I have two Samsung PD-P2550 Blu-ray players and an XBOX 360. I use all three players to stream NETFLIX. One of the Samsung players is hooked up to the component input and another to an HDMI input on two separate TV's. Some of the HD films stream in HD on the Samsung players without any problem while others films I can only get 8 out of 10 bars and the players stream in SD. The same films on my XBOX 360 stream in HD. I thought that the component vs. HDMI might be the culprit but I have the same problem on both of the Samsungs. Why will some films consistently get all bars in HD while others only get 8 out of 10. Are some of the films encoded differently.

Ex. Harold = 8 out of 10 bars on Samsungs (SD), 4 bars on XBOX 360 (HD)
Cashback = 10 out of 10 bars on Samsungs (HD), 4 Bars on XBOX 360 (HD)

I did the downloads within a few minutes of each other on all players and the results were consistent when switching back and forth between the various players and shows. I would switch back and forth between Harold and Cashback and get consistent results. I appreciate any input regarding this question.

The bars represent your connection speed, not the quality of the video. Your connection speed will determine the quality of the video that you receive when streaming.

The bars represent your connection speed, not the quality of the video. Your connection speed will determine the quality of the video that you receive when streaming.

I understand that but why would my connection speed be different at the same time of day under the same circumstances for different movies. That is my big question. My previous post is the second above this post if anyone can shed some light on my original question. Thanks.

I understand that but why would my connection speed be different at the same time of day under the same circumstances for different movies. That is my big question. My previous post is the second above this post if anyone can shed some light on my original question. Thanks.

What type of internet connection do you have? and do you use wired or wireless for your devices?

I have cable internet and my connection is wired using Cat5e cable from a router. I would think that my internet connection was slow except for the fact that the number of bars fluctuates based upon what I choose to watch. I can consistently watch some movies in HD with 10 bars while other shows available in HD will only give me 8 bars in SD. I have switched back and forth between shows during the same time and my results have been consistent. I wounder if different movies could be stored at different locations where the speed may be slower. I would love to hear from someone at NETLIX for a good explanation of this.

I understand that but why would my connection speed be different at the same time of day under the same circumstances for different movies. That is my big question. My previous post is the second above this post if anyone can shed some light on my original question. Thanks.

I can only speak to the 360, but I consistently get 4 bars (max on the 360) with SD movies....for HD movies I only get 2 bars.

So at least on the 360, it's not the connection speed that's indicated.

I have cable internet and my connection is wired using Cat5e cable from a router. I would think that my internet connection was slow except for the fact that the number of bars fluctuates based upon what I choose to watch. I can consistently watch some movies in HD with 10 bars while other shows available in HD will only give me 8 bars in SD. I have switched back and forth between shows during the same time and my results have been consistent. I wounder if different movies could be stored at different locations where the speed may be slower. I would love to hear from someone at NETLIX for a good explanation of this.

Someone did say at one point that they have servers all over, so some stuff may be on fast ones, some stuff on slow.

Anyone have problems with the following:

Festival Express - Stops playing during opening credits - repeatable

MI-5 Season 3, episode 1 ( near the end right before the CIA agent commits suicide ) the dreaded "loading" screen comes up...but never finishes loading, fast forward will work, but there is no sound for the rest of the episode.

Whether it's profitable or not for NetFlix, I think with more expansion (now TiVo) and HD capabilities for all NetFlix devices, they are going to start infringing on what little iTunes has done already in the market. A subscription model is the best way to go because it combines the best of the rental philosophy and with an on demand library, answers the critics who preach ownership (after all, can you own as many as their library?)

Anyway, I think it's just time until iTunes goes to subscription. Maybe NetFlix will offer day & date rentals for premium titles with low $ surcharge on top of the subscription plan; maybe there will be a Net-only plan in the future.

OK, I spoke with NetFlix tech support today...seems to be located in the States...good for them.

Anyway, when I came home tonite, the offending stream ( Festival Express ) was removed ( The HD one ) and the standard def was the only one present. Good for them. Seems that they are quite responsive. Of course it would have been better if they re-encoded the HD stream, but since it seems that they aren't the ones doing the encoding, I guess it will take a little time.

I just set-up my Samsung BD-P2500. Netflix is working great.

One question: Am I supposed to see an HD logo or symbol when loading an HD movie? I see the quality bars(and I'm two from the top), but no HD logo.

I've seen a few screenshots of the HD logo next to the quality bar, but I'm not sure if that is for a different system(Tivo, Xbox, etc).

When I speed test, I'm getting upwards of 22564 upload(22.5 Mb/s).

Any tips?

Thanks in advance

One question: Am I supposed to see an HD logo or symbol when loading an HD movie? I see the quality bars(and I'm two from the top), but no HD logo.Two questions: You're sure you've requested a title with an available HD stream (see this (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15366465#post15366465) post for how to get a list of them)?
You got the HD firmware upgrade for your Sammy Blu-ray player?I'm not sure whether the Blu-ray players have an HD indicator or not--I don't have one and haven't seen any reviews of the functionality (the firmware upgrade to handle HD has only been available for a short time).

Two questions: You're sure you've requested a title with an available HD stream (see this (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15366465#post15366465) post for how to get a list of them)?
You got the HD firmware upgrade for your Sammy Blu-ray player?I'm not sure whether the Blu-ray players have an HD indicator or not--I don't have one and haven't seen any reviews of the functionality (the firmware upgrade to handle HD has only been available for a short time).
Yes. I selected the HD titles under the HD genre tab on the site.

I should have the latest firmware as after I updated with the cd that came with the player, I was asked to update again the next day when connected to my cable modem. How do I ensure that I have the HD firmware?

Yes. I selected the HD titles under the HD genre tab on the site.

I should have the latest firmware as after I updated with the cd that came with the player, I was asked to update again the next day when connected to my cable modem. How do I ensure that I have the HD firmware?According to this (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/12/03/firmware-update-brings-hd-netflix-streaming-to-samsung-bd-p2500/), it's firmware version 2.1. If you have that, then you've got it.

According to this (http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Netflix_HD_Instant_Streaming_on_LG_BD300_and_Samsung_BD-P2500.shtml) review of Netflix streaming on LG and Samsung Blu-ray players (he says the interface is pretty much identical):
With the Samsung player, I received an upgrade CD in the box with instructions to run this upgrade first, before doing anything else on the box. Then, after performing this upgrade and setting up the player for network access (hard-wired, of course, as there is no wireless capability in either player), I was notified of another firmware upgrade that would be required (this was to enable the high definition playback feature for Netflix).Did you get this notification?

The review also states:
For HD films, the quality bar was usually full with the letters "HD" at the end showing that I was indeed getting the high definition versions of the films or TV shows.So it would seem that you should get an on-screen indication that you're getting the HD encoding.

...snip..So it would seem that you should get an on-screen indication that you're getting the HD encoding.

I'm doubtful of the quality of the HD content picture quality if you have to rely on an on-screen indicator to know whether you are watching SD vs. HD. It should be obvious.

I'm doubtful of the quality of the HD content picture quality if you have to rely on an on-screen indicator to know whether you are watching SD vs. HD. It should be obvious.nded, go 'way and enjoy your Vudu (and the high price of using it) :rolleyes:.

I don't think he's actually gotten HD, so if he's not sure, it might be a complement to the quality of the SD picture :).

nded, go 'way and enjoy your Vudu (and the high price of using it) :rolleyes:.

I don't think he's actually gotten HD, so if he's not sure, it might be a complement to the quality of the SD picture :).
agreed. I definitely have not received HD as the quality I've seen so far does no come close to the HD content I get from my HD cable service.

Now the question is how do I remedy this?

How do I check the firmware version currently on my player?

Also, I'm getting two bars below the max yet my mac is receiving up to 25Mb/s. My blueray player is connected to a wired router......same as my mac is connected.

Do I have to dive into the network setup menu to remedy this?

Thanks again.

agreed. I definitely have not received HD as the quality I've seen so far does no come close to the HD content I get from my HD cable service.It's all 720p24 with stereo sound (as opposed to 1080i30 and 720p60 with DD5.1 on HD cable) so at best it may be a bit less sharp than HDTV, though I've been fairly impressed with it. Much of the HD stuff that I've watched is pretty crispy.

As per PDF page 52 of the BD-P2500 User Manual (http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/200810/20081023155433421/P2500_XAA.pdf), you can look at the firmware version by pressing MENU, choosing Setup->System Setup->System Information. That should get you a little popup display with software version and region information. (BTW, do you recall seeing the firmware upgrade notification message, as displayed on the bottom of that same page of the manual)?

I notice that the illustrations in the manual (PDF page 62) show the loading screen when you start playback as displaying the word "retrieving" at the bottom of the dialog to the left of a connection speed meter, with the actual bit rate of the selected encoding on the right side of the meter--that's very cool, as neither TiVo, the Xbox or the PC Silverlight player reveal that information (all of which I've used--I use my PS3 for Blu-ray playback). What bit rate number are you seeing when you attempt to play titles with HD encodings? These should be either 3.8 or 2.6 Mbps. (That illustration would indicate that, when they wrote it, they were using the WMV3 encodings, which the "Encoding for streaming (http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/encoding-for-streaming.html)" Netflix blog article says comes in .5, 1.0, 1.6 and 2.2 Mbps VBR WMV3 bit rates, with some 3.4 Mbps encodings for titles where the source quality merits it. If you're getting 1.5 Mbps they've probably switched to using the VC-1 AP streams in the HD-capable upgrade, which come in .375, .5, 1.0 and 1.5 Mbps flavors)

I have no insight into why you're not getting a higher-speed connection to Netflix's Watch Instantly servers. Remember, it's not the rated speed of your network service that counts, but the speed of the actual connection that you get to Netflix's nearest server--there could be any number of reasons why that's slower than expected.

I use my HTPC to stream netflix, and I'm surprised and disappointed that there are no plans for HD.

Also, I'm getting two bars below the max yet my mac is receiving up to 25Mb/s. My blueray player is connected to a wired router......same as my mac is connected.


But are you getting 25Mb/s from the Netflix Server? Because that's what matters.

I get 15Mb/s to most locations, but to San Diego (where most of us think the servers are), I only get a lowly 1.5Mb/s...probably due to me being on the East Coast and having a lot of hops from here to there. I have found no way to gauge my actual connection to their server.

I use my HTPC to stream netflix, and I'm surprised and disappointed that there are no plans for HD.I suspect that this is a restriction from the content providers. I don't know of anything that can download or stream commercial broadcast television or theatrical release movies in true HD (1280x720 or better) to a PC, with the exception of some recently added HD television episode encodings at the iTunes Store. Maybe the IP holders will ease up on this restriction in the near future, but they've historically feared that people will hack secure HD streams and downloads on PCs, store the content in the clear and freely pass it around the net. (And the beat goes on :rolleyes:).

I have been messing around with the new LG BD-300 and am fairly impressed with it.
I should mention that I am pretty much a tester of all things hi-def and downloading or streaming HD content has been my hobby for awhile now. I have not posted on this site on this subject before but I probably have some insight to share.
I have AppleTV and absolutely love the interface. This is where I go to put up photos for the family party and peruse media that lives elsewhere on my server. I have only watched a few movies on this device though. What I watched looked great, but was not BD quality.
I also have Vudu and must say that for the higher price you cannot touch the video quality with any other device I've tried (other than BD). The new services they added last week are a big jump for them. I hope they bring the price of network programs down to a reasonable level.
Until last week, I'd never been a NetFlix customer before. I have a 3 disc at a time Blockbuster account and love being able to trade my discs in at the local store on Tuesday for the new release BD titles. I decided to try out NetFlix because the old TV series interested me. You can't beat 9 bucks a month for all you can watch, so I gave it a go. Here are my findings.
I did all the firmware (software) updates and set up my online account. I loaded my que up with lots of old TV series, a few HD movies and a few HD TV series. The first time I turn the unit on each day I never get a great download speed on the meter. Maybe 5 out of 13 bars. I realized later that if I stop and restart the same stream, the meter goes to 10 (of 13 bars) and never gets any better. I have the top tier my cable company offers for internet speed so my connection is not an issue. I have tried many other standard def programs and always get the same 10 of 13 bars. On high def content I always get a full 13 bars and a reassuring "HD" logo.
HD content looks a bit below cable quality and is only in stereo audio. The compression algorithm that is used pays attention to moving parts of the picture and still items tend to blur a bit. not a big problem if you are far enough back from the screen.
I have had some issues, though, with audio/video syc. The sync has been severely off in some programs and I have not been able to correct it by restarting or any other quick fix techniques. I wonder if others are having the same issue.
Well, those are some initial thoughts anyway. FYI, I am watching on a 50" Pioneer Elite panel or a 60" Pioneer Elite panel, so I'm video quality spoiled anyway.
I'd love to hear what others are experiencing in the real world.

It's all 720p24 with stereo sound (as opposed to 1080i30 and 720p60 with DD5.1 on HD cable) so at best it may be a bit less sharp than HDTV, though I've been fairly impressed with it. Much of the HD stuff that I've watched is pretty crispy.

As per PDF page 52 of the BD-P2500 User Manual (http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/200810/20081023155433421/P2500_XAA.pdf), you can look at the firmware version by pressing MENU, choosing Setup->System Setup->System Information. That should get you a little popup display with software version and region information. (BTW, do you recall seeing the firmware upgrade notification message, as displayed on the bottom of that same page of the manual)?

I notice that the illustrations in the manual (PDF page 62) show the loading screen when you start playback as displaying the word "retrieving" at the bottom of the dialog to the left of a connection speed meter, with the actual bit rate of the selected encoding on the right side of the meter--that's very cool, as neither TiVo, the Xbox or the PC Silverlight player reveal that information (all of which I've used--I use my PS3 for Blu-ray playback). What bit rate number are you seeing when you attempt to play titles with HD encodings? These should be either 3.8 or 2.6 Mbps. (That illustration would indicate that, when they wrote it, they were using the WMV3 encodings, which the "Encoding for streaming (http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/encoding-for-streaming.html)" Netflix blog article says comes in .5, 1.0, 1.6 and 2.2 Mbps VBR WMV3 bit rates, with some 3.4 Mbps encodings for titles where the source quality merits it. If you're getting 1.5 Mbps they've probably switched to using the VC-1 AP streams in the HD-capable upgrade, which come in .375, .5, 1.0 and 1.5 Mbps flavors)

I have no insight into why you're not getting a higher-speed connection to Netflix's Watch Instantly servers. Remember, it's not the rated speed of your network service that counts, but the speed of the actual connection that you get to Netflix's nearest server--there could be any number of reasons why that's slower than expected.
Thanks Mike. I'll tackle this shortly.

Appreciate the help.

I got a Roku Netflix streamer for X-mas:). Finally got it hooked up last night. Really simple stuff. The picture quality is better than I expected for HD and perfectly acceptable for SD. I have a 6.0mbps dsl line.

