Netflix Officially Coming to PS3

[Dartful Dodger]

Netflix Officially Coming to PS3

Now I can watch Transmorphers without wasting a spot in my DVD queue.

[Ginsu Victim]

Another reason for me to want one. A blu-ray player and The Last Guardian were reason enough for me to want one, but this seals the deal.

[Epyx]

Agreed. I have two PS2 compatible 80gb PS3s...mind you mostly for Blue Ray, Divx etc but this will be a great bonus feature.

[DJ_Izumi]

It's interesting that it REQUIRES a BD Live disc to start.  If it uses BD Live why does it even need a PS3 and not any other BD Live capable player?

I've also heard that it won't be untill 'late next year' that NetFlix could be integrated into the PS3 firmware.  ...Why a whole year?

[Bender]

the disc is supposed to be here next month

the firmware delay may be due to legal issues (otherwise why bother with the whole disc thing in the first place?)

[Samstag]

It's interesting that it REQUIRES a BD Live disc to start.  If it uses BD Live why does it even need a PS3 and not any other BD Live capable player?

I've also heard that it won't be untill 'late next year' that NetFlix could be integrated into the PS3 firmware.  ...Why a whole year?

Yeah it should work in any capable Bluray player, assuming it fully supports BD Live.

They had an exclusivity agreement with Microsoft, so making a generic disc may be their way around it.  Or Sony may just not be willing to allocate resources to integrate it.

[kizer]

Licensing dictates that they can not have the app on the Console, however it has been rumored that next year there will be a dash update to allow the app to reside on the PS3.

Just as well there is a rumor that the WiiHD will be released next year and of course Netflix support for it as well. In the mean time possibly lowDef Netflix to be released this year.

[HaRuMaN]

Currently I play Netflix on my PS3 using PlayOn...

... which is free to use for 30 days...  but everytime they update (which is often), they reset the clock on the 30 days.

I will be glad when its official, then I won't need a PC on just to stream Netflix.

[massive88]

Currently I play Netflix on my PS3 using PlayOn...

... which is free to use for 30 days...  but everytime they update (which is often), they reset the clock on the 30 days.

I will be glad when its official, then I won't need a PC on just to stream Netflix.

I bought PlayOn when it was onsale for $20.  I have a 360 though so I use it for Hulu, South Park, and Gametrailers streaming.  Been well worth it.  I dont know how often they put it on sale, but for $20 its been great.

[Samstag]

Playon is having a $10 sale right now if you sign up for a month trial of Gamefly at $9.  If you don't have either one that's a pretty awesome deal.

I don't really like Playon much as I'm spoiled by my WD TV, but it's a nice option to have when I want to watch something on my PS3, which doesn't like any of my media for some reason.

[versapak]

Playon is having a $10 sale right now if you sign up for a month trial of Gamefly at $9.  If you don't have either one that's a pretty awesome deal.

I don't really like Playon much as I'm spoiled by my WD TV, but it's a nice option to have when I want to watch something on my PS3, which doesn't like any of my media for some reason.

The number one reason to have PlayOn is for streaming Hulu to a tv. Isn't the WD TV just a local media player?

[Samstag]

Playon is having a $10 sale right now if you sign up for a month trial of Gamefly at $9.  If you don't have either one that's a pretty awesome deal.

I don't really like Playon much as I'm spoiled by my WD TV, but it's a nice option to have when I want to watch something on my PS3, which doesn't like any of my media for some reason.

The number one reason to have PlayOn is for streaming Hulu to a tv. Isn't the WD TV just a local media player?

You can turn a WD TV into a streaming player with an unofficial firmware and a USB network adaptor, but I don't know if it does Hulu.  I prefer to download entire videos then play them locally at my convenience.  I don't like to rely on an internet connection and don't like turning on a PC just to act as a middleman.

[Vamp RN]

I don't own a PS3 (just not enough games that I want to play on it). The fact that Netflix is coming to it still excites me though.  I have enjoyed the service on my 360 for sometime now. With it coming to PS3 and soon to Wii, it can only be a matter of time till it will be on iPhones, Zune HD's, and other such mobile devices.  When/If that happens you may actually see this fat man cry tears of pure joy. 

[Bender]

I got a notice from netflix saying the disc for the PS3 will be here tomorrow

I'll let you all know how it goes

[HaRuMaN]

I got a notice from netflix saying the disc for the PS3 will be here tomorrow

I'll let you all know how it goes

Ooh it's ready already?  I'll have to get on my Netflix account and order it...

