It's something you can't get on the
Roku. Nor on LG's
BD300. Nor on Samsung's
P2500 / P2550 Blu-ray players.
Nor through Netflix's own "
Watch Instantly" portal. It's high-def
Netflix streaming, and it's coming first to Microsoft's Xbox 360. Yes friends, when the all
new dashboard hits on November 19th, with it will come HD Netflix streaming for (US-based, presumably) Xbox Live Gold members. You should know that this is only a "soft launch" with about 300 titles available for now, and the litany of details you're surely craving simply aren't available at present time. At any rate, we'd say things just got a lot more interesting in the world of
digital downloads, but there's really no need. The real question is: when will everyone else follow suit, and how quickly can we expect current Netflix streamers to get the HD upgrade?
Update: We're hearing this whole HD Netflix streaming thing
may actually hit all those other boxes in late November as well. Guess we'll see in time, huh?
posted Oct 29th 2008 at 12:01AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
aaron @ Oct 29th 2008 12:23AM
this is absolutely epic news..... once this gets off the ground bluray is screwed.
i am very very excited to see this service.
Mike @ Oct 29th 2008 2:47AM
yeah, but the real HD die hards will never be happy with this. there is no master quality audio with streaming, and im sure that technically the picture quality will be nowhere near blu-ray. but either way its very promising.
TeflonFong @ Oct 29th 2008 10:45AM
There is a simple plug and play element with Blu-Ray that I love...knowing that it won't have to buffer and there is very little compression compared to online streaming.
There is a line problem in my area and it affects Netflix, Xbox Live, etc.
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21182671-Line-Problem-IFITL-in-Broward-County-FL-dropping-XBOX-Live-V
I know it is an isolated problem and will probably be rectified soon, but there is a comfort in knowing that my Blu-Ray discs will work without any issues, and it is situations like this- when your cable goes out, ISP throttling/future ISP problems (tier level pricing), hard drive/computer failure, that I believe is ONE of many reasons why digital downloads/streaming is an OPTION but not a replacement of the Blu-Ray format.
Roth @ Oct 29th 2008 12:28AM
HD streaming? That's gotta be Stage6. DivX's Stage6 division must've teamed up with Microsoft to produce Silverlight. If it's their intent to include Silverlight in the 360 then wow.
// Roth
Mike B. @ Oct 29th 2008 1:03AM
cause HD streaming isn't possible using any other codec? No H.264, or VC-1? hmmm...
DrXym @ Oct 29th 2008 10:00AM
Silverlight is based around VC-1 and proprietary codecs. Streaming is quite possible with H264, though I doubt MS would be too happy about it so it seems more like it would be VC-1 or a variant.
ZenMasta @ Oct 29th 2008 3:55PM
Roth, why is your text gray? Anyways, I thought Stage6 gave up to Hulu or was that Veoh (are they the same companies?). I used to love Stage6 cause it was all very HQ video. I am a big fan of hulu now too because the content is more mainstream than stage6 was. I hope they bring silverlight on XBOX and Zune, just imagine if we got content similar to Joe Cartoon? Rather than downloading a 10-20MB video to your zune you could just run a couple meg silverlight file.
JerkfacedFed @ Oct 29th 2008 4:36PM
Silverlight plays VC-1
Xbox 360 can play VC-1
Silverlight does not use H.264 and neither does netflix.
They are using VC-1 because it is cross compatible with their console and silverlight, which works on any OS and browser silverlight works on.
Max @ Oct 29th 2008 1:06AM
This is actually amazing.. I was hoping this would happen, and they came through. I'm never using Watch Now on my computer again. Good riddance.
Max @ Oct 29th 2008 12:29AM
This is actually amazing.. I was hoping this would happen, and they came through. I'm never using Watch Now on my computer again. Good riddance.
boatski @ Oct 29th 2008 12:31AM
what's the netflix HD streaming library like? Is it newer movies? Where can you find the list?