Very simple to use. I definitely recommend it for anyone that already has a Netflix membership.

I would definitely like to see some better titles available in both SD and HD, but it's a nice alternative when there's nothing good on regular TV.

Are there any Anime titles available to "watch now"? I'm not a subscriber, so I browsed a few titles at netfilx & I did not see any as "watch now". I may try out the trial on my 360 just to see what is there.

Are there any Anime titles available to "watch now"? I'm not a subscriber, so I browsed a few titles at netfilx & I did not see any as "watch now". I may try out the trial on my 360 just to see what is there.On the Watch Instantly tab at Netflix's page, the Genre menu features "Anime & Animation", the list of which you can see at the following link:http://www.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=623&ftr=falseThere were exactly 100 titles when I checked.

It's all 720p24 with stereo sound (as opposed to 1080i30 and 720p60 with DD5.1 on HD cable) so at best it may be a bit less sharp than HDTV, though I've been fairly impressed with it. Much of the HD stuff that I've watched is pretty crispy.

As per PDF page 52 of the BD-P2500 User Manual (http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/200810/20081023155433421/P2500_XAA.pdf), you can look at the firmware version by pressing MENU, choosing Setup->System Setup->System Information. That should get you a little popup display with software version and region information. (BTW, do you recall seeing the firmware upgrade notification message, as displayed on the bottom of that same page of the manual)?

I notice that the illustrations in the manual (PDF page 62) show the loading screen when you start playback as displaying the word "retrieving" at the bottom of the dialog to the left of a connection speed meter, with the actual bit rate of the selected encoding on the right side of the meter--that's very cool, as neither TiVo, the Xbox or the PC Silverlight player reveal that information (all of which I've used--I use my PS3 for Blu-ray playback). What bit rate number are you seeing when you attempt to play titles with HD encodings? These should be either 3.8 or 2.6 Mbps. (That illustration would indicate that, when they wrote it, they were using the WMV3 encodings, which the "Encoding for streaming (http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/encoding-for-streaming.html)" Netflix blog article says comes in .5, 1.0, 1.6 and 2.2 Mbps VBR WMV3 bit rates, with some 3.4 Mbps encodings for titles where the source quality merits it. If you're getting 1.5 Mbps they've probably switched to using the VC-1 AP streams in the HD-capable upgrade, which come in .375, .5, 1.0 and 1.5 Mbps flavors)

I have no insight into why you're not getting a higher-speed connection to Netflix's Watch Instantly servers. Remember, it's not the rated speed of your network service that counts, but the speed of the actual connection that you get to Netflix's nearest server--there could be any number of reasons why that's slower than expected.
Hey Mike,

Looks like I'm all set..not exactly sure why though. I checked my current firmware version and was told that I had the most up to date firmware. That may have done the trick, as when I streamed my next selection, I got full bars and and the mythical HD logo.

Thanks for all your help on this issue!

I would definitely like to see some better titles available in both SD and HD, but it's a nice alternative when there's nothing good on regular TV.

No doubt about it. The HD content currently is pretty awful. I'm being patient with the additions for now, but wow.

SD content is better but still lacks alot of good titles. Hopefully this improves as well.

The more I read, the more confused I get. I have a panny 720p 50PX80U. Charter cable with 16Mbps download. Thinking of getting the Roku. Question is, how is the picture displayed in non HD movies. At present I have HD service thru cable co. I have an upconverting DVD player. I am so spoiled on the HD, I wont watch the regular SD channels anymore. They all seem too stretched. The upconverted movies are pretty good. Does the Roku upconvert? Do the Bluray players with Netflix upconvert the SD signal from Netflix? Any explanation would be very helpful.

"Upconversion" implies sophisticated smoothing to try to make it look as though the source of a standard definition program was actually in the target resolution. I'm sure that the Roku box and Blu-ray players render the standard-def Netflix stuff into the resolution that you ask them to output, but I doubt that they do anything really fancy (I know that TiVo or the Xbox don't). Best available picture quality of standard def WI stuff varies from title to title.

The standard-def channels on your cable system shouldn't be "stretched" unless you've asked your television or cable box to do it (you, or someone else in your household, may have pushed a button to change that at some point without realizing it). If you haven't, on standard-def channels you should see a 4:3 image with black bars on either side. Many people find the black bars to be more objectionable than the distortion :rolleyes:, and stretching is one of them methods of getting rid of them. When I watch standard def 4:3 Watch Instantly titles on the TiVo or the Xbox, I see the black bars on the side (called "pillar box (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillar_box_(film))" format--bars on the top and bottom of a too-wide-for-the-display image are called a "letter box")--I can get TiVo or the Xbox to stretch them across the screen if I wanted to, but I don't. Some titles are provided as standard definition widescreen, so they fill up the 16x9 screen without stretching.

Few comments:

Tivo HD owner and Netflix subscriber for about 2-3 years.

Tivo HD running wirelessly with Optimum base package. Not running "boost" for the extra speed.

Watch instantly movies have been minimum of one bar from the max. Got one movie running 7 bars and it had problems with lip sync and I did not watch. HD movies are downloading at max bars with HD symbol.

Also, all of this is connected wirelessly using Linksys router to Tivo adaptor.

Just a few thoughts....:-)

I suspect that this is a restriction from the content providers. I don't know of anything that can download or stream commercial broadcast television or theatrical release movies in true HD (1280x720 or better) to a PC, with the exception of some recently added HD television episode encodings at the iTunes Store. Maybe the IP holders will ease up on this restriction in the near future, but they've historically feared that people will hack secure HD streams and downloads on PCs, store the content in the clear and freely pass it around the net. (And the beat goes on :rolleyes:).

abc lets you watch all their shows in hd without a problem. supposedly, the silverlight player was going to allow hd streaming. this is bs, they are selling out their customer base with a crappy player and poor service. the audio quality is horrible.

i will be cancelling my service if this is not corrected soon. i should not have to buy a new player to get the service that was promised on pc.

abc lets you watch all their shows in hd without a problem. supposedly, the silverlight player was going to allow hd streaming. this is bs, they are selling out their customer base with a crappy player and poor service. the audio quality is horrible.

i will be cancelling my service if this is not corrected soon. i should not have to buy a new player to get the service that was promised on pc.Hey, do what you gotta do. Make sure that they know why you're doing it, though.

Not that I'm doubting you, but when and where did Netflix promise HD streaming on the PC? If there's evidence, maybe you have some leverage to make them come through with it (or the basis for a law suit).

Hooked up the Roku yesterday...fine with it, but the installation sucked! Thought I'd have no trouble going wireless as my laptop was streaming Netflix ok not far from where the Roku was to go. In my case 50' between the Roku and the Verizon FIOS router gave me only one bar out of four in the quality indicator-almost unwatchable picture quality(Panasonic TH-46PZ800U ISF calibrated) Moved the router to the living room entertainment center(still wireless)-four bars out of four. The Roku wireless input doesn't seem to overload even with the router antenna being less than a foot from the Roku box. Could be the wireless adapter in my Roku box isn't up to snuff, but it's working ok the way I've got it now and I don't care to take the time to exchange it.

Hooked up the Roku yesterday...fine with it, but the installation sucked! Thought I'd have no trouble going wireless as my laptop was streaming Netflix ok not far from where the Roku was to go. In my case 50' between the Roku and the Verizon FIOS router gave me only one bar out of four in the quality indicator-almost unwatchable picture quality(Panasonic TH-46PZ800U ISF calibrated) Moved the router to the living room entertainment center(still wireless)-four bars out of four. The Roku wireless input doesn't seem to overload even with the router antenna being less than a foot from the Roku box. Could be the wireless adapter in my Roku box isn't up to snuff, but it's working ok the way I've got it now and I don't care to take the time to exchange it.

http://forums.roku.com/viewforum.php?f=28&sid=e07282d00e3c39d0ac992c3eb2d8d136

There's some great tips on optimizing your wireless connection. You might be getting network collisions (or something like that..kinda over my head). Had the same issue you were, and changed my wireless router for this device to channel 11, and haven't had a problem since.

Also, check your box for most recent update in the settings tab.

The more I read, the more confused I get. I have a panny 720p 50PX80U. Charter cable with 16Mbps download. Thinking of getting the Roku. Question is, how is the picture displayed in non HD movies. At present I have HD service thru cable co. I have an upconverting DVD player. I am so spoiled on the HD, I wont watch the regular SD channels anymore. They all seem too stretched. The upconverted movies are pretty good. Does the Roku upconvert? Do the Bluray players with Netflix upconvert the SD signal from Netflix? Any explanation would be very helpful.
Once you get the upgrade to your Roku player, you'll be able to get HD content from Netflix. When you set up your player after the firmware upgrade (which happens automatically if your Roku us connected to the Internet), you'll see you have the option for picture format of 4:3 or 16:9, or what they call HDTV. You will want HDTV, which gives you the best possible resolution and the correct aspect ratio for the source material. Netflix currently has a terrible selection of HD material, but it comes in at 720P on my Panny AXU200 projector system and looks great on my 100-inch screen. Not as good as Blu-ray, but about the same as HD television off cable. The sound is Dolby stereo, but I think they'll eventually offer 5.1. SD material from Netflix also looks much better with the new firmware. Keep in mind that you need a fast cable modem ... at least 5 Mbps ... mine gets 18 Mbps. I'm really impressed with the Roku/Netflix HD combination. My software update just came in yesterday (apparently Roku is rolling it out bit by bit ... no pun intended). Now if only Neflix will offer some decent titles ...

I've got a Tivo HD and am watching Netflix through that; my Tivo's on Ethernet and I have Comcast cable broadband, so I am able to stream a good HD picture, although the only Netflix offering that I watch in HD is 30 Rock (which I highly recommend if you haven't seen it).

I wish movies were in widescreen, even if they were in SD; the pillarboxing is my only real disappointment with the service so far.

I wish movies were in widescreen, even if they were in SD; the pillarboxing is my only real disappointment with the service so far.
All of the movies I've watched on Netflix WI via my Roku box have been in their original widescreen aspect ratio.

Some of the SD stuff that I've watched is pillarboxed, some of it widescreen. There's often no real rhyme or reason to it. I watched the entirety of Doctor Who, Season 2 (2nd season of the 2005 reboot) and only the first of 14 episodes was widescreen; all of the third season was standard-def widescreen.

I haven't watched that many movies (I've watched a ton of British television that I'd never have rented discs for :)). The movies that I have watched have all been HD and widescreen.

Hey, I just checked some of the other movies on my Watch Instantly queue, and several of them are indeed widescreen. Cool!

The first film I had tried with Watch Instantly (A Very Long Engagement) was pillarboxed, and it really detracted from the viewing experience; because of that, I just assumed that all of the movies were. I'm glad that I was mistaken about this.

there are still some that are.... but many of them are correct as well.

http://forums.roku.com/viewforum.php?f=28&sid=e07282d00e3c39d0ac992c3eb2d8d136

There's some great tips on optimizing your wireless connection. You might be getting network collisions (or something like that..kinda over my head). Had the same issue you were, and changed my wireless router for this device to channel 11, and haven't had a problem since.

Also, check your box for most recent update in the settings tab.


Thanks, got the update...just watched Flawless in HD, excellent picture and sound quality!

http://forums.roku.com/viewforum.php?f=28&sid=e07282d00e3c39d0ac992c3eb2d8d136

There's some great tips on optimizing your wireless connection. You might be getting network collisions (or something like that..kinda over my head). Had the same issue you were, and changed my wireless router for this device to channel 11, and haven't had a problem since.

Also, check your box for most recent update in the settings tab.

Just changed the Verizon FIOS router to channel 11(had to have Verizon do it-configuration page locked up when I tried to do it myself) Rockin' four out of four bar quality now. Many, many thanks!!!

Some of the SD stuff that I've watched is pillarboxed, some of it widescreen. There's often no real rhyme or reason to it. I watched the entirety of Doctor Who, Season 2 (2nd season of the 2005 reboot) and only the first of 14 episodes was widescreen; all of the third season was standard-def widescreen.

I haven't watched that many movies (I've watched a ton of British television that I'd never have rented discs for :)). The movies that I have watched have all been HD and widescreen.

Non of the Dr Who shows would be in HD since it isn't recorded in HD.

Non of the Dr Who shows would be in HD since it isn't recorded in HD.Didn't say that it was in HD, nor did I expect to find it in HD. One episode of the second season (the first) and all episodes of the 3rd season are available in widescreen standard def. I suspect that all episodes of all four seasons are in widescreen standard def on the DVD sets.

I have all four seasons of the Dr Who DVDs and they are all wide screen . They look great up converted by my Toshiba HD player.

I just ordered the Netflix box. I hope I like it.

Netflix guys - any body downloading using a Samsung BD-p2500 blu-ray player which claims to be netflix compat?? Esp interested in HD movie downloads. Thanks

Netflix guys - any body downloading using a Samsung BD-p2500 blu-ray player which claims to be netflix compat?? Esp interested in HD movie downloads. ThanksThere's a pulldown entitled "Search this Thread" on the left side of the solid bar on top of the first post on the page. Search for "P2500".

There's a pulldown entitled "Search this Thread" on the left side of the solid bar on top of the first post on the page. Search for "P2500".Your post regarding the P2500 is quoted twice on this page alone. ;)

Netflix guys - any body downloading using a Samsung BD-p2500 blu-ray player which claims to be netflix compat?? Esp interested in HD movie downloads. Thanks

Yep, works great. Check out the P2500 thread in the Blu-ray Player section of this forum.

Has anyone watched "The Lives of Others" on this? It seems to be missing subtitles in several areas.

I have not seen the disc version, but it seems odd....there will be a spoken sentence or two with no subtitles, then when they come back it's mid-sentence. Like the encode missed some here and there.

Maybe I should quit watching it and just order the disc...but I don't think enough is missing that I want to do that. It's just slightly annoying, but I can still follow it.

Though the majority of movies are very good quality encodes, I've also noticed a few that are really messed up. Selecting Masquerade will cause the Roku to completely reboot itself every time. And there were a couple others (the titles escape me right now) that have MAJOR lip-sync problems... I'm talking like 10 to 15 seconds off... it makes any movie absolutely impossible to watch... you're watching one scene while still listening to the dialog from another scene, its insane.
However, I am glad that the vast majority of their movies are glitch-free.

I use my HTPC to stream netflix, and I'm surprised and disappointed that there are no plans for HD.

they just started offering a 720p option on the roku box i am using. when I get 4 bars it is as good as as standard dvd and I have a 49 by 115 screen. Tehnew upgrade really makes a big difference.

Just got this email from Roku. Hopefully Hulu is next.

Your Roku digital video player keeps getting better. Today, I'm excited to tell you two great new benefits of your player. First, you can now watch, in high definition (HD), the hundreds of movies and TV episodes offered in HD instantly by Netflix. Second, an incredible 40,000 movies and TV shows from Amazon Video On Demand will soon be available to choose from on your Roku player.

