It can't all be sweet, right? So Netflix is
indeed coming to PlayStation 3, but there's a catch, and that is a disc (badly photoshopped into the picture above) will be required for use -- not just for a one-time install, but every time you want to stream.
Joystiq shot some questions off to the company, who justified this as being "fastest and easiest way to let PS3 enthusiasts get Netflix on the PS3" and that an embedded software solution through XMB will be coming late next year. It denies this has anything to do with
Microsoft's exclusivity agreement, but frankly we're a bit bummed by this perplexing hurdle in convenience. At any rate, be sure to go reserve your disc now if you want to start streaming -- assuming, of course,
PlayOn hasn't already satisfied your Netflix needs.
Read - Netflix interview
Read - Disc reservation page (must be logged in to see)
posted October 26th 2009 7:34PM
wait, what? late 2010? i coulda sworn i read it was available next month.
Read: "software solution coming late 2010"
till then, you use the CD
First it doesn't play PS2 Games...now this.
Technically it'll be a Blu-ray disk not a "CD", as per Netflix, but yea, it comes out next month : )
The BD solution is coming November. It's an obvious method around the exclusivity agreement that Netflix has with MS as Engadget has said.
There is nothing to stop Netflix from making a BD-Live version of their software which is platform agnostic. Netflix obviously benefits from having as many machines use their service as possible, and get as many subscription fees as possible. And unlike XBL, the PS3 solution won't be limited to XBL Gold members.
My guessing is that around the time the time that it gets embedded into the PS3, XBL will offer it to all subscribers. It really should be that way right now.
>>My guessing is that around the time the time that it gets embedded into the PS3, XBL will offer it to all subscribers. It really should be that way right now.
In which case Netflix gets a double boost. They'll get PS3 users and they can force MS to allow non-Gold members to access their service (and pay them subscription fees).
But being that Xbox Live Gold Membership is required for something as simple as Twitter and Facebook, I'm not exactly sure MS will allow Netflix to be free.
@ Puggs
Its been confirmed that Netflix will remain only for paying Xbox Live Gold members.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6238087.html
>>GS: Well, I guess the big advantage of streaming Netflix via the PS3 is you don't have to pay a premium membership cost for Xbox Live Gold. Do you know if Netflix will be available to Xbox Live Silver members in the future?
SS: That's a question you'd have to ask Microsoft. We just think they're both great platforms. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Microsoft has since confirmed Xbox Live Gold membership will still be mandatory to access Netflix on the 360.]
Xbox should counter Sony, by allowing Netflix on silver accounts. Something I feel should already have implemented.
SERIOUS QUESTION FOR ANY LEGAL EAGLE OUT THERE - In developing this PS3 'workaround', doesn't Netflix run the risk of incurring a lawsuit from Microsoft over the matter?
I know the nature of the workaround in theory is not directly violation on the exact letter of the contract between Microsoft and Netflix, hence why it is considered a 'workaround'. However, is it not standing legal precedent that if a non-mutually agreed upon action carried about between contract holders is in violation of the "spirit" of the contract, that the violating partner in the agreement can be held liable for damages (the "spirit" of the contract between Microsoft and Netflix being that, the Xbox 360 would the sole game console to stream Netflix service until the end of the contract's exclusivity period in late 2010)?
I know in many countries, the US included, this applies in criminal law, you do not necessarily have to directly violate the letter of a law, but can be punished for taking actions that violate "the spirit of the law," just wondering if the same argument holds up in civil court as well?
@Invader:
I'm not a lawyer, so perhaps I shouldn't even be trying to answer this question for you, but I do enjoy talking about legal issues so I'll give it a stab.
It all depends on the wording of the exclusivity agreement. You could be right, the Microsoft agreement could have stated exclusivity of Netflix streaming as a whole, but if Netflix was smart/lucky enough, they could have simply referred to the Netflix streaming *program* being exclusive to Xbox 360. If the wording is vague, then you may be right, and Microsoft may be able to sue to stop the PS3 deal. However, I'd have to think that it'd cost much more in legal fees than the exclusivity is getting them, not to mention that judging by the comments both on Engadget and Joystiq, the move to bring Netflix to PS3 seems to be a massively popular one, and I don't know how much good will they want to lose with gamers over something that will no doubt eventually come to PS3 anyways.
I do know that when it comes to contract law, implied agreements matter just as much as express agreements. Neither party can be purposefully deceptive as to the terms of the contract, and they must both act in good faith. So if you and I make an agreement (sign a contract) saying that I will sell you a Mustang for a certain price, and I try to give you a horse instead of the car, I'm probably being a bit deceptive and I could be legally penalized for it because when we made the agreement I implied that I was selling you a car.
