Hacking NetFlix

Video of Netflix Streaming on the Xbox 360

Dave Zatz was able to get an early look at Netflix streaming on the Xbox 360:

The Xbox Netflix interface is much richer, both in appearance and functionality, than what currently exists on the Roku Netflix box. A conceptual hurdle for some, at least initially, may still be fast forward and rewind via thumnail rather than traditional video scrubbing - a Netflix streaming limitation design decision. Like Engadget, I can put to bed the HDCP requirement rumors… Netflix, Xbox, and my HDTV are all reporting high definition streaming. I suppose it’s possible that Netflix is reducing the resolution over my component connection, but wouldn’t the UI indicate that? It also may be possible that HDCP is required only when using HDMI - meaning, some early HD sets may not support the handshake.

So, what do you think?

TiVo & Netflix To Offer Streaming Through TiVo DVRs

Netflix has been busy -- tonight they're announcing yet another streaming partner: TiVo. Netflix and TiVo will start testing the service with a few thousand customers, and most customers will have access to Netflix streaming by the holidays. Netflix streaming movies will be provided to TiVo subscribers at no cost (Netflix subscription required), but will be limited to TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD, and HD XL boxes (I'm a Series 2 owner, drat).

“For Netflix and TiVo subscribers, this collaboration offers a fabulously easy way to enhance the enjoyment of watching movies in the comfort of their living rooms,” said Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix. “Subscribers to Netflix and TiVo are avid movie watchers and this combination gives them immediate access to all of the great content available through TiVo and the thousands of additional choices available to be streamed instantly from Netflix.”

Netflix and TiVo have been talking for years about working together, but last year TiVo partnered with Amazon's Unbox service, and I wondered at the time if it was an exclusive deal.

Netflix has lined up an impressive group of hardware partners for streaming movies: Roku, LG, Microsoft, Samsung, and now TiVo. Based on Netflix CEO Reed Hasting's desire to get 100+ hardware streaming partners, I think we'll see more announcements in the coming months.

What do you think about Netflix's streaming strategy and partnerships?

Video of New Netflix Media Player with Mac & Firefox Support

The following is a video of the new Netflix streaming media player on the Macintosh:

Netflix is starting to roll out the new media player to customers this week, and all customers should have it by the end of the year. You'll know you have the player when you see the following video quality bars instead of the "Your System is Currently Incompatible" warning:

The first time you try to watch a movie, you'll see the following notice:

The Silverlight installer requires about 19mb of disk space:

This is what Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End looks like in the new player on the Macintosh:

There are a few quirks, but Netflix's new media player works great in Safari and Firefox.

Jason Snell from Macworld has also been playing with the new media player, and you can read his review online.

Still, where Instant Watching shines is in its collection of documentaries, classic movies, and TV series. I’ve now got 64 items in my Instant Watching queue, including whole seasons of TV series such as “30 Rock,” “Weeds,” “MI-5,” “The Office,” and “Dead Like Me.” NBC is even making its series “Heroes” available on Instant Watching the day after the show airs on the network.

Netflix is still a long way from translating its massive DVD catalog into Internet-streaming videos. And for the latest Hollywood blockbusters, getting the DVD in that little red envelope is probably still your best option. But if you’re already a Netflix subscriber, Instant Watching is an excellent supplement. And now, at last, Mac users are welcome to the party.

Xbox 360 to Get HD Netflix Streaming First

Engadget HD reports that the Xbox 360 will be the first to offer HD Netflix movie streaming, with 300 titles.

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 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.

Thanks to Sean for sending this in.

Netflix Hiring Sr. Web UI Engineer

Netflix's Bill Scott blogs that he's looking for a Sr. Web UI Engineer for Customer Service Engineering.

The person in this role will be part of the Customer Services Engineering Team as well as a member of my Netflix Web UI Engineering team. Since much of the work is greenfield you will have the opportunity to help design the user experience as well as build the web applications. In addition, the Netflix UI framework that the site runs on is shared with these applications. As such you will help flesh out this framework as we go forward.

Kiosk Vendors Fighting 45 Day Kiosk Release Window

Video Business reports that DVD rental kiosk vendors Redbox and TNR are fighting Universal Studios attempts to delay kiosk rentals for 45 days after the DVD release.

TNR, which has about 2,200 The New Release and MovieCube kiosks, hired Houston-based Yetter, Warden & Coleman to advise the company on how to respond to Universal's “take it or leave it” revenue-sharing agreement, which would also force TNR to limit the number of copies of Universal titles it stocks and require TNR to destroy DVDs after their rental cycle. Redbox earlier this month sued Universal for attempting to enforce the agreement.

If Universal wins, it would be good news for Netflix, but bad news for Blockbuster since they're investing heavily in kiosks.

Roku Gets Third Round of Funding

The San Jose Business Journal reports that Roku, developers of the Netflix Player set-top box, have received a third round of funding from Menlo Ventures. Details of the funding were not disclosed.

Netflix is also reported to have invested $6 million in Roku.

Upcoming Netflix Financial Community Events

Senior Netflix employees will be speaking at the following financial community events:

Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer, will be a panelist at the Piper Jaffray Global Internet Summit 2008 on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. PT / 1:45 p.m. ET.

Barry McCarthy, CFO, will present at the Barclays Capital Global Technology Conference on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m. ET.

The events will be presented live on the Netflix website (http://ir.netflix.com), and anyone can listen in for free.

New Releases for October 28th, 2008

Click here for the full list of new releases this week (127).

Interesting titles include Journey to the Center of the Earth, Death Defying Acts, Body of War, Tuya's Marriage, Sway, Elite Squad, The L Word: Season 5, Mystery Science Theater 3000: First Spaceship on Venus, Girlfriends: Season 5, Cathouse: The Series, Shadow Company, Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens, Dead Space, Zombie Strippers, Rain of Fire, Hell Ride, Shut Up & Shoot Me, and The Little Rascals: The Complete Series.

For the younger set: Tinker Bell and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl,

Netflix Rolling Out New Media Player with Mac & Firefox Support Monday

Netflix just announced that they will start rolling out the promised 2nd generation media player with Intel Macintosh and Firefox support to a small percentage of customers on Monday, (all customers should have it by the end of the year). As anticipated since May 2007, the new Netflix streaming player will use Microsoft's Silverlight technology and Play Ready DRM.

Among the viewing enhancements with the new player is a breakthrough in timeline navigation that vastly improves the use of fast-forwarding and rewinding. The new Netflix player takes advantage of Play Ready DRM, which is built into Silverlight, for the playback of protected content on both Windows-based PCs and on Macs. That had not been possible with previous generation technologies.

"Silverlight with Play Ready offers a powerful and secure toolkit for delivery of dynamic streaming, which offers faster start-up, and higher quality video, adapted in real time to users' connection speeds," said Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt. "Members who enjoy watching movies and TV episodes from the growing library of choices that can be instantly streamed at Netflix will be thrilled with this next generation improvement of access and quality, on a broader range of platforms, including Intel Macs and Firefox."

The full text of the press release after the jump.

Thanks to Michael for sending this in.