Things may already look a little different on your Roku home screen. And don't worry -- if they don't now, they will soon. There's nothing you need to do, and there's no need to call us. An automatic, free update will reach your player in the next several days. Just be patient and leave your player plugged in and connected to the Internet. (You'll know you've received the update if, when you press the UP button from the Netflix Instant Queue, you see the purple and white Roku Home screen with icons for Settings, Netflix, and What’s New.)

A second update, again free and automatic, requiring no action from you, will arrive in a few weeks. You'll have instant access, from your couch, to over 40,000 commercial-free movies and TV shows for rent or purchase from Amazon Video On Demand. Hits like The Dark Knight, Pineapple Express, Get Smart and others will be available the same day they release on DVD. Rentals range from 99 cents to $3.99 for a 24 hour viewing window and require no monthly subscription fee.

Amazon is just the start. More announcements of new things to watch and enjoy on your Roku player are in the pipeline for 2009.

Happy new year, and thank you again for being a Roku customer.

Very nice. A 100 dollar Roku box with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu would be perfect.

I'd forgotten that Amazon has a streaming option now--cool that Roku supports it. I wonder if they'll have a full browser for Amazon's library (TiVo now does, and it only makes sense with streaming, unless Amazon's going to implement the same kind of queue arrangement that Netflix has). Now, if they'd just improve the general PQ of their stuff and add HD.

I've had the Roku player for several months and just got the notice yesterday for the 1.5 firmware HD support upgrade. It updated easily and now there is another top layer settings menu to select change the TV output type to 720p 16:9 for my Sony KDL-Z4100. Netflix posted 6 screens of HD movie content on-line to add to the instant queue. This was better than I expected for the first day of launch, but they could user a lot more newer movies to make it very attractive. Quality on regular SD streaming shows quality seemed to improve with the 720p output now. However, during the prime evening hours, I did get some service interruptions on the streaming (like when you hit pause, and restart - it gives you the progress bar while its buffering frames), then it resumes playing automatically - delay 15 - 25 seconds. I think this is due to my cable internet provider traffic peaks.

I selected some of the new Netflix HD Instant Queue content to test the HD streaming - wow impressive 720p quality, much better than the SD content (but still shows some smoothing artifacts - and not as sharp as Blu ray 1080p) on the couple of test movies I watched. I still am getting some service interruptions on my cable 6MB/sec service. The Netflix HD spec says you need a 5MB/sec Internet connection. My interruptions seem to be more my cable internet speed and time related than content related (SD or HD both get some pauses). But the picture quality is much better. However, I've only got a few hours of sampling - so more testing is required and perhaps Netflix is still tuning the servers as well.

I also have the LG BD300 Blu ray with Netflix streaming player. So, I tried to see if LG supported the HD DVDs yet - nope, not yet. Roku seems to have them beat (not bad for a $100 box). If I compare image quality of the Roku setup for 720p on a Netflix SD movie vs the LG playing back SD Netflix, the Roku picture quality is definitely better now, before it seems about the same. But my LG Netflix seems to have less interruptions of the movie due to my cable internet bandwidth problem. It would seem that Roku is now using more bandwidth with the new HD 720p setting (for SD and HD movies).

Has anyone else tested multiple Netflix players at home? Anyone else trying out the new HD Roku content and getting more pauses?

Has anyone else tested multiple Netflix players at home? Anyone else trying out the new HD Roku content and getting more pauses?The HD content's not new--it's the same stuff that's available for the Xbox, TiVo and Blu-ray players. It's the support for handling the HD streams in the Roku's firmware that's new :).

The BD300's latest firmware release, BD8.11.480, supposedly adds support for HD streams. You can get it and instructions for installing it here (http://us.lgservice.com/index_b2c.jsp), at LG's site. (I'm surprised that you can't download and install it directly over the player's network connection, like you can on the Samsungs. Not everyone will be able to handle the upgrade procedure).
I still am getting some service interruptions on my cable 6MB/sec service. The Netflix HD spec says you need a 5MB/sec Internet connection. My interruptions seem to be more my cable internet speed and time related than content related (SD or HD both get some pauses).That's "connection speed", not "service speed". Even if your service is rated 6 Mbps, you won't necessarily get or be able to sustain a rate that high to any arbitrary location on the Internet. The PC Silverlight player is supposed to seamlessly switch to lower and higher bit rate streams as your connection speed varies over time--maybe one day this tech will be implemented in the embedded Netflix players.

Thanks Mike. I just found the LG BD300 upgrade BD8.11.480. It's too bad they just don't get it over the Internet, since the box is already connected to the Internet. I'll try on the LG upgrade and see how the quality and bandwidth demands are affected. Should be a good test to see how they compare, since I have both Netflix players hooked up to the same HDTV (since XMas). I was supposed to move the Roku box to another TV after I "finished" my comparison to the new LG BD300.

Regarding the Internet bandwidth, I've long suspected that my TimeWarner Roadrunner has not offered close to the 6 Mb/sec for awhile. I'll have to take some traffic measurements while playing back streaming Netflix to see how much of the 5 Mb/sec I'm getting from TW.

Regarding the Internet bandwidth, I've long suspected that my TimeWarner Roadrunner has not offered close to the 6 Mb/sec for awhile. I'll have to take some traffic measurements while playing back streaming Netflix to see how much of the 5 Mb/sec I'm getting from TW.You can try this (http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/) speed test at speakeasy.net; you should get your 6 Mbps (or something close) to that test server in LA, but as you try server progressively further away (and the path through the network from you to the server becomes longer and more complicated), your speed will drop off.

However, if I can get HD speed on my TiVo and Xbox from here in San Diego (and I do), I'd expect you to as well. Of course, that expectation may be unreasonable :).

Regarding the Internet bandwidth, I've long suspected that my TimeWarner Roadrunner has not offered close to the 6 Mb/sec for awhile. I'll have to take some traffic measurements while playing back streaming Netflix to see how much of the 5 Mb/sec I'm getting from TW.

Also remember most cable companies have the speed boost type stuff, where they give you max speed for 30-90 seconds at a time, but then the sustained rate is much lower. Its not noticeable when surfing web, but it is when downloading.

Our 8mb comcast cable gave 8mb for about 90 seconds, then it hovered around 5. So your 6 may go down to 3.5-4. Its a reason I switched to 6mb DSL for 10 dollars less a month. At least its 6 100% of the time.

Anyone know why the Roku Netflix player does not have an on/off switch or function? Not a complaint, just curious.

Anyone know why the Roku Netflix player does not have an on/off switch or function? Not a complaint, just curious.

neither does my TiVos or VUDU boxes.

Has anyone watched "The Lives of Others" on this? It seems to be missing subtitles in several areas.

I have not seen the disc version, but it seems odd....there will be a spoken sentence or two with no subtitles, then when they come back it's mid-sentence. Like the encode missed some here and there.

Maybe I should quit watching it and just order the disc...but I don't think enough is missing that I want to do that. It's just slightly annoying, but I can still follow it.
I have the PAL version of this Movie on DVD, just watched it 2 weeks ago and dont recall anything like this.

I have an XBOX 360 and two Samsung BD-P2550's that I use for NETFLIX sreaming. There are certain titles that are available in HD on the Samsung that are not available on the XBOX 360 in HD. The title is available in SD on the XBOX 360 but not in HD. The show is a series that was produced by CBS called Swingtown.

I have an XBOX 360 and two Samsung BD-P2550's that I use for NETFLIX sreaming. There are certain titles that are available in HD on the Samsung that are not available on the XBOX 360 in HD. The title is available in SD on the XBOX 360 but not in HD. The show is a series that was produced by CBS called Swingtown.I tried Swingtown and got the same results was you, but then I tried some things that I pretty much always get in HD on the Xbox and also got less than maximum quality (varying readings, down to one bar). My PC, connected to the same switch, is showing 12+ Mbps down right now (from LA to San Diego). There may be something wrong with the service to Xboxes.

I tried Swingtown and got the same results was you, but then I tried some things that I pretty much always get in HD on the Xbox and also got less than maximum quality (varying readings, down to one bar). My PC, connected to the same switch, is showing 12+ Mbps down right now (from LA to San Diego). There may be something wrong with the service to Xboxes.

I was able to get 4 bars on my XBOX 360 but the HD logo was not displayed at the end. The picture looked a lot softer than the picture from the Samsung that did display the HD logo.

I also prefer the interface of the Samsung players over the interfaceof the XBOX 360. For instance on the XBOX 360 you can not go backwards in your queue if you wish to get to the last item in your queue.

The service is working perfectly for me. I didn't think that I'd use it as much as I do. Hopefully they go to an all-stream option soon. I'd pay $10-15 a month for something like this.

The service is working perfectly for me. I didn't think that I'd use it as much as I do. Hopefully they go to an all-stream option soon. I'd pay $10-15 a month for something like this.

You can stream all you want for $8.99 and still get 1 movie at a time.

You can stream all you want for $8.99 and still get 1 movie at a time.

I think he means all movies streamed, including all new releases.

Netflix said they are not doing that (studios don't want streamed all inclusive movies so soon to release, only pay per view style, otherwise disc sales will likely drop a lot), but they are looking at expanding by making contracts with HBO and Showtime, like their Starz partnership. And having stream only subscriptions for cheaper.

I imagine a 4.99 or 5.99 subscription level with all that stuff available would cause many to possibly drop cable.

I imagine a 4.99 or 5.99 subscription level with all that stuff available would cause many to possibly drop cable.

At that price point, and with a box that can access Netflix streaming, Hulu and ABC.com... and you would probably see a crapload of people dump cable.

At that price point, and with a box that can access Netflix streaming, Hulu and ABC.com... and you would probably see a crapload of people dump cable.
The cable monopolies agree with you, and that's why they have started to impose download caps and "excess" usage fees. You pay extra for their turbo download speeds for better streaming quality, only to discover that you quickly hit their download caps and then gawk as your monthly internet bill skyrockets. I see a big class action law suit looming on the near horizon.

The cable monopolies agree with you, and that's why they have started to impose download caps and "excess" usage fees. You pay extra for their turbo download speeds for better streaming quality, only to discover that you quickly hit their download caps and then gawk as your monthly internet bill skyrockets. I see a big class action law suit looming on the near horizon.

At least with internet there are more options in an area than with TV. And canceling a 100 dollar cable bill can help you pay 30-50 of that for a better internet connection.

At least with internet there are more options in an area than with TV. And canceling a 100 dollar cable bill can help you pay 30-50 of that for a better internet connection.What options would those be? When Verizon or someone else has run FTTH everywhere, that might be true, but in the meanwhile, cable is by far the highest speed network connection available to the vast majority of folks. My cable connection is 15 Mbps down; the only alternative is ADSL, which tops out at 3 Mbps down, not fast enough for streaming and torturously slow for downloading large video files.

The cable companies are free to price themselves entirely out of homes if they desire. There will soon be some incredible wireless options that do not require the "home run" that is so difficult to deploy.

Plus if the cable industry gets too aggressive on pricing as a way to limit consumer options for content, they will find themselves regulated requiring them to limit prices or open up their networks to competitors.

Is it me, or is there a significant difference in the picture quality between Starz Play movies and other titles? Starz Play titles seem to look significantly darker and softer than other titles, even other SD titles.

Anyone else notice this?

Is it me, or is there a significant difference in the picture quality between Starz Play movies and other titles? Starz Play titles seem to look significantly darker and softer than other titles, even other SD titles.

Anyone else notice this?

I wouldn't be surprised if Starz is using some ports from their old Vongo service. Maybe quality standards were not as high then, Just a guess.

ej

Is it me, or is there a significant difference in the picture quality between Starz Play movies and other titles? Starz Play titles seem to look significantly darker and softer than other titles, even other SD titles.

Anyone else notice this?

Yeah, that's pretty much known and been discussed before.

The quality isn't really horrible though, but definitely worse than the non-Starz Play stuff. As the above poster mentioned, they're probably using the (old) encodes for the Vongo service.

I found this take interesting

Netflix CFO: DVD Key to ‘Compelling’ Streaming Offering

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/netflix/netflix-cfo-dvd-key-compelling-streaming-offering-14729

I found this take interesting

Netflix CFO: DVD Key to ‘Compelling’ Streaming Offering

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/netflix/netflix-cfo-dvd-key-compelling-streaming-offering-14729

Smart guys at Netflix. They still need to boost the overall streaming offering, and that is going to take some time.

Fortunately they realize that physical media has had it's peak and are not going to let themselves get stuck with a dead business. As he stated, they are using their current market and installed base to create a new business so they do not end up a "buggy whip" maker. They are very fortunate that their investment for the future is also fueling current growth. Most companies have growing pains as the market changes.

Has anybody compared Roku/NetFlix to Apple TV in terms of PQ? What about features? I currently have Comcast cable, but am considering U-verse 6 Mbps DSL. Will that be enough to support NetFlix HD streaming?

EDIT: I am primarily interested in HD quality, but others in the house will want to watch SD. Also, I have a 60" Kuro plasma and Blu-ray play as a reference.

AppleTV no doubt offers a bit better PQ than the average for Netflix and a far better set of mainstream recent release titles, but it should, given that it's a Pay-Per-View model (also play-while-downloading model and not streaming). You watch two or three titles with AppleTV and you've equaled the monthly cost of the 1-disc-at-a-time unlimited Netflix plan, which will let you watch as much streaming stuff as you want for that price, while also renting video discs, one at a time (which can be Blu-ray, for an additional dollar a month).

If you're primarily interested in recent release films, AppleTV is definitely a better option, though you should also consider the Vudu box, which offers the highest quality available downloads.

AppleTV no doubt offers a bit better PQ than the average for Netflix and a far better set of mainstream recent release titles, but it should, given that it's a Pay-Per-View model (also play-while-downloading model and not streaming). You watch two or three titles with AppleTV and you've equaled the monthly cost of the 1-disc-at-a-time unlimited Netflix plan, which will let you watch as much streaming stuff as you want for that price, while also renting video discs, one at a time (which can be Blu-ray, for an additional dollar a month).

If you're primarily interested in recent release films, AppleTV is definitely a better option, though you should also consider the Vudu box, which offers the highest quality available downloads.
Thanks Michael. I will keep the Apple TV for sure, but I am looking for a cheaper way to watch movies when I run out of Netflix Blu-ray discs at home. My primary video sources will be:

Movies (in order of frequency):

1) NetFlix 3 at-a-time Blu-ray and DVD rentals
2) Personal media collection: ~ 400 DVD and 150 Blu-ray
3) Local Kiosk DVD and BD rentals ($1/day)
4) Apple TV iTunes HD rentals @ $4-5/each

Other:

Apple TV: home videos, ripped DVD streaming, Youtube, music. photos
OTA: network tv shows, movies, etc.

