According to a report by Nielsen, game consoles aren’t just being used to play games anymore; they’re video watching machines too.

A survey in October showed that online video streaming is on the rise for the top three consoles, Microsoft Xbox, Playsation 3, and Nintendo Wii. The Wii is the most popular video game console used for online streaming.

The report shows that 33% of the time spent on the Nintendo Wii goes to video streaming, with the PS3 at 15%, and Xbox at 14%. Those numbers might reflect the demographics that use those consoles, with the Wii being the most family friendly and mainstream.

Video streaming on the three consoles are up 7% since 2010, and all of these numbers show that consoles aren’t just for gaming, and that people are spending more and more time on them.

We recently reported the complete user interface overhaul on the Xbox, which proves that Microsoft is predicting that the console is a focus point in the living room. Popular services like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and ESPN3 allow for a seamless viewing experience that doesn’t require switching the console off and cable TV on.

These trends aren’t going to slow down either, because fast internet is commonplace in the home, especially for serious gamers.

Is the dream of getting proper digital versions of your favorite tacky videos finally coming true?

Shofha (meaning see it, with a touch of Egyptian accent), the Middle East’s first legal website to download Arabic video content has launched, allowing users to download, stream or rent films at DVD quality without resorting to online piracy.

Call it NetFlix for the Middle East, Shofha features a good – and really tacky, in my opinion – collection of movies, series and live TV.

Operated by a subsidiary of Orascom’s LINKdotNET, the same company that manages the content of MSN Arabia, Shofha’s claims that its prices are cheaper than the many pirated DVDs that are prevalent in the region.

I think Shofha now needs to create partnerships with TV and digital boxes like Netflix has done to ensure proper propagation of their service. Even a Boxee plugin for now should help Arabic content hungry users to enjoy the service from the comfort of their couch.

via Digital Production Middle East