You can stream Neflix movies now
Earlier this week, when Microsoft announced that it had signed a partnership with the DVD rental company Netflix to bring free movie streaming to subscribers of its Xbox live gold service, we thought like many others that this was something new, another feather in Microsoft's cap and a significant announcement for movie buffs.However, it's come to light that streaming movies from the Netflix service has been possible for some time.
Samantha Rose from TG Daily revealed that she's been using the service for some time. She wrote:
Utilizing freeware, and Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate you can be streaming Netflix in less than 20 minutes with no fees.
Over at LifeHacker, there's even a tutorial on how Netflix users can stream movies to their consoles.
In her article, Rose accused Microsoft of announcing a service that already exists to simply encourage the huge US-based E3 audience of consumers to sign up to its gold service.
It’s a prime example of a corporation merely taking advantage of the public with an attempt to charge for something that should be available to customers for free, she said.
Whilst she's right in the fact that the service is available for free (if you already have Windows Vista and Vista media center that is - I don't), what she neglected to point out was how the official service is far easier than the current method, so for many there is still an advantage in upgrading to an Xbox live Gold account.
When the official service launches, you won't need to have Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate or have the PC turned on whilst watching movies (Does the average consumer even have a copy of Windows Vista Premium? ), or have connection from your Xbox 360 to your PC. Instead, you'll be able to queue your Netflix movies online and then, via the dashboard, stream them directly onto the Xbox 360. Furthermore, you'll be able to set up your queue from any PC, at school or at work.
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, reads the official press release.
Still, the choice is yours. £100 to buy Vista Premium and watch movies now, with the added aggro of extra steps to stream them. Or £40 buys you an Xbox live subscription and an instant movie service in the Autumn?
Source :: TG Daily
UPDATE :: READER OPINION
A reader from N4G going by the name of BIGELLOW wrote to us about his experience of Netflix.
I'm not sure why Windows Vista keeps getting mentioned. For a while now, I have been watching instant movies through the same Netflix service on my Windows XP laptop. Some say the XBOX Live version is the "official service". This is a bolt-on service. The "official" service has been official for quite some time now.
I will admit that I DID tire of watching the movies on my laptop, or hooking my laptop up to my television each time (I keep my laptop on all the time, so the idea of "having to have the computer on" is a moot point for me.) So, for a one-time purchase of $99, I got the Netflix player by Roku. It plugs into your television and has a remote control. The instant watch queue that you setup from any computer through Netflix appears on the television through this device. You use the remote to make your selection and start the streaming of the movie.
So, really, this new bolt-on service by Microsoft is just mimicking the service that Netflix has provided for quite some time now... first through Internet Explorer... then through this $99 device... and soon through XBOX Live.
I'm not sure that $50/yr would be worth it when a one-time $99 would also suffice and you wouldn't "have to have your xbox 360 on". (The Roku device appears to make no noise at all... it's a tiny little box, much like a router.)
Even though the PSN's online service is free... $50/yr for an XBOX Live Gold account isn't exactly "breaking the bank"... that's less than the cost of one new retail game per year. So, I honestly can't imagine why anyone would be holding out this long anyway. While I really don't think this Netflix service is worth having someone pay $50/yr when they refused to do so before (it's movies like Bowling for Columbine, horror movies from the 80's, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, etc...) I do think that most who switch, and are disappointed, will realize that the other services that are offered make the overall purchase worthwhile.