I'm trying to figure out if it is worth spending $100 to buy the Roku box for NetFlix Watch Instantly. I don't have a PVR and don't won't pay monthly fees for cable or satellite TV. I really just want to have a broad range of old and new movies available at the lowest price possible with some convenience. It seems that the Roku box could make my NetFlix account that much more useful -- as long as the quality is decent. In reality, I am probably the only one in the house that cares about PQ, so the others will more likely appreciate quantity over quality:o

I've thought about the Vudu box, but I really have a hard time justifying the price when I can get Blu-ray movies with lossless audio, extras, and more for $1-2 each via Netflix or the local kiosk. Also, if I understand correctly the Vudu HD stuff will not stream instantly (over my 6 Mbps service) which kills the convenience compared to the Apple TV which plays HD instantly or the local kiosk which provides Blu-ray discs after a 15 minute round trip drive to Safeway. I just don't get the Vudu value proposition for my own life-style.

I will keep the Apple TV for sure, but I am looking for a cheaper way to watch movies when I run out of Netflix Blu-ray discs at home.You and I have similar arrangements, for me it is Netflix for Blu-ray rental, 200 Blu-ray disc library, DVD library that has greatly shrunk, D-VHS D-Theater, satellite (mostly for PBS HD recorded to HHD) and OTA (also recorded to HHD via MDP-120's and edited for CBS HD). So, my only out-of-pocket is for Netflix. I will look into the local Red Box to see if they offer BD for rental.

There was/is a rumor that Sony may have a new version of the PS3 out by this summer and for less money. I will take a serious look at it when it becomes available. There seems to be a fair amount of content available via the PS3.

You and I have similar arrangements, for me it is Netflix for Blu-ray rental, 200 Blu-ray disc library, DVD library that has greatly shrunk, D-VHS D-Theater, satellite (mostly for PBS HD recorded to HHD) and OTA (also recorded to HHD via MDP-120's and edited for CBS HD). So, my only out-of-pocket is for Netflix. I will look into the local Red Box to see if they offer BD for rental.

There was/is a rumor that Sony may have a new version of the PS3 out by this summer and for less money. I will take a serious look at it when it becomes available. There seems to be a fair amount of content available via the PS3.

Just curious why you would look at the PS3 over the 360 (which comes with Netflix streaming, including HD). I have both, and the 360 has far more content available on it and is only $200. They both also offer similar streaming-from-your-PC abilities, although there are some differences there.

Just curious since you obviously already have a Blu-Ray player.

I have both a PS3 and an Xbox 360 and I find myself using the PS3 for media playback a lot (I've only played a couple of games on it, but that's just because most of the exclusives for it to date hold little interest for me and no multi-system titles have been released which was thought to be better on the PS3). I'm not impressed by their Playstation Store video offerings, but it's my only Blu-ray player and I usually end up using it for playing non-DRM'd downloads. For one thing, it's much quieter than my Xbox and generates less heat (I have to prop a fan in front of my HT equipment cabinet to run the Xbox for very long). The PS3 can play streaming titles from Netflix, with the use of a $30 3rd party gimmick called "PlayOn", but last I looked, it can't handle the HD encodes.

Just curious why you would look at the PS3 over the 360 (which comes with Netflix streaming, including HD). I have both, and the 360 has far more content available on it and is only $200. They both also offer similar streaming-from-your-PC abilities, although there are some differences there.

Just curious since you obviously already have a Blu-Ray player.
Well, a huge advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is Blu-ray playback as well as decent DVD upscaling. I have to believe it is only a matter of time before the PS3 supports Netflix.

...
I've thought about the Vudu box, but I really have a hard time justifying the price when I can get Blu-ray movies with lossless audio, extras, and more for $1-2 each via Netflix or the local kiosk. Also, if I understand correctly the Vudu HD stuff will not stream instantly (over my 6 Mbps service) which kills the convenience compared to the Apple TV which plays HD instantly or the local kiosk which provides Blu-ray discs after a 15 minute round trip drive to Safeway. I just don't get the Vudu value proposition for my own life-style.

You've misunderstood. Vudu streams HD instantly with at least a 4mbit connection. Their HDX format requires a download because it averages 9-10mbit video with 20mbit peaks. You'll likely find Vudu HD to be better than Apple's, or at the very least, equal. For a new release PPV model, nothing currently on the market really competes with Vudu. The only question is whether you can compromise the less than blu-ray quality, more expensive than netflix pricing, for the highest level of convenience.

bald

You've misunderstood. Vudu streams HD instantly with at least a 4mbit connection. Their HDX format requires a download because it averages 9-10mbit video with 20mbit peaks. You'll likely find Vudu HD to be better than Apple's, or at the very least, equal. For a new release PPV model, nothing currently on the market really competes with Vudu. The only question is whether you can compromise the less than blu-ray quality, more expensive than netflix pricing, for the highest level of convenience.

bald
I just ordered the Roku box. Since I'm not into waiting for downloads it sounds like the Roku will be the perfect complement to my Apple TV and Blu-ray players.

I have to believe it is only a matter of time before the PS3 supports Netflix.

Not likely. From the press releases, it looks like the 360 scored exclusively Netflix on Demand access this generation.

Well, since I have my Roku on order I am trying to prepare for the new arrival. I just programmed my MX-810 remote and now I am trying to decide if component will be good enough. I have already consumed the 3 HDMI connections on my AVR and really don't want to add an HDMI switch to my set-up. I have the Pioneer Elite VSX-92 AVR and a Pioneer PDP-6010 plasma TV.

Has anybody compared component versus HDMI with the Roku box?

I just ordered the Roku box. Since I'm not into waiting for downloads it sounds like the Roku will be the perfect complement to my Apple TV and Blu-ray players.It should be noted that they recently added Amazon Video On Demand to the Roku box. Amazon Unbox used to be strictly playback-while-downloading, like AppleTV and Vudu, but they've added a true streaming option as well, to support HDD-less devices like Roku's. No less expensive than AppleTV's offerings, but it's there as an option with lots of recent-release titles, though standard-def with stereo sound only at this point.

Just curious why you would look at the PS3 over the 360 (which comes with Netflix streaming, including HD).
Have no interest in the Netflix streaming because of selection and the video/sound quality is poor.
The ability to play back TS files (not certain the PS3 can do this, will research)
HDMI output, IIRC the Xbox does not have HDMI video output.


Just curious since you obviously already have a Blu-Ray player.Have a Panasonic DMP-BD10 and DMP-BD55 :)

HDMI output, IIRC the Xbox does not have HDMI video output.
Wrong. All models have had HDMI output for quite some time now. It was introduced on the Elite model in mid-2007; as they ramped up production of the new motherboards, they gradually phased it in to all the models. (They're on the 3rd motherboard revision since then--that was Zephyr, then Falcon, now Jasper). Unless you bought an old used Xbox, you couldn't lay hands on one that didn't have HDMI.

Both the PS3 and Xbox can play MPEG2 and AVC files, if containerized properly. You may have to run them through a converter of some sort, like M2TS.

I just ordered the Roku box. Since I'm not into waiting for downloads it sounds like the Roku will be the perfect complement to my Apple TV and Blu-ray players.

To each his own. But again, you do not have to "wait for downloads" on the vudu. Enjoy the roku.

bald

Have no interest in the Netflix streaming because of selection and the video/sound quality is poor.
The ability to play back TS files (not certain the PS3 can do this, will research)
HDMI output, IIRC the Xbox does not have HDMI video output.


Have a Panasonic DMP-BD10 and DMP-BD55 :)

- You can play TS files on the 360 (if you are using Windows Media Center)...or so I've heard...I've never tried.
- The 360 has HDMI


I have both a PS3 and an Xbox 360 and I find myself using the PS3 for media playback a lot (I've only played a couple of games on it, but that's just because most of the exclusives for it to date hold little interest for me and no multi-system titles have been released which was thought to be better on the PS3). I'm not impressed by their Playstation Store video offerings, but it's my only Blu-ray player and I usually end up using it for playing non-DRM'd downloads. For one thing, it's much quieter than my Xbox and generates less heat (I have to prop a fan in front of my HT equipment cabinet to run the Xbox for very long). The PS3 can play streaming titles from Netflix, with the use of a $30 3rd party gimmick called "PlayOn", but last I looked, it can't handle the HD encodes.

Well, a huge advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is Blu-ray playback as well as decent DVD upscaling. I have to believe it is only a matter of time before the PS3 supports Netflix.

I was asking because the poster which I quoted already has a blu-ray player, which would negate the BD capabilities of the PS3 (unless of course he wants to eliminate a box in his cabinet).

I have both the PS3 and 360, but if I already had a Blu-Ray player and was just looking for streaming capabilities from Netflix, your PC and content through Marketplace (or PSN), I'm not sure I would even look at a $400 PS3 over a $200 XBOX.

Streaming from the PC works well on both systems, and are very similar as far as supported formats, but there are a few differences, and of course the programs available (Windows Media Center, PS3 Media Server), but for the most part, I find them very similar. Newer 360's aren't as loud, and they're only loud if you're playing back a disc anyways, which he wouldn't be.

The advantages (as I see it) are the Netflix and Marketplace offerings on the 360.

Again, I was just curious because he was waiting for a PS3 pricedrop when (IMO) if you just are looking for streaming capabilities, the 360 is a pretty good deal now at half the price.

Just my two cents of course. Looks like the OP is discounting the 360 because of TS files basically (see above), which is ok. I was just asking for a reason why you'd want to spend $200 more, but if it's for one file format, that's ok with me. Sounds to me like he's not concerned with streaming services (Netflix, PSN, or Marketplace) but just from files on his PC to the TV, in which case the PS3 is probably the better choice (pricing aside).

Well, since I have my Roku on order I am trying to prepare for the new arrival. I just programmed my MX-810 remote and now I am trying to decide if component will be good enough. I have already consumed the 3 HDMI connections on my AVR and really don't want to add an HDMI switch to my set-up. I have the Pioneer Elite VSX-92 AVR and a Pioneer PDP-6010 plasma TV.

Has anybody compared component versus HDMI with the Roku box?

I use component on the Roku, but my Denon receiver converts it to HDMI and sends it by my single HDMI cable to my TV. The picture looks good that way.

To each his own. But again, you do not have to "wait for downloads" on the vudu. Enjoy the roku.

bald

I agree here, I've ordered HDX titles while at work, the movie is ready to play when I get home....works for me....I've also purchased HDX and SD titles as well...so far, haven't bought another BD yet...Instant view HD and SD is great too.....just my 2 cents......

Don

I use component on the Roku, but my Denon receiver converts it to HDMI and sends it by my single HDMI cable to my TV. The picture looks good that way.
Did you ever compare HDMI versus component? I actually have spare HDMI inputs on my TV that I could experiment with. I want HDMI out from my AVR so to get the volume level overlay. If the HDMI is known to be a whole lot better than component then I would also pick up an HDMI switch so that I am ready to go when the Roku player arrives.

Uproar Over Netflix's New Instant Viewer
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/01/2120224

Wow!! People love their Netflix On Demand! I am sure Netflix will get this sorted out, but it is amazing to see how passionate people are about the feature!!

I just D/L that a few days ago because the other one wouldn't work with Firefox only IE. I haven't used it yet because I've been using the Roku unit.

Wow!! People love their Netflix On Demand! I am sure Netflix will get this sorted out, but it is amazing to see how passionate people are about the feature!!

Count me in as a NetFlix fan. I just got a Roku box and am addicted with the all you can eat model. I almost went Vudu but am glad I went with the buffet style rather than pay per view at higher quality. Netflix improves the encoding often and has been adding hundreds of titles every month. But they have a lot of catching up to do with 720p titles.

These allow seeing Netflix titles sorted by newest released...
http://instantwatcher.com/titles/new
http://www.thenowhereman.com/netflix/

Wow!! People love their Netflix On Demand! I am sure Netflix will get this sorted out, but it is amazing to see how passionate people are about the feature!!

I am one of the pi$$ed off users who feel I was duped into this as well....I upgraded about a month ago and the silverlight player sucks and is basically unusable. I can't view it full screen or its so juddery that it's unwatchable, and the quality is horrible. And there is no way to opt back out of it to go back to the old player! UGH!

Of course you could say it's my own dumb fault for blindly updating without doing some research....I assumed that if it didn't work I'd just turn it off and go back to the old player. WRONG!

The only thing that makes me mad is I use(d) it a lot on my laptop on business trips. I'll be in New Orleans for 10 days starting next week, and I won't be able to use this at all in the airport or hotel.

I can't begin to express how annoyed I am.

At home I use my 360 for streaming, so I'm ok there....it's just the whole business trip thing is what is driving me nuts.

I recently got a Tivo HD, and I am very impressed with the Netflix streaming feature. I had previously used Netflix streaming on my Windows PC using the original non-Silverlight player, and the Tivo is much better. The PC showed some artifacts such as intermittant horizontal lines in the video, and those issues are gone with the Tivo. (Note that both the Tivo and the PC were connected to the same TV via HDMI.) Things like rewind and fast forward work very well, even the Tivo "go back 8 seconds" button is supported. They did a good job with the implementation, making the experience very "Tivo-like".

For anyone interested in Netflix streaming, Tivo provides a good solution. The Netflix support was the final nudge that motivated me to go with Tivo, and so far I am extremely pleased.


I will add that I'm also perfectly happy with how Netflix is currently providing the streaming service: i.e. unlimited access to a catalog of older material for no added cost. For new releases, I prefer the video and audio quality that only a physical disk can provide (at this time). I see streaming and disks as complementary services.

Could someone please bring me up to speed on the Netflix streaming specs? I've been to their website and can not find any techie details there. I have read in posts here that they do not stream HD content, but that does not tell me whether they stream content that is as good as SD DVDs. That would be 720 x 480 which could be upscaled to 1920 x 1080 by a PC or player like the Roku and look as good as a SD DVD disc on a HDTV. Does Netflix stream this good of quality, or are we we talking about magnified-postage-stamp size or what?

Could someone please bring me up to speed on the Netflix streaming specs? I've been to their website and can not find any techie details there. I have read in posts here that they do not stream HD content, but that does not tell me whether they stream content that is as good as SD DVDs. That would be 720 x 480 which could be upscaled to 1920 x 1080 by a PC or player like the Roku and look as good as a SD DVD disc on a HDTV. Does Netflix stream this good of quality, or are we we talking about magnified-postage-stamp size or what?

They do stream HD (720p), but the title selection is limited.

The SD stream is solid and just like DVD (and Blu-ray), it seems to be title/encode specific on just how good it is. In my experience, it appears to be a good solid 480p (I would say slightly better than a good 480p feed from Hulu).

I stream all my content through my XBox 360 (upconverted to 1080p) and am happy with it on my LCD TV. YMMV.

