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This week Microsoft are switching on the services that accompany Windows 8 and today Xbox music streaming has gone live. From the app you can stream music by artists and there are smart playlist features.

Microsoft has also confirmed that the full features of the SmartGlass app will be live this week with features like watching movies on a Windows tablet and send it to the Xbox 360 where the tablet then becomes a 2nd screen with info about the movie and sharing web browser sessions with a Windows Phone.

This video from Microsoft explains the features

 

 

Today, we are unveiling our first wave of experiences and partners for Xbox SmartGlass. They are the first of many to become available over the coming months.

Navigate your Entertainment – Your phone and tablet will become the best remote controls in your house. Use the touch screen on your smartphone or tablet to control your Xbox 360, and use your devices to pause, rewind or advance entertainment.

TV & Movies – With Xbox Video, start a TV show or movie on your Windows 8 tablet and finish it on the big screen through Xbox 360; see the names of cast and crew for the film you are watching and discover related films. To give you one example of what you can expect, coming next season, HBO GO’s “Game of Thrones” will offer groundbreaking Xbox SmartGlass experiences.

Sports – While watching the game, use a second screen to follow real-time stats, player bios, news and highlights you may have missed. All of this and more will be available for NBA Game Time, ESPN and UFC in the coming months.

Music – Control your Xbox Music experience on the TV using your smartphone or tablet, discover related artists and songs, cue up additional music, read artist bios and more.

Internet Explorer for Xbox – The Web comes to TV like never before with Xbox 360 and Xbox SmartGlass. With your smartphone or tablet, pan or pinch and zoom to explore the Web on the largest and best screen in the house, enjoy easy text entry with the keyboard on your tablet or phone, and then move your browser back to your device to take it on the go.

Games – Get more from your game when you can use a second screen. Turn you phone or tablet into a virtual GPS in Forza: Horizon. Don’t stop the dance party in Dance Central 3 by going back to the menu to choose your next song. Instead, queue it up on your tablet or smartphone. In HomeRun Stars, use SmartGlass on your favorite device to throw a surprise pitch to your friend up at bat in front of Kinect. See detailed stats on how you are progressing in Halo 4, or check up on friends. All of these features and much more will be available when your favorite game extends to multiple screens.

And we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible. In the future, new games will be created, TV shows and movies will be re-imagined, and sports will be broadcast from the ground up with Xbox SmartGlass in mind.

Moreover, we are making it easier than ever to buy an Xbox 360 console. Starting this fall, we are rolling out the “Entertainment for All” pricing plan that enables you to buy an Xbox 360 for $99 when you sign up for 2 years of Xbox LIVE. Entertainment For All Plan will include U.S. retailers: Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Toys R Us and the Microsoft Store.

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