Samantha Clark

Netflix on Xbox live
November 26, 2008

Netflix's streaming service is smooth and speedy through Xbox Live, but a good Internet service is necessary.

The video and audio quality of Netflix's video streams transfer well to the TV. They're comparable to DVD if you've got a good Internet speed. If your Internet service provider lowers your bandwith mid-movie, however, prepare for a drop in quality. (Netflix pauses to reconfigure, then continues your selection but with a little more blur.)

At 720p, the high-def content isn't Blu-ray quality (which is 1080p), but it's still good. We watched Before the Devil Knows You're Dead in high-def through a projector on a 118-inch screen, and Marisa Tomei looked as gorgeous as ever.

The browse feature is easy to use, and movies are easy to find. The only drawback is no option to search by genre. If there is one, we couldn't find it.

As Netflix's service is streaming instead of downloading, it falls in an after-pay-TV window, so it doesn't have new releases movies. But it has the benefit of immediacy over the few-hour download times for PlayStation Store and Xbox Live offerings.

Netflix's biggest barrier to a broader audience is that Microsoft has required Gold membership in its Xbox Live to be able to access Netflix's service, which also requires Netflix subscription. So, Netflix on Xbox Live will only be attractive to those who already have both.

If Microsoft had allowed general online users to access their Netflix service without Xbox Live membership (registration and sign in yes, but not paid membership), the service could have been an added value to attract Netflix subscribers who don't already own an Xbox 360. But as they would also have to pay for Xbox Live, they might be more inclined to purchase Netflix's Roku player or Samsung or LG's Netflix-enabled Blu-ray player.

Posted by Samantha Clark on November 26, 2008 | Comments (0)