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Microsoft Now Offers Downloadable Videos for Xbox 360!

CSI, Star Trek, The Ultimate Fighter, and other titles await Xbox 360 users to be downloaded from Xbox Live and played on the Xbox 360s.

Microsoft started offering Xbox 360 users the option to download TV shows and rent movies for Xbox 360, a "first" in the game console services world.

Movies for rent by year-end will include box-office hits like "Superman Returns," "MI III," and "The Matrix," while television shows (CSI, Star Trek, The Ultimate Fighter) can be found at the Marketplace store on the Xbox Live network.

At this time, Xbox 360 video downloading is an offer solely for US game console owners, and was introduced as an "anniversary gift," given the Xbox 360's recent anniversary.

Rival Sony is working on a similar offer for PlayStation 3 game console owners, but currently only small vid-clips and a number of PS3 video games are available for downloading on the PlayStation Store. Things will change, according to Sony Canada's Matt Levitan, holder of marketing and PR manager position:

"The content will grow on PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Store. The plan will have full length content and make it a one-stop shop."

PS3 is Sony's 7th generation console, 3rd PlayStation generation, released in November 2006 in Japan, the US, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the European and Australian launches scheduled in March 2007.