The issue here is whether or not Netflix agreed that exclusivity would cover only a dashboard-style program that resides solely within the system. If the terms of the agreement were vague, Microsoft may have standing for legal remedies. But if they specifically state what Microsoft is guaranteed exclusivity to, then Netflix is in the clear, and disc-based programs would be considered legit. This seems to be the way the agreement is worded because Netflix has said that a software-only, firmware-enabled option won't be available until late 2010. There is simply no way it takes over a year for Netflix to write this program for PS3. It's much more likely that exclusivity for the non-disc-based program doesn't expire until late 2010, and this disc option is simply a very creative side-stepping maneuver by Netflix to expand its Watch Instantly business. Certainly by reading Joystiq's Q&A with Netflix, their responses are very carefully worded and have a certain amount of spin to them in regards to why the non-disc-based program isn't available now.
That's my 2 cents.
I appreciate the effort and realize for the average person with a PS3 this is great news but for my money the PlayOn option is still superior for a few reasons:
1) no disk required (you have to have a networked PC running PlayOn so for some that's a wash)
2) It works for the Xbox 360 owners who chose not to purchase a Gold Live account.
3) It now works on the Wii (at 420p but it's better than nothing).
4) It works with ANY DLNA compliant hardware.
5) It streams more than just Netflix and allows for third parties to develop plugins that add functionality. There is actually a quite active community adding streaming from new sites frequently.
@chad
Only issue i have with Playon is it still costs money. I use PS3 Media server which streams all my media straight to my PS3 through my router for free. It also allows you to transcode media files with several different codecs without any fuss in case the default doesn't look good on the PS3. It has many internet streams as well but no Netflix sadly, now that this disc is coming along I can do everything Playon can do for free! Soon enough there will be an app as well so there is no need for new users to purchase Playon.
So if this work around is a disk with BD live capabilites, wouldn't that mean that any BD Live blue ray player could use this disk?
Blu-Ray that is....I promise it really was a typo ;-)
So, I guess the CD acts like some sort of "key" to log into the Netflix website and then stream it ?
It's a BD and uses BD-Live to stream the content
@ the guy above Cool avatar man :D They should make a customized version of Android using a Cartoon Network theme
As I understand it, Netflix is contractually obligated with M$ to NOT deliver a software solution to the XBox competitors. However, Sony and Netflix developed this solution which leverages BD-Live to circumvent the M$ contract.
Nice workaround, and I'm looking forward to trying it, but it does seem a little mischievous to be screwing over their console launch partner. MS must be pi$$ed!
does ne1 have more specific details as to how this works? as someone said, this disc is supposedly platform agnostic. so is it possible to use it on any bd live enabled blu player ?!?! or is sony including some support code on the ps3 for this to work!?!?!?
BD-Live uses JAVA and has the full run-time engine, so its actually a relatively powerful interface. Its not just streaming from the website.
So essentially this Netflix should be like a small JAVA application.
I just reserved mine. Will be a nice addition to my TV that isn't hooked up to the Roku box
lol take that PlayStation fan boys.
So Sony's console now does the best games (Uncharted 2, Demon's Souls, Modern Warfare 2, Gran Turismo 5, etc), plays Blu-ray movies, has a built-in web browser, multimedia streaming (divx, xvid, etc), has free online gaming, runs whisper quiet, will never fail or RROD.... and next month has Netflix streaming?
Wow, PS3 is damn awesome now.
Downranked for obvious fanboyism/troll-ism
Added a point because what you said was true reguardless of the 'fanboy' comment. This is a nice new feature.
They do fail, it's just that the failure isn't as widespread as the xbox 360.
My friend has gone through 2 PS3's with the Yellow light of death.
-"best games" is highly subjective, 360 has it's own great exclusives such as Mass Effect and Halo; MW2 will be out for the 360 as well, Forza 3 is 360 exclusive and highly comparable to GT5.
-few people use a browser on a console. typing and navigating is a pain with a controller, and text is generally harder to read on a tv compared to a computer monitor, and that's assuming you have an HDTV, which actually most people still don't. the browser would be basically useless on a standard-def TV. in most cases it'd be quicker to go over to your computer and use that, or bring your laptop to your tv (laptop sales outpace desktop sales now). not to mention 360 is now getting support for facebook, twitter, and last.fm, with interfaces that many (such as Joystiq) have called superior to the browser-based interfaces.
-360 has multimedia streaming with Windows Media Center, which is very nice.
