Anyone stream Netflix?

[Spudman]

I'm considering streaming Netflix.

We have a Wii that is connected to the computer via the wireless router. My questions are: does it stream well and fast enough not to be glitchy when watching movies? Do movies stream smoothly into the computer?

I'm just wondering how consistent the service quality is and what potential issues to expect. Your input is much appreciated.

[Beerman]

My son's been home from college for Christmas break and brought his Xbox 360 home and it's connected to our Wireless G (not N) network. He's using his roomates account while he's out of the country and has had no trouble at all. I was very surprised that it worked so well wirelessly on a simple G network.
He did nothing out of the ordinary as far as set up.

I tested Netflix using W7 Media Center for Microsoft early last year for just a few weeks and it worked fine on my computer. I don't use it so I cancelled my trial but streaming was not a problem for me.

[pedalbuilder]

I use it pretty regularly, and it's fine with my connection (wireless DSL connection to an XBOX 360). The only thing you may want to be aware of is the movie selection is pretty lacking - if you already know that, and just want to know about the streaming quality, then I'd say there's no problem at all. I have only very rarely had anything I've been watching be interrupted even momentarily - much less often than as with DVDs due to scratches or whatnot.

[mjk123]

We use it on the Wii at home. It's great.

[Katastrophe]

We just signed up, and intend to get rid of cable.

For $15.00 a month, you get unlimited movie streaming, and 2 DVDs at a time to your door.

Quality is good, depending on the speed of your connection. With our current crappy service, it pauses to adjust once during the movie, then usually runs fine for the rest of the movie for us.

The current price for us right now is $8.00 a month with no extra DVDs.

We don't watch any network TV, and keep up with the news online. We're both movie hounds, so this will fit our needs perfectly, and save a good chunk of money every month.

[Commodore 64]

We stream via the Wii. Quality on some movies is low, especially cartoons that the girls like to watch. The Wii isn't HD, so I'd be interested to hear about the quality of those streaming using something higher resolution.

[Retro Hound]

We have a slower connection and stream wireless to our Blu-ray player. What we do is start the movie, then pause it, let it load a bit, then we can usually watch no problem. Our local ISP is our weak link, not Netflix.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yep, but I typically have just watched on the iMac as it has a big enough screen for now, and our tv is old. When we replace the TV, we will set it up to stream to the larger screen. It seems to play the movies just fine on my iMac.

[FrankenFretter]

I stream Blockbuster through my Blu-Ray, which is pretty much the same thing. We have DSL, and it's not that fast, but I've had no problems streaming movies. I just wish they'd have them in HD, but I imagine even with the compression, my DSL wouldn't be quite fast enough.

[marnold]

In November (I think) Netflix came out with a native PS3 app. I tried it and we liked it enough that we have basically canceled our cable. We only have local channels. I've got a 3 megabit cable connection and there's never been a single problem with pausing during a playback. I haven't watched a ton of HD content with it (at least not stuff where HD would make a huge impact, like action movies, etc.) but the stuff we have watched looks great, e.g. the BBC's Top Gear. It's probably not has high quality as if you had it on Blu-Ray, but that's not troubling to me.

I've got a huge list of stuff in my instant-watch queue, including: Faulty Towers, Hitchhiker's Guide (the BBC version), Red Dwarf, Kids in the Hall, Top Gear, etc. I've heard that Netflix is offering the major networks ungodly amounts of money to get brand new shows on their service. We'll see if that happens. DVDs come very quickly. I mailed one out today. I should have another one from my list on Saturday.

You get a free month trial, so you can try it for yourself to see if you like it. Just make sure to cancel before the month is over.

[bigoldron]

I've got a huge list of stuff in my instant-watch queue, including: Faulty Towers, Hitchhiker's Guide (the BBC version), Red Dwarf, Kids in the Hall, Top Gear, etc. I've heard that Netflix is offering the major networks ungodly amounts of money to get brand new shows on their service. We'll see if that happens. DVDs come very quickly. I mailed one out today. I should have another one from my list on Saturday.

You get a free month trial, so you can try it for yourself to see if you like it. Just make sure to cancel before the month is over.

We've had it for a few months and have really enjoyed it. Not only do we watch it on the Wii (3 mb DSL connection), but my youngest daughter watches lots of tv shows on her laptop. I can only remember one time that it drug a little, but that was only for a few seconds. It's worth the $9.99!

Oh, and Marnold, I LOVE Fawlty Towers! John Cleese at his best! I've even got the DVD collection of all the shows. :happy

[progrmr]

I've been using netflix for about 3 months now and I can't tell you how many hours I've logged using the streaming. I've not used the Wii app, but I have used the XBox360 app and my blue ray player app.

