It’s clear from the research that web series fans are beginning to watch less television, while at the same time increasing the amount of content consumed on the web. It’s also significant that our viewers are more accepting of advertisements on web series, perhaps because fans are grateful to the advertiser for making the show possible.”

The study also looked at viewers’ attitudes toward online advertising and showed that Advertising is accepted more for for original oweb content than for television streaming. 43% of Blip.tv’s audiences reacted positively to pre-roll ads on original online series, compared to 30% who reacted positively to pre-roll advertising on television content online.

Blip.tv had a recent overhaulof their website to try and turn it into an online destination for original web TV shows, aggregated content and independent web only shows, series and webisodes.

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Leading this pack of reported pay-TV and subscription-based content (including movies and TV shows) is thought to be European movie rental and online streaming service LoveFilm, which currently operates in the British Isles, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden in a similar business model to American market giant Netflix, but owned by online shopping service Amazon.

Reports from business news company Bloomberg has claimed that Microsoft are in negotiations with no fewer than 20 different providers to become sources for TV series, movies, sports, and music for users of the subscription gaming platform in Europe and North America. These plans that were confirmed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer a few weeks ago (at the time quoted as up to ’hundreds’ of potential candidates) as the company intends to develop their Xbox 360 games console into a more all-round entertainment hub, with plans to start by launching ‘Xbox Live TV’.

The move with LoveFilm will be one aimed primarily at the market in the countries that it already has a presence in, but that seems to be the only potential deal reported that has a focus on European users. Bloomberg’s reports suggest that Microsoft’s other upcoming content deals may include HBO, Time Warner, Sony Pictures, and NBC Universal, with the selection of TV networks and movie studios giving an indication of the range that Microsoft want for their new service, adding to existing deals with Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, and Sky (British Isles).

With a suggested potential audience of 35 million Xbox Live ‘Gold’ subscribers around the world, there is a big audience range for a committed ’Xbox Live TV’ service to tap into, but will they be able to successfuly become a big name in online streaming, or at least move ahead of their games console rivals?

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Connected 'Smart' TV is on everyones christmas shopping list

During the first half of 2011, 6% of US broadband households were planning to go smart, but that number has risen to 10% during the second half of the year. And they prepared to pay around $1,000 for the pleasure.

Smart TV is defined as a HD flat screen TV that has inbuilt access to the web and streaming services such as Hulu and Youtube etc.

The reason for the big rise is a combination of aggressive advertising of connected TV. “Advertising campaigns from manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung, and VIZIO have boosted consumer awareness and interest, making connectivity a must-have feature for new CE products,” commented Tricia Parks, CEO of Parks Associates.

The other reason is that more people wanting to go social with a more interactive TV experience, Parks continued, “Younger consumers especially want the extra benefits on their new TVs of going to the web for social networking and on-demand video or subscription entertainment options.”

It is not just connected TV either, as users that want to keep their existing TV are looking at other connected devices such as game consoles, blu-ray players and set-top boxes.

And then we come to tablet PC’s, the survey showed that 19% of respondents plan on buying atablet in the run up to christmas. And when it comes to which make, Apple are running the show, Ms Parks said, “Apple is the preferred brand by far, capturing over 40% of planned tablet purchases for the rest of 2011.”

The dominance of the Apple brand will not be shaken up by the Amazon Kindle Fire this side of Christmas it seems. “Apple is reaping the benefit of being first to a very young marketplace, but it also has a very strong reputation in consumers’ minds, with over 70% of consumers familiar with the brand rating Apple as ‘innovative’ and ‘cool,’ although considerably fewer rate it as ‘affordable.’”

It seems that everyone is looking for streaming TV and movies on demand this christmas, whilst showing off about their new present to their Facebook friends.

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The service, which is being called Xbox Live TV, was revealed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, during an announcement made whilst in a conference for developers (BUILD). He claimed that the company are working alongside ‘dozens or hundreds of additional video content suppliers’, in order to boost the reputation of existing Xbox Live partners such as Netflix, ESPN, and Hulu, amongst others.

Other developments to the service are thought to include a link-up with Microsoft’s ‘Bing’ search engine, and a potential integration of Xbox Kinect’s voice-recognition technology.

