New Netflix App on Xbox 360: Updated UI, 5.1, Voice Control, Kinect Gestures & More

Update: Microsoft told IGN that the Party feature was removed because, "The new app platform on Xbox does not support the video party mode feature at this time, so will not be available in any existing app partners that have updated their app, like Netflix, or any of the new Xbox app partners." Thanks, Chris.

Netflix formally announced the new redesigned Netflix app for the Xbox 360, with several key new features:

• New browsing experience with more titles on screen when browsing (see below).
• Enhanced Kinect voice and gesture controls for hands-free movie-watching.
• Easy way to view the next title in a series.
• Adaptive streaming to adjust for bandwidth changes.
• Support for 720p and Dolby 5.1 audio. 
• Netflix on the Xbox is now available in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Columbia.

Netflix quietly removed the Xbox 360 Party feature, which enabled people in different locations to watch movies together. Netflix's Joris Evers, Dir. Communications, explains: "While the party feature on Xbox is great for gaming, it was very little used with Netflix and for this update we decided to focus more on the interface and other features that make browsing and viewing instantly easy."

I'm having trouble updating my Xbox 360, and have been trying on and off since last night. I'm working throught the suggestions on the Xbox Software Update Error page, but I wonder if Microsoft servers are just jammed.

Thanks to Gabe @ Tech of the Hub, Chris, and everyone else for sending this in.

Comments

[Pennmu]

If I want to keep using Netflix (I may just give up and quit at this point) then I guess it's time to start looking at getting an AppleTV for $99.

[Anonymouse]

"I have a 400-title-strong instant queue. It used to be that I could hold down the FF button and quickly breeze through my queue to the organized section I was looking for."

Use the RB and LB buttons (above the triggers) and you can rapidly move through a list.

[Bob]

Netflix UI designers, don't take all the crap people are saying too close to heart. I LOVE the new UI. I can see where you're going with it: simplicity - and I love it. I don't understand why people make so much fuss about autoplay for shows, it starts the right episode for me, at the very moment I left it last night... few seconds earlier, in fact, which is EXACTLY what I want. I don't need to move a muscle. it just works like magic. Bottom line, you're absolutely on the right track here. Make browsing screen a little more responsive and play screen could use a "rewind 30 seconds" button in addition to the 4 you have there.

[Btoy]

anyone else notice they no longer tell you the language before you start a film?

[Nick]

http://www.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/n6b21/how_to_get_back_the_original_netflix_ui_on_360/

As already posted in these comments, following those steps will allow you to access the old Netflix UI and use the party features.

[ScottZ]

Thank you Nick.

[ScottZ]

@Anonymouse
Do you have 23 years experience in IT?

[Arachnophilia]

@bob:

it's great that it's exactly what you want. but netflix did that before. you just had to hit "y" instead of "a", and it would play immediately, wherever you left off. the problem is that they took away the ability to casually look at the program before you played it.

what if i saw something in theaters, and it sucked, and i want to rate it negatively when it shows up on netflix? do i really have to start watching it again to tell netflix i don't want to watch it or stuff like it?

what if i want to read what the next episode is about to decide if i want to this show, or some other show?

what if i'm watching a series completely out of order, or picking a "greatest hits" kind of selection?

what if i'm only interested in related titles, but not the movie itself?

none of these things should really require starting the thing playing. you can do all this just fine on the website. and you could do it in the old app. why not the new one?

[Smirked]

Crap.

[b]

Unfortunately, it is not Netflix that is the issue but Microsoft. All of the video apps have the clunky interface. It seems Microsoft doesn't like controller shortcuts (like start to pause) and loves it when every action makes some dumb sound (notice all the extra beeps and boops with the new Netflix?) every time you press a button, just like how Internet Explorer has that clicking sound from your speakers every time you click on a link. It is almost as if they are making it harder to use the controller so that you will have to buy the Kinect (which presumably has a one gesture pause) or the remote.

[ixoxeles]

@Anonymouse

Thanks for the suggestion. Most of the time I use my 360 remote when watching movies/TV shows. The RB on the controller actually maps to the FF(next chapter) button on the 360 remote.

[Ryan D]

I've been in IT for only 11 years and honestly would rather interact with an RS400 than this new Netflix interface. I can understand the Xbox console redesign and am liking what I see so far but to take something so simple as movie watching and make it so needlessly complicated it costs customers well that is just careless business practice.

I guess on the plus side this new change is making more and more children less likely to watch cartoons and movies.

[ScottZ]

Ryan,
I am not sure Netflix streams ASCII format.

[Nerd Alert]

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