Sorry, you cannot watch your favorite TV show on Windows Phone 8 during your commute
Summary: It was so obvious that I assumed there was no question about support, but it turns out you cannot watch video content you rent or purchase from Xbox Video on Windows Phone 8 devices. Did Microsoft release an unfinished product to the public?
Yesterday Mary Jo pointed out some issues with Windows Phone 8 and luckily none of the devices I have been using for a few weeks has suffered any of these. However, I just ran into something this weekend that was confirmed by the folks at WPCentral and that is Windows Phone 8 doesn't support Xbox Video and that's not even a bug. I am not sure if it was just expected by everyone writing about Windows Phone 8 or what, but this issue is just now getting publicly discussed.
I was quite excited about the new Xbox Music service and think it offers the best of all worlds (streaming, offline, radio, storage locker) so I was actually shocked to find that you cannot view Xbox Video content on these new smartphones. I don't watch a ton of movies on my smartphones, but I do rent them on Google Play, Samsung Media Hub, or HTC Watch on my large screen Android devices to view on flights and even during my two hour commute. This weekend I was downloading the latest episode of The Walking Dead to enjoy on my iPad and realized that was all I was using my iPad for so my plan was to buy the next season on my Surface RT. I thought I could then extend that experience to the Lumia 920 or HTC 8X. This assumption is wrong and for some odd reason Microsoft does not support video content on WP8.
I understand there are not a ton of people that will watch a movie or TV show on their phone, but this support WAS present in earlier versions of Windows Phone so there is no reason it should not be expected to be present today. As you can see in the WPCentral article the purchase experience and terms of purchase even show you can watch it later on your Windows Phone. I don't think by later they mean in Windows Phone 9, do they?
It's is funny to now realize that Android is the becoming one of the best smartphone platforms for media content with multiple means to stream or download music (Google Music, Amazon MP3, Samsung Media Hub) and enjoy video content (Google Play, Samsung Media Hub, HTC Watch) on larger high resolution displays. I never watch video on my iPhone because the display is just too small so Android smartphones like the HTC Droid DNA and Samsung Galaxy Note II are my preferred phone video consumption devices. This lack of video support in Windows Phone 8 does cause me to pause and reconsider the platform as a viable alternative for daily usage. Does it bother you that Microsoft doesn't support video rental/purchase content on Windows Phone 8?
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Talkback
Another failure from Microsoft
Imagine if Google released a phone that couldn't access Google's YouTube. It just wouldn't happen. Imagine if Apple released a new iPhone that couldn't access iTunes. It would be the laughing stock.
Yet this is what Microsoft just did. It released a phone that can't access Microsoft's Xbox music as was previously promised. If Microsoft wants to survive in the smartphone biz, it's gotta hit the ground running. Instead, Microsoft is releasing half-baked products that lack features, lack apps, and are buggy (many people's Windows Phones suffer a black screen of death and keep restarting). This is from the same people who brought you the Kin.
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What it can't access is Xbox video, which is hardly used by anyone, I, nor anyone I know have ever used it. However i was listening to my Music with xbox live music pass this morning.
Yes, it's the video that doesn't work.
When the service started, Xbox video was billed as Microsoft's answer to YouTube. They called it "video everywhere." It now seems to be "video nowhere." At least not on Windows Phone 8.
Moar
Oh, or i would have, if I could find the location -- ZING!
And for those wondering
Re: Meanwhile, Apple Maps?
Note that the writer did not say that Apple was better for watching his videos: he said that Android was better for watching his videos.
stupid
Not stupid
I wondered how long it would take
sort of like
or who cares if your phone is littered with viruses and crashes all the time?
swings and roundabouts.... swings and roundabouts...
I wondered how long it would take
Once again, you vindicated me!
LOL! Thanks so much!
It's tougher to be a Microsoft troll
All iTunes content can be viewed on iPhone
maps
Nice to see you SC
its a fail
You can say who cares and that maybe true for 90% of the people or even 100% but when someone says video does not sync people think the phone is jacked and won't buy into the platform.
People won't quantify it. It will just be the platform that cannot sync movies.
Not the first time
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if this was microsoft first phone OS you'd have a point
Now windows 8 is supposed to be the answer but it's far from complete and thus won't be able to compete. How many version will they need to get something comparable to iOS and Android?
funny