Could someone please bring me up to speed on the Netflix streaming specs? I've been to their website and can not find any techie details there. I have read in posts here that they do not stream HD content, but that does not tell me whether they stream content that is as good as SD DVDs. That would be 720 x 480 which could be upscaled to 1920 x 1080 by a PC or player like the Roku and look as good as a SD DVD disc on a HDTV. Does Netflix stream this good of quality, or are we we talking about magnified-postage-stamp size or what?

Adding to PSound's comments:

Netflix does have limited 720p content, but the compression is much higher than what you might expect. I can't quantify it, but I'd guess that the picture quality is closer to really good DVD content. It's definitely not as good as 720p network content that you might see on ABC or Fox.

Adding to PSound's comments:

Netflix does have limited 720p content, but the compression is much higher than what you might expect. I can't quantify it, but I'd guess that the picture quality is closer to really good DVD content. It's definitely not as good as 720p network content that you might see on ABC or Fox.
What is the bit-rate for the 720p feeds? I believe the Apple TV is around 5.o Mbps with 720p/24fps -- and I would describe that as about 1/3 way from DVD to Blu-ray.

i find the compression actually really good.... their bitrate is around 4.5 mbit similar to appletv.

imo it is very similar to hdnet movies on directv.

I just got this service and watched a movie with my Xbox last night and it was like looking at it with a vaseline coated lens. Why is the PQ so bad? I have Comcast FWIW.

I just got this service and watched a movie with my Xbox last night and it was like looking at it with a vaseline coated lens. Why is the PQ so bad? I have Comcast FWIW.

Standard questions:
1) What is your connection speed? It matters.
2) How many bars did you have? It matters.
3) What movie were you watching. It matters.

What is the bit-rate for the 720p feeds? I believe the Apple TV is around 5.o Mbps with 720p/24fps -- and I would describe that as about 1/3 way from DVD to Blu-ray.

I watch the Netflix streaming on a Samsung 2500 Bluray player and it doesn't display the network throughput. So my comments regarding a streamed Netflix 720p HD picture are simply based on what the picture looks like compared to a non-streamed 480i DVD on the low end and a 720p network broadcast on the high end. It's definitely much closer to a 480i DVD. But don't get me wrong - I think that's still pretty good. My biggest complaint is that there is so little streamable content - SD or HD.

720P streams are encoded at 2.6Mbps with the VC1 advanced profile. It's definitely better than 480p DVD but there are still compression artifacts if you look closely. It's good enough for me given the all you can eat buffet plan.

720P streams are encoded at 2.6Mbps with the VC1 advanced profile. It's definitely better than 480p DVD but there are still compression artifacts if you look closely. It's good enough for me given the all you can eat buffet plan.
actually they have a 2600 and 3800 option.... both VC1 (and then a bit more for the audio).

http://gizmodo.com/5093323/the-tech-specs-of-hd-netflix-streaming

720P streams are encoded at 2.6Mbps with the VC1 advanced profile. It's definitely better than 480p DVD but there are still compression artifacts if you look closely. It's good enough for me given the all you can eat buffet plan.

I also think the "HD" movies look somewhere between DVD and broadcast HD. Of course they vary.

And there are issues. I watched "Harold" in HD last night, and the PQ was ok, but the first half of the movie looked like the encode was dropping frames and everything was slightly jerky. The second half looked fine.

So I assume whatever they did to encode that specific movie messed up during the first half.

I also think the "HD" movies look somewhere between DVD and broadcast HD. Of course they vary.

And there are issues. I watched "Harold" in HD last night, and the PQ was ok, but the first half of the movie looked like the encode was dropping frames and everything was slightly jerky. The second half looked fine.

So I assume whatever they did to encode that specific movie messed up during the first half.
Fedex just dropped off my Roku box, so I should be able to play this evening. Does anybody know of a specific Netflix HD title that has a high quality encoding? I would like to compare to the best DVD (via OPPO 983), Blu-ray and Apple TV. I have Comcast cable which should be able to maintain the highest bitrates. I'll also need to play with component versus HDMI video.

I have been streaming netflix with the Roku box for about a week. I originally lost my power cord, and they were several weeks getting me a new one, and I almost made the mistake of sending it back. For 100 bucks, its a steal. The image is fine for 90% of movies, some blurring at times on the XBR6. Totally watchable and just as good as most cable. I think it will improve in time. The download takes seconds, and you can watch anything (almost) on Netflix-

Anka. Highly recommended!:D

Fedex just dropped off my Roku box, so I should be able to play this evening. Does anybody know of a specific Netflix HD title that has a high quality encoding? I would like to compare to the best DVD (via OPPO 983), Blu-ray and Apple TV. I have Comcast cable which should be able to maintain the highest bitrates. I'll also need to play with component versus HDMI video.You should go to http://www.netflix.com/WiHD?ftr=false for a list of titles with available HD encodings (wait until after you've registered an HD-capable device under your account). Try Cashback, a quirky little indie comedy that I enjoyed--as I recall, PQ of it was pretty decent. In the same vein, Mister Foe was also pretty good. Other than that, you might look at some of the CBS drama, like the various CSI series.

Not HD (I think), but Corpse Bride also looked very good.

You should go to http://www.netflix.com/WiHD?ftr=false for a list of titles with available HD encodings (wait until after you've registered an HD-capable device under your account). Try Cashback, a quirky little indie comedy that I enjoyed--as I recall, PQ of it was pretty decent. In the same vein, Mister Foe was also pretty good. Other than that, you might look at some of the CBS drama, like the various CSI series.

I watched Cashback just a couple days ago, and it's pretty decent quality. Also, The Host looks really good (I keep it in my queue for "reference material" when someone asks how the Netflix stuff looks)

Oh, and Mister Foe is now in my queue. Thanks for the suggestion.

Yeah, The Host looks great. Netflix is constantly improving their encoding techniques and newer HD titles look even better than early HD releases. Ditto with SD titles. They are very good at preventing fast motion blockiness, which I can more often see on TimeWarner SDV HD channels.

BTW, here are trackers for new titles..
http://instantwatcher.com/titles/new
http://www.thenowhereman.com/netflix/index.php?ft=&fg=&fm=&fp=&s=A

I watched Cashback just a couple days ago, and it's pretty decent quality. Also, The Host looks really good (I keep it in my queue for "reference material" when someone asks how the Netflix stuff looks)

Oh, and Mister Foe is now in my queue. Thanks for the suggestion.Both Cashback and Mister Foe are from the HDNet Movies Sneak Preview Series (http://www.hd.net/movies_sneakpreviews.html), a set of theatrical release indie films which HDNet airs once or twice on a day just before they open in theaters. Almost all of these are present as Netflix Watch Instantly selections, all with available HD encodings.

I've watched those two and Quid Pro Quo (interesting, but not as good as either of the others). I started watching Finding Amanda, but lost patience with it--I may pick it up again :).

I have to say I am very impressed. I got this thing up and running in less than 10 minutes and some of that was rebooting after the firmware update. I fired up Pan's Labyrinth in HD and am very impressive. Here are my first impressions.

Good:

- HD quality is impressive -- I would say very close to the Apple TV HD with my limited viewing so far. The color and grey scale are very good (this will not impact my Blu-ray disc queue however)
- Playback user interface is great with clips, timeline, etc. This is about the best "transport interface" that I have ever used (Apple can learn from this)
- Movie Start-up fast( I get 4 points with Comcast cable and wired ethernet)
- Easy set-up
- Subtitle text quality: is superb (ugly subtitles is one thing that drives me nuts about DVDs)
- Selection of old movies and TV shows
- Stability: seems stable so far
- Compact: unbelievably small and light weight; this is good as I already ahve too much other stuff in my rack
- Price: hard to beat -- especially for the content

Bad:

- SD quality is inconsistent and often really soft -- this is fine for my wife and kids, but will be an issue for me
- Queue Management: I really don't like having queue management completely separate from playback. Even though I can use the Netflix application on an iPod Touch -- is still awkward)
- Audio: PL II decoding is OK, but DD 5.1 would be a real plus
- Selection of newer movies is very limited -- not complaining for the price and selection is maybe even better than I expected

Ugly:

- nothing comes to mind

My set-up:

Pioneer 60" Kuro plasma PDP-6010 (1080p/24fps capable, ISF calibrated)
Pioneer Elite VSX-92 AVR
Roku connected to AVR with component video and optical toslink and then HDMI to TV
Other stuff : Apple TV, PS3, OPPO BDP-83 BD player, Panny BD-35 BD player, OPPO DVD-983, HD-XA2 HD DVD player

Did you ever compare HDMI versus component? I actually have spare HDMI inputs on my TV that I could experiment with. I want HDMI out from my AVR so to get the volume level overlay. If the HDMI is known to be a whole lot better than component then I would also pick up an HDMI switch so that I am ready to go when the Roku player arrives.

No, I have not tried HDMI with the Roku. I do not have enough HDMI inputs. I would have to buy a switch box, or maybe switch my DirecTV HD receiver to component.

...Try Cashback, a quirky little indie comedy that I enjoyed--as I recall, PQ of it was pretty decent...

I second the recommendation of Cashback. I thought that the advertised ability to pause any selection up to 500 times per viewing was overkill, but this movie has several "pause-worthy" scenes -- Nude Swedish exchange student ascending stairs = yum ;)

I second the recommendation of Cashback. I thought that the advertised ability to pause any selection up to 500 times per viewing was overkill, but this movie has several "pause-worthy" scenes -- Nude Swedish exchange student ascending stairs = yum ;)The Flash intro on the the official Cashback movie site (http://www.cashbackthemovie.com/) will give you a taste of this :D. A brief explanation of the reason for the nudity (doesn't give away much):

The main character is an art student who, after breaking up with his girlfriend, suffers severe insomnia. Since he has tons of time on his hand, he decides to take a job at night, working in a local supermarket. He begins to imagine that he can control time with his mind, slowing and stopping it at will. He uses this ability to stop attractive young women shopping at the store to partially disrobe them and draw their nude forms.

We should probably start a thread of SD and HD movies that don't suck on the encode or at least under good network conditions delivered the goods. I will add The Thing, Lord of the Rings RTOK extended (SD only), The Mount Everest movie (cant remember the title) that come to mind Cashback for sure. Blade Runner was not good and Road Warrior, Alien and Aliens was ugh 4:3. When I see Starz play I know I am in for poorer quality in general which is unfortunate considering the number of good movies that are Starz selections.

We should probably start a thread of SD and HD movies that don't suck on the encode or at least under good network conditions delivered the goods. I will add The Thing, Lord of the Rings RTOK extended (SD only), The Mount Everest movie (cant remember the title) that come to mind Cashback for sure. Blade Runner was not good and Road Warrior, Alien and Aliens was ugh 4:3. When I see Starz play I know I am in for poorer quality in general which is unfortunate considering the number of good movies that are Starz selections.
Great suggestion. It would be great if somebody had the time to do what they have done for Blu-ray movies in the Blu-ray Software forum. Here is the link (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858316) to "The New PQ Tier thread for Blu-Ray."

We should probably start a thread of SD and HD movies that don't suck on the encode or at least under good network conditions delivered the goods. I will add The Thing, Lord of the Rings RTOK extended (SD only), The Mount Everest movie (cant remember the title) that come to mind Cashback for sure. Blade Runner was not good and Road Warrior, Alien and Aliens was ugh 4:3. When I see Starz play I know I am in for poorer quality in general which is unfortunate considering the number of good movies that are Starz selections.


Pretty much the older the date the flick was added for streaming, the older the encoding technique. Netflix is constantly improving encoding techniques, taking down older streams and re-encoding them. Newly released titles look pretty good.

You can see the dates a title is added here...
http://instantwatcher.com/titles/new

Pretty much the older the date the flick was added for streaming, the older the encoding technique. Netflix is constantly improving encoding techniques, taking down older streams and re-encoding them. Newly released titles look pretty good.

You can see the dates a title is added here...
http://instantwatcher.com/titles/new

Thanks for the link!

I have had the ROKU for 2 weeks and I'm very happy with it. 30 Rock in HD looks great. My Wife watched Widows Peak in HD and it looked great as well. There was a software update last week that improved the PQ immensely. The quality seems much better then DirecTV VOD service. The price is unbelievable $99 plus as little as $8.95 a month including DVD's. I also have an AppleTV but the ROKU Netflix combo beats it.

First 9 seasons of south park coming to netflix streaming.... http://i.gizmodo.com/5164938/netflix-streaming-now-runs-through-south-park

hopefully its HD too.

First 9 seasons of south park coming to netflix streaming.... http://i.gizmodo.com/5164938/netflix-streaming-now-runs-through-south-park

hopefully its HD too.The only South Park episode I've ever seen available for download in HD was the Emmy-Award-winning "Make Love, Not Warcraft" from a couple of seasons back (it was Season 10, so it wouldn't be included in the stuff that's coming in the short term to Netflix streaming). Xbox Live Video Store was offering an HD download.

I don't think that South Park particularly benefits from HD; DVD-quality SD is fine. I've bought quit a few episodes from XBLVS and they're beautiful in comparison to standard-def cable quality.

Quick question on the Netflix Instant Watch for HD Genre...I've noticed that the movies in this category change alot. One time I noticed Kurt Russels Soldier, but it wasn't in HD or widescreen for that matter. The next day, the selection was not available in the HD section.

Serenity was in the HD section of Instant watch as well. It still show's in HD on the stream, but I can't find it on the Instant watch.

I just wonder if there are movies in HD now that are not showing up in their HD section. Is there an updated list?

Standard questions:
1) What is your connection speed? It matters.
2) How many bars did you have? It matters.
3) What movie were you watching. It matters.

Thanks. According to Speakeasy about 8000kps
4 bars
and I was watching 21.

Tonight I tried to watch Pan's Labarynth in HD and it started great..then it froze and it said it was redoing it because my internet connection was slow - then the PQ was fuzzier. It froze again and said that my internet connection was slow again and when it came back on the PQ was so fuzzy it was unwatchable.....:confused:

Thanks. According to Speakeasy about 8000kps
4 bars
and I was watching 21.

Tonight I tried to watch Pan's Labarynth in HD and it started great..then it froze and it said it was redoing it because my internet connection was slow - then the PQ was fuzzier. It froze again and said that my internet connection was slow again and when it came back on the PQ was so fuzzy it was unwatchable.....:confused:
I was watching this same movie in HD the other night with 4 bars and no problems. The PQ was pretty darn good.

I was watching this same movie in HD the other night with 4 bars and no problems. The PQ was pretty darn good.

So what's going on with mine?

So what's going on with mine?
Was somebody in the same internet connection also downloading? What internet provider? Mine is Comcast cable. Speakeasy says 5500 Mbps for me.

Quick question on the Netflix Instant Watch for HD Genre...I've noticed that the movies in this category change alot. One time I noticed Kurt Russels Soldier, but it wasn't in HD or widescreen for that matter. The next day, the selection was not available in the HD section.