Ballmer said of this potential to innovate the way viewers can watch online content: “Having all of that content is right on, it’s fantastic, but it brings a new challenge with it. Certainly we all know the frustrations of using guides and menus and controllers, and we think a better way to do all of this is simply to bring Bing and voice to Xbox. You say it, Xbox finds it.”

With details of the release still sketchy, the most that fans can look forward to for the time being is a launch that is reported to occur ‘before Christmas’. While a demonstration of Xbox Live TV was supposed to take place at this summer’s E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles (USA) was cancelled, rumoured partner Diamond TV’s involvement has now been thrown into question.

Microsoft have announced that an Xbox Live dashboard update will be required for all online users of the console later in the year, although the involvement of their new viewing service is uncertain in this aspect as well. With Microsoft also making themselves busy with their upcoming Windows 8 PC operating system, will the company be able to compete in the online streaming platform market on their most high-profile (and in some cases traditional) systems?

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The news comes little over four months after the PlayStation Network (the online download shop for PS3 and PSP users to access free and premium content for games, videos, and interactive services) was temporarily shut down as a response to hackers stealing personal and financial details of users.

It has been announced by Stringer, though, that the service has seen an increase of 3 million subscribers on the games consoles since resuming safe operations in late May, while the post-hack sales figures at the PlayStation Store have increased compared to before the incident.

Stringer was at the IFA conference in Berlin (Germany), and said of the improvements to the service: “I’m pleased to tell you that the PSN is more secure and better than ever. We are aggressively expanding its content. We have more than 3 million new customers since the network came back online, and sales are exceeding what we had before the cyber attacks.”

The comments follow those made in July by Sony’s president of network entertainment Tim Schaaff, who was even more optimistic, calling the process of being hacked ‘a great learning experience’. Schaaff said of the hacking scandals that followed Sony’s: “It’s been a great experience. I would not like to do it again. One time was enough. Great learning experience. It’s dramatic but that the lesson we learned from this process is that there are some crazy things going on in the world right now, and in the beginning we were very concerned that we were the focal point for this attack, and it was all about Sony, and what was Sony doing. But over time, the company learned that a wide variety of sites had been hit, including government institutions and other companies.”

With people like these working at the top, it seems as though the entire Sony company might be effectively brushing off the problems of last spring with a feel-good attitude to boot. Will looking on the bright side help inspire them to further growth and development?

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The service first premiered in the begining of 2010, and currently offers a selection of HBO’s movies and all past episodes of HBO’s original series to subscribers through web browsers, as well as iOS and Android apps.

But GigaOm reports that Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes confirmed in a company earnings call that the service would soon be expanding to consoles and connected TVs

The HBO Go service is currently only available to cable subscribers with an active HBO subscription, which must be confirmed online through the cable service provider.

The current HBO app has been a great success, with over 3 million downloads in under 2 months.

Details on which consoles would be getting access to the service have not yet been disclosed.

Video game consoles have become a popular method for watching on demand internet video in recent years, with half of all Netflix subscribers reportedly using a console to view the service’s streaming content, according to a recent Nielsen survey.

Subscribers to the Hulu Plus service can also stream TV shows and movies using the Xbox 360 and PS3 systems, though the service seems to have seen less use from console owners than Netflix does.

Game console owners are already well catered for online TV, Microsoft and Sony also have TV shows and movies to download for a fee through their online marketplaces.

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The remote will also allow you to navigate the dashboard, also it can control DVDs and CDs, and also control live TV if your location supports it and your Xbox 360 is set up for it.

The remote replaces the old one, matches the new Xbox 360 “Slim” models and has less buttons on it so it only includes the more often used features.

The new Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset is an in ear the model that pairs with your Bluetooth enabled Xbox 360, and will in the end replace the current wireless headset. It comes with a several ear adapters out of the box so you can find one that’s comfortable for you to wear.

It’s not officially supported, but the new Bluetooth headset also pairs well with phones and computers for voice communication. Microsoft wants you to know this as well they go out of their way to note it as a selling point, even though they likely won’t support pairing with other devices though.

Even though it’s branded and sold for use with the Xbox 360, early reviewers note that it’s a solid mobile headset for use with a phone, and the audio quality is quite good.

The media remote will go on sale for $19.99, and the Bluetooth headset will have a price tag of $59.99. Both will be available to buy early November 2011.

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