Xbox Movies on Demand launching in Australia on November 17

Movies on Demand is a service that has long been available to Xbox 360 owners in the US, but Australian gamers have so far been kept out of movies on their console loop. That's finally about to change, with the long-awaited Movies on Demand download service for Xbox 360 set to launch in Australia on November 17. The service will come with the next Xbox 360 dashboard update, which will also include a Twitter and Facebook app, allowing users to update and view the two social media sites.

Movies on Demand (MOD) is a video rental service which will feature more than 100 movies on launch, with Microsoft saying that it would be updated weekly. Films will be available in either high-definition 1080p or standard definition. Newly released HD films will set you back 480 Microsoft points, while SD films are half the price at 240 points. Powered by Microsoft's Smooth Stream Technology, MOD will detect your Internet connection and stream the highest resolution that your connection can handle. You aren’t forced to stream just rentals--there's also the option to download films to your hard drive, and you'll have 14 days to watch them before the time expires.

Some films confirmed to be available on the Australian service include Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight and Paramount Pictures' Mission Impossible.