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Movies PlayStation (Games) Sony Television Games

Netflix Coming To Sony PS3 145

Posted by Soulskill from the inclusively-exclusive dept.
itwbennett writes "'Microsoft has always seemed rather enthusiastic when it comes to throwing around the word 'exclusive,' and here is another case in point,' says blogger Peter Smith. Netflix and Sony have announced that Netflix streaming is coming to the Sony PlayStation 3 as early as next month. Back in August, when Microsoft was rolling out its new dashboard update, one of the features it was talking up was Netflix streaming, says Smith, and it said, 'This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience...' Apparently, in Microsoft parlance, 'exclusive partnership' means 'we launched it first' and not 'we inked a deal with Netflix preventing this feature from appearing on the competition's hardware.' All this is good news for PS3 owners who can now sign up to be notified of Netflix availability for their system."
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Netflix Coming To Sony PS3 More

Netflix Coming To Sony PS3

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  • exclusive partnership (Score:5, Funny)

    by DesertBlade ( 741219 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @07:20PM (#29878927)
    They did have an exclusive partnership for about 3 months.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by XPeter ( 1429763 ) *
      Until it became popular and Netflix wanted more cash.

    • Re: (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      try about a year.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by schon ( 31600 )

      Methinks you don't understand what "exclusive" means.

      It doesn't mean "nobody else is doing it".

      It means "nobody else is is *allowed* to do it" (examine the root "exclude [wiktionary.org]")

      • Re:exclusive partnership (Score:4, Insightful)

        by maharb ( 1534501 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @08:54PM (#29879689)

        You also might want to note we live in a world that has time and exclusivity doesn't necessarily include all times past and present. Microsoft may have been told that for X period of time the service would not appear on any other consoles thus their statement, at that point, was true.

        I think it is fairly standard human behavior to judge statements based on when they occurred and not the present situation. That is why newton is considered 'genius' despite getting lots of physics wrong.

        • Re:exclusive partnership (Score:4, Insightful)

          by Blakey Rat ( 99501 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @09:59PM (#29880065)

          I thought Slashdotters hated marketer-speak. Why is everybody debating this? Who cares?

      • Methinks the term exclusive can have more than one meaning. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exclusive [merriam-webster.com]
        b : limiting or limited to possession, control, or use by a single individual or group

        or from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exclusive [reference.com]
        single or sole

        So the netflix was limited to one console (XBOX 360) whether by contract or just first entry.

  • More (Score:2, Interesting)

    by elsJake ( 1129889 )
    Power to the people! Is it an international feature at least ? I Have yet to see a video streaming service that works for non-US folk.

    • Not coming to Canada... unfortunately. *sigh* Linky [eontarionow.com].

      I don't understand the statement "The service will not be available in Canada due to licensing agreements and other legal issues."
      We can buy/rent most (all?) of the media coming out of the states off the shelves, no questions asked.

      Perhaps someone like Walmart will have to come out with a streaming service, and bring it to Canada to open the floodgates. As much as I'm not fond of the huge Megacorps they tend to lead the way in for things such as this.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by maharb ( 1534501 )

        Duh! I can't imagine why it takes the act of those controlling the rights of the movies to get anything done! Sure, Wal-Mart doesn't control the rights, but they have the power to make arrangements with those that do. It seems like the media companies fail miserably at extracting money from people by selling their products and instead chose to wait until some big name comes along and promises them lots of cash if they just listen.

        The only slightly strange thing is that I thought Netflix was in with the r

      • Unfortunately, the right to distribute via the internet is not the same as the right to distribute physical copies. It is a much larger legal hurdle than physical one.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kuzb ( 724081 )
        Sadly, it's worthless to the majority of the world. What a non-story.
      • I wonder if this is one way the RIAA/MPAA are trying to force their copyright laws onto Canada? Not allowing online streaming services like this until they adopt the US DMCA type law.
        Isn't Canada on the US list of countries that doesn't have good enough copyright laws? It works both ways though. Defying Gravity is not airing in the US but is in Canada. I can't access any of the Canadian sites that are streaming the remaining episodes from the US.
    • If you're in the UK, LoveFilm has a similar service. They currently only have about 1,700 things available for streaming, but it's included for free with their DVD rental service (a few things are stupidly overpriced pay per view). I've been using it to watch old science fiction shows and a few films. From what I can tell, their service is more or less equivalent to Netflix. Oh, and they use Flash for streaming and works nicely on non-Windows systems.

