Microsoft finally pushed its Xbox Video and a preview of Xbox Music to Windows Phone 8 on Wednesday, finally tying together its phone, PC, and living-room entertainment services.
Microsoft launched Xbox Music as a replacement for its Zune music service more than a year ago. Both Xbox Music and Xbox Video have been integrated into Windows 8.1 as well as the Xbox One. But Microsoft has struggled to bring Windows Phone into that mix, and still continues to do so: while Windows Phone 8 now supports a full-featured version of Xbox Video, Microsoft has only released a "preview" of Xbox Music.
Microsoft
Xbox Video for Windows Phone 8.
Fortunately, both apps appear to be relatively full-featured, and integrated into the other platforms. With Xbox Video, for example, users can buy or rent movies and TV shows on any of the supported platforms, pause the playback, and pick up on another platform, including Windows Phone. Rotten Tomatoes ratings and Metacritic reviews are highlighted, making the decision easier. As with other services, you can buy a season pass, and new episodes are automatically pushed to your subscription. Movie prices are relatively comparable with other services; at press time, Microsoft offered a daily deal to purchase Anchorman in HD for $5.99. (Xbox Video on the One can be controlled via the SmartGlass app for Windows phones and tablets.)
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