[Dartful Dodger]

Thanks for the heads up Bender.

Reserve your PS3 disc

We'll send you an email when your free instant streaming disc ships

[Bender]

the only downside is you have to have the disc in the PS3 in order for Netflix to run (till next year when a firmware update)
I guess that's how they got around the Xbox exclusive deal

EDIT: that and the fact that it won't connect to netflix, so right now it doesn't work at all

[Dartful Dodger]

EDIT: that and the fact that it won't connect to netflix, so right now it doesn't work at all

The disk thing doesn't bother me, but the not working thing is a bit of a pain.

Have you the latest PS3 update?

I doubt they'd have sent out a disk that doesn't work, unless Sony is being an donkey by releasing an upgrade that blocks Netflix’s work around disk because they want you rent your downloaded movies from the Sony store.

I bought a 3rd party remote.  It was working fine when I bought it, but after one of the upgrades it stopped working.

[Bender]

I have the latest update
I think sony is in on the whole thing w/netfix so I don't think is is on there end
The disc loads  and the Netfix program runs and then comes up with an error message that says it can't conect to netfix and to try again later, I've tried for a few hours now and still get the same ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---

[RTSDaddy2]

For the first time in the life of the PS3, I've got to concur with you all....NOW with the price being lowered to $299, the Blue-Ray DVD built in, and Netflix....man, I can't wait to get a full-time job again.  Ask me how long it'll take me to buy one - go ahead, ask (and you all KNOW what a Wii fan I am ).

Seriously though, as I explained to my mother (who patiently listens to her son go on and on about retrogaming), it makes no sense to go spend even $100 on a low end blue ray player alone when, for another 200 I get a gaming system with great graphics to boot.  I still say there aren't that many games out yet that I'd like to play on it, BUT if I find even three or four it pays for itself with the blue-ray player as part of the deal.

Kudos to Sony for getting that deal done and making the PS3 nearly irresistable.

[Bender]

OK, got it work

I had the date set to 2010 as a work around to disable the stupid ticker they now have in the upper right hand corner (Drives me nuts)

I fixed the date and bingo Netfix works perfectly

Runs good A little slower than on my Mac or Xbox but once you get a movie running it's fantastic! HD stuff loads quicker believe it or not

Now I just have to figure out another way to get rid of the annoying ticker

[shmokes]

(and you all KNOW what a Wii fan I am ).

If all you've got is a Wii you ain't gonna have a hard time finding good games.  There are more than a few worthwhile PS3 exclusives, but between the exclusives and the multiplatform games that you can't play thanks to the Wii's lack of horsepower, there's a whole library of great games out there that you haven't played.

But $300 is still a bit tough with the Xbox 360 out there, IMO.  Both Walmart and Amazon ran deals today where you got a free $100 gift-card when you buy a $200 Xbox 360.  So . . . yeah, for some reason that I have difficulty articulating I actually want a PS3 more than a 360.  But a $300 PS3 vs. a $100 360, well . . . damn it Sony!  Throw a guy a bone!  Bluray's great and all, but $300 is how much a console should cost on the first day it goes on sale, not three years after its release date (particularly not a substantially neutered version of the machine).  Still really want one, though.    

edit: grammar

[RTSDaddy2]

Beat me to it shmokes, but yeah saw the 360 deal at Wal-Mart too. Damn!  What to do!

[JeepMonkey]

Sweet!  This will save me from building a new computer for my entertainment center.

[Dartful Dodger]

Your free instant streaming disc for PS3 should arrive by Thursday, Nov 12, 2009.

I should be getting it in just under a week after ordering it.

[HaRuMaN]

Your free instant streaming disc for PS3 should arrive by Thursday, Nov 12, 2009.

I should be getting it in just under a week after ordering it.

Hey, mine's coming the same day...   

[JeepMonkey]

I got my disk last night.  I was watching movies in about an hour.     

[HaRuMaN]

Got my disk, it was very smooth.  Gave me a code to input at the Netflix website, did that, and I was up and running in about 5 minutes total.   

[Ginsu Victim]

Trying to talk my wife into getting me a PS3 for Christmas. Thinking I'll probably buy her a netbook.

Netflix makes it easier to talk her into it.

