NetFlix streaming now available?

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NetFlix streaming now available?

Netflixthumb

I decided to poke around my Netflix account today, wondering if the beta program for NetFlix streaming video had been extended to more members. Lo and behold, as soon as I arrived on the Your Account page, I saw the small screenshot above (here is a full sized shot). I asked a couple Netflix-using friends to try their own account page as well and they saw it too.

After clicking on the link, you'll arrive at a page leading you through the streaming video process as found on the Hacking Netflix blog:

Once you've clicked the button there, you'll have the "Watch Now" tab on your Netflix nav, and if you've got Windows/IE (or Parallels running XP on an Intel Mac), you'll be asked to download a Netflix app and upgrade your Windows Media DRM. Titles listed at Netflix under the Watch Now tab will have a "Play" button where the "Add to Queue" button usually is.

The selection of streaming video is fairly odd. It's mostly second-run films, outsider documentaries, and lots of old stuff from the 80s. It's probably a pilot program that studios agreed to test with lower demand stuff. Here's a shot of Bring It On 2 playing on my browser:

The video quality is so-so, a bit better than stuff you'd see at YouTube, but obviously pixelated if you chose to view full screen and even at the default size it's got compression artifacts (I'm on a 8Mbit connection so I should be getting fairly high quality streams). I watched a standup comedy movie I didn't know existed from a comedian I love and it wasn't so bad. I had the window running in the corner of my desktop and I listened to jokes and glanced at it while doing other stuff.

I would definitely prefer to watch movies on my TV with increased output quality but it was kind of cool to watch something instantly and maybe sample a movie before I throw it in the rental pile.

by Matt Haughey February 1, 2007 in News

Comments

Tried visiting Netflix to test this out using Mozilla, but was prompted by a nice big message saying you need IE6+. Grrr.

Posted by: Art at Feb 1, 2007 5:59:08 PM

A bit better than stuff at Youtube? Hardly sounds like a resounding endorsement for Netflix. It would have to be a hell of a lot better than what YouTube continues to pump out using Flash 7 for me to want to bother watching.

Hey Netflix! How about using a true state of the art streaming product like Vividas?

Prepare to be blown away.

http://video.vividas.com/CDN1/demo/Vividas/showreel.html

http://vividas.com

Posted by: Stratixman at Feb 2, 2007 8:16:15 AM

Hey, I heard on 9rules, that you guys were shutting down? Is there any truth to this? Will there be new management and/or owner?

Posted by: 6doi at Feb 3, 2007 7:27:30 PM

6doi, that's pvrwire.com, not here. They shut down last week.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Feb 4, 2007 2:27:34 PM

i get a media player error....

Posted by: ljk at Feb 5, 2007 4:06:41 AM

I'm not so sure how accurate of a statement this is, "a bit better than stuff you'd see at YouTube."

I've had the service for a few weeks now and I haven't noticed any of the said pixelation. I'm running fullscreen at 1400x1050.

The quality depends on your downstream pipe. I have a downstream pipe of 3Mbps. So I'm not sure how it looks at 1Mbps.

Posted by: David J at Feb 6, 2007 1:18:04 PM

upgraded to 3 movie out plan for $.90 prorated with ten days left in my 2 out and to my surprise a watch now tab appears! quality is not bad and i'm on high speed cable. worst parts are black levels and digital artifacts during fast motion. watching discovery channel walking with prehistoric beasts (love their walking with programs.) overall agree selection is pretty bad but can't complain yet as it is a free add on and hopefully will include many more films when its out of beta. also of note i'm using firefox but ie tab extension so i don't need explorer.

Posted by: jmc at Feb 6, 2007 1:23:36 PM

The disadvantage I see about streaming videos through the internet into the computer is that you are limited to only your computer monitor to watch the movie instantly.

When watching movies, I would rather sit on a comfy couch or lay in the bed and watch them from my 27 inch or 35 inch television with a remote control in my hand rather than sitting in a straight uncomfortable chair watching them from a 17 or 19 inch computer monitor.

I perfer Blockbuster Total Access because I can go to any store and exchange my online movies out for free in-store rentals whenever I feel in the mood for a new movie for the night that I can watch from my television in comfort rather than sitting at the computer watching the movie in discomfort in a wooden strait chair.

Posted by: Bashful at May 20, 2007 3:48:41 AM

yo, if you want to watch a big tv and still use your computer to do it there is some technology called HDTV that normally comes with a port to connect the pc to the tv.... and there are also some things called wireless mouse and wireless keyboard... and more impresing is that there is something called pc remote control... just informing you (how can someone in this world not know about it having internet...)

Posted by: Kraven at May 23, 2007 12:10:24 AM

We're displaying Netflix's WatchNow on our TV and the quality is equivalent to a DVD. I'm sold.

If your PC and TV both have s-video jacks, then you just need an s-video cable and an ipod-style stereo audio cable. My laptop has a hotkey to switch between the PC screen and TV; it has to be set to "TV only".

-bci

Posted by: bci at Jun 20, 2007 10:11:52 PM

i can't even download the software........damn

Posted by: kat at Jul 13, 2007 1:22:17 AM