  • I'm a fan of Netflix streaming (to my Tivo HD), warts and all. But if you're not a fan of old movies and TV shows, it's probably of very little interest to you. Not all that much new stuff is available for streaming, and what is there seems to get cycled randomly in and out at the whim of the content owners.

    The shortcomings aren't Netflix's fault, I don't believe - it's squarely due to the MPAA dinosaurs that continue to insist that the genii will fit back in that darn bottle if they just push harder...

    • Re:Handy for some, less so for others (Score:4, Informative)

      by Afforess ( 1310263 ) <afforess@gmail.com> on Monday October 26, 2009 @07:35PM (#29879067) Journal
      There are new movies on it, have you looked? Walle, for instance in on Netflix instant view. That qualifies as a new movie in my book.

      Better than that though, they often have TV shows from Europe or the UK, like the IT Crowd on Instant View.

      • There are new movies on it, have you looked? Walle, for instance in on Netflix instant view. That qualifies as a new movie in my book.

        Yeah, Wall-E is in my queue actually - but my experience has been you're much more likely to find that any particular old movie has the streaming option than, say, any particular movie from the past 1-2 decades.

        Your point about the Europe/UK television shows is well taken.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Xest ( 935314 )

        I suppose it depends how you define new, Wall-E is almost 18 months old for example so personally I wouldn't call it a new film, even stuff from the beginning of 2009 would be a push. I'd call things like District 9 new films - I guess it depends if you want the latest films or if you're content with the stuff people were watching over a year ago in the cinema and on DVD.

        • The stuff they show that's massively old can usually be found in YouTube movies or Hulu. Digital distribution on a subscription service is taking far too long. Why can I do it with a DVD but not with a download?

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Eternauta3k ( 680157 )

      insist that the genii will fit back in that darn bottle

      There's a special circle of hell for people who talk at the movies and those who do what you just did.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by maxume ( 22995 )

        Says the demon.

      • Seems to appear in the canonical text [gutenberg.org]...

      • There's a special circle of hell for people who talk at the movies and those who do what you just did.

        You might try actually looking it up [merriam-webster.com] before you hypercorrect [wikipedia.org] someone...

        • Sure, it's technically correct, but do you want language to degenerate into this [typepad.com]? God help us all.
          PS: If I corrected you, what would that make you?

          • Sure, it's technically correct, but do you want language to degenerate into this? God help us all.

            If this case were like virii, which makes no sense in any Latin construction, you'd have a point. It's not. This is no more controversial than the octopuses/octopi variants. Viruses is an established plural in English, so saying virii is a bit like saying "bacteriums" - it's a joke, nothing more.

            PS: If I corrected you, what would that make you?

            Considering that hypercorrection is "correcting" something that isn'

      • If he was going for proper spelling, wouldn't it be "djinn [wikipedia.org]", and not "genii"?
    • On the other hand, mass adoption of Netflix streaming is absolutely key to getting more titles available through it. So this announcement is good news even for those of us who don't own a gaming console.

    • Old movies and TV shows are the most suitable material for the relatively poor quality of streamed video - unless of course you are watching it on a small screen (or a big one from far away) or pulling it in through a very big pipe.

      • Relatively poor quality compared to what? They allow higher quality streaming on netflix ready devices than they do computers. A lot of the newer stuff streams in HD and looks pretty good on my modest 37" lcd. Most things tend to look better than TWC's HD cable service, contain fewer artificats if any, and have much better sound quality.

        As far as pipes go, I have the second cheapest tier of roadrunner and it still manages HD streams on my xbox while my roommate is watching another stream on his lapt

    • But if you're not a fan of old movies and TV shows, it's probably of very little interest to you.

