Xbox Video has been rebranded as Movies & TV in Windows 10. It’s something a lot of people had seen coming, especially with the new unified Windows 10 Store experience revealed earlier this year that removed the Xbox Video branding, but now it’s official.
The announcement came alongside the reveal of the more dramatic rebranding of Xbox Music as Groove with the evolution of both media services apparently being implemented due to fan feedback.
Very little appears to be changing between Xbox Video and Movies & TV on Windows 10 beyond the name change. Customers will still be able to buy or rent movies and TV shows with several series offering episodes the day after they air. The Movies & TV app in Windows 10 will let users add their own videos in much the same way the Xbox Video app currently does though with new added support for .MKV files and closer integration with the new Windows Store which now sells apps, music, movies and TV shows all in the same place.
While the specific reason for the rebranding isn’t detailed, it is easy to understand why the change was made. Naming a video service after a piece of hardware that users may or may not have has always been a barrier for getting the average user to use Xbox-branded services on their PC or phone. How many times have we all heard people say, “But I don’t have an Xbox!” when inquiring about Xbox Music or Xbox Video on their Windows Phone. I’ve even met some people who don’t play Xbox-branded games on their PC or Windows Phone, completely unaware that Xbox is a service and not just a gaming console.
What do you think about the renaming of Xbox Video? Do you think it will encourage more people to use the service or should something else be done? Do you think it should get a completely new name like, Groove? Share your ideas and thoughts in the comments below.
