CinemaNow, which offers paid movie and TV show downloads (rental and to-own), has updated its Media Manager software, so that content from its store can be streamed from a PC to the XBox 360. This represents the latest move by CinemaNow to get its service to work across multiple devices and platforms, from portable media players, media extenders, set-top-boxes, and Internet-connected televisions such as HP’s upcoming line of MediaSmart LCD TVs.

Integatation with the XBox 360 is presumably made possible because CinemaNow employs Microsoft’s own DRM, with the game console operating as a media extender where downloads are stored and managed on a user’s Windows PC, and then streamed to the XBox 360 for viewing on a television. The end result is that CinemaNow’s service is able to compete with Microsoft’s own offering, XBox Live Video Marketplace.

Last month we reported on Jaman’s efforts to get its own movie download service onto the AppleTV, which involves a convoluted hack to Apple’s set-top-box. Although both the 360 and AppleTV are closed systems not open to third-party software development (aside from games, in the 360’s case) — unlike Apple, Microsoft does licenses its DRM solution to third parties.

Also see:  Microsoft’s Internet TV strategy: today and in the future 

(hat-tip: Missing Remote)

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