      I, as most Netflix subcribers are a fan of entertainment. When a movie was created does not dictate weather the movie is entertaining or not. Take Citizen Kane [afi.com] that was shot in 1941 and is still hailed as the greatest movie ever by the American Film Institute [afi.com], and probably by most people who have watched it. Netflix does making finding new releases hard to find by not posting them on the main page, but at the age of 26 I don't think of them as "old movies," but simply great movies I missed. Let's not f

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by ZipK ( 1051658 )
      Enjoy it while you can, as Netflix's streaming service appears to be based on a partnership with Starz that in turn depends on a loophole in Starz's contract with the film studios. That loophole is likely to be closed when Starz's contract is renewed/renegotiated, and Netflix will then need to convince the studios to allow the all-you-can-eat stream to continue.
      • If all else fails, Sony has its own Playstation movie & TV download service. It probably doesn't have as good a selection, but odds are Sony isn't getting rid of it just because of Netflix. And I think many of those films and TV shows are to keep...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Toonol ( 1057698 )
      Old, obscure, and foreign movies are the only reasons I would subscribe to Netflix. None of my local rental stores have "The Thin Man." Can you believe that? They have all the SAW movies...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Mooga ( 789849 )

      It really hit and miss. In my case while there are several hits, most of the movies are very very aged. However they do have a wide range of younger content. I know you can watch enough Hannah Montana to want to hang yourself...

      I bought the family a Roku box a while back now and it's got the heaviest use from the younger ones.

      Also a side note: I hope MS makes netflix FREE. I can pay monthly to get their gold package (which is only needed for those who play nothing but CoD and Halo for hours on end) in

  • It was (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Luthair ( 847766 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @07:27PM (#29878993)
    This is a non-story, it was exclusive to the X360 at the time. There is no difference than the umpteen movies (some of which Sony is undoubtedly behind) which exclaim 'only in theatres!' in their trailers.
    • I'm not disagreeing that this is a non-story, but it is a little different than the "only in theaters" line (which I do abhor).

      Usually (always?), there is a date attached to that line, so they have the excuse "oh, we merely meant that on this date, it is only in theaters. After that, we're free to do as we please." Really pissed me off when the first movie I noticed that line on came out on VHS several months later.

  • Inclusive (Score:5, Insightful)

    by StikyPad ( 445176 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @07:31PM (#29879033) Homepage

    Apparently, in Microsoft parlance, 'exclusive partnership' means 'we launched it first' and not 'we inked a deal with Netflix preventing this feature from appearing on the competition's hardware.

    Isn't that what exclusive usually means? It makes a statement about the present, not the future. Exclusive interviews, for example, are seldom exclusive for very long. iPhones are exclusive to AT&T (in the US, for now). Some vehicle has exclusive feature X, until next year when they all do. Etc., etc...

    • Re:Inclusive (Score:4, Insightful)

      by registrar ( 1220876 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @07:57PM (#29879255)

      Isn't that what exclusive usually means?

      No. Exclusive has some sense of "to the exclusion of others" even though that exclusion might not exist forever. In the case of interviews, "exclusive" means that the interview was carried out with only our interviewer---as opposed to a press conference or similar, where the competition is not excluded. "Exclusive" hotels and cars purport to cater only to the good and great, excluding others. Exclusive features in cars or phones? rot---unless they are, by contract, not provided to competitors.

      In the case of partnerships, if it doesn't mean "to the exclusion of others" then the word is being used deceptively. Put it this way: I have an exclusive partnership with my wife, and will be sorely disappointed if it means anything other than "to the exclusion of others."

      • Based on the number of these types of comments, I'm beginning to suspect the original post was basically a troll. Give it a rest. It's a couple of marketing announcements.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Xest ( 935314 )

        You're wrong, to provide some examples you often get TV stations claiming exclusive interviews on certain subjects, or radio stations getting exclusive access to play new songs. This does not mean exclusivity is maintained indefinitely.

        To use your analogy, yes, you might have an exclusive relationship with your wife right now (at least you assume so), but you can't guarantee that under any circumstance she wont ever have an affair with someone else, because you simply cannot predict the future.

      • Put it this way: I have an exclusive partnership with my wife, and will be sorely disappointed if it means anything other than "to the exclusion of others."

        I dunno, that doesn't seem to be the way she's treating it...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
        Since when is an "exclusive" interview not followed up (usually within days, if not hours) by the interviewee being interviewed elsewhere as well? "Exclusive" just means "exclusive for a time." Netflix would be fools to sign up for a LIFETIME exclusive with a company whose console may or may not even be popular (or even around) in a few years. There is always a time limit on just about any "exclusive" involving a third party.

    • Re: (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      An 'exclusive partnership' normally indicates a contract done between two parties where the one party is guaranteed the only access to something. See AT&T and the iPhone in the U.S., for example, or the NFL's deal with DirectTV.

      It's quite a different animal from a newspaper 'exclusive' or an 'exclusive interview', where a contract is not involved.

