Recent
announcements on iTunes rentals certainly caused a stir amongst the neglected Mac-masses, but it looks like the online rental game is about to get a little more cutthroat for fanboys and fangirls everywhere. According to a new report (and backed up by an earlier blog post), streaming content for Netflix subscribers is headed to Mac screens in 2008 -- if everyone has their way. During the company's Q4 earnings call this week, the snail-mail service hinted that this would be the year that streaming rentals would come to Mac users due to the advent of DRM options that play nice with Apple's gear (namely, Microsoft's Silverlight technology). Combine this with news that the company plans to offer
all-you-can-eat online rentals for $8.99 a month, its intentions to bring a STB to market
with LG, and a possible game console partnership -- well, it all adds up to stiff competition for Apple and other challengers, despite what
they say.
[Via
Mac Rumors]
Read - Netflix: Mac Streaming Coming This Year
Read - Instant watching on Mac, Firefox, and more
posted Jan 24th 2008 11:40AM
I still think Netflix should do a Media Center Add-in which would let all 360 owners enjoy.
I still think netflix should do an HD DVD add on that would allow users to receive streamed movies ( i know the hddvd players don't have enough storage but there might be a function for the USB port yet!). If the standard fails, lets get some really good use out of our boxes!
you are crazy! what's going to happen with all those HD DVD players is that Toshiba is going to do a recall and ask the owners to give up $100 to turn those players into HD DVD/Blu-ray combo players. (i wish)
Can anyone comment on the quality of streamed movies from Netflix on PC? I recently rented a SD film on iTunes and frankly it looks terrible... something like 400x286 pixels and heavily compressed (Star Trek 2). It's the last time I waste my money on that.
I just wonder if MS is going to want to let go of their high prices $4-6 per rentals for a $9 all you can eat..I have a 360 ,but think MS is too greedy IMO. Secondly if sony were smart and wanted to instantly compete with MS they would add this to their PS store and add all their Blu-ray titles for the HD selction.
Well, I have only watched one movie and a bit of the Office on Netflix online, and it wasn't Great picture quality, but the Film wasn't a new release and the office is a regular, non-HD TV show..
However, I don't pay any more per month than I did before I was able to watch additional hours of content online. So for me it's a Win Win since they added the unlimited online for most of the paying costumers of Netflix.
So for most people there is no comparing the Apple and netflix, one is free, added to your current service, the other, pay as you go...no contest in my book.
9 dollar a month all you can watch movie rentals to your pc, mac, or lg TV or superblu player? souns like HD DVD and blu-ray might be just an expensive alternative to the cheaper sd downloads... i expect 1-2 years when people have fiber speed for true mpeg 4 streaming HD video... i'm declaring blu-ray dead as well as HD DVD.
I wish people would stop referring to Silverlight as "Mac-compatible" when they're only ever planning to support the Intel machines. (I've got one, but the Mini hooked up to my TV is PPC, so this doesn't do much for me.)
Netflix is waiting for Silverlight 2.0, which is still at least 8 months off. Mac (Intel only) and Firefox support will not be coming any time soon. Probably September, assuming it doesn't get delayed again (was originally set for this month).