‘Merry Christmas’ from Microsoft — launching Xbox TV

Shacknews is reporting that Microsoft’s own — CEO Steve Ballmer demoed Xbox TV functionality, confirming plans to launch the service this Christmas. Details on price and what TV partners are on board are sketchy but Ballmer promised that Microsoft is working with “dozens or hundreds of additional video content suppliers.”

Steve Ballmer also mentioned that the service will work much like the Sky TV media service works for Xbox 360 in the United Kingdom, Canal Plus in France, and FoxTel in Australia. It will give folks access to “news, sport and your favorite channels.”

Apparently there’s also integration between the TV’s service and Microsoft’s own search engine, Bing, and Kinect’s voice-recognition technology. Here’s a quote from Ballmer in” talking up” the service:

 “Certainly we all know the frustrations of using guides and menus and controllers, and we think a better way to do all of this is simply to bring Bing and voice to Xbox. You say it, Xbox finds it,”

Are you interested in Microsoft’s latest service Xbox TV? CCU wants to hear from you.