      Now, it could be that they did have a one-year deal that is about to or has expired, in which case you would be entirely correct. However, such contracts are u

    • Hmmm, to my knowledge this is available strictly in the US of A. International customers should care because............. Include some means of using a proxy without modding the damned console and we're talking.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by nilbog ( 732352 )

      TFA says "Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience..."

      Seems to me that they are defining the time period as any point in the future and making that statement that Xbox will continue to be the only game console to offer netflix. Key words "will be the only."

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Xest ( 935314 )

        Yes, it seems that to you indeed. It seems to me they were just stating that it will be the only console to offer netflix, which was very true at the time.

        They didn't say it will be true indefinitely, nor did they state it will be exclusive only for a limited time, the fact is there is no quantifier regarding period of exclusivity in that statement so you cannot possibly infer from that statement what period of time exclusivity will remain for or whether it's idefinite. Effectively it comes down to personal

    • Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)

      by Xest ( 935314 )

      "Isn't that what exclusive usually means?"

      In the normal world yes, but the mistake you've made is that we're talking Slashdot parlance here where anything pre-fixed or post-fixed with "Microsoft" must automatically have a negative connotation to it. For example:

      "Microsoft employee is first to crash scene and helps save small child"

      On Slashdot this means:

      "Microsoft rapes small children"

      Long term accepted real world definition and understanding of words goes out the window if it contradicts the negative Micro

  • I wonder if the "PS3" blu-ray disc which is connects to streaming movies via BD-Live would work on regular Blu-ray players?
    • Isn't the PS3 compatible to the latest Blu-Ray spec, whereas a number of others aren't? If it's a fully-featured player, there's probably no reason it wouldn't work (unless it somehow looks for being played on a PS3)

  • Using BD-Live is the real story (Score:5, Interesting)

    by RalphBNumbers ( 655475 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @07:55PM (#29879243)

    The report on this this that I saw at ars technica [arstechnica.com] said this is implemented using BD-Live. If that's right, then it means that any fully featured BluRay player could do it.

    So Netflix will have effectively co-opted the next generation physical media installed base for their online distribution system. I think that's a pretty big deal compared semi-supporting one more console, don't you?

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Dremth ( 1440207 )
      There's actually several BluRay players that already have Netflix streaming capabilities. http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevicesList?lnkce=nrd-l&trkid=425738&lnkctr=nrd-l-m [netflix.com]

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by moniker ( 9961 )

      That's why I don't think this is the case. Netflix has said [joystiq.com] that they had help from Sony, so I think it is more likely a PS3 application and not a BD-Live Java application.

      According to this article [betanews.com], it was an analyst who believed that the implementation was BD-Live, rather than citing some inside source. I'm still hoping for some more interesting BD-Live Java homebrew.... [engadget.com]

    • I do. And I find your comment so much more interesting than the flamebait and trolls preceding you arguing about what "exclusive" means. Thanks for posting something meaningful.

      • I was going to comment on how blatantly stupid the whole summary is - the actual story, in case anyone missed it, is that the PS3 will be getting Netflix streaming to the console, first via a BD-Live workaround, then through a firmware upgrade at a later date.

        However, from the very first sentence of the summary, it takes an otherwise mildly interesting story (I think it's cool) with a perfectly valid subject line, and DIRECTLY baits the anti-MS crowd (who bit it, and hard), becomes downright masturbatory

    • If that's right, then it means that any fully featured BluRay player could do it.

      If it is BD-Live, then yes. But.... It might not work as well on other players since the PS3 is very very good, (meaning fast and responsive) with BD-Live/BD-J content, compared with some players.

  • This is only news to me if Netflix can and will start working in the UK and beyond. If the service can make a profit in the USA why not the rest of the world?

  • Joystiq has a Q&A with Netflix (Score:5, Informative)

    by moniker ( 9961 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @08:29PM (#29879501)

    from http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/netflix-ps3-disc-must-remain-in-system-until-2010-update/ [joystiq.com]

    Joystiq: Was the PS3 application developed internally by Netflix?

    Netflix: Yes, with the help of the Sony team.

    Can the Netflix application be installed to the PS3 hard dive from the disc? Or must the disc be inserted every time a user wants to access Netflix?

    Yes, the Netflix disc has to be inserted every time to access the Netflix service.

    Why not distribute the application via PSN download or firmware update, and then embed it into the XMB?

