Popular TV feature on Xbox is shut down in blow for 28 million gamers – what it means for your purchases
GAME OVER Popular TV feature on Xbox is shut down in blow for 28 million gamers – what it means for your purchases
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A POPULAR TV feature on Xbox has been shut down in a blow for 28 million gamers.
Microsoft has suddenly shut its movies and TV store on Xbox consoles and Windows PCs.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
1
Microsoft has suddenly shut its movies and TV store on Xbox consoles and Windows PCs
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
You can no longer purchase new movies and TV shows from the Microsoft store on Xbox or Windows.
But you will still be able to access previously purchased content on your devices.
Microsoft said: "Downloads will continue to be available on Windows and in HD max resolution."
You'll have to continue using the Movies & TV app on Windows or Xbox to play the content you own, rather than accessing it from another service.
Microsoft isn't offering a refund for purchases either.
Ever since Microsoft shut down its Groove Music service in 2017, this change has been nervously anticipated by Xbox and Windows users.
The company had originally launched a movies and TV storefront with Zune Marketplace in 2006.
It was then replaced by Xbox Video in 2021 and then morphed into the Movies & TV app and store in 2015.
A decade later and its gone.
Microsoft is now leaving it up to Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV and other streaming services to cater for movies and TV content on Windows and Xbox.
Microsoft finally reveals its brand new handheld console
They will continue to provide support for any issues with previously purchased content.
Users will be hoping the company keeps its servers online for years to come yet.
The Sun also reported last month how millions of Xbox owners have been left with a bad taste in their mouths after the latest console update bombarded them with ads.
While the new updates fix some long-standing issues, the Xbox user experience has also been impacted.
In the update, Microsoft had finally fixed the heavily complained-about bug where video game box art and thumbnails were stretched or distorted on the home screen, following a previous update in July 2024.
What first felt like an exciting change for the retro console, has left some gamers disgruntled.
Elsewhere, Microsoft is also set to replace the iconic blue screen of death after 40 years of filling people with dread.
In a bittersweet announcement, the tech giant said it is "streamlining the unexpected restart experience".
"This change is part of a larger continued effort to reduce disruption in the event of an unexpected restart," David Weston, Microsoft's Vice President of Enterprise and OS Security revealed.
A part of that is slashing the downtime during the worrying unexpected restart to about two seconds for most people.
The blue screen of death will be replaced by a simpler black screen of death instead.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The retired civil servant and royal fan who swears blind she spotted the Waleses on a £40million superyacht off the coast of an enchanting Greek island
Normally at this time of year the people of the Ionian Islands talk of being overworked and little else. With nearly three million tourists visiting the region during July and August, they certainly have their work cut out. Not that they'd have it any other way, of course. For more than a week, though, another topic, or rather a question, has dominated conversation in bars and tavernas, particularly on beautiful Kefalonia. Has anyone seen Prince William and his family? Locals swear blind that the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children George, 12, Charlotte, ten, and seven-year-old Louis arrived on the island by private Lear jet on July 16. Also in tow, others insisted, were the future King's in-laws, Carole and Michael Middleton. All were then driven to a waiting superyacht. And from there out to azure waters and, well, who knows where? Speculation has been rife. 'Oh yes, sure, I got a picture of their boat,' a taxi driver assures me. He flourishes his smartphone and a photo of the superyacht, Norn, cruising north of the capital Argostoli. He adds: 'It's owned by a Microsoft tycoon, a billionaire tech guy. I know for sure this is the one they're on.' Maybe. But wasn't the smart money on an even bigger boat? On July 19 stories began to surface in the Greek media of how the Prince and Princess were enjoying the largesse of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a prominent member of the UAE royal family. His £340 million 146-metre (479ft) mega-yacht, Opera, is said to be one of the most opulent private vessels in the world. It boasts every amenity imaginable and in some cases, like Noah's Ark, two of everything – including helipads. While the story was ignored by the British media, it was picked up around the world. The Delhi-based Hindustan Times, for instance, ran its account under the headline 'Prince William, Kate Middleton sailing around Greece on yacht belonging to Emirati sheikh'. Some stories specified restaurants the royals were supposed to have visited. Social media hastened the story's spread, proclaiming certain 'facts' with inflexible certainty. On Kefalonia, meanwhile, where rumours move quicker than the Opera at full tilt, locals added their own embellishments. A taverna waiter in the pretty fishing village of Agia Efimia, where the Opera dropped anchor, tells me the royals were taken to the harbour by tender boat. 