Doc @ Oct 29th 2008 12:33AM
You had me at HD.. Good job netflix, looks like you just added a new customer!!! That is unless, the selection of movies a just complete shit.
WebDev511 @ Oct 29th 2008 12:42AM
If the catalog starts to fill up, I might have to go pickup a 360.
Doc @ Oct 29th 2008 12:53AM
My only question is, does MS really care if netflix hurts their marketplace rental business, or do they just look at it as a bonus for 360?
Mike B. @ Oct 29th 2008 1:08AM
That's if the HD streaming (for TV shows) on netflix is up to date. Marketplace offers news shows shortly after they air. DVDs don't come out until close to the start of the next season. Will netflix offer the shows streaming shortly after they air, or when the DVDs come out? For movies, MS's marketplace will for sure have competition with netflix's streaming, which i'm sure will beat out playing $18 a month of a movie channel.
h0mi @ Oct 29th 2008 3:30AM
While there is a risk of cannibalizing XBLM content, I think MS has to realize there's a large contingent of xbox owners who haven't bought any videos (raising hand) and have no intention of doing so. I've gotta believe though that MS is getting a share of that netflix cash, and this would encourage people to continue paying for Xbox Live even if multiplayer were made free in the future- for ~$150-300 a year, unlimited streaming of HD movies to your Xbox and at least 1 DVD at a time?
Maeztro @ Oct 29th 2008 8:54AM
I could see Microsoft buying Netflix outright...
Bozster @ Oct 29th 2008 12:40AM
Splendid news indeed. This technology is really speeding up.
UnnDunn @ Oct 29th 2008 1:31AM
My only question is does 5.1 audio come with it? Because TV shows on Xbox Live Marketplace are presented in 2.0 audio, even the ones in HD.
Having said that, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I just re-upped my Netflix sub in preparation for the NXE, and now they add HD streaming. This is EPIC!
aaron @ Oct 29th 2008 1:38AM
most of the hd stuff you download from the xbox live marketplace has 5.1 audio.... but that is an interesting point. hopefully the netflix hd stuff has a proper 5.1 sound mix (silverlight is more than capable of it which is what this player is using)
UnnDunn @ Oct 29th 2008 1:48AM
Yeah, the MOVIES are in 5.1, but not the TV shows.
DeadPlasmaCell @ Oct 29th 2008 1:35AM
Gentlemen.. This could be big.
John @ Oct 29th 2008 1:43AM
So are all those rumors about a Blu-ray add-on for the 360 now officially blown out of the water? I would say so!
Vince @ Oct 29th 2008 2:30AM
This is bittersweet to me...I love to see the PS3 get its ass handed to it whenever possible but at the same time I love HDM and subsequently (albeit reluctantly) Blu-ray.
JerkfacedFed @ Oct 29th 2008 4:44PM
right on, sony hater to the end!
DVD4ME @ Oct 29th 2008 3:59AM
It might not be the nail in BR's coffin just yet, but it sure looks like someone just slammed the lid!
Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
gr689 @ Oct 29th 2008 5:12AM
You guys are morons. This will not kill bluray. How stupid to even say such a thing. This HD is far far inferior than bluray. People still love to have their movies on its own disc; esp. one that is far superior than one being streamed and downgraded immensely. 'Puts the nail in the coffine on bluray' OMG! Please. Its nice Netflix has HD stuff out but do you honestly think Sony will not get a deal with Netflix too? If you do your idiots. Do you really think PC's won't have Netflix HD too? Its always fanboys from either xbox or ps3 that have so many malicious things to say about a fu#$in company. C'mon wake up, these companies make money by pitting young fools agaisn't one another with a GIANT name brand behind it. Microsoft, makes disgusting money=Sony makes unbelievable money too. I believe each has its own market and even if PS3 gets Netflix HD then you WILL STILL SEE BLURAY!! WHY? Because bluray is awesome. Hard drives have a long time to go before they will be big enough for us to download movies and store them away on Hard Disk; At least 5 years away before we start seeing 10TB disks; And that may not be big enough for FULL HD MOVIES w/ all the accoutrements of Bluray. So please before you all get so far ahead of yourselves and bankrupt a Major company with this "HDdvd VS bluray war", remember your fu$%in streaming HD dude, how good can the quality be? End point.....
sorryaf @ Oct 29th 2008 5:23AM
You sound like someone from 1992;
"mp3 will never kill the CD. I like buying plastic discs that i can buy in the mall. who wants to download less-than-cd-quality music? iTunes will never work"
How'd that work out for ya?
