Summary:
1) only SD videos will be offered
2) LIVE Party viewers must be Netflix subscribers
3) Netflix servers will handle the streaming
4) No downloading; just streaming
5) Not avialable for Silver memberships
6) Free for XBL Gold subscriptions
Here's the official press release which misses some of the details above:
An exciting new home theater experience is coming to living rooms this holiday season. At the E3 Media and Business Summit, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) and Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world’s largest online movie rental service, today unveiled an exclusive partnership to offer consumers the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Xbox 360 will be the only game system that lets users instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix. This movie watching innovation will be available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix subscribers and will let those users enjoy streaming movies from Netflix on Xbox LIVE at no additional cost.
A growing library of more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes will be available from Netflix when it launches on Xbox LIVE in late fall, with more choices added over time. Through this agreement, along with the existing Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store, Xbox 360 will be home to more movies and TV shows on demand than any other device connected to the TV. Xbox LIVE quickly and easily connects consumers and their friends to the entertainment they want — with no PC required for viewing.
Netflix on Xbox 360 is an important component of the new Xbox experience, a new generation of games and entertainment experiences that will be available on Xbox 360 consoles this fall. The new Xbox experience, also announced today at the E3 Media and Business Summit, represents the first time in history that a mass-market consumer electronics device has been re-invented through free software, giving people more fun and intuitive ways to interact, play and enjoy entertainment content.
“Watching movies at home will never be the same. Netflix on Xbox 360 is an entertainment first, and we are bringing friends together with the best in entertainment content like no other device in the living room,” said John Schappert, corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment LIVE, Software and Services Business at Microsoft. “We are creating a completely new social entertainment experience, and Xbox 360 will be the only video game system where you can access your library of instantly streamable movies from Netflix and turn any room into a virtual movie theater.”
From the Netflix Web site, members simply add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will be automatically displayed on the TV screen via Xbox 360 and available to watch instantly. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. In addition to instantly streaming movies to the TV, Xbox LIVE Gold members can fast-forward, pause and rewind, all using either their Xbox 360 Controller or Media Remote. In all, the user interface creates a highly personalized experience that puts viewers in control.
“Netflix and Xbox 360 are a perfect combination, the leading online movie rental service and the leading games and entertainment system joining forces to create an all-in-one entertainment experience with content for everyone,” said Reed Hastings, chairman and CEO of Netflix. “For Netflix, it represents an important step forward in making instantly streaming movies on the TV more broadly available to our members.”
The library of movies and TV episodes that will be available for instant streaming from Netflix via Xbox 360 includes scores of Academy Award winners and nominees, episodes from a number of popular, currently running and classic TV shows, and 24 of the movies rated by the American Film Institute as the greatest ever.
After I get settled into a
After I get settled into a new home with high speed internet for once, I might have to look into netflix. If you can download and view the movies off the 360 fairly quick and in HD, they will surely get my business in a flash. Wonder if you can just buy the cheapest package they offer and be able to view this so called 100,000 online library.
The way Netflix is setup
The way Netflix is setup now, only certain movies/TV shows are available for "Play it Now", and imo, those are the ones in least demand.
Anyone else predicting a PS3/Blockbuster affiliation?
It would be easy for PS3 to
It would be easy for PS3 to beat XBOX 360 in online distribution. First off, they are SONY. They've already got a ton of media deals. Second, online access on a PS3 is FREE. I feel that Microsoft's XBOX Live sales would boom if Gold subscriptions where free. And Sony could out do Microsoft by offering a larger HD library and DVR functionality.
I'm confused by bullet #6:
I'm confused by bullet #6: It's free for XBL Gold members? I thought you had to be a Netflix subscriber as well.
Also, I'm personally having a hard time understanding why people knock MS for charging $50/YEAR for XBL Gold. It's less than $5 a month! That's chump change! But it's hard to tell that people who expect it for free...
To get Netflix on your 360,
To get Netflix on your 360, you've got to be a Netflix subscriber and an XBL Gold member. Silver users won't be able to access the Netflix content; nor will non-Netflix subscribers.
The precedent was set by PC gaming with free online multiplayer, free maps, mods, and achievements. The PC community bought the servers need for hosting games and the user paid subscriptions to game that didn't have servers. Online PC gaming is almost completely managed by the users; not the developers.
This is a major role reversal for XBOX 360 (Wii, DS, and PS3 are free). Servers are regulated by Microsoft and the developers. Not only is it more expensive, but it's a pain (like how it takes 3-6 minutes to find a game in Halo 3).
Imagine realms in Halo 3 where a community could gather at anytime. Because of limitations on XBL, this really isn't possible. It would be possible with dedicated servers, though. The users could control gametypes, maps, mods, etc. all while allowing a realm to live on 24-hours a day. This is how I met some really cool Halo PC people...because our realm was persistant and we played on the same servers with the same 6 or 7 dozen people over and over with the gametypes we liked.
It was like a LAN party that never ended.
While this is possible with Custom Games in Halo 3, Custom Games are not listed in a master directory and once the host closes the party the realm closes.
But yeah, $5 a month is cheap.
What does my $5 a month get me? I really don't know. I guess it's gets me privileges to use Microsoft servers and matchmaking. But, I'd rather pay a fee and get access to all TV, movie, and music on Live.
I don't think I know anyone
I don't think I know anyone who has a silver membership. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
It makes sense that you would have to be a Netflix subscriber and a Gold member... I would assume that.
Sounds good to me, I have no issues with it. I'll have to see how it performs before I have problems.
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"Don't blow this, Gene!"
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