Initial plan to turn your Xbox 360 into a cable box is, sadly, kinda complicated and pointless

Dreams of getting rid of your cable box in favor of just Microsoft’s machine was perhaps a bit rash after-all.

As noted not too long ago, MS managed to finally get cable television programming as part of Xbox Live, which is still a pretty damn big coup. But as also assumed, it’s also going to be messy, at least right from the start. Though it seems especially pointless from the get-go, which is not good when you’re trying to sell a new concept to the public.

Here’s the deal: Verizon FiOS subscribers will be able to view 26 channels on their Xboxes starting next month, provided that they not only subscribe to FiOS cable AND FiOS internet. So what’s the point then? I have no idea. Again, you have to pay for not only cable, but also internet, AND Xbox Live, to see channels that you could have gotten with the first part. And not even all of them.

The only real “bonus”, if you can call it that, is how you’ll be able to switch between channels via voice and gesture commands thanks to the Kinect. Yay. Baby steps, I know. BTW, Comcast has yet to reveal their plan, but I once had them, when living in Jersey, and they sucked the big one, so I expect their plans to be even worse.

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