Mics @ Oct 29th 2008 12:49PM
"WHY? Because bluray is awesome...End point..."
Well, I'll be damned. You do make an awesome point. I'm now totally convinced that Blu-ray is not a niche format and appeals to other demographics besides mostly young males with PS3's. I'm sooo gonna go buy a $300 player tomorrow and hook it up to my 32" HDTV. Thanks. Dude.
mike k. @ Oct 29th 2008 9:36AM
Let me just point out that the netflix thing is a stream that buffers up the movie. You don't store any significant part of the HD film.
But with that in mind the nice thing with a disc format like blu-ray is that it doesn't need to compress, where the stream does.
daaper @ Oct 29th 2008 9:49AM
I'd hook it up to your 61" Samsung...that's where it'll really shine. 32" isn't enough for 1080p to make much of a difference. I'm kinda surprised you didn't know this, though.
DrXym @ Oct 29th 2008 10:05AM
It's obvious the bitrate will be lower than Blu Ray. Much lower. People simply don't have the bandwidth anywhere approaching that required to match Blu. It's also highly unlikely to do much to hurt Blu since it's a rental model and one restricted to lesser titles, where presumably Netflix think its cheaper to stream on demand and toss a few pennies the studio's way than bother posting out a disk.
phanbouy @ Oct 29th 2008 12:43PM
@daaper
WHOOOOOOSH!
squiggleslash @ Oct 29th 2008 3:23PM
DrXym: it's not a rental model, it's a subscription model. Massive difference. One is pay-per-view, the other is "You have access to a massive library as long as you want one."
Your comments about the available library seem misplaced, we don't know - as yet - what titles will be available. I would be surprised if they resemble the regular Netflix downloads library, given the conversion everyone's doing to HD has focussed on more recent titles and major classics (such as the Kubricks.)
As yet the quality is undetermined. Much will depend on whether Neflix allows for the buffering of an entire movie before watching it, and what most people consider "acceptable" quality. I'm finding Dish Network is able to serve 1080i (Cinemax HD channels) with few if any noticeable compression artifacts at around 2-4Gb per hour at the moment. I'm not suggesting everyone would be happy with that, and perhaps with a larger higher quality screen I'd notice something I wouldn't otherwise, but outside of the videophile demographic, it's quite possible for this service to be more than good enough.
HD without the discs, without the going to the store, without the limited library of what you happen to have bought in the past or be renting at the moment. Choose between the latest releases via XBox Live Marketplace, or older releases via Netflix HD streaming.
Who will want DVDs, let alone Blu-ray discs, if that's on offer? I know I'll not!
daaper @ Oct 29th 2008 4:24PM
@phanbouy
Not so much...it's called being facetious. Nice try, though.
Fred @ Oct 29th 2008 4:30PM
Your a moron. You have no idea what the fuck you are talking about. lol
JerkfacedFed @ Oct 29th 2008 4:41PM
disks suck, and therefore bluray sucks.
buying movies is stupid, you only watch them once or twice, therefore bluray movies are a waste of money.
streaming is much smarter and i can watch an unlimited amount of movies for one low cost.
bluray is not picking up in sales, and will not become what dvd was.
for the longest time i have been torrenting mkvs of blurays then stripping out the primary h.264 video stream and watching on my 360
this is even more convenient and therefore worth my money
if it can get me to convert from free hq movies to paid $8.99 a month, then this is a success by any standards.
sony will never get me to buy a piece of crap bluray disk, unless it says "dumb & dumber" on the cover
jim @ Oct 29th 2008 6:32AM
I have a few HD TV shows in 5.1 surround on my Xbox.
