Since the start of the famed “Red Ring of Death” (RROD), Microsoft has had issues with getting people access to their Xbox Live Arcade games, movies, TV Shows, and other programming when their console is replaced with another unit.

Normally the scene was that you would have to either make sure you were signed in constantly to Xbox Live to verify your identity, although this did not work with a couple of titles, like Puzzle Quest.  The other solution was spend endless hours on the phone, only to finally get enough Microsoft points applied to your account in order for you to re-download the games. 

via Gamerscoreblog.com

Now after a few delays, Microsoft has a new way to do it, that should have been here right from the start.  It is their new DRM tool that allows you to migrate your content licenses to a new machine.  This can also be done if you have bought a new Xbox 360, like if you went to an Elite from a Premium edition 360.  The one caviat is that you can only doo this once a year.  Microsoft will also run this tool whenever you send a console in, removing the need to worry about more than one 360 dying in a year.  Also, movies will not transfer as they are rentals and not programming that you own.

About the only complaint I have is that we shouldn’t have to do this in the first place.  The console should stand up to more use than it does, but that is a whole different issue.