The XBox360 app is GREAT - if you start streaming and your connection slows down, it will slightly degrade the quality automatically so you can continue watching uninterrupted. If your connection gets better it will also increase the quality automatically.

My blu ray doesn't do that - it will stream, but if the connection slows it will pause, load ahead a few seconds, then play, then pause...can get annoying but it's not Netflix's fault is the connection.

I have 15Mb road runner but it does slow down at times. Overall the experience has been fantastic and the number of hours I've logged watching movies/shows makes it well worth the money. I can also have 1 DVD out to me at any given time because not everything is available on the streaming. I can usually get 2 movies a week if I watch them the day I get them in the mail.

[warren0728]

ok i have a q about netflix....can you watch two/three different movies on two/three different devices at the same time?

[Spudman]

ok i have a q about netflix....can you watch two/three different movies on two/three different devices at the same time?

That's a really good question.

[Katastrophe]

That is a good question... I don't really see why not, though.

Wouldn't it be the same as if two computers on the same home "network" watch two different YouTube vids at the same time?

[marnold]

ok i have a q about netflix....can you watch two/three different movies on two/three different devices at the same time?
I'm not sure. Unfortunately I can't test it for you either. Netflix doesn't support Linux, which is the only thing on all of my computers. I'm guessing that I would run into bandwidth issues on my Internet connection pretty quickly.

[warren0728]

Wouldn't it be the same as if two computers on the same home "network" watch two different YouTube vids at the same time?

yes but i was thinking netflix might limit you to only one stream per account? that would be a deal breaker for me....

[Spudman]

yes but i was thinking netflix might limit you to only one stream per account? that would be a deal breaker for me....
I called them and you can stream multiple episodes at the same time to different units. Cool.

[Spudman]

I just tried it and it does work to stream to 2 different units at the same time.

Thanks to everyone for their input too. I went ahead and am now 2 hours into my free 30 day trial and all I have to say is .... WHEEE!

[warren0728]

I just tried it and it does work to stream to 2 different units at the same time.
two different programs right? not the same program in two places?

[Spudman]

two different programs right? not the same program in two places?You are correct, sir.

I just watched my first movie on the computer, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. What a great movie. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. I'm glad that I decided to go ahead and do this. We've got another scheduled for later to watch as a family on the Wii console.

[Tone2TheBone]

I've tried to do it on the PS3. High Def on HDMI right? Wrong...but to blame is my crappy air card on the home WIFI network. Looking into Hughesnet satellite internet tomorrow. Broadband aircards suck.

[deeaa]

I use Netflix, or actually it's called just Zune here, but the same thing, on the Xbox360. Works fine, but so far there are no subtitles available.

My net speed is approx. 12mb in reality and that's quite enough to stream fullHD movies effortlessly.

My cable digital receiver can also stream video rentals, but no HD available to rent, just DVD quality...but they have like 20 times the selection.

We use both now and then. Quite surprisingly, Finnish TV, despite having only five free primary channels really, has rather good&diverse free content. They show a huge bunch of good series and at least 6-7 movies every night. I'd venture any show that's popular in the States, they'll show as well, only a little later, anything from a week late as it was with Lost&Sopranos for instance, to up to six months late. All the HBO and such series as well, plus Discovery documents and series, plus all the biggest British series&films...pretty much anything...so there isn't so often a need to rent a movie. I got dozens recorded on the system unwatched right now, and a few dozen more on the hard-disk player.

[Spudman]

I'm really glad I did this. It's a big time saver. Instead of having to wait until 7pm to watch a show I can now watch most anything that interests me when I have a spot open. It's way more time efficient.

Oh, the girls can watch chick flick in one room and I can watch something completely different in another room at the same time.

[deeaa]

My vision is that before long all media is actually in cloud services or something similar, and everything is connected wirelessly and chock full of embedded systems. Ultimately even our own bodies.

Already for years there have been systems where a user wears video glasses and gets a HUD display of what he's working on, like a jet engine, and can access manuals etc. right there in his or her vision.

I believe in not so distant future anyone can get something like such glasses and have them playback video, audio, however they like over wireless networks. Video glasses were all the rage ten years ago, and when they come back, they will come back improved greatly.

You'll be able to walk the streets and you can see 'hovering' HUD information on your glasses on anything you look at; street signs can be translated visually for you on the fly so you can see everything in your language. Probably even hear the same, there will be no need to learn languages for common people.

Give it a little more time and all that can be achieved with implants and you will be able to access information, video, books, audio, instant translation, anything, directly to your nervous system in perfect quality...