'There were about 12 black people carriers waiting for them. Then they were driven to the Melissani Cave which was closed for the day just for them.' But did he see William and Kate and the kids in the flesh? 'No, but my cousin Vangelis did, I'm sure of it.' Once located, however, Vangelis admits: 'I saw their executive cars speeding through the village, but I'm sorry – I cannot truly say that I eyeballed them.' Wiser souls in the village insisted the waiter and his cousin, and many more besides, were simply mistaken. What they really saw, they said, was not the Windsors but the Emiratis – something confirmed when the Daily Mail visited the roofless limestone Melissani Cave. There, cheerful gondoliers row tourists through a stalactite-lined cavern filled with brackish water of a startling ultramarine. One of the gondoliers says: 'It's fake news. The Arab royals and their children came and we closed the cave off for half an hour so they could have a private tour. 'But there was definitely no William and Kate.' It was a similar story at the restaurants on the island where the Prince and Princess and their children were supposed to have 'sampled delightful local delicacies'. Two expressed bemusement but promised a warm welcome should the royals drop by. A third said it was visited by an Opera crew member. 'Nobody from your royal family though,' said the manager. The Ionian Islands are steeped in rich mythology. Was the story of William and Kate's holiday proving just that – a myth? Besides, Lear jets and mega-yachts aren't a particularly good look for a prince who wears his green credentials proudly. William's Earthshot Prize gives £1 million every year to five projects tackling climate challenges. And wasn't it only a couple of months ago that he was hailing Sir David Attenborough on the eve of his new documentary, Ocean? In it, Sir David intones: 'I now understand that if we save the sea we save our world.' And it goes without saying that the great naturalist is decidedly sniffy about fuel-guzzling superyachts, which are said to cause even more damage to the environment than private jets. Maybe William and co had opted for a caravan holiday on the Isle of Wight instead. Sources were still insisting, though, that the royals had 'definitely' landed at Kefalonia's main airport. Then word reached the Daily Mail of a woman – a retired senior civil servant in the Greek defence ministry – who was said to have seen them first hand. The only known person, in fact, to have laid eyes on them. We traced her to her home overlooking enchanting Mavrouna Bay, close to the postcard-pretty village of Kioni on the tiny neighbouring island of Ithaca, which with emerald shores, wooded hills and secluded beaches is even more beautiful than Kefalonia. Aged 64, Penelope Likoudi was born and raised on the island, where she now owns a number of luxury apartments. A friend says: 'She is a respected lady, someone of high standing here.' She's a huge admirer of the royals too, has visited Buckingham Palace and Balmoral, 'devours' everything written about them and 'cried for days' when Princess Diana died. Over lemonade and cake at a cafe overlooking secluded Mavrouna Bay, she takes up the story of her royal encounter. Every day, she says, she swims in the bay, 'where I do exercises in the water for my back'. Last Tuesday was no different but this time there was a yacht moored about 100 metres or so from the shore and vaguely mindful of the stories of William and Kate, she decided to check it out. 'It was a possibility as a lot of celebrities come to this very spot. I think it was sometime after 11.30 in the morning,' she recalled. 'I swam out beyond the warning buoy and was about 30 metres (100ft) from the yacht when I saw them. Kate was standing on the top level with Charlotte and Louis. She was wearing a dark wraparound dress. 'There was an older lady next to them, possibly Kate's mother, but I wasn't able to see her well. 'I literally shivered with excitement. I was shocked, I couldn't believe it. 'Now I wish I'd called out hello to them. But I didn't, I got star-struck and couldn't get the words out. There was no sign of William or George though.' Did they see her? 'I think they must have done. I was the only one swimming that far out. You know, there was only a handful of locals on the beach.' 'They were looking at the wonderful bays, all green with trees coming all the way down to the sea. And I thought that maybe they would take out a boat so I waited for a bit,' she said. 'There was some sort of movement in the lower deck – the crew were untying something. 