Xbox 360 Could Stream Netflix Content Soon

[btarunr]

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

[btarunr]

Many thanks to A Cheese Danish for sending this in.

[A Cheese Danish]

Thank you my good sir

[mlupple]

This is totally bad-ass! I don't like watching movies on my PC. Now I will put the netflix downloads to good use!

[Cold Storm]

I love it! I've been using Netflix for almost 5 years... I love the full database, and everything you can get. Can't wait to use my account for it all!

[narnia]

here's a Netflix on the Xbox 360 gets demonstrated on video form engadget...

http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/22/n...ated-on-video/

[cjoyce1980]

I do hope this comes to the UK

[Wile E]

I hope it's still free for Netflix subscribers. I will not pay extra for this.

[Easy Rhino]

this is fairly old news. if i remember correctly, there wont be an option for HD streams

[KieranD]

its free at no extra charge!!!!

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

[PrudentPrincess]

I thought this was already announced and confirmed.
So confused.

[Octavean]

Its not free. First you must have a Netflix account which indeed is not free but that is obvious. Second, and the most important part bear with me, you must have an Xbox 360 Live Gold account which again most certainly is not free. Keep in mind that Live Silver accounts are free but Live Gold accounts are about ~$39.99 for 12 months.

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.

http://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.

[mlupple]

Originally Posted by Octavean

Its not free. First you must have a Netflix account which indeed is not free but that is obvious. Second, and the most important part bear with me, you must have an Xbox 360 Live Gold account which again most certainly is not free. Keep in mind that Live Silver accounts are free but Live Gold accounts are about ~$39.99 for 12 months.[/url]

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.

You're going to whine about having to pay $15/mo to have unlimited DVD/BluRay rentals per month and unlimited Movies/TV shows streamed AND play 360 games online? You can cancel your cable because you can just download all of the TV shows you like commercial free.

Nobody is forcing you to get this service. If it's not worth it to you to get it, don't.

[Octavean]

Originally Posted by mlupple

You're going to whine about having to pay $15/mo to have unlimited DVD/BluRay rentals per month and unlimited Movies/TV shows streamed AND play 360 games online? You can cancel your cable because you can just download all of the TV shows you like commercial free.

Nobody is forcing you to get this service. If it's not worth it to you to get it, don't.

I’m not sure exactly what your talking about.

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.

[narnia]

Originally Posted by Octavean

I’m not sure exactly what your talking about.

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.

$49 a year is nothing

[Octavean]

Originally Posted by narnia

$49 a year is nothing

Actually I have seen Xbox Live Gold 12 Month Subscription for as low as $39.99 and you might be able to find it for less if you look. Its not much I agree but its not nothing either. It all depends on your perspective.

[Wile E]

Originally Posted by narnia

$49 a year is nothing

It is when you don't want a Gold Account. I'm not going to pay $49/yr on my 360 to play online when I can do it on both my PC and PS3 for free.

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.

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by Wile E

It is when you don't want a Gold Account. I'm not going to pay $49/yr on my 360 to play online when I can do it on both my PC and PS3 for free.

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.

true! that is essentially doubling your netflix cost per year. a high price to pay for stupidity

[narnia]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

true! that is essentially doubling your netflix cost per year. a high price to pay for stupidity

its not stupidity its by choice. its the same thing with itunes,why pay for a song when you can get it for free??? Why keep upgrading your Video card evry 6 months/year???

Blue pill/red pill

[Octavean]

If Microsoft had finagled a deal where Netflix members could access addition media online that couldn’t otherwise be accessed online then that would be different but that’s not currently the case.

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:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcqEh...eature=related
http://myweb.cableone.net/eluttmann0...ix/default.htm
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/16...-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.

[Ravenas]

I don't even want to imagine the horrible compression rates being used here... Also, I don't think it's possible to get compressed HD on this service either.

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.

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by narnia

its not stupidity its by choice. its the same thing with itunes,why pay for a song when you can get it for free??? Why keep upgrading your Video card evry 6 months/year???

Blue pill/red pill

wait, how much are we talking for a netflix account. and how much for a xbox 360 gold account?

[Octavean]

Xbox Live Gold 12 Month Subscription for as low as $39.99

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.

http://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.

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by Octavean

Xbox Live Gold 12 Month Subscription for as low as $39.99

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.

http://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.

so then if you already have a netflix subscription and an xbox 360 gold account then it makes sense to get this service since you are not paying for anything more.

[Wile E]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

so then if you already have a netflix subscription and an xbox 360 gold account then it makes sense to get this service since you are not paying for anything more.

Right, but if you have Netflix, but no Gold account, it makes no sense what so ever.