And the funny thing is, you can already do ALL that except the neural link - only you need to lug around a few smartphones and a laptop most likely...but at this rate, it can all be built into sunglasses soon enough.

When we're old...kids will laugh in disbelief at ancient stuff like TV's and video screens and computers you actually have to use your hands to write with or control...it'll be all archaic to them.

p.s. that neural link is also already being tested...they can already use such a link to give vision from a CCD camera to a blind person...nothing fancy yet, but they can tap into the visual cortex well enough to allow a blind person to recognize shapes and things...or an amputee control a prosthetic by merely thinking what he wants to do...just give it a few years more...

[Spudman]

Dude, you're scaring me.

[bigoldron]

ok i have a q about netflix....can you watch two/three different movies on two/three different devices at the same time?

Hey Warren, I see Spud's already answered the question, but yes, you CAN do it. I can be watching one thing on my laptop while the family is watching another movie on the Wii with no problems!

[FrankenFretter]

Well, after Blockbuster sent me six broken DVDs in a row, I've made the switch to Netflix. Since I don't have cable, it's nice to have all those TV shows to watch streaming. My fiancee is trying to get me into That 70s Show, which I just don't find funny. I'm still on season one, and I'm told it gets funnier, so I'm giving it a chance. Streaming is pretty cool, but there is definitely some drawbacks to the picture quality with the compression they use.

[progrmr]

I landed a Blu-ray for Christmas so I added Blu-ray to my Netflix account - monthly bill is now $12.70, but man do I get a ton of entertainment for that money.

As for picture quality - the XB0X360 netflix player has several "display" options, one of which is "Original". The streamed movies barely take up a 4" square in the center of the TV in the original format. It's blown up to fit your screen and that's where you start to have anomalies. Overall though I've found the quality to quite good.

[deeaa]

That's interesting....here the XBOX player offers only 2 options: DVD quality which means 574x480 in 4:3 and 720x480 in 16:9 AFAIK, or HD which is 1900x1080 and of course remarkably better, and which I always select. It's uncompressed too, but it can dynamically compress if network speed slows down. It usually requires about 18 megabytes of free bandwidth to stream fullHD.

I don't know about the TV channels, some show the stuff in 720x while some apparently use the DVD res and yet some more compress a LOT.

[Spudman]

My fiancee is trying to get me into That 70s Show, which I just don't find funny. I'm still on season one, and I'm told it gets funnier, so I'm giving it a chance. Streaming is pretty cool, but there is definitely some drawbacks to the picture quality with the compression they use.

You'll want to check out Weeds and Dexter for TV shows. They make That 70s Show seem really witless.

[Katastrophe]

+1 to Spuds....

Also, if you find selection limiting on the menus on the xbox/wii, just go online to netflix.com and log in... You'll have a ton more choices there... drag your cursor over the "Play" button and select "Add to Your Instant Queue." Your selection will pop up on your gaming device, all ready to go.

[FrankenFretter]

You'll want to check out Weeds and Dexter for TV shows. They make That 70s Show seem really witless.

Oh yeah, Spud. We've been following both of those from before we had the streaming option. Now we're waiting for the next season to come out for both. Those, True Blood, and Flight of the Conchords are our faves.

[deeaa]

Hm, never heard of that Weeds thing but I'll have to check it out..used to like that 70's show quite a lot.

My most favorite series in English are probably The Office, Sons of Anarchy and most any SciFi series like the new Galactica and V and various miniseries like the Dead Set. Of comedy series I think the one I watched pretty much every episode of was Frasier. Right now watching The Pacific and Sons mostly, soon running out of both :-( but Detroit 1-8-4 and Law & Order are okay too. And also now and then I might watch House or something, Hung, Weeds, True Blood also. Don't really follow many that keenly, too many choices...only roughly 7-8 episodes per week along with a few movies.

I'll be home alone for the weekend so I already downloaded half a dozen new films in fullHD on the HD player for those lonely nights ;-)

[Rockermann]

Just started streaming our exiting Netflix account on a new Blu-ray player. Works well, but as others have said, the HD content is limited. Along with the new Blu-ray player was three free rentals from VuDu (http://www.vudu.com/). Now we're talking. It's all HD and they have a great selection (supposedly the worlds largest HD collection). I'm pretty much an HD snob and won't watch much that is not in HD. Plus, on the 120 projection screen, it truly makes a difference.

Oh and Dee... you have to check out "Justified". Great US TV series.

[FrankenFretter]

I just ordered a Roku for the bedroom. Damn, I'm hooked...

[Childbride]

We love it.