'But I couldn't stay long. I have only limited time because my mother is 94 and bedridden and I needed to get back to her. First though, when I got to dry land, I went to the top point of the cape and took some pictures of the boat with my phone.' It transpires that the Prince and Princess were in fact on the 50 metre (164ft) Almax, one of the world's first fuel-cell superyachts which is estimated to be worth £40million. Built by Italian firm San Lorenzo, it is described as a 'huge milestone in the future of sustainable boating'. That at least should deflect any criticism heading the Prince's way. Sure enough, Penelope's sighting tallies with maritime records which show that the Almax left Kioni the following day. It returned to Argostoli on Friday. There remains one mystery. Witnesses saw a different party exit the boat the next morning. So had the royals got off elsewhere? Intriguingly, on the morning Almax left Mavrouna there were said to be several other superyachts in the bay, including the Norn, the boat mentioned by the taxi driver when I first arrived in Kefalonia. 'The bay is like a catwalk for these yachts,' said a gift shop owner, adding that basketball legend Michael Jordan's yacht was 'also here on the same day'. Before Almax sped north a man arrived on Norn – which is owned by Microsoft mogul Charles Simonyi – by helicopter. Some locals speculated fancifully that it might be William. Unlikely, says Penelope. 'But either way, it's a shame I didn't get to see him.' Others in Kioni spoke of a visit William and Harry made to the village with their mother in 1995. 'Perhaps he was making a nostalgic return, a trip down memory lane,' says one woman. 'The English royals love it here. Charles and Diana stopped off on their honeymoon. And Charles and Camilla came ashore at Mavrouna in 2012. 'Now William has returned like Odysseus.' The Greek hero's delayed return to Ithaca is the plot of Homer's epic poem Odyssey. As Penelope heads for home, she speaks of the 'magic of Mavrouna and its special energy'. She adds: 'Kate has been unwell and I hope their holiday helped them. I hope they come back again. But I have no wish to see Harry and Meghan as I just can't stand them. 'For now I will treasure this special memory. I just wish I'd said hello. Maybe we could have had a chat.' William and Charlotte subsequently flew to Switzerland on Sunday to cheer on the Lionesses as they won the Euros final. It is understood that the family are now back in Britain.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
You need eyes of a sniper to find hidden pencil lead in just 7 seconds
Sharpen your visual skills with this devilishly difficult brainteaser that most people fail. Seriously, you'll need eagle eyes and rapid reaction skills to crack this one Put your visual skills to the ultimate test with this mind-boggling brainteaser. It's quite literally like trying to find a needle in a haystack... With the summer holidays in full swing, it won't be long until our little ones start complaining that they're bored. Solving riddles and cryptic puzzles is a great way to occupy them - even if it's just for a couple of minutes - and can actually have a positive impact on their central nervous system. Now, this won't magically transform them into a genius, or guarantee that they'll get into Oxford University, but it could help improve their attention span and concentration levels. Plus, it's better than them spending hours on their Xbox every night. The image above first appears to be a complete jumble. As previously reported, there's so much going on it's all pretty chaotic - and if you stare at it for too long, it might make your eyes ache as the patterns start to blend into one. But persist in scrutinising the image, as hidden amongst the whirls of colour is a very specific object - a pencil lead. You need to find it in just seven seconds or less to prove you have the eyes of an eagle. We're not giving away any clues on this one, but zooming in on the image may help you spot the rogue object quicker. If you're still feeling utterly stumped, you can scroll down to the bottom of the article to find the answer - but no cheating! If that deceptively difficult brainteaser didn't even make you break a sweat, check out this super challenging quiz that's bound to fool you. At first glance, all of these questions may seem like your standard pub quiz, but each one is strategically designed to trip you up. You can only spend three seconds on each question before you have to move on to the next, and you can only read each question once. Most people score just seven out of 10, so you need to get at least eight correct to prove you're a genius. Once you're done, you can check your answers here. Which part of the human body contains the three smallest bones? According to legend, which King would gather with his knights at the round table? What animal is the largest land carnivore by mass? What bird completes the title of the famous book 'To Kill A...'? In what decade did India gain independence from Britain? In the human body, what is the scientific name for the voice box? Caracas is the capital of which South American country? What is the scientific study of the weather called? Who played Bane in the 2012 Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises? "Load up on guns, bring your friends. It's fun to lose and to pretend," are lyrics from which famous song? ANSWER: The lead is lurking just above the middle of the photograph. You may need to magnify the image to spot it properly, but if you focus on the centre of the snap, the pencil lead should be positioned diagonally up towards the left - roughly at 11 o'clock if you imagine a clock.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Horoscope today, July 30, 2025: Daily star sign guide from Mystic Meg
