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 October 29th 2008 12:01AM
This is awesome. It won't be everything we've been waiting for, but it'll get there, trust me. Netflix adds new movies/shows for streaming all the time, and it'll continue to get better. The quality won't be equal to blu-ray, but I bet it will be darn close in the future. This is just the first step, but it's a big one. All the movies you want for $10/month? Sure beats buying a $30 movie, or waiting for a rented one to come in the mail. Don't worry, I'll still buy a blu-ray player this Christmas, but I have a 360 with Netflix already, and this will satisfy my on-demand cravings in between waiting for the 'reference' disk to come in the mail.
This just made my day... Guess I will be asking for a Years subscription to netflixs for xmas.
I've been watching lots of movies via watch it now on my laptop hooked up to my 42" HDTV via HDMI output on my Dell XPS. It actually looks OK given the sheer convenience of it all. Having it on the Xbox is so much more convenient and what I would call a "Killer App". The HD announcement is amazing because it means the Xbox 360 and Netflix combo has outdone Sony and Apple in bringing a viable offering of streaming movies and TV shows to the TV set.
Anyone that complains about HD on Xbox needs to download an HD movie...like Ratatouille or something with an excellent transfer. That movie looks and sounds amazing on Xbox 360 720p. And lets remember that you don't have to satisfy every Audio and videophile out there for this to be successful. It just needs to look and sound good to the average user and HD and even standard def content on the 360 Video marketplace far surpass that.
I just hope that the HD from Netflix is as good or better than what we see on Hulu or Amazon Unbox.
The question is, will the HD picture be better than cable's HD? Not that I like Transformers, but watching it on Comcast HD is downright painful, the pixelization on the action shots is pretty extensive.
when i was growing up, home theater was a hobby of mine. y'know, learning about Trinitron TVs and Dolby Surround sound and "sound staging" all that. always been into movies (hey, who isn't)? But then I got out and saw the world, etc. And I realized that needing to have and brag about "The best" of anything was really pretty trite.
so that's what i come away from in this HD VOD vs blu-ray arguments. even if i had the space or cash (you know, that i didn't want to put towards something more useful like my motorcycle or bicycle or backpacking or traveling gear, etc), i wouldn't buy the gear needed to tell the difference between compressed 720p content and reference quality 1080p stuff. Still, I'm just as much a movie fanatic as ever and believe in an immersive experience. Well, for those few films still worth going out all for the best experience, I have just the solution for you. Ready? it's called MOVIE THEATER!
so why am i even reading/posting on engadgethd then you may ask? i like to keep up on the tech and trends. but i hate mindless consumerism. so... my 2c, fwiw.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I have a PS3 (because I like games), and a subscription to Netflix to get Blurays. I also bought the ROKU box which will most likely be able to stream HD movies as well after the Xbox get's the initial hype. I'm all set over here for the winter, until it warms up again and it's motorcycle time! \m/
There is no source given for this article. Is this just rumor, or something more concrete?
NEVER ever ever doubt the mighty Engadget! Her wrath is swift and painful... :0
WOW, this could be the begining of the death of Bluray. Yes, I know currently streamed content offers much lower resolution than Bluray. But that will change quickly. Welcome to the digital age! Network connection speed is increasing at an alarming rate. A random search turns this press release this past April from Comcast. http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=741
Yes, they were announcing 50Mbps downloading cable! Probably in three years, this would become the norm. This should be able to stream your Bluray without much problem!
I fully forsee those consumer electrical companies simply won't move fast enough (have high enough Bluray adoption), those Internet companies will dominate the future as a way of delivery of video!
Guys... have you not heard of Vudu? This concept is nothing new and Vudu has been doing this for at least a year now. Not only do they have INSTANT HD streaming, they also even have a higher quality HD format they are calling HDX which closely rivals BluRay content. It's not instant (yet) but it's damn good and it's priced the same as normal HD movies.
If you've already got a 360 and won't want to spend more money then this is a great breakthrough. But if you've been wanting this type of service and you've been sitting around waiting on Netflix streaming via the 360 then you've been missing the boat.
