Xbox 360 to double as a television: Bill Gates

LAS VEGAS: Microsoft announced on Sunday that the Xbox 360 video game console would deliver television and movies via the Internet by the end of the year.

The Redmond, Washington-based software giant made the announced in a grand ballroom packed with more than 4,000 people in Las Vegas on the eve of the opening of the world's largest consumer electronics show.

"Our goal is to make entertainment more personal, more interactive and more social," Microsoft devices division president Robbie Bach said.

The IPTV (Internet protocol television) capability would enable users to watch television or films while playing video games or chatting on the Internet via Xbox consoles, according to Microsoft.