Serenity was in the HD section of Instant watch as well. It still show's in HD on the stream, but I can't find it on the Instant watch.

I just wonder if there are movies in HD now that are not showing up in their HD section. Is there an updated list?Use:http://www.netflix.com/WiHD?ftr=falseto see the HD selections. That "?ftr=false" is there because by default it filters seen and rated titles out of the list--it's the only genre where that's true, so it's probably a bug. In any case, if that filter is on, once you've viewed a title with an available HD encoding (or if you just enter a rating for it) it will get filtered out of the list.

So what's going on with mine?

It could be a lot of things. Here's a few:

Are you hooked up wirelessly? That'll be slower than hard-wired. Make sure you're not doing any downloading in the background.
Network traffic on your end or in your neighborhood. Maybe your neighbors are all downloading something.
Network traffic between your and Netflix. There could be a lot of hops, or maybe just a lot of traffic.
Many ISPs advertise high speeds, but it's really just a "boost" and then they slow it after a few minutes. Netflix might be seeing 8Mpbs down when it does it's test, but then after 5 minutes, your ISP is forcing you back down to 2 or 3. Again, this would be ISP specific, and would "fool" your speedtests and Netflix. I don't believe Comcast does this, but I don't know for sure. I have Comcast as well, but I'm closer to 12-13MBps. Maybe they do in certain areas?


Anyways, I find if I start the movie, and then pause it for about 5 minutes right at the start, it gives enough time to buffer a bit of the movie, and I don't have that problem. I would say doing that has eliminated about 95% of the re-loading issues I used to have. If I am in doubt, I"ll pause the movie again somewhere around 45-60min and just go grab a drink or take a restroom break and let it buffer a bit more.

If I do get the message, I back out of Netflix and go back in. I think you have to back all the way out to the dashboard (completely out of Netflix) and then back in, then you can just resume the movie, and it'll pick up the HD stream again (and then I repeat the pause for 5 minutes thing).

To Die For and La Femme Nakita were recently released and they look pretty good for SD, especially on Roku player. Netflix does seem to be improving the encoding techniques often.

http://instantwatcher.com/titles/new

Use:http://www.netflix.com/WiHD?ftr=falseto see the HD selections. That "?ftr=false" is there because by default it filters seen and rated titles out of the list--it's the only genre where that's true, so it's probably a bug. In any case, if that filter is on, once you've viewed a title with an available HD encoding (or if you just enter a rating for it) it will get filtered out of the list.

That did the trick! Thanks!

I just noticed something last night. It seems that titles that are on your DVD queue are now appearing on the Watch Instantly queue as they become available. Very cool...

I searched the thread and couldn't find this so pardon if I missed it.

Anybody notice they are censoring the content?

I watched Death Proof last night, and my favorite scene, the lapdance scene with Rosario Dawson was edited out.

Kind of surprising given that they left in the following car crash scene which is incredibly graphically violent.

Go figure censors, LOL

I watched Grind House and I noticed that (though I'd never seen the film before, so I wasn't sure that the lap dance was shown). However, I've watched several things that had nudity and sexual activity which wasn't edited out, so I doubt that Netflix did it on purpose. (Hell, they have a stream of Kama-Sutra: The Secrets to the Art of Love, which is a constant stream of nude sexual activity :D). Maybe the scene was edited out of the copy that they were given.

i think there are two versions of that movie and you watched the shorter version with the lapdance cut out - great movie though - favorite line - "well your okay in my book, or in my book thats not okay"

Yeah, the "theatrical cut" doesn't have the lapdance. From IMDB:

The "missing reel" from the theatrical cut is included in the DVD/BLU-RAY single movie version. The entire lapdance is played out by Vanessa Fertillo.


So sounds like NF has the theatrical cut....but also sounds like Rosario used a body double anyways.

So sounds like NF has the theatrical cut....but also sounds like Rosario used a body double anyways.

You're mixing up your Death Proof brunettes.

Rosario Dawson didn't play the Austin girl who gave Kurt Russell the lap dance. Vanessa Ferlito did.

Rosario is in the storyline that takes place a year later in Tennessee.

Hey all -

I got my Samsung 2500 blu-ray player for christmas, and hooked it up with netgear's new "HD-stream ready" powerline networking adapters to my 3mb/s down connection in early January, and for a month the picture quality was spectacular.

I was getting 3 bars less than the total (how many is that - 7?) and SD stuff looked as good as a DVD. I was amazed and praised netflix to the rooftops.

However, I've been having more and more trouble getting good quality connections - just last night I was getting 3 bars TOTAL on an SD stream! My setup hasn't changed at all - what's the deal?

Is it possible Netflix isn't prepared for the number of people who are now attempting to watch streaming? Their streaming customer base must have at least doubled or tripled in the past few months.

Has anyone else noticed a drop in picture quality in the past 2 months? I'm on the east coast, so it could be a local server.

If you have a 3Mbps connection, it may barely be enough for higher end streams as you need some headroom to prevent rebuffering. I have a 7Mbps connection on Roku box and have no issues getting 4 bars for SD and HD titles always play in HD - no issues. Although sometimes Netflix labels a title as HD when the stream isn't available yet but that's a different issue.

If you have other devices on your network grabbing bandwidth, it will impact your Netflix player. Is your router locked down? If it's publicly open, your neighbors may be using your router and snagging your bandwidth.

You're mixing up your Death Proof brunettes.

Rosario Dawson didn't play the Austin girl who gave Kurt Russell the lap dance. Vanessa Ferlito did.

Rosario is in the storyline that takes place a year later in Tennessee.

Guess it's been awhile since I watched it....I don't remember that much detail about it.

Watched Serenity last night off the HD list and the quality was very good. No issues with buffering, so if they keep pushing that level of quality for HD streaming then all is good. All they need to do is add 2 or 3 good titles a week in HD and we are in business. Lots of the Universal stuff that was done in VC-1 should make its way over from the HD-DVD library. Well thats what I would like to see at least.

As any of you watch a movie on BR and then through the stream to see the difference if any?
I wanted to try it with the PS3

As any of you watch a movie on BR and then through the stream to see the difference if any?
I wanted to try it with the PS3The Blu-ray's going to be a 15-20+ Mbps H.264/AVC or VC1 encoding at 1080p24 with a high-res surround soundtrack, whereas the HD Netflix stream's going to be 3.8 Mbps 720p24 VC1 with a stereo soundtrack. I think that you'll always be able to see and hear the difference, though the Netflix streams may get better (added surround sound, better quality encodings, etc).

The Blu-ray's going to be a 15-20+ Mbps H.264/AVC or VC1 encoding at 1080p24 with a high-res surround soundtrack, whereas the HD Netflix stream's going to be 3.8 Mbps 720p24 VC1 with a stereo soundtrack. I think that you'll always be able to see and hear the difference, though the Netflix streams may get better (added surround sound, better quality encodings, etc).
720p24 is interesting. Can any of the players output 1080p/24fps? That would be cool.

They could probably do 1080p via the XBox. TV.com just added 1080p streaming, likely as a way to compete with Hulu.

The content owners and providers know that streaming and downloading is growing and will be the way that people get their content in the future (exactly how far in the future is another question....)

Knowing how important downloading/streaming is means there are several companies who each desperately want to control as much of the that market as possible. There is going to be a good fight for these sites to try and become the primary hub for content.... Going to be kinda interesting to see if one of them tries to go beyond 1080p in a bid to get more attention and viewers.

Apparently Vudu does 1080p24 streaming (well, playback-while-downloading), even for their instant-start service, which is advertised to work over a 4 Mbps connection, and their box can output 1080p24. Their highest quality HDX encodings average 10Mpbs, and generally require that you download the whole thing, or a substantial part thereof, before playing it back.

Vudu, however, is a pay-per-24hr-viewing-period VOD model, whereas streaming Netflix is an adjunct to their disc rental service. The only way in which streaming is making Netflix a profit at this time is by attracting large numbers of new subs.

The only way in which streaming is making Netflix a profit at this time is by attracting large numbers of new subs.

And they are doing that very well!!

It is also strategically important for them. There was concern about Netflix possibly being a dead-end "buggy whip" company if all they were doing was shipping shiny discs. They have now demonstrated they can be a player in the market even as physical media sales have slipped.

As any of you watch a movie on BR and then through the stream to see the difference if any?
I wanted to try it with the PS3

Yeah there is a difference but my screen is over a 100" so it maybe more noticeable depending on your setup. The whole point is that while the blu-ray is superior both in sound and picture the streamed movies can be quite good. Its all about getting good quality out of all your options. I actually have Serenity on HD-DVD so I certainly noticed difference comparing the two back and forth (sharper, more detail, discrete surround sound) but the 720p was very good. As for the stereo sound track my receiver does a nice job with Pro Logic II so it was enjoyable but no where near as involving as the DD+ sound track. Bottom line if they continue to put out quality titles in 720p 3.8mbs with a good master most people will be happy. I would like for them to bump it up 5.1 for surround though.

720p24 is interesting. Can any of the players output 1080p/24fps? That would be cool.
I should have been more clear. Since the source is Netflix 720p/24fps I was wondering if any of the Netflix streaming players can convert that to 1080p/24fps. Although a 1080p/24fps source would be nice I don't think that my internet connection will handle any more than the ~5 Mbps bitrate that you need to Netflix HD or Apple TV HD movies.

I want the 24fs more than the 1080p.

They explain in their blog that the reason that they don't go to 5.1 sound is their use of Microsoft's WMDRM, which currently only supports discrete surround sound in WMA Pro tracks. Most receivers can't directly decode WMA Pro (though there are some which can), so they don't use it. Microsoft must use it in their Xbox Live Video Store encodings, but the Xbox can decode and convert it, which the other boxes can't and probably don't have the muscle to do.

Anyone notice the HD watch instantly genre is gone? (or is it just me?)

Jason

Anyone notice the HD watch instantly genre is gone? (or is it just me?)

Jason
I still have it.

Try: http://www.netflix.com/WiHD?ftr=false

Anyone notice the HD watch instantly genre is gone? (or is it just me?)I still see it too. Note that you do have to have an HD-capable device registered (which would be anything other than a PC at this point :)). Since you say it's "gone", I assume that at one time it was there for you, so you probably do have an HD-capable device registered.

I still see it too. Note that you do have to have an HD-capable device registered (which would be anything other than a PC at this point :)). Since you say it's "gone", I assume that at one time it was there for you, so you probably do have an HD-capable device registered.

I have a TivoHD registered, and I thought I could watch HD on my PC as well, I am almost certain of it.... did that change? I suppose I could just ad HD to my queue in the past from my PC but I could have swore I could watch HD on my PC too. I dont use it often due to lack of content, when I checked today I cant see anything.

I still have it.

Try: http://www.netflix.com/WiHD?ftr=false

I get a 404:
Page Not Found

The requested page /WiHD does not exist. We will try to automatically redirect you to our home page in 10 seconds.

I will try and reregister my tivo. Still not sure why I thought I could view HD on my PC :-)

I thought I could watch HD on my PC as well, I am almost certain of it.... did that change?It was never possible. It would be hard to tell, though, since the Silverlight player doesn't display connection speed bars (and supposedly will vary bit rate dynamically up and down as connection speed changes).

I'm just getting ready to jump into the Netflix streaming deal so bear with me if I ask dumb questions!!

I currently have a Sony S350 and am thinking of getting a different BD player that supports streaming Netflix. Looking for buying suggestions. I know some models are going out and new ones are coming in. A good time to scoop up some closeouts or better to wait for the new ones??

We have a xbox 360 I could use as well. I saw above someone mentioned that if you use a xbox360 you can get 1080p output when streaming Netflix. Is that true? Then I'd have to pay for the xboxlive service too.

So in a nut shell bring me up to speed on the best way to stream Netflix. Our 360 is in a different room that the main tv so I'm not opposed to getting a BD player that will do the job but I'm not as thrilled about the $99 STB just because that is one more thing I have to make room for and one more HDMI I don't have a place for on my receiver (Yamaha 663 only has two inputs but I guess I could run it right to my Sony 52W4100 and use toslink to get the sound back to the receiver since it is only stereo anyway I wouldn't be losing anything SQ wise) If there is a reason to wait I could move the 360 to watch Netflix and put it back when I'm done to get by until a new better option comes out.

You can see a list of Netflix streaming devices here (http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevicesList?lnkce=nrd-l&trkid=425738&lnkctr=nrd-l-m). The Blu-ray players are Samsung's BD-P2500, BD-P2550 and LGE's BD300. I'm not sure what the BD-P2550 is--Samsung doesn't list the product on its site. Between the Samsung BD-P2500 (http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=audiovideo&type=blu_ray&subtype=blu_raydiscplayers&model_cd=BD-P2500/XAA&fullspec=F) and LG BD300 (http://www.lge.com/us/tv-audio-video/video/LG-blu-ray-dvd-player-BD300.jsp), I'd go with the Sammy, because it has built-in decoding of the lossless audio encoding, Dolby TrueHD (and possibly DTS-HD Master Audio, but the spec only says "DTS-HD", which could be lossless MA or High Resolution). LG's BD300 doesn't decode those internally, so if you want to use those tracks on discs, you have to have an AVR which can decode them (to take advantage of either lossless or high-res audio, you have to have an AVR with HDMI inputs, since none of those formats can be transported over S/PDIF).

As for the Xbox being able to display streaming Netflix as 1080p, that's true, but I believe that all of those boxes can upconvert anything that they display to 1080p. Netflix HD streams are 720p24.

I stream with the Roku box and just got a TiVo (though not hooked up yet). Do a Google search, but Engadget or one of those sites did a "showdown" between the various Netflix devices.

Basic summary is the Samsung is tops for picture quality, but they each have their pros & cons.

I too was in your same situation with whether I should get a BD with Netflix or the Roku. Ultimately, I went Roku and bought a low-end BD (Sony 350) with the intention of upgrading a nicer BD like the Oppo or new Pios later this year.

With the Roku, I know they will have more content on there, not just Netflix, so I also liked that aspect. Plus, when I finally settle on a "nice" BD, I want it to do one thing and do it well: play blurays.

End of the day, it really depends on what you want to get out of your Netflix device. If you just want to stream "on the side", just get the Samsung. But if you want something that will give you more options, go with the Roku or Tivo.

Quick Edit: To address your reluctance to need another HDMI input with the Roku, I was having some issues with the HDMI and ended up just using component, and there wasn't really any PQ loss as it's currently 720p. But if you are averse to another box, my guess is your best bet is just a BD with Netflix.

One advantage of the Roku is that it now gives access to Hulu as well. Nothing says that the BD players can't be updated to access more services (I think that one of them can be used with the Pandora streaming music service).

One advantage of the Roku is that it now gives access to Hulu as well. Nothing says that the BD players can't be updated to access more services (I think that one of them can be used with the Pandora streaming music service).
How do you access Hulu with the Roku player? I have the latest update and don't see Hulu?