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes. Read on to see what's written in the stars for you today. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up ♈ ARIES March 21 to April 20 You're ready to stand up and shine – with a personal star rating that is strong. But do remember who has helped you along the way, and try to share rewards as equally as responsibilities. A woman who wears bright colours and patterns has surprising business proposals – and you sense there can be a place for you. 3 Your daily horoscope for Wednesday ♉ TAURUS April 21 to May 21 Making space in your schedule for a few more impulsive choices maximises the benefit of your positive Uranus influence. So when a less-expected option is suddenly on the table, you are ready for this. A bond with links to leisure can be reborn in a business setting as you reconnect with someone you always sense 'gets you'. Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♊ GEMINI May 22 to June 21 Your imagination zone is lighting up in ways that can surprise the world. By tonight you can see how skills you may have taken for granted could be star moneymakers. As for love, ditching routine and going for gold helps you find unforgettable ways to show you care. Luck focuses on 'T'. Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♋ CANCER June 22 to July 22 A final push towards a family solution can show everyone you are serious. And any gap you have felt growing can start to close again. As for your passion profile, deep down you do know what you really need from a partner, and now you can put this into words. Single? The One wears a one-colour outfit. Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♌ LEO July 23 to August 23 Everything about you today is dreamy and emotional – trying to hide this won't be easy. Instead, let your creative self set the standard and make those work suggestions you usually hold back. In love terms, just jump right in. If you start the day single, a call or chat about a dream can wake up the flirtation factor. Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♍ VIRGO August 24 to September 22 Your ability to decode everything from memos to minds is on the up thanks to Neptune's influence – making this a day to trust your instincts. Even if it's the opposite of what you think or feel. Meanwhile, maverick Uranus introduces a try-anything drive that draws you towards an unusual 'B' project. Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions 3 A wellbeing moon brings forward questions and helps you ask them Credit: Getty ♎ LIBRA September 23 to October 23 Saturn's cautious take on a tough deal may feel like it can't possibly work, but is worth giving a try. When you show patience mixed with vision, you can unlock new levels of co-operation. Passion-wise, perhaps you've noticed a certain face before, but this time, it is all you see when in a crowded space. Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♏ SCORPIO October 24 to November 22 Venus makes your sector of self-growth really sing – and as the love planet is moving on tonight, the time to act on this is now. All around, you can create balance between solo and sharing needs, taking bonds to the next level. Single? Someone who is a superfan of a daily fitness routine can send your heart into a spin. Get all the latest Scorpio horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♐ SAGITTARIUS November 23 to December 21 Deep down, your chart is one of togetherness, even if it doesn't feel that way – so sticking to a positive view of all your relationships is your quest today. Believe the best of everyone – including yourself – and you can feel control coming back. A set of three sparkling items can link to family riches, and revelations. Get all the latest Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♑ CAPRICORN December 22 to January 20 New subjects and styles may not be to everyone's taste but you are so persuasive and can get work ideas over the line. While at home, changes can start moving in a direction you dream of. If you're in love, when partners take on a task together, it halves the effort. Single? Your soulmate is in their first hour of a 'first' job. Get all the latest Capricorn horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions 3 You might have some unusual home ideas as the most outrageous planet gets involved Credit: Supplied ♒ AQUARIUS January 21 to February 18 The sun warms all chart connections, and a social event that moves from inside to outside, or vice versa, can be the start. You may feel you have enough people in your life already, but do make space for a special 'R' name. Passion is on top form today, and when you decide to issue a love challenge, it will feel so right. Get all the latest Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions ♓ PISCES February 19 to March 20 You have such a lot to say at work, yet you stay silent. Working out why this happens can be such a personal progress step – and today you can begin. There is so much encouragement around you once you allow yourself to accept it. A holiday picture, with four sunny smiles, is where you can spot your soulmate. Get all the latest Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