-i'd rather pay a dollar ($1!) per week for a superior online service. and really you can pay $30-$35/year if you wait for deals to pop up.
-PS3's fail quite a bit too, people have just ignored it because the 360 was much worse. Wii's failure rate is around 3%, PS3 is around 12%, and 360 WAS around 40-50%. however, MS covers the most common 360 problems with a 3 year warranty, whereas PS3 you only get one year for all problems. even so, the 360 was still more of a problem until the newest Jasper revision, with the shrunken GPU (which was causing most of the problems) and extended heatsink. it'll be a while before numbers on the Jasper failure rate come in, but i would expect it to be much closer to the PS3's failure rate, and combined with the 3 year warranty, becomes no more of an issue than the PS3's.
-360 has netflix streaming built in, without a disk.
so really your only sort-of arguments left are blu-ray and running quieter. many people don't even care for blu-ray, and the 360's dvd drive noise probably doesn't bother most people (i don't notice it unless i think about it).
want to try again? there are arguments for the PS3 better than any of those, yet you managed to miss them all...
maveric if you only owned a PS3 and weren't spreading blind fanboy love because you only own a 360, then I would actually read your comment, but right now, its pointless.
I want to play Gears of War though...
YLOD for the win...
well if you would actually read it, you would know that everything i said was completely true, and not fanboyish at all. for the record, if i didn't own any console right now, i might very well go for the PS3. the biggest arguments that OP missed were user-upgradeable HDD, built in wifi, and built in rechargeable batteries in controllers.
i'm no fanboy. i state the facts.
To be honest I'm playing on my PC now and the graphics blow these two machines out of the water and it plays Blu-ray movies, has a built-in web browser, multimedia streaming (divx, xvid, etc), has free online gaming, runs whisper quiet, will never fail (you can't be sure of that one) or RROD. And I can has any pad I want.
Maverick, actually, my 360 runs _quieter_ than my PS3, thanks to running games off the HDD. True, the DVD drive of the 360 is louder than the Bluray drive of the PS3 but the fans on the 360 are quieter than the fan on the PS3. but the DVD drive do not spin while running games of the HDD...
oh i forgot to mention that PS3 exclusives are starting to get slightly better graphics than 360 exclusives. on the other hand, multiplatform games usually look slightly better on the 360.
maveric, most of your counter arguments really do reek of fanboyism, sorry.
@ the browser part, really? I mean just really? I'll give you a hint: bluetooth or USB.
I don't want to go on because I might deceive you into thinking you had an actual argument to begin with.
but saying a certain console "has the best games" ISN'T fanboyism? you guys are so backwards. if you think i'm the fanboy then either you're a PS3 fanboy or you don't know the facts. seriously. tell me a single point in my comments that was incorrect. and how can my comments reek of fanboyism when i pointed out several (good) arguments in favor of the PS3? i was just pointing out that most of phinnvr6's arguments were pretty weak.
Hmmm, how much is wrong with those comments.
The PS3 does not have the best games (my favourite games include Crackdown and Fable 2) and unless you only just bought one does not run whisper quiet (though granted, not quite as loud as my 360 but still the fan goes nuts once half way through a movie) and no it doesn't have the RROD, it has the yellow light of death instead which is an identical problem to what causes the RROD.
I don't see them denying anything in the interview -- they're just evasive: "...the instant streaming disc represented the fastest and easiest way to let PS3 enthusiasts get Netflix on the PS3." Which could be interpreted as, "this is the only way we could get Netflix streaming on the PS3 right now without violating our agreement with Microsoft."
It doesn't really seem like that big of a deal to me. Of course I'm just used to putting discs in my game systems for the last 15 years.
of course not. it's a minor inconvenience for a great feature.
Agreed.
To watch a movie, I'll have to put a disc in my machine? Oh, the horror!
oh, i see. reading comprehension>me. thanks.
It is ok. Don't worry.
I'm more than willing to bet that it actually does have to due with Microsoft's agreement.
There was probably a hole in the legalese that lets them run it from a disc on a competing game console but not from memory. And late 2010 is probably when the exclusivity ends for Microsoft.
Of course, that's all just my assumptions but it makes sense to me. Be sure to tell me how I'm wrong/stupid/incompetent in the replies.
I'm pretty damn sure Netflix and Sony are waiting for the exclusivity agreement with MS to end first before they deploy the no-disc solution. This disc solution is probably to circumvent the agreement.
ah someone beat me to it
weird
you could have saved 1/56000 of a tree if you just have typed "wtf"... geez.. can't you just go green?