    Again, the instant streaming disc represented the fastest and easiest way to let PS3 enthusiasts get Netflix on the PS3. Late next year we expect to have an embedded solution available for PS3s via a system software update slated for release through the PlayStation Network.

    • Why not distribute the application via PSN download or firmware update, and then embed it into the XMB?

      Again, the instant streaming disc represented the fastest and easiest way to let PS3 enthusiasts get Netflix on the PS3. Late next year we expect to have an embedded solution available for PS3s via a system software update slated for release through the PlayStation Network.

      We need to somehow convince shareholders that the Blu-Ray drive in the PS3 is still relevant!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by ErikZ ( 55491 ) *

      Huh, that's odd. I have a theory...

      The PS3 is locked down so tight, it can't even play 1080p without a blueray disk?

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by Cornelius the Great ( 555189 )
        My PS3 handles 1080p non-BD video just fine, and will handle a 1080p mp4 file on a USB drive- though there is a limitation in the movie file size due to FAT32. Also, you can rent and buy HD movies on the PSN store and download/stream them.

        I believe the Netflix BD is required for the interim because Sony isn't planning on updating the firmware for a while.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by tiks ( 791388 )

      Sony has a competing video rental service with Play-station network. I'd bet Sony has been fighting this tooth and nail till netflix decided to give em the finger and do it the BD-Live route.

      But you see in the end nflx will come out as winner as with this solution they have covered much larger (future) install base than just the ps3s.

  • A few weeks ago I decided I was going to get a ps3 - this settles it then. Now, if only I wasn't one of the countless senior level people cut during downsizing, and actually had a job!

    In all seriousness, I haven't had a "console" since my old Atari that I had in the early 80s or whenever that was. I don't know who won in all this - I know I like the wii on some levels, the games seem more social and less serious pro-gamer (which suits me). However, I also know that no matter what I get, the console will

    • Tivos can also do the netflix streaming..

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by dAzED1 ( 33635 )

        ....but they can't play dvds or bluerays. nor are they available for that occasional use as a game console. And I also don't subscribe to cable, so...

    • ...and there was always that place where it paused between layers, about an hour in to a movie.
      I have yet to see a DVD player that doesn't pause when going between layers. Just a fault in the technology itself. I wouldn't be surprised if the PS3 still did this with the dual layer DVDs that you own.

      "I don't have a blueray player yet. I know, what year is it?"
      Well, it's 2009 and nobody I know has a Blu-ray player. It's just not getting adopted at a fast rate, so don't feel bad.

      • I have yet to see a DVD player that doesn't pause when going between layers. Just a fault in the technology itself. I wouldn't be surprised if the PS3 still did this with the dual layer DVDs that you own.

        You've had some bad luck, then. Only the earliest DVD players have that problem. Anything newer changes layers fast enough and buffers far enough ahead to avoid having to pause. Personally, I've never seen a DVD player that does have the pausing issue. I've only heard about it.

      • BluRay players will become more common, regardless of how PS3s do. BluRay won the HD war. Stores are stocking BluRay discs, right down to the Walmart and Costco level. Disney is selling kits containing both BluRays and normal DVDs. And they are being advertised heavily.
        A PS3 is just a convenient way to get a BluRay player, especially if you already have a game you want to play as well. (The game controller makes an awkward BluRay remote, though.)

    • I hear ya. I'm a 40-year-old married man, and I just picked up a PS3 on eBay for less than 200 bucks (with a 10% off coupon I had sitting around in my e-mail).

      I play one game: the latest NCAA football from EA with my redneck buddies. My wife is happy now, because I don't have to always go sit with them across town to play them now.

      But hey, it can stream all the stuff on my Mac from the other room, and now it can stream Netflix, too.

      It's more than a game console, and always has been...it's about providing a

  • You'll have to have a special "netflix" blueray in for it to work, this is how they're getting around the 360-exclusive. apparently a WII solution is coming next year and etflix will also be coming to the PS3 desktop at that point (I assume that is because the 360 exclusive will be ending at that time).

    • Is this a problem? I don't mind inserting a disc to watch a movie, even if that movie is streamed, so long as a better solution is in the works.