[ChadTower]

Isn't there a good amount of overlap in the capabilities of the two?  If you can browse the web on both... stream netflix to both...

[HaRuMaN]

BlueRay on the PS3...  also... how good is a netbook at driving a large, hi-def display?

[Ginsu Victim]

Isn't there a good amount of overlap in the capabilities of the two?  If you can browse the web on both... stream netflix to both...

She wants something she can browse online with or pull up recipes / patterns while she works.

Also, a netbook isn't powerful enough for high quality video streaming.

The main thing of it is: she wants her own computer because I won't let her on mine.

[ChadTower]

BlueRay on the PS3...  also... how good is a netbook at driving a large, hi-def display?

Heh, I tend to forget that for a lot of people everything has to be HD now.    

[HaRuMaN]

For me, not everything...

I like my sports in HD, and I like my action / sci-fi movies in HD (on Blu-Ray).  For other stuff, comedies, etc, standard def is fine.

[HaRuMaN]

Pixar films in HD are amazing, btw...

[Ginsu Victim]

Heh, I tend to forget that for a lot of people everything has to be HD now.    

I haven't taken advantage of my 1080p TV, so I'm hoping to do so very soon. I'm still running everything standard def (I don't count the 480p from my PS2 -- though GT4 and Tourist Trophy look nice at 720p and 1080i).

[ChadTower]

My TVs aren't big enough for it to make a difference worth much effort.  They max out at 32".  I think the highest I ever get is 720p from XBMC but that is usually upscaled from a divx rip so it probably doesn't matter.

[Ginsu Victim]

I can tell a difference in 720p and 1080p on my 32".

[ChadTower]

I can tell a difference in 720p and 1080p on my 32".

Yeah, but can tell and the difference is enough to replace hardware over aren't the same thing.  And we're not talking native 720p, we're talking upscaled 720p from a compressed DVD rip.  I might feel differently if there were an XBMC equivalent in that range that runs on $50 hardware.

[Ginsu Victim]

I was talking native. Obviously Divx or XviD wouldn't even enter into what I meant.

[ChadTower]

Yeah.  What I need I guess is for XBMC to get ported to some of those 1,000,000 banned 360s.   

[Ginsu Victim]

There's a PC version of XBMC, in case you didn't know. You can find a decent free PC just about anywhere these days.

Friday, one of the bosses asked if I wanted two free computers and I said yes sight unseen. Took 'em home and they were both:
Pentium 4 2.4Ghz
256 MB RAM
40 GB HDD

So I popped in a gig of RAM I had lying around, an old Geforce 5200 FX 128 AGP, and put together a console emu box.

[ChadTower]

Nice.  I looked into the PC version a little when they first announced it.  Can't say I want to go back to the days of running a PC next to my TV.  Might be worth considering, though, if the flexibile system specs mean you can get better upscaling or play 720p native content.  I think that's the native res on both of my televisions.


EDIT:  I had not seen XBMC Live... that might be worth trying out.  I could use my laptop and a boot CD, it would take two seconds to attach to the TV... though I guess then it's over VGA which may or may not be better.

[shmokes]

Chad . . . here's a silent little $200 box that will run XBMC, including 1080p content, just fine.  And by little I mean about the size of an external hard disk enclosure.  If you want something a little more powerful, say a full-on Windows 7 media center with DVR capabilities, Dell just released a new little box called the Zino.  It's about the size of a Mac Mini but has an option for a Bluray drive, which would be nice in a media center.  But once you add Bluray and a few other essentials you start pushing $600-700 with that thing.

Also . . . Boxee, an XBMC derivative with some cool added social features, is about to release its very own dedicated set top box.  No details yet, but I expect it's gonna be around $200.

[ChadTower]

That's pretty cool... thanks, shmokes.  $200 is definitely still too much for the upgrade it provides over an upscaling XBMC.  That little box is awesome, though.  That thing actually moves beyond what my TV can do (no 1080p for me).

[shmokes]

Coincidentally the same team just put together a tutorial for building a cheap Boxee box with different hardware.  

[ChadTower]

Ooh.  I dig the web streaming stuff.  That is one thing XBMC sorely lacks.

EDIT:  wait, this references the fact that XBMC can stream Hulu?  I have never seen that.  Mine freezes up if I try to get to youtube with it nevermind Hulu.  Maybe it's time to upgrade the XBMC first.

