Black Friday Deals

Microsoft is targeting Black Friday as the launch date for its new Xbox 360 Silverlight-based platform.

GigaOM reports that Microsoft is targeting Black Friday -- November 25 -- as the day it launches the new dashboard for the Xbox 360. This major update will be mostly based on "Lakeview," a "prettied-up" modified version of Microsoft's Silverlight development framework that will include Kinect's voice recognition and gesture control. The new dashboard will also feature apps mostly based on Silverlight, and H.264-encoded video delivery using Apple's HTTP Live Streaming (HLS).

According to the report, Microsoft is apparently still modifying the Lakeview code, as the company continues to release weekly updates to the application framework. Sources have indicated that Microsoft has made "fundamental additions and subtractions" to the platform's capabilities over the last few weeks, forcing partners to update and re-test their apps with each new release. Microsoft's plan, according to sources, is to mature Lakeview rather quickly so that other third-parties outside the current 50 content providers can release apps right after the initial launch.

"That could be one reason that Microsoft has remained mum on its implementation of Silverlight on the Xbox," GigaOM reports. "We reached out to both the Silverlight and Xbox PR teams but were told that the company "has nothing to announce" about the development framework’s being used for its game console."

Last week Microsoft revealed a long list of content providers for its TV and entertainment service including Bravo, Comcast, HBO GO, Verizon FiOS and Syfy here in the States. Internationally, the console will see the likes of BBC in the U.K., Telefónica in Spain, Rogers On Demand in Canada, Televisa in Mexico, ZDF in Germany, and MediaSet in Italy. Microsoft said it will begin to roll out its TV service this holiday season in more than 20 countries.

Previous reports have also indicated that the new dashboard will be redesigned in a layout Microsoft unofficially calls Twist Control. Console owners will be able to use the Xbox 360 controller to flick through channels that are displayed at the top of the screen to find specific content. Kinect owners can also use the device to flick through the channels using voice and motion controls.