The pilot episode of Jericho for one.
So i don't know what Unndunn is talking about. Perhaps those shows never had 5.1 in the first place?
Tom @ Oct 29th 2008 9:10AM
Dell has the Xbox 360 Elite Holiday bundle for just $329.99 right now. http://www.techdealdigger.com/deals/microsoft-xbox-360-elite-329-at-dell-home--home-office/4669
Phil @ Oct 29th 2008 8:47AM
Im gonna hold off to see how it works out, but this is a big step.
Rafael @ Oct 29th 2008 8:54AM
I wonder what this will do with the monthly data cap Comcast has for it's residential costomers.
bizket @ Oct 29th 2008 1:32PM
What will this do to Comcast customers? It will screw them good sir. I suspect that the stream will be around 6 gig in size. With the 250 gig cap with Comcast, that equates to roughly 41 movies a month. Granted, not many folks will watch 1.5 movies a day but if you take into account any gaming that is done, web surfing, YouTube viewing, etc., that 250 gig cap (which includes both up and download) can get eaten up pretty fast.
Thankfully I use a local ISP that has no cap and has stated that they don't monitor what you do. Sure I only have a 1.5/856 connection but since I am newly unemployed that still means 1.5 movies a day for me plus Fallout 3, Fable 2, NHL 09, GoW 2, etc.
Paint me as one happy nerd! :)
Jason W @ Oct 29th 2008 8:54AM
I cant wait. Im so glad I have netflix and a 360 I hope I get into prerelease today.
Sjeltur @ Oct 29th 2008 9:11AM
Well; it makes the rumor go away about Blu-Ray ad on ..... uh.... but ....uh... what about that this is also a rumor...?? And not based on any confirmation of either Microsoft or Netflix...??
squiggleslash @ Oct 29th 2008 9:35AM
Ok, ok, sounds great, but are we talking about real streaming (ie you need a 10Mbps connection just to get anything vaguely watchable) or something that at least allows you to buffer the content before watching it?
Until I hear user reports, I'm not getting excited. It's great it's happening, it's one step further towards the HD utopia most of us have been wishing for, but we need to see it work before we can claim what we want is here.
daaper @ Oct 29th 2008 10:07AM
sweet, 360 owners have it made right now...very jealous. Can't wait for them to upgrade the HD for everyone else. Maybe then I'll pick up that PlayOn Media Server and start streaming it to the PS3. I've been holding off because I didn't want to watch a big, blurry picture.
Teddy @ Nov 2nd 2008 10:43AM
this is all really cool news but i would be just as happy if they would update the 360 so it could play MKV files!
Spiza @ Oct 29th 2008 10:29AM
The biggest negative for me on this is that you have to be a gold xbox live member. I wouldn't use the live for much more, or the 360 for that matter (mouse/keyboard pls), but I would buy a couple of games. that comes down to spending what, $250+$50/yr for HD streaming? I know many would, but I'll stick to blu-rays and dling shows in HD that I miss.
JerkfacedFed @ Oct 29th 2008 4:52PM
dude buy it from amazon, its always $38 for a 13 month card.
thats the cost of one bluray movie
and if you dont already have a 360 (WHY DONT YOU!?) get one for $199
thats 1/3 the price u paid for your bluray player
Spiza @ Oct 29th 2008 5:31PM
DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats still $38, and I get the few blu-rays I do buy for less than $15 a piece, most under $10. I got a PS3 for $150 with 9 blu-rays (I'm shady and Wal-Mart is stupid).
I have bought one game for the PS3, uncharted, and it went on ebay after an hour of play. There are only a couple of 360 games that I would even play, and thats not worth a purchase. I'm not sure the arcade will work for this either. You will probably need to dl the movie at least some.