[shmokes]

I think XBMC has mostly just outgrown the little Pentium 3 inside the Xbox.  The software is capable of much that the hardware isn't.  Modern (non-ion equipped) netbooks have trouble streaming Hulu and the atom processor is clocked more than twice as fast as the 733 mhz chip in the Xbox, not to mention it probably has a lot of other advantages like larger cache and so on.

[ChadTower]

Yeah.  Moving up to native 720p may not be a big deal but I hadn't given much thought to externally sourced streaming.  I'm going to have to look around to see what is out there.

[shmokes]

The newer versions of XBMC come with some really cool skins that the Xbox tends to choke on in HD.  Yeah . . . just the skin.  It's too bad, cos I've been using my Xbox as a media center for nearly as long as XBMC has been available.  It was so far ahead of the curve that for an amazing number of years absolutely nothing could touch it at any price.  I've actually become kind of emotionally attached to it.  I kinda feel bad retiring it for something better because it has been so good to me for so many years . . . performing light years beyond expectations.

Oh well . . . that's just the nature of technolust and our disposable, A.D.D. culture, I suppose.  Once a stronger drug is out, the status quo just won't give me my fix anymore.

[ChadTower]

I'm definitely not a compulsive upgrader.  I tend to sit behind the cost curve and upgrade either for specific functionality or for a good jump in the value/cost ratio.  It saves me money but does tend to leave me spending effort supporting older equipment when most people have moved on.

[shmokes]

I am a compulsive upgrader saved only by my chronic lack of disposable income.     XBMC will have to suffice for some time to come. 

I did, however, just win a PS3!!!  Not much of a media center . . . but pretty freaking exciting. 

[HaRuMaN]

Not much of a media center . . .

Why not?

I stream my music, videos, pictures, hulu, netflix, youtube, etc to my PS3.

[shmokes]

Because it has terrible codec support.  You have to use Tversity or the like which is cool, but it compromises video quality and is more likely to introduce stuttering and audio/video sync issues to streams.

[Ginsu Victim]

I stream my music, videos, pictures, hulu, netflix, youtube, etc to my PS3.

Hulu? I thought they took PS3 support away? Does it work again?

[Grasshopper]

Chad . . . here's a silent little $200 box that will run XBMC, including 1080p content, just fine.  And by little I mean about the size of an external hard disk enclosure.  If you want something a little more powerful, say a full-on Windows 7 media center with DVR capabilities, Dell just released a new little box called the Zino.  It's about the size of a Mac Mini but has an option for a Bluray drive, which would be nice in a media center.  But once you add Bluray and a few other essentials you start pushing $600-700 with that thing.

Also . . . Boxee, an XBMC derivative with some cool added social features, is about to release its very own dedicated set top box.  No details yet, but I expect it's gonna be around $200.

I've been toying with the idea of buying one of those. Over here the Linux version retails for about £150. To put that into context an Xbox 360 costs £200 and a PS3 £250. Admittedly you get far more powerful hardware for your money with a console but I'm put off by all the DRM crap.

I think the main problem with the original Xbox is not the processor but the lack of memory. My Xbox can upscale pretty well but almost crashes when you try to play a genuine HD video. That to me suggests a memory issue.

[HaRuMaN]

I stream my music, videos, pictures, hulu, netflix, youtube, etc to my PS3.

Hulu? I thought they took PS3 support away? Does it work again?

Who took PS3 support away?

I use tversity & playon on my PS3.

[Ginsu Victim]

I was referring to this

http://gizmodo.com/5315896/hulu-speaks-on-ps3-blocking-its-the-content-providers

but I guess Playon takes care of that problem.

[shmokes]

Does anybody else have issues of having to reactivate the PS3 over and over again?  I'll be in the middle of browsing the Netflix library and suddenly a screen pops up saying that my box is not activated and it gives me a code to go activate it.  I've activated my PS3 like 10 times now.  It's annoying.

[HaRuMaN]

Does anybody else have issues of having to reactivate the PS3 over and over again?  I'll be in the middle of browsing the Netflix library and suddenly a screen pops up saying that my box is not activated and it gives me a code to go activate it.  I've activated my PS3 like 10 times now.  It's annoying.

Only had to activate mine once, and it's been fine ever since.

[Dartful Dodger]

Does anybody else have issues of having to reactivate the PS3 over and over again?  I'll be in the middle of browsing the Netflix library and suddenly a screen pops up saying that my box is not activated and it gives me a code to go activate it.  I've activated my PS3 like 10 times now.  It's annoying.