      According to the Joystiq interview, it was much faster to develop an application on a blueray disc and use that for the streaming application than to develop an embedded application for the PS3. The people at Netflix are implying that there was never an exclusive deal with the 360; the marketing people at Microsoft took the liberty of using "exclusive" despite the

    • Can't wait until this comes out for the Wii. Sadly, they don't operate outside the US. I wonder if they could make it work in Canada. Ever since Nintendo came out with the "Nintendo Channel" I've been thinking that a lot of other people need to start streaming video to consoles. At lot harder for people to hack and steal the streams, and a lot easier for people to integrate with their regular entertainment system. I would gladly pay a few bucks for a YouTube channel that works well (it sucks through th

  • Goodbye cursed Silverlight (Score:3)

    by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Monday October 26, 2009 @09:26PM (#29879899)

    I installed Silverlight on my media PC (a Mac mini) only because of Netflix streaming, and that with great reluctance. I'll be more than happy to ditch it and just use the PS3 for streaming.

    • What's wrong with Silverlight?

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        > What's wrong with Silverlight?

        It crashes Safari, for one thing, and looks crappy to boot.

  • Well, duh! (Score:1, Redundant)

    by slapout ( 93640 )

    The PS3's not a game system. It's a Blu-ray player.

  • using a product called PlayOn from http://www.themediamall.com./ [www.themediamall.com] Yes, PlayOn does cost money, one time fee of $20-$30, but then I can also stream Hulu, CBS, CNN, etc. to my PS3, Wii or my DirecTV DVR or a bunch of other things as well. There is a trial version available. The only downside, it's a Windows app.

    • Don't worry, the average /.'er is a closet Windows user. I'm a huge fan of PlayOn and actually bought two licenses for my house and the GF's house (streaming to a 360 in both cases). There's a site called PlayOnPlugins that gives you even more content for PlayOn, including Adult Swim and PBS. PlayOn is simply a DLNA server, so you can serve up content to any DLNA client, including the 360, PS3, Popcorn Hour, XBMC, Boxee et al.

  • Countless "exclusive" 360 games are released on the PC a few months later. It's a marketing gimmick to get consumers to believe that their system is the only one to offer service X or game Y when those same products will be available shortly on another system.

  • Sorry if I'm being ignorant, but is there a chance this will be available in Europe? I understand the regular netflix service of mailing DVDs to you is only available in the US, but are there any obstacles to making the streaming service available elsewhere?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Ardeaem ( 625311 )
      I live in Europe right now too. I used to do Netflix when I lived in the States, and I liked it. I suspect that they will block European IPs due to the demands of the content owners. I plan to split this with a friend in the States - they can have all the mail DVDs, and I'll get a fast US proxy to use the streaming. We'll see if it works out.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Xest ( 935314 )

      Yes, media companies refusing to license the movies to places like Netflix for use outside the US, companies like Universal, Sony, Warner etc. are the problem with that.

      I think it generally comes down to the issue that movie companies want to charge more in Europe as most companies do for most other things, but that would make the service prohibitively high for for the consumer such that companies like Netflix would get zero profits from it as they'd have to pay it all to the media companies, or the cost wo

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Scyber ( 539694 )
      Netflix plans to start offering its streaming service internationally in the 2nd half of 2010. They plan to start in one test market, then expand to other countries. All of this was stated by the CEO in the latest earnings call:

      http://paidcontent.org/article/419-netflix-to-take-its-streaming-business-international-next-year/ [paidcontent.org]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
      International distribution agreements for movies and other media are a goddamn mess--legal relics that still assume every movie will be on VHS/DVD and be sold in a brick-and-mortar shop somewhere. Even if Netflix does plow through this mess and establish some international service, odds are that they won't be able to offer the same selection they do in the U.S. (since an agreement from a media company for distribution rights for a particularly property in the U.S. probably won't apply to that same property
  • This is not a new capability. I've been able to get Netflix streaming to my PS3 using a upnp server (MeidaMall PlayOn) running on my PC. Not only does it stream Netflix, it streams Adultswim, Cartoon Network, YouTube, HGTV, NBA, NFL, Hulu, Spike and many internationl channels. It even streams Pron sites like YouPron and RedTube. This has been out for two years so this is not a new capability. Additionally, I've been able to run all of these web streamers through the Ubuntu install on my OtherOS boot on PS3,

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Scyber ( 539694 )
      Well using the disc will allow you to get a higher quality stream. The HD streams are not streamed to PCs (or via PlayOn). The 720p streams are certainly not blu-ray quality, but they are better than the than the SD streams.

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