Vudu is, IMHO, the cream of the crop when it comes to convenience, service, selection, and quality. They've got over 10,800 movies in their database today and it's growing like crazy each week.
I'm pleased with the Netflix streaming coming to the 360 as well since I have one but my main source of VOD material will be from Vudu without a doubt. Hell - they even have porn. Seriously...
Netflix = unlimited streaming for monthly fee (assuming it is the same for HD). Vudu = pay per movie. Throw in the fact that a number of people already have netflix and the 360, makes the netflix option much more appealing based on cost.
I agree with gr689, this is not killing blu-ray, its just another HD media source. BR has audio AND video quality that cant currently be beaten by anything streaming online. We may see DTS MA streamed online when bandwidth is no issue, but no current content provider will see the benefit in sending a 2GB audio feed with its 4GB video stream. The average joe the plumber doesnt know the difference between PCM, LPCM, lossless, and phono. "Dis here HD videos lookies crystal clear and my 2.1 channel bose makes the 'surround sound' even better". Thats joe the plumber watching in "surround sound"
CNet is saying you're incorrect, and that the HD will roll out to all box holders, not just XBox. Care to respond?
Just read that. If true, I may be buying a roku box asap.
I don't suppose anyone knows if this will be available outside the US? I'm guessing that us poor Canadians will get screwed again, but I still dare to dream...
Haha, this is so pathetic. Each console has it's good points and bad points, but the fanboys have already started. Listen up, morons! HD streaming is NOT a big deal to the average gamer! Casual users would probably prefer to stick to the familiar insert disc method. Most of us have been using it our entire lives, whether it's Beta, VHS, Laser Discs, DVDs, Or Blu-Ray. And for those of us who aren't casual gamers, we just PIRATE the Blu-Ray rip. Just like a lot of us non-casual gamers who have xbox 360's don't actually own many games, we pirate them as well. (only complete tools get banned from Live for pirating)
Um... streaming HD sounds like a good idea NOT!
Some of us in the real world have "quota" and crap broadband.
If im gonna dl 7GB for a 720p movie i wanna keep it thanks.
I cant even stream a blu-ray from one pc to another over 100mbit LAN connection and i only have a 10mbit connection for the net.
Will never take off.
Ok, this would be good news if it weren't for the cap that comcrap has put on many Americans.
Here's why it's cool.
I already have a 360, an HDTV and Netflix account.
Bluray looks fantastic but with this I don't have to buy a new player or any new discs.
I agree with GR689. I like to have my physical media in hand. Less chance for a hiccup in the network, or having to wait for the stupid thing to stream. Until we have 50mbps connections the likes of some Asian countries, HD over the net isnt going to take off the way people think it will.
What about Europe, does anyone know if we can share the the same delights as you americans?
sorryaf, you are a sorry af. No one ever said "bluray will be around forever" Yeah, cd's and bluray have so much in common? Not even close, totally different market. Real 1080p HD quality movies are huge, lots of Gigabytes; not even close to a cd.
You morons are so hellbent on breaking the PS3 that you are blinded by your own stupidity. The market needs competition, without it we would never see our precious videogames get to looking and playing like an interactive movie. Off point, PS3 has pushed the landscape so much that the face of videogames are changing. While X-box uses the same old technology for lazy devs, PS3 has pushed into new territory, pushing lazy devs to reestablish their tools and make nicer games.
Furthermore, in order to get downloading or streaming HD to be big time; the internet has to be a lot faster and people have to have bigger Hard drives(for downloading)
-So if this is STREAMING how in the HELL is this competing with bluray when bluray allows people to keep their movies???
Last point for the bigger idiots out there... YOUR PAYING 2 SERVICES TO WATCH THIS INFERIOR TO BLURAY STREAMING, X-BOX SUBSCRIPTION AND NETFLIX. Wow your right bluray is a goner for sure, probably by Christmas. Oh and by the way bluray players are going to $199 for Christmas not $300.
