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Xbox Video Marketplace FAQ for Movies and TV Shows

By Eric Qualls Eric Qualls Writer Former Lifewire writer Eric Qualls has been covering the Xbox line of consoles and Xbox games since August 2004. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 31, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section Why Use Xbox Video Marketplace vs. Netflix? Renting vs Buying Xbox Video Marketplace TV Shows Xbox Video Marketplace Movies Other Things to Consider A great feature of the Xbox 360 and Xbox One is that you can download movies and TV shows to your hard drive. It is simple, fairly painless, and a great way to watch movies and TV shows. And they're all available in high-definition. Even better, you can stream them instead of downloading the entire video, which means you can start watching right away.

Why Use Xbox Video Marketplace Instead of Netflix

The obvious question is why buy or rent videos through the Xbox Marketplace instead of just using Netflix. Selection is the biggest thing. Just about every movie or TV show you could want is on the video marketplace, but not necessarily on Netflix. It also gives you the option of buying a movie and keeping it forever if you want. Both services are great, so we recommend taking advantage of both.

Renting vs Buying

A great feature is that you can rent movies and stream them right away. Many are available to rent digitally two weeks before they're available to buy on Blu-Ray or as a digital download, so if you want to watch a hot new release you can see it earlier on Xbox than if you waited for the physical version! Rentals only give you a 24-hour window to watch a video, though. If you want to keep a movie forever (or as close to forever as a digital product can be), you can also buy a movie or TV show and download it to your hard drive so you can watch it as much as you want. An Xbox Live Gold subscription is not required for buying or renting videos or using apps.

Xbox Video Marketplace TV Shows

Microsoft has partnerships with dozens of TV networks to bring you their latest and greatest shows. You can download the latest South Park just a few days after it airs. You can download condensed versions of NASCAR races. You can download ESPN’s College Football Game of the Week. You can even get the entire series of Lost if you want to. There's a ton of content here, and it's all just a button press or two away on your Xbox console. Many of these same networks also have separate video apps you can use to watch their content as well. Or you could always use Netflix or Amazon Prime Video or YouTube or any number of other apps if you wanted. You have lots of options these days. These TV shows aren’t free, though. A season pass can set you back anywhere between $15-40. That comes out to about what a season of a show costs when you buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray, so it isn’t too bad. Once you buy a season pass of a TV show, those episodes are yours forever.

Xbox Video Marketplace Movies

Microsoft has also made partnerships with movie studios to bring you full-length movies. Most of the big studios are represented, and you can download many movies the same day they're available in stores. Another great thing to note is that many movies available in high-definition only on Blu-Ray are available for download on the Xbox network. The cost of downloading these movies is about the same as a movie rental. Prices range from $3 for standard-definition on up to $6 for high-def movies. It also must be noted that you cannot keep the movies you rent. Once you start watching a movie, the rental expires in 24 hours. You can watch it as many times as you want in that time period. After you rent a movie, you have up to 14 days to start watching it before the 24 hour time period kicks in. If you buy the movie you, obviously, keep it forever and can watch it as much as you want.

Other Things to Consider

Broadband internet speed matters a lot when it comes to streaming video. The better your connection and speed, the higher quality the video that can come true. You need at least 3Mb/s to effectively stream video. If you download full videos instead of streaming them they can fill up your hard drive pretty quickly. Make sure you have plenty of space beforehand. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Crackle: Watch Free Movies and TV Online 11 Best Free Movie Download Sites 11 Best Free Apps for Streaming Movies in 2022 How to Watch the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies in Order How to Use Amazon Prime Video 12 Best Free Movie Websites Online (October 2022) All About the Netflix Streaming Service The 10 Best Ways to Watch Movies With Friends Online How to Stream and Watch All the How to Train Your Dragon Movies in Order How to Watch Star Wars Movies in Order on Disney+ How to Sync Movies to Your iPad Can You Watch Movies on Sony VR? How to Stream Spider Man: No Way Home How to Rent Movies on Amazon How to Watch Movies on YouTube All About the Vudu On-Demand Video Streaming Service Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies