Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Talks About the Xbox 360 Netflix Player (& More)

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings answered a few questions from HackingNetflix about the Xbox 360 Watch Instantly partnership:

Why the Xbox 360 instead of Sony's PS3? It includes a Blu-ray player. The Xbox 360 is outselling the PS3 domestically about 2 - 1.
Is this an exclusive relationship? Hastings confirmed that it is exclusive to the Xbox 360 (eliminating hopes for a Wii or PS3 player).
When will Netflix on the Xbox 360 be released? It will be released in "late fall" (the last day of fall is December 20th).
Is there anything else required to Watch Instantly on the Xbox 360? In addition to the Xbox 360, a "Live Gold" membership is required, at a cost of about $50 per year.
What are the Xbox movie sharing features? Hastings said that this was a "creative adaptation" of the Netflix Player, enabling multiple people in separate locations with Xbox 360's to stop, pause, and watch a movie simultaneously.

Can you give us a hint about the next device to support Watch Instantly? The already announced LG Netflix Player will be released in the next two quarters, but he hinted that a Blu-ray player could be next.
Why is there a limit to the number of Watch Instantly devices for each account? It's a studio restriction.
Are you expecting a price increase? Netflix is always testing prices, but nothing is planned. Netflix has discussed the potential for a price increase on Blu-ray rentals, since the discs cost more to purchase. Hasting said that if there was an increase, it would be "modest."
When will Macintosh support be available for Watch Instantly? Q4.
What about Watch Instantly on the iPhone? Not planned at this time.
The last time we spoke you recommended Juno. What's your current movie recommendation? Anvil.

The following is a promotional Netflix-branded Xbox 360, which will not be available for sale:

What do you think? Are you disappointed by the exclusive? Looking forward to watching movies on the Xbox 360?

Comments

[andyg8180]

I love it... I have both, and i'd rather be able to stream straight to my sexy plasma without having to buy ANOTHER piece of equipment for my hometheater...

Another positive... my 360 has HDMI, so it will get upconverted... WEEEE!!!

[Tom]

I'm sad that xbox isn't for sale. It'd be a good way to tell who has 0 taste (it is ugly!)

Sad that it's exclusive, since the first partnership with LG said they wanted to get in as many devices as possible. I'm happy to hear about Macintosh support, though. Hoping AppleTV support isn't far behind.

I'm looking forward to watching B-movies on my 360. Which one has the most gratuitous sex scenes?

[RIP]

Watch Instantly on Mac in Q4 is great.

[Andrew Wickliffe]

I can't wait... makes the Xbox really worth it.

Though I still hope AppleTV gets support at some point.

[Kevin]

"The Xbox 360 is outselling the PS3 domestically about 2 - 1."

False. From TheStreet.com on 7/17/08:

"SAN FRANCISCO - Sony's latest PlayStation 3 console has stretched its lead over rival Microsoft's Xbox 360 last month, though it still lags behind Nintendo's Wii system, according to industry research firm The NPD Group.

Sony sold 405,500 PS3s, compared to 219,800 Xbox 360s but still has a long way to go before it catches up with the Wii, which sold 666,700 systems last month. "

[Tim]

This is disappointing for me as a PS3 owner, especially since Sony's video service is so pathetic. Hopefully it will do so poorly that they'll be forced to get Netflix. For now I'll just keep hooking up my laptop. It looks as good as Watch Now movies are going to get so it's not a big deal.

[Brian]

I don't think Sony will let this slide. Rumors are they are working on their movie service. Given that BB is supposedly working on its own watch instantly features (and a box) ... I wouldn't be surprised if BB (Movielink) became a PS3 exclusive. Nintendo gets left in the cold, but that's OK, because it really isn't a movie device anyway (no DVD player).

[Jeff from Knowzy]

That's great that you got some time with Mr. Hastings.

I also see a few nuggets missed by the regular press:

* XBox Watch Instantly requires Netflix sub + $50/year Live Gold sub. Do most XBox'ers have these accounts anyway?

* XBox has the exclusive. I always thought XBox was a natural simply becuase Watch Instantly uses MS's DRM. The XBox may be outselling the PS3 but the Wii is beating them all, last I checked.

* Mac Watch Instantly in Q4. Is that when Watch Instantly goes Silverlight?

Thanks for bringing us the Q&A. You asked all the right questions.

[Craig]

From the main article:
"...It will be released in "late fall" (the last day of fall is December 20th)..."

When I talk about seasons, I usually refer to them in the meteorological sense...most people do. So unless Reed Hastings actually said "Dec 20th" then I'd assume that the last day of fall is November 30th, not December 20th.

Meteorologically (based on the weather):
Spring: Mar 1 - May 31
Summer: Jun 1 - Aug 31
Fall: Sept 1 - Nov 30
Winter: Dec 1 - Feb 28

Astronomically (based on the earth and sun positions):
Spring: Mar 20 - Jun 19
Summer: Jun 20 - Sept 21
Fall: Sept 22 - Dec 20
Winter: Dec 21 - Mar 19

[Dan]

I am very disappointed about this Xbox exclusivity.

[Edward R Murrow]

"It will be released in 'late fall'". Late fall of which year? ;-)

The LG thing was pre-announced so early that I actually had forgotten about it.

[Mike]

Will there be support for CC/Subtitles on the xbox?

[Keith]

Love that it came to the 360. HATE that it requires a Gold account to use it. I don't really play any games online, so there's really no reason for me to have a Gold account. So I can't use Netflix. BAH!

[CTD]

I suppose Linux support is still a pipe dream...

[Steve.]

Mac in Q4? Which year?

[bill]

translation: microsoft paid for exclusivity, thus hurting the consumer, but we made more money.

[Dave]

I only have a PS3, so it's pretty disappointing that they can't even make it work in the net browser.

[lifterus]

To me this sheds light on what a painfully slow, weak-ass job Netflix has done here. End of Fall for 360??? Q4 for Mac???

I'm also guessing that means no Silverlight/Chapter Markers for Windows until Q4. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if the Xbox 720 and PS4 are announced by then. Watch Instantly is over 2 years old now. This is ridiculous.

[Jay]

The Xbox update has to wait for the biannual system updates for the 360, one in the fall, and one in the spring, although they skipped the spring one this year, they've never varied from that schedule.

[paapDOTnet]

Already doing some Netflix on XBox with the extender that is out there but it's slow and crashes periodically. I'm definitely looking forward to this officially supported approach on XBox without having to use a media center PC. No disappointments here.

[blayne]

Very disappointed that this is exclusive to the 360. The reference to 2-1 sales was wrong (see citation above). The DRM comment is wrong, DRM is not platform specific. The Xbox 360 uses an IBM cell processor and a custom built OS. Microsoft either offered NetFlix a kickback or Sony turned them down because of their own service. Either way a disappointment, we love our NetFlix subscription and our PS3. What we don't love is watching movies on the computer.

[Alex]

I was really hoping netflix would create a deal with PS3, but the 360 is better than the current offering.

[Adam]

Mac users, time for a reality check. Your system is over priced for what it does, Apple all but said so earlier by stating it is lowereing it's price for a bigger piece of the pie. Greed kills-until Apple allows it, it is not going to happen.

[Ted]

Just get a Roku Player. It's a better solution even if you have a 360, since it has built-in wi-fi, doesn't require Xbox Live, and has no noisy fan while you're watching movies.

[ZeroCorpse]

Be careful getting an Xbox Live Gold account. If you ever wish to cancel it, you have to call them and argue with customer support in another country (language barrier), while they pull an AOL and try to keep you on as a member at any cost. Even if you manage to cancel, they will keep your credit card on record, and "can't" delete it from their billing system.

I had some fraudulent charges from Xbox Live after I'd canceled and changed my payment method. I thought the old credit card was off the system and not authorized for purchases, but instead, after my prepaid card ran out (and I considered myself off Xbox Live Gold) they went ahead and charged the card I was no longer using without asking my permission. I ended up $200 in the hole because Xbox Live kept trying to get their (unauthorized) monthly fee from a dry account. Note that they NEVER contacted me about it. I had to go to them and complain, and got nothing but rudeness and stonewalling from their ill-mannered customer service team, management included.

Compare that to the Roku box: I ordered it, they sent it, and everything works great (and takes 1/4 the power an Xbox 360 would take for watching movies, as well as being 100% less noisy).

Buyer beware. Xbox Live Gold is not a safe place to put your credit card information. Buy a prepaid account and keep your credit card info out of their hands. If they have your CC#, they WILL use it without asking, because they consider the act of entering your card information an authorization for them to use it, even if you tell them not to.