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In case you didn’t know - the Apple TV is not the first device to offer up movie rentals, neither is it the only current one available. Xbox Live users have been able to rent movies from their sofa for quite some time now. Joystiq, the gaming blog, gives an in-depth comparison of the two services and how they differ from each other.

They believe that the Apple TV has a “severe handicap” because it is limited to only an entertainment device; whilst the Xbox is a combination of gaming and entertainment. You may remember that Steve showed a slide of all the companies that have tried and failed at movie rentals over the internet - Microsoft were one of them. Why I think Apple has clearly won this is because they have gained support from every major movie studio in the US. This means all of the hit films of the year will be available on your Apple TV - no doubt about it.

Although Xbox Live has quite a lot of support from several studios - they don’t have everyone on their side - and that means that you won’t be able to get every film on it. Apple has also done what was definitely needed in this high-definition age: HD movie rentals. For me, this is a necessity - and makes the Apple TV worth buying. So many people have HD-ready televisions, but aren’t receiving any HD content. Because you have to dish-out for a Blu-ray player or HD-DVD player or HD satellite subscription. I believe Apple has finally got it in the field of bringing blockbusters to your TV, and the Xbox should stick to gaming.

Via [Joystiq]