How do you access Hulu with the Roku player? I have the latest update and don't see Hulu?Sorry--I misspoke. What Roku recently added was access to Amazon Unbox Video On Demand streaming.

I thought that one of these streaming/download boxes added Hulu recently (Vudu, AppleTV), but I seem to be wrong about that. Again, I'm sorry.

ok I am having to get something for my dad. He is 85 and wants something simple.

After reading about the netflix and instantwatcher.com link to see what was available.

I have a couple of questions I hope someone can help me with.

I have a netflix account but he doesn't.

if he buys the box what service is required to use the instant movies and tv?
I am just worried about this.
WOW he has tons of stuff to choose from.
I just don't want to see him clicking on everything and thinking its all under one set price and then getting a $500 bill.


How about new releases how long before they are added to the service?
he has a 6mb dsl so I hope this will be enough. ps he has a sony HD tv so he might groan at the quality ROFL


one last thing...would it be better, can it be done. He has a new computer I build for him last fall, he only plays mahjong and solitare on it CRY
would this be something better to use than one of their boxes? ps I put a 4830 HD video card in it last week.

ok I am having to get something for my dad. He is 85 and wants something simple.

After reading about the netflix and instantwatcher.com link to see what was available.

I have a couple of questions I hope someone can help me with.

I have a netflix account but he doesn't.

if he buys the box what service is required to use the instant movies and tv?
I am just worried about this.
WOW he has tons of stuff to choose from.
I just don't want to see him clicking on everything and thinking its all under one set price and then getting a $500 bill.


How about new releases how long before they are added to the service?
he has a 6mb dsl so I hope this will be enough. ps he has a sony HD tv so he might groan at the quality ROFL


one last thing...would it be better, can it be done. He has a new computer I build for him last fall, he only plays mahjong and solitare on it CRY
would this be something better to use than one of their boxes? ps I put a 4830 HD video card in it last week.Currently, you pay monthly for a Netflix unlimited plan and the streaming stuff is free, so it is "all one set price"--$0 :).

I'd have him get a Roku box and register it to my Netflix account. Kinda sorta cheating, but there's no way I can think of that they can stop you. There is a limitation on the number of simultaneously used streaming devices; you can only have as many devices active at once as your plan allows you to hold discs. So, if you have the three-at-a-time plan, you can use 3 streaming devices at the same time.

He could use his PC for Netflix streaming, but I'm not sure that you can get the high-def streams that way. Could be--I just streamed some of Serenity to this PC, in another window of this browser, and it looked pretty good blown up to fullscreen (I'm using a 46" 1080p LCD panel as its screen). I don't think that the PC player responds to remote commands--it doesn't respond to mine, whereas Windows Media player and the Quicktime player both do.

Since he already has the PC, hook it up to his television, log him into your Netflix account in a browser, click the "Watch Instantly" tab and try streaming some to see if that will do. (Maybe he'd enjoy using his PC on his television--I do :). I use a wireless keyboard and mouse on a notebook cart).

I'm just getting ready to jump into the Netflix streaming deal ...

Check out this article to get a feel for the different Netflix streaming solutions. Note the differences in the user interfaces.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/do-not-time-netflix-hd-streaming-shootout/

I will get him over this weekend and we will see whats up.
I noticed on instantwatcher it list expiring.
wow 9 pages that end on 3/31 so its kinda makes you NOT want to get into any old tv series and get cut off half way thru.

the Roku box review I looked at says wireless, is G ok for sd or have to go N?
forget HD on even a good N probably.

G is perfectly fine if its rock solid.

I will get him over this weekend and we will see whats up.
I noticed on instantwatcher it list expiring.
wow 9 pages that end on 3/31 so its kinda makes you NOT want to get into any old tv series and get cut off half way thru.

the Roku box review I looked at says wireless, is G ok for sd or have to go N?
forget HD on even a good N probably.

Solid G works fine for both HD and SD.

You'll need solid bandwidth of ~3-4 Mbit/s from your ISP to get HD without rebuffering.

well I gave it a shot.
I used my computer and connected my tv to the HDMI out on the video card.
The netflix did a simple test and said quality high.
I picked an older movie that was in 4:3 format. Looked very good, I was surprised.
I then picked a new movie that was in wide screen. Saw some stuttering at different times. Seemed to be av of every 30 seconds just a slight stumble.
That was not very good. The quality was not that bad, I could watch it and not think I was getting cheated or anything. But the stumble was something that would need a buffer of some kind, not sure if that would fix it.


I see that netflix is selling the Roku as a netflix Roku.
Can these be purchased on sale somewhere besides netflix? I could not find anywhere but ebay at $11 higher than netflix LOL
Wish I could just run to the store and get one so I can go to his house and get it set up.

I see that netflix is selling the Roku as a netflix Roku.
Can these be purchased on sale somewhere besides netflix?
Just to clarify, it is not sold by Netflix. It is a Roku product, and the 'official' name is the Roku Digital Video Player. I believe it can only be purchased through Roku.

I picked an older movie that was in 4:3 format. Looked very good, I was surprised.
I then picked a new movie that was in wide screen. Saw some stuttering at different times. Seemed to be av of every 30 seconds just a slight stumble.
That was not very good. The quality was not that bad, I could watch it and not think I was getting cheated or anything. But the stumble was something that would need a buffer of some kind, not sure if that would fix it.There are some bad encodings in Netflix's streaming library--they're supposed to be working to find and fix them, but it's a process that will take time. Actually there are three or four sets of encodings for different devices, each with four to six variations for different connection speeds. The PC player (I think that everyone is using the Silverlight player now) has one set of encodings, the embedded players (TiVo, Roku, and the Blu-ray players) share another set, and the Xbox is using yet another set.

Try a movie with an HD encoding (like Serenity :)).

+1 on the bad encodings... when you come across one, drop them an email, and they seem to be making an honest effort to clean out the uglies...

hd is more than fine over g... any solid g network should have more bandwidth than you are getting from your internet provider, unless you are coughing up the really big bucks... mine is hardwired, since i happen to have a conveniently located switch nearby, but i tried it over both a g and n network wirelessly (i was curious) and it got four dots on both...

if you order the roku box, they have relatively quick turnaround time...

using a xbox 360 connected via component to a Yamaha 663. What surround sound mode works the best

I could use HDMI but we've got a wii, xbox 360 and PS2 so I got a wii/xbox/ps2&3 cord from monoprice so we can hook any of them up to the receiver in the livingroom with the same cord. much easier than unhooking and rehooking them from my son's TV to the main one. Anyway thats the reason I don't use HDMI but could if there is a good reason to do it.

This is my first night using the xbox 360 to watch movies and some of the things I've watched (started a couple of movies and thought they sucked so start others) seemed blurry. Is there a way to improve picture quality? I say some because some have looked fine.

using a xbox 360 connected via component to a Yamaha 663. What surround sound mode works the be.st

I could use HDMI but we've got a wii, xbox 360 and PS2 so I got a wii/xbox/ps2&3 cord from monoprice so we can hook any of them up to the receiver in the livingroom with the same cord. much easier than unhooking and rehooking them from my son's TV to the main one. Anyway thats the reason I don't use HDMI but could if there is a good reason to do it.

This is my first night using the xbox 360 to watch movies and some of the things I've watched (started a couple of movies and thought they sucked so start others) seemed blurry. Is there a way to improve picture quality? I say some because some have looked fine.

If you are getting 4 bars, it is likely the quality of the encode. As previously stated, Netflix really seems to be interested in trying to improve the service so please let them know if the quality is not up to snuff.

it says my video quaility is high and on the TV screen there is five bars I think but on the Netflix internet site it says that right now I have three bars and says high. Does the number of bars it shows on the web site mean anything?

four bars on the tv screen, not five. I'm watching one right now that said it was in HD when it started and it looks a lot better.

Are they ever going to update the gui to make it more htpc friendly?
It would be nice to be have access to a different version of the site for htpc users.

How do you contact them? All I found was a phone number?

thanks for this info..http://www.********************/pics/6/7.gifIf you want some details about the multiple sets of encodings, read the "Encoding for streaming (http://blog.netflix.com/2008/11/encoding-for-streaming.html)" entry on the Netflix blog.

There's also a more recent blog entry, "Netflix Trying for Consistent Excellence on Streaming (http://blog.netflix.com/2009/03/netflix-trying-for-consistent.html)", which explains some of the intricate issues involved in trying to deliver the same quality streaming to all of the devices located everywhere.

so the only way to buy a roku is thru them.
On the netflix site it says order here. I assume here is the link to roku.
Fast shipping I hope, after telling my dad about it he is really excited.
He has dish with every damn channel and there is nothing on ROFL
Of course when you are an invalid I guess that might be true.

so the only way to buy a roku is thru them.
On the netflix site it says order here. I assume here is the link to roku.
Fast shipping I hope, after telling my dad about it he is really excited.
He has dish with every damn channel and there is nothing on ROFL
Of course when you are an invalid I guess that might be true.
The term you used, "stumbling", makes it sound like its something other than a bandwidth issue as it would have merely gone back into rebuffering mode in that case.
To me anyway, there is a big difference between the picture quality you can obtain through a PC verses the Roku box... and it becomes most apparent as the screen size gets larger. The Roku (or other video player box) is really the best way to go for watching Netflix on any sort of real TV set-up. Order processing and shipping was very, very fast for me, twice... I ordered another one a month after we got our first one. My best guess is you won't have to wait longer than 3-4 business days after placing your order to receive the box in the mail. I think you will be extremely satisfied (if not flat-out impressed) with the picture quality most Netflix movies display through the Roku box, especially if you can maintain a 5mbps continuous throughput rate. After 4 months with these boxes, I will still stop and marvel at the high PQ capabilities possible through these little boxes.

Just ordered one. Shipping and tax...$22 ouch ...that was standard shipping
Does anyone know the bandwidth this unit does use, or should I say the min it can get by with and still keep a good picture?
He now wants to know if I can put one in the bedroom too. Can a 6mb dsl carry 2 or will netflix allow this?

MAN for someone who can't do much more than play Mahjong he is going crazy over the idea of this and hasn't even seen it yet. Makes me happy so see him this way

Netflix allows you to register up to 6 unique streaming players to your account (including any PCs--you don't explicitly register PCs, but any which you use to play Instant titles gets registered automatically). The question is whether you can use both of them at once. As I explained above, you can use as many devices simultaneously as your Netflix plan allows you to hold disks, so if he gets two units and he wants to be able to use both at the same time, he needs a two-discs-at-a-time Netflix account. Otherwise, the one-disc-at-a-time unlimited account ($8.99/month) will do.

To me anyway, there is a big difference between the picture quality you can obtain through a PC verses the Roku box... and it becomes most apparent as the screen size gets larger. The Roku (or other video player box) is really the best way to go for watching Netflix on any sort of real TV set-up.I dunno--it looks pretty damn good on my PC, blown up to fill a 46" panel. I just got the same scene of Serenity paused in Netflix players on my TiVo, my Xbox and my PC, and whereas the PC was obviously not the HD stream that the others were showing, it was pretty good (I probably preferred the TiVo over Xbox, by a hair--the Xbox is way too noisy in any case :)). Given your high praise of it, it's interesting to note that in Engadget's Netflix HD streaming shootout (http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/do-not-time-netflix-hd-streaming-shootout/), they had this to say about the Roku:
...our only complaint is that the video hardware in the unit is slightly but noticeably inferior to all the other boxes we looked at. It's not bad, mind you -- it's just not as great as on the Samsung or the TiVo. Of course, you can only ask so much from a $100 box, and you might not even notice the drop in picture quality on a lesser TV, but if not having the absolute best bothers you, you'll want to step up. Otherwise the Roku is perfect for parents, bedrooms, dens and so on -- it's cheap, it's wireless, and it's ridiculously easy to use.A big advantage of the embedded players over the PC is that they're designed to be part of an HT system, and can be controlled with a remote.

I've watched Netflix movies piped from a PC onto a 17" monitor, a 22" monitor, and a big 97" (1080p) screen (sony front projector), and in every case it appears noticably softer than what we see off of either Roku boxes... in fact we really can't stand to watch any Netflix movies on the 97" from a PC, it really is that bad when blown-up to such a size and viewed from a 1.5 to 2.5X screen width distance. The Roku's on the other hand are hooked to a 46" (1080p)Samsung and a 32" (720p)Panasonic. In both cases our normal viewing distances are about 3-4X screen width and any HD or SD at '4 dots' looks as good as (or almost so) as if we were watching it from the Blu-ray player... well of course it also depends upon how good the source material was that the encode was taken from but in general the PQ from these little Roku boxes has really been quite impressive.
I read that Engadget article a couple of months ago... and have thought about getting the Samsung 2550 for the basement theater (the 97" projection screen). If its as good as a Roku then I think I could be happy and if it turns out to be even better as that article claims then I'm sure I'll be very pleased indeed.

...Can a 6mb dsl carry 2 or will netflix allow this?...
If it can actually do 5mbps continuous (its what our DSL does) that is good enough to handle anything Netflix has to offer including its HD stuff. And we have actually watched two 3/4-dots quality movies at the same time without experiencing any rebuffers... however that is moot since I assume your dad can only watch one Roku at a time anyway, no?
Your pop is going to just love his Roku... Netflix has a really good selection of movies going right back into the black-n-white 30s and 40s. I'm 58 and love being able to watch so many of the older movies (we call them 'classics')... brings back memories for me (we watched so many b/w movies on TV as kids) but of course there is also a lot of newer stuff I like as well. And I've noticed that the selections keep changing as well... some expire as others are added. Now your dad can do more than just play Mahjong on his PC (I also play PC Mahjong, like alot!), he can now 'cruise' the Netflix site every few days and select/add to his instant watch queue. Coming from another old guy, I'm glad he's pumped about getting the Roku, it should give him new things to look forward to.

etrin --

If your dad sets up two devices for viewing streaming Netflix in different rooms, one thing that he'll probably appreciate is that Netflix bookmarks every title that you stream, such that if you decide to watch it in another room, all you have to do is stop playing it in the first room; when you get to the second room and start it up again, it will start in the same place.

etrin --

If your dad sets up two devices for viewing streaming Netflix in different rooms, one thing that he'll probably appreciate is that Netflix bookmarks every title that you stream, such that if you decide to watch it in another room, all you have to do is stop playing it in the first room; when you get to the second room and start it up again, it will start in the same place.
That sounds really neat. I've been considering getting a Samsung 2550 for the main room and moving the Roku player into the other room. This is a nice feature for sure.

If your dad sets up two devices for viewing streaming Netflix in different rooms, one thing that he'll probably appreciate is that Netflix bookmarks every title that you stream, such that if you decide to watch it in another room, all you have to do is stop playing it in the first room; when you get to the second room and start it up again, it will start in the same place.