Only had to activate mine once, and it's been fine ever since.

Same here.

I've watched a movie every night I didn't have a DVD.  I've only had an issue once(last night), during the opening credits the movie paused to allow buffering, but once it started playing again I didn't have anymore problems.

[shmokes]

Well . . . I just called Netflix.  It was the first the guy has heard of the problem.  He found an issue of a device losing it's activation but the solution was to have the customer reactivate.   The problem did not contemplate a device that has already been activated upwards of ten times in a few weeks.

Anyway, he had me delete the file on my PS3 that keeps activation information and then we reactivated it (again).  Hopefully that works.  If not, hopefully the firmware solution will be finished soon and that will cure the problem.  If not, judging by how uncommon the problem is, I'm afraid maybe there's something wrong with my PS3.

[SNAAKE]

Because it has terrible codec support.  You have to use Tversity or the like which is cool, but it compromises video quality and is more likely to introduce stuttering and audio/video sync issues to streams.

"ps3 media server" plays any and all movie files. no codec problem, struttering or sync issues at all. ps3 is an excellent media player. you also can convert 99% of the mkv movie files to play directly on ps3 if you dont like real time streaming. tversity sucks tho I will give you that. PMS is much better.

[shmokes]

From what I've used of it so far, it's not very good.  The interface is downright prehistoric compared to XBMC.  Rewind, Fastforward, 30-second skip . . . all that stuff is vastly inferior to XBMC.  Worst of all, it doesn't support Samba shares, so it can't even see any of my media.  Why any sane person would purport to create a media center but leave out Samba is an utter mystery.

At any rate, I'm in the long and tedious process of converting all my media into stuff the PS3 can read, i.e., fixing file formats that are incompatible and moving everything onto a box that can do DLNA shares so that I can use the PS3 as a media center on my main TV and move the Xbox into the bedroom.  It's a PITA.  It's capable of HD.  Otherwise it is vastly inferior to XBMC in every conceivable way.

Oh yeah, and in addition to PMS degrading quality and sucking at rewind/ffwd, etc., it also means that you have to leave your computer on all the time instead of just streaming from a low-power NAS.  Again, PITA.  It's better than nothing, but it's a very inelegant solution all around.

And it's worth mentioning again because it's so important:  The interface sucks.


edit:  I should note that I have hardly used PS3 media center.  I am still working out kinks and getting it to simply function.  While what I have seen so far does not even begin to make me think it will happen, I am open to being proved wrong about its shortcomings.  I would love it, in fact.

[shmokes]

BTW, the Netflix guy I spoke to confirmed what everybody already expected, Netflix is currently working on getting Netflix streaming embedded into the PS3 firmware so we won't have to deal with the discs anymore.  I really don't know why they didn't do it from day one.  It's not like they didn't have time to develop it.  He said that the exclusivity agreement with MS for the 360 ended in October and they started distributing the disc solution on that very day.  But I doubt the agreement would have prevented them from even working on PS3 firmware so long as they didn't release it before the agreement had expired. 

[ChadTower]

But I doubt the agreement would have prevented them from even working on PS3 firmware so long as they didn't release it before the agreement had expired. 

Actually it very well may have.  Exclusivity contracts don't usually just the end product.  They include development and licensing of source as well.

[shmokes]

Hmm . . . I don't know much about it.  I think I was more or less basing it on a lecture I attended by the founder of JetBlue.  He had a 5-year non-compete clause included in his severance package from Southwest Airlines.  He spent the next five years securing funding, buying and painting planes, hiring a workforce, etc.  JetBlue opened for business on the first morning after his non-compete clause expired.

Also I've seen videogames before that were released on one system with a 6-month or 1-year exclusivity contract and then they come out for other systems immediately when that year is up -- no extra delay for the porting process.  Resident Evil 4's exclusivity to the Gamecube is a good example, but there have been many others.

But I suppose the contract could say whatever they wanted it to say, so I guess it's neither here nor there.

[ChadTower]

But I suppose the contract could say whatever they wanted it to say, so I guess it's neither here nor there.

Yeah, there are bunch of common ways, but I have definitely worked on products that had exclusivity such that we couldn't even start developing until the license expired because there was a basic technical requirement that we needed that they couldn't provide.  Think source code or service interface documentation.