Tuesday, July 22nd 2008
Xbox 360 Could Stream Netflix Content Soon
This fall, Xbox 360 gaming console could be given capabilities to stream content from providers such as Netflix. Microsoft announced a tech partnership with the popular movie rental company Netflix at the E3 video game convention in Los Angeles, United States. That gives you access to the thousands of movies and TV shows Netfilx has in store for rental viewing. It's a good deal for Netflix as it adds to its market media, even more so for Microsoft since its squeezing in all the value-added-services it can for the Xbox 360 which already seems to be threatened by the Japanese Nintendo Wii on home-turf, and the Sony Playstation 3 which comes with capabilities to play Blu-Ray discs, the next big physical content medium.
Source:
Popular Science
31 Comments on Xbox 360 Could Stream Netflix Content Soon
www.engadget.com/2008/07/22/netflix-on-the-xbox-360-gets-demonstrated-on-video/
i hate how we dont get tv programs or netflix but the USA gets it
we get to rent movies which is cool if they are in hd but some of them are not like cadyshack i mean we can already see that in sd on CH5 in the uk
So confused. :confused:
This is the equivalent to adding a Microsoft tax to a feature that is supposed to be FREE to all Netflix members.
Also note that the $99.99 Roku device does the same Netflix Watchnow streaming thing with no weekly / monthly / yearly fees. The Roku pays for itself within about ~2.5 years whereas the Xbox 360 Live Gold Netflix arrangement keeps sucking in your money without limit.
www.roku.com/netflixplayer/
I’m pleased that Microsoft and Netflix have made this possible but I’m disgusted that they are leveraging their Live Gold accounts to do it.
Nobody is forcing you to get this service. If it's not worth it to you to get it, don't.
First off I’m not whining.
Second, I pay more then $15 for my Netflix account by choice so that I can have more movies out at a time. I also enjoy my cable TV via Vista Media Center and receive over 140 QAM channels which is a rarity from what I gather from most that receive QAM. I use an Xbox 360 as a high definition capable Media Center eXtender.
The only problem I have is that Microsoft has chosen to leverage their Live Gold account in order to receive a feature such as Netflix Watchnow that shouldn’t have any extra cost attached to it for Netflix members. I don’t currently have a Live Gold account nor do I really want one. I can understand that those who maintain a Live Gold account for their Xbox 360 wouldn’t see it as an extra expense but it is for those who don’t.
And again, the Roku access the same Netflix database without the charges attached to the Xbox 360 for the Live Gold account. PC users with a Netflix account also access the same Netflix database at no extra charge. Also there are a number of methods for Media Center Edition / Vista Media Center users to access the same Netflix database within Media Center Edition / Vista Media Center. Some of those methods presumably also allow the Xbox 360 to access the Netflix database,….again at no extra charge.
Naturally I wouldn’t pay for the Live Gold account but that doesn’t mean I cant get the same feature a number of different ways even on the Xbox 360.
Requiring you to have a Gold Account to watch Netflix is highway robbery. I can just hook my laptop up to my TV and stream my Netflix to that for free.
Blue pill/red pill :D
Here are links to examples of users accessing Netflix Watchnow with a host of features on their Media Center PCs and Media Center eXtenders which include the Xbox 360:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcqEh10JDKw&feature=related
myweb.cableone.net/eluttmann04/projects/vmcNetFlix/default.htm
www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/16/mynetflix-vmcnetflix-and-netflixmc-plug-ins-get-compared/
There is more then one way to skin a cat its just that Microsoft's way is the only way that requires that additional~$39.99 annual fee whereas all other ways are free to Netflix members (as it should be). I call it the “Microsoft Netflix transport tax” (or highway robbery for short ;) ) and obviously I wont pay it but that doesn’t mean I cant or wont get the same functionality.
Lol...So is this how the justify paying close to 50$ a year?
BTW, I'm not sure if this was posted on the news, but Sony already has a service like this. However Sony didn't outsource it, they did it like iTunes and made their own movie service.
Netflix account pricing depends on the plan. Netflix has eight plans, ranging in price from $9.99 for one movie out at a time (Physical DVD sent to your home via snail mail) to $47.99 for eight movies out at a time (unless they changed it). The Netflix Watchnow online service is a free addition to maintaining a Netflix account.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix
The Roku device which accesses the same Netflix online database will supposedly be receiving High Definition downloads soon as well as adding other sources of media beyond Netflix. Many people suspect that Roku will add “Hulu.com“ media. Current users of the Roku claim that the video quality can reach DVD quality but it does depend on your network connection naturally. I suspect video quality will be the same for the Xbox 360.
Personally I hope Microsoft eventually makes the Netflix service available to Silver memberships thus making it truly free to Netflix members (as it should be). Initially they may roll it out for only Live Gold members in the hopes that it will stimulate membership for their pay-to-play scheme. However, I don’t think anyone well informed would subscribe to the service at that price only to get Netflix Whatchnow (which they already have access to with their Netflix account). Xbox 360 users who signup would have likely done so anyway for gaming purposes. After analyzing the data Microsoft may change their policy. I’m not sure that Microsoft even has to shoulder any kind of network load specific to this service and may only provided a secure platform for viewing. Well actually they try to make a secure platform but neither the Roku, Xbox 360 or PC is actually a secure platform for Netflix Watchnow.
So the minimum Netflix account fee with Watchnow online viewing would be ~$9.99 a month but the minimum Microsoft Xbox 360 offering with Netflix account fee and Watchnow online viewing would be ~$9.99 a month plus ~$39.99 a year for Live Gold.