This is a great idea. Now I can run Netflix on my HDtv,
and so easy to obtain the movies.
from tony at:
http://www.ntopics.com
I'll use both. This is what makes Netflix so cool. I can rent the Blu-Ray disks for my 61" TV or I can stream on my 24" computer screen (where the Blu-Ray resolution would be mostly wasted). And in about a year, the Blu-Ray disk prices will drop down to where I can collect the films I want to own. Digital is great for renting, but it's just too risky to buy if you want to keep it long term (thanks DRM!). I still buy CD's (but only at discounted prices around $6) because I like having the physical media as a backup.
Well, Well, Well, Looks like I'll be signing back up to Netflex once again!!! This also means I can put off having anything to do with Blu-Ray. The prices were getting down, the the high costs for the disc's is still to much money. Besides I have a 500+ DVD collection, I really don't want to start a big old Blu-Ray collection. A collection that I can ONLY play on my Main HDTV at home. I can't rip the disc, and if I could the file size is to large and playing on a small screen is really not worth it when I'm playing on a portable device. So if Blu-Ray is really not a Portable format that's only really played at HOME on that large HDTV, then HD Streaming isn't really limiting either. Sure it's not going to look quite as good as Blu-Ray more then likely. It's unknown at this time. The better Audio? Really, how many people with Blu-Ray are really taking advantage of that better Audio? They spent a bundle on a HDTV, a Blu-Ray player, and Disc's, getting a expensive receiver and speakers on top of that is pretty low priority. People having older 5.1 setup's for DVD movies isn't HUGE either.
This won't KILL Blu-Ray, but it's another nail in the coffin for Blu-Ray. Netflex already is huge. HD streaming from a large company like this is a BIG DEAL! I'd be happy to stream 2-3 HD movies a week at most for me. I think this is great, and I can't wait to give it a try. Also my startup costs are pretty CHEAP! I already have a 360 with GOLD and a Internet connection. A Under $10 a month Netflex subscription is all I need unless the price is a bit higher for HD, which I would guess is also unknown. Will this totally KILL me Buying Blu-Ray is the future?!?! I can't wait to find out.
Why is this awesome?
Because most of us already have Netflix an Xbox 360 (and a PS3).
And while Blu-ray is beautiful, it sucks that you have buy a disc and get up and put it in the player, and hope it doesn't get scratched, etc.
I'd rather scroll through a list of great titles in HD and play what I want on Demand, that is why I have Broadband internet.
And for those of you who think that it is going to look like crap compared to Blu-ray, put down the crack rocks. Unless you are sitting 2 feet from the TV, or your TV is 60", then you will not notice a difference. If you do, it is only in your head.
Example, right now I use Netflix Watch It Now on my HTPC, connected through a VGA cable to my 32" 720p TV (a very modest setup). When I watch a video, it looks just as good if not better than an upscaled DVD. This is definitely possible. Just because Sony chose to use some insanely large disc to hold bloated video files, does not mean you can not get a very similar quality image at a fraction of the filesize.
hilltopper06, You don't have to be 2 feet from the tv to notice the difference; especially in older movies that were transferred to bluray. Blurays quality will be a lot better than any streamings quality, bar-none. That being said, I love how HD looks from a simple satellite feed so I'm sure Netflix HD will look great also and I'd love to watch it. It's a great reason to get Netflix but no nails were put out here. Like I said, it's still a slightly different market where both can strive. It's like saying, "now that HBO and Cinemax have HD channels Bluray is over or its another nail its coffin" Not even. I think it will actually do the opposite; it will show how bluray stands out amongst other HD sources.
Once this is availble for PC or PS3, trust me I want it too; I probably sign up for Netflix. And trust me it will be available for PS3. Netflix would have to be out of their minds to close off potential customers. Right now they just doing simple industry marketing; once the hub bub is over then off will Netflix HD go to all the other platforms.
I'm sorry hilltopper there is a big difference between streaming HD and bluray. If you don't know that then you need to get your eyes examined man.
Look I don't collect blurays. I get a few here and there, like the new Disney bluray classics; simply because I have kids and they love disney movies. I have to tell you that their is nothing and I mean nothing like watching 'Sleeping Beauty' on bluray, it's simply stunning. Even watching the commercials doesn't even compare to what it actually looks like from the disc.
I just don't think bluray is going anywhere for quite awhile. Not until were carring around flash drives that are 10TB's will we see the modern movie disc go anywhere. Now, with Digital 3-D making its way into our living rooms our blurays will be even larger and even more of a reason to carry it on it's own disc, instead of wasting space on our Hard drives(for real 1080p quality anyway) For everything under 1080p, streaming will do fine.
Just go with it, Bluray is cool. And its of fantastic quality, so why would you want to cheapen it and go backwards. We want to make our technology better not weaker.
They both will stand. Trust me.
So how does non-portable, degraded, time-expired digital content "destroy" permanent and portable, high-quality copies of content that last for decades? I'm all for digital HD downloads, but under no illusion that the quality isn't inferior, won't play at my friend's house, and won't last for very long. I'm already scrambling to add a 3rd and 4th terrabyte to my network, just to preserve the dvds I've already ripped that I enjoy having on-demand. Digital content is an astronomical amount of more effort and maintenance than sticking a disc in a bookshelf.
Too many Xbox fanboys have lost sight of that.
Yes, your Netflix movies will not play at your friend's house, just like your Blu-ray movies will not.
(Or they will, if you both own Netflix compatible equipment. Or the Blu-ray movies will if you both own Blu-ray players.)
@JBDragon
BTW The Blue-Ray is transferable to a portable player:
http://gizmodo.com/341938/sony-blu+ray+to+psp-movie-transfer-gets-official
Dang, I can't even get Netflix SD format to look good over my network connection! If I'm lucky, it starts playing within 10 minutes looking so crappy that I can barely recogize the actors; if I'm not lucky, I've got to wait 1+ hours before I get to see anything. Tho' Netflix HD sounds really awesome, if I want HD, I'd much prefer the dependability of BR for my HD content.
You just need to ante up on your internet connection. I'm able to get HD video with DSL service... no problem.
Sucks to be you - and i wanted a PS3 this weekend for Blu-Ray - this HD NetFlix has me changing my mind really quickly!!
HD was the plug and play electronic element.
"Things just got a lot more interesting in the world of digital downloads"-nothing can describe HD than this line.Future awaits for the microsot Xbox 360.every user is excited for the out come of the same.
Bring on the HD p0rN!
Just tested out the service on Xbox Live - it's amazing.
Crazy how it takes a "decent" amount of time to download youtube videos and even videos from xbox's marketplace - yet this instantaneous viewing is insane!
Gotta get back to my xbox!!
I tried it out last night but I didn't see any HD titles... which ones are they?
I wasn't even aware that Netflix was going to offer HD content in the near future and then I cued up a current episode of CSI on my Samsung BD-P2500 (Some CBS current shows are now streaming also!) and imagine my surprise when it had an HD logo on it. I was psyched! I knew Netflix would eventually stream HD, but I figured a year or so away. The quality was outstanding, maybe not BD quality but excellent nonetheless and my AV receiver recognized it as a Dolby 5.1 signal and the sound was the equivalent of an SD disc. Flawless stream with no buffer breaks, so I was impressed. Going back to the CBS deal, kudos to Netflix for having the foresight to strike network deals on current programming. If they can expand on this deal, I personally see it as a very attractive option. Sure I use my dvr mainly but sometimes I miss eps or decide I want to catch up on a series I didnt watch. I can stream network episodes through my PC, but the network streaming systems leave alot to be desired and their catalog usually only includes the last couple of episodes. The days of paying for an episode on itunes may eventually be a thing of the past.
I have netflix on my xbox 360, but it doesnt say "NOW STREAMING IN HD". All i get is the Standard Def. Movies. Why is this? Is there some other upgrade? Whats wrong?