Well that is nice....I would have thought they would shout...NEW ACCOUNT you thief LOL

The box won't be here till thurs. I guess what we saw this weekend was some tv shows. I did find one thing. If the stream has 3 episodes you should get a menu to pick them.
Small gripe but its almost impossible to find them manually.

Just ordered one. Shipping and tax...$22 ouch ...that was standard shipping
Does anyone know the bandwidth this unit does use, or should I say the min it can get by with and still keep a good picture?


At this time Roku is a true mom and pop operation,, yep.. 2 people..
Unless you got REALLY lucky friday the box won't ship until late monday afternoon..the fedex guys don't pick up till about 3PM PST..the weekend orders get picked-up on monday they can only move about 300 units/day ..that's all they can fit in the van..

...If the stream has 3 episodes you should get a menu to pick them...
You will on the Roku...

Well that is nice....I would have thought they would shout...NEW ACCOUNT you thief LOLAs I said, you can have up to six streaming devices registered to the same account, and they all share a single Instant Queue and set of bookmarks in each title, which is why that works. You can stream to multiple devices at the same time, bound by the number of discs you're allowed to hold at one time by your unlimited rental plan. If your dad opens his own Netflix account, it's not "thieving"; him using your account with devices in a separate household would perhaps not be strictly in line with Netflix's business model, but not forbidden anywhere I can see :D.
I did find one thing. If the stream has 3 episodes you should get a menu to pick them.
Small gripe but its almost impossible to find them manually.Do you mean with the PC interface? If you go to the page for the series (like this (http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/Heroes_Season_3_Volume_Three_Villains_The_Second_Coming/70107636?trkid=437882) one for Heroes: Season 3), you'll see a list of episodes with a PLAY button besides each (on the "At a Glance" tab). (If you find a title for a series in a search and press the PLAY button beneath it without visiting the description, it will start playing from the first episode). In the (non-fullscreen) playback dialog, beneath the video window, you'll see the title of the current episode to the right of "|<" and ">|" buttons. If you click one of those buttons, it will go to the next or previous episode. Again, you have to drop out of fullscreen to see these controls.

Where did you watch? Did you connect a PC to your father's television to show him? If so, what'd he think of it?

Yep showed him the weekend.
He is excited about it. I ordered the Roku and it will be in thursday.
He is still not happy with the web page.. Its a good page he is just not used to using anything new. I told him wait and week and you will be an old pro.

He is going to wait till he sees how all this works before getting a second box.

Netflix is adding personalization features to subscribers' home pages to let customers set up so-called "taste preferences" for movie genres and ease their search for video-streaming titles, marking an attempt by the largest U.S. movie-rental service via mail to approximate its DVD-preference features.

The new features, added late last week, include a customized browsing mechanism that lets customers mix and match taste preferences to best search through Netflix's inventory of more than 12,000 digital titles, wrote Todd Yellin, Netflix's director of product management, on the Netflix Community Blog.

The company, which has more than 10 million subscribers, has attributed much of its recent growth to its efforts to augment its DVD-rental service with an expanded video-streaming offering. In February, Netflix said that it's likely to add a video-streaming-only option for subscribers as the company shifts more of its resources toward digital content delivery.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6647978.html

Interesting, but I'm underwhelmed.

Interesting, but I'm underwhelmed.

Ditto. What's next, a press release to announce they've just "improved" some of the background colors on their web site?

What's next, a press release to announce they've just "improved" some of the background colors on their web site?

that is what directv does just before a rate hike


The biggest thing that caught my attention was the expiring list.
That thing is huge.. So they just remove 5 to 6 hundred movies/tv every month and replace them with others?
So view it while you can type of thing I guess.

Did not see much in the way of old titles (of course with them rolling over each month I am new and it will probably change) in tv it is only newer series. Movies I put in 1930-1960 and in the categories I looked at there was very few listings.

The biggest thing that caught my attention was the expiring list.What expiring list?

Thus far, I've yet to find an instant titles with an expiration date that wasn't one of the Starz Play selections. Those come and go like movies in Starz On Demand on your cable system.

I got the little roku box in yesterday and got it set up. At first I used network cable to the box. He saw high planes drifter and it was perfect.
I then swapped all his eq to wireless. Worked fine (once I put in the correct wep key....MAN typing that in was not bad until I realized I missed a number...ahhhhhh

he played an old western black and white and it was perfect over the wireless.
I looked at the internet bandwidth graph on the router and it was a square wave 2 sec at 530KB 2 sec 0KB over and over. No problems with the pic, no stutters, no lines, no flashes.

Overall my dad is excited. I still can't get him to pic movies yet, he is still afraid of the computer and doing things online but he is learning.



on http://instantwatcher.com/ there is an expiring list. It was my understanding that these are movies being removed from the instant access list.
it says Expiring Soon on Instant

I've got a Sony S350 Blu ray player that I'm going to sell to make room for a BD that also streams Netflix.

I've emailed LG and found that the BD300 and the BD370 are the same thing, NO changes.

So my question is which player is better. The LG or the Samsung?

I'm also thinking about just keep the S350 and getting a Roku box although my HDMI inputs are already full so I'd need to get a switcher or use component to hook the Roku up.

I see the Roku as pretty much a no loose deal since they sell on ebay for about new price so I could unload it if need be. But the Roku takes up shelf space I don't have and used one more HDMI input I don't have right now. I do favor an all in one option which is why I'm asking about the LG or Samsung products.

Any ideas or opinions?

I've got a Sony S350 Blu ray player that I'm going to sell to make room for a BD that also streams Netflix.

I've emailed LG and found that the BD300 and the BD370 are the same thing, NO changes.

So my question is which player is better. The LG or the Samsung?

I'm also thinking about just keep the S350 and getting a Roku box although my HDMI inputs are already full so I'd need to get a switcher or use component to hook the Roku up.

I see the Roku as pretty much a no loose deal since they sell on ebay for about new price so I could unload it if need be. But the Roku takes up shelf space I don't have and used one more HDMI input I don't have right now. I do favor an all in one option which is why I'm asking about the LG or Samsung products.

Any ideas or opinions?

I'm using my son's Xbox 360 to stream Netflix now which doesn't sit well with him!!!

I'm using my son's Xbox 360 to stream Netflix now which doesn't sit well with him!!!

ROFL!! I can't help with your question (since I also use the 360 to stream Netflix content), but I couldn't help find the comment about your son very funny!

My daughter and I sometimes struggle over me watching a movie and her playing Banjo-Kazooie!

carbon summit I like the idea of an all in one device.
I would be most interested in the blu ray play quality, start up time and the dvd upconverting of these 2 units.

From all that I have read it seems that very few units besides the denons do it all very well.

NOW if the denons would get in the act on netflix that would be a box.

Another question I have is will I get the same, better or lower picture quality from each the Roku, Samsung or LG as I do using the Xbox 360?

I noticed when I was scanning thru the post here trying to figure out what to try was some people said the xbox video quaility was not as good as the roku.
Or it might have been the link to review of the different hardware posted in previous messages.
Of course this might have been old messages or bad eq, cables etc
so please don't quote me on xbox sucks or anything like that.

On the question of expiring
new tv added today

Available on Instant Until
April 1, 2010
Available on Instant Since
April 3, 2009

Ion http://instantwatcher.com/ there is an expiring list. It was my understanding that these are movies being removed from the instant access list.
it says Expiring Soon on InstantOkay--you made that response right after a few posts about the recent changes on Netflix's site, and I thought that maybe they'd added a link giving expiring titles.

EDIT: I checked the first ten titles on that list and only four of them are Starz Play selections. My theory that all titles which expire are Starz Play has been shot down. I guess that it just depends on their arrangement with the IP holders. Still, only 1.55% of all available titles are "expiring soon".

Over lunch I went to BB to look at the LG 370 and the Samsung 1600.

The salesman said that the Samsung would be a better BD player to go with since it loads much faster than the LG does. Any truth to that? I've never been too impressed with the product knowledge of salespeople at BB and have received poor info before so I ask. I just go there to get a hands on shopping experience.

I'm still thinking Roku in the back of my mind. Those mystery 10 channels that are coming soon have my attention.

I noticed when I was scanning thru the post here trying to figure out what to try was some people said the xbox video quaility was not as good as the roku.I haven't tried the Roku, but I don't notice much difference between PQ Xbox versus TiVo. That "Engadget's Netflix streaming shootout (http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/19/do-not-time-netflix-hd-streaming-shootout)" piece said that they had some difficulties using the Xbox player that I haven't experience, and they found the picture to be dark--I suspect that they don't have one of the Xbox's color space control set properly (the color space for computer monitors and most televisions with D-SUB VGA computer connections is different from HDMI or component video).

For whatever reason, the Xbox is still using a different set of standard def encodings than the other players (probably because MS hasn't bothered to update their player software yet). This could account for some perceived difference in PQ. It does use the same HD encodings, which is what used for comparisons between it and TiVo.

I went back to BB after work and bought the Samsung 1600. I decided that Pandora would be something I'd use more than YouTube. BB matched Amazon's price and they have a 30 day return policy so I figure I'll give it a try.

So far I'm thrilled with Pandora. I wonder if I'll listen to XM radio now much at all after finding Pandora! I'll still listen to it when I'm driving but at home... I might be canceling the second tuner that I use in the house. If I can listen to Pandora in my car I'd be done with XM.

I think Netflix looks better with the Samsung 1600 than it did with the Xbox 360. I don't say that to justify my purchase because the 30 day return was a big reason I bought it at BB. If it wasn't better and I didn't love Pandora I'd be happy to return it and battle my son for some time with the Xbox. I'm tight and don't spend money unless I really think I'll get some benefit or gain out of it. I think I'm happy with the Samsung 1600 purchase. 29 days to go. We'll see if the novelty wears off...

In fairness to the Xbox 360. I just remembered I was using a monoprice combo cable that we can hook xbox/wii/ps2&3 all to the same cord. I could only use 1080i out of it. I've got the 1600 hooked up via HDMI so probably not a fair comparison.

I'll probably use HDMI on the Xbox to give it a fair run in the PQ contest.

So for now I take back the "1600 looks better than the Xbox 360" comment.

I have Netflix running on my Macbook Pro (Safari) and then I'm going HDMI out to my projector (Sanyo PLV-Z60) on a 2.6 broadband connection. The result is a picture with a LOT of black and some surprisingly good picture in the few parts that make it out of the blacks. Do I have to have a box in there? Is the some way to get near DVD quality image. The picture on the computer screen is great. On the 120" screen, not so good.

Would a Wii help? Or a Dish DVR? I'm brand new to Netflix Watch Instantly and trying to figure it all out.

Thanks.

"Those mystery 10 channels that are coming soon have my attention."
Can you explain this please?

how is the dvd upscaling on the Samsung 1600 ?

I went back to BB after work and bought the Samsung 1600. I decided that Pandora would be something I'd use more than YouTube. BB matched Amazon's price and they have a 30 day return policy so I figure I'll give it a try.

So far I'm thrilled with Pandora. I wonder if I'll listen to XM radio now much at all after finding Pandora! I'll still listen to it when I'm driving but at home... I might be canceling the second tuner that I use in the house. If I can listen to Pandora in my car I'd be done with XM.

I think Netflix looks better with the Samsung 1600 than it did with the Xbox 360. I don't say that to justify my purchase because the 30 day return was a big reason I bought it at BB. If it wasn't better and I didn't love Pandora I'd be happy to return it and battle my son for some time with the Xbox. I'm tight and don't spend money unless I really think I'll get some benefit or gain out of it. I think I'm happy with the Samsung 1600 purchase. 29 days to go. We'll see if the novelty wears off...

I agree in that the Samsung 1600 is the best Netflix instant watch player I have seen to date in terms of video quality.

I agree in that the Samsung 1600 is the best Netflix instant watch player I have seen to date in terms of video quality.

I have not played a DVD on it yet. I've been meaning to compare it's DVD PQ vs the Sony S350 that I had before I bought the 1600 the other day. Anyone have any opinions on the PQ when playing back DVDs on the 1600 vs other players? There is talk that the 2550 has a better chip in it but I've never owned that one to know if I'm missing anything.

Like I said before I've got a few days to try the 1600 out and if there is a better option for around the same money I'd consider getting something different. Thats not to say I'm not happy with the 1600, because I am, but you never know what you're missing if you've never had it so I ask you guys what your experience is.

well the 2550 uses one of the best upconverter chips but its also quite a big more expensive.

The chip is not that much but as usuall with anything bd it cost a fortune to get something that hi def gave for free.

now if the tvix would start doing this...it would be a big boon to me.

I agree in that the Samsung 1600 is the best Netflix instant watch player I have seen to date in terms of video quality.
Has anybody compared the Netflix streaming on the Samsung 1600 to the Roku player or Samsung 2500/2550?

Has anybody compared the Netflix streaming on the Samsung 1600 to the Roku player or Samsung 2500/2550?

The Samsung 1600 is about the same as the Roku, but it does more since it offers wifi connection and pandora. Unfortunately so far I've only seen part of a DVD on a 2500. It was great!

I found the Samsung 1600 to be superior to the Roku for audio.

I found the Samsung 1600 to be superior to the Roku for audio.
This is interesting. Were you outputting digital or analog? If digital does the Samsung do some special processing to create a surround effect that many AVRs could also do.

I found the Samsung 1600 to be superior to the Roku for audio. what were your connections?.. did you have the sammy connected via ethernet and the Roku streaming vedio AND audio wirelessly??

I thought it was the streaming and not the roku that was the limiting factor on the audio. They had
mentioned that in the future they wanted to improve on this...
my guess is when we have 100MB dl in the us..
of course its available everywhere but here for 1/10th the price...
Lets all thank the bush years for all our blessings

They had
mentioned that in the future they wanted to improve on this...
my guess is when we have 100MB dl in the us.Nah--it doesn't take that much bandwidth--another half Mbps for decent quality DD5.1. Vudu packs surround sound tracks in their normal 4 Mbps HD encodings, and there are tons of illegal Blu-ray rips out there with 640 Kbps AC3 sound and 5 Mbps or less video encodings (or <cough> so I've heard :rolleyes:).

What they've said is that they can't do surround sound in WMDRM protected streams, except by using WMA Pro. Very few AVRs can handle WMA Pro (though there are a few), and few of their hardware platforms could handle decoding it internally (the Xbox and probably one or more of the BD players). No doubt Microsoft will make some modification to support this, inasmuch as the Netflix player is a boost to the Xbox.

Just started up my 1 Blu Ray + unlimited streaming from Netflix. Wow. This IS the best value under the sun today for home entertainment.

In fact I like the fact that the instant watch service has tons of titles that I would not have thought about renting otherwise. My itouch Netflix app is pretty convenient. In fact it's good enough that I may ditch the HTPC for this and go with the Roku. Netflix's Silverlight implementation is pretty crappy to say the least!

Does netflix stream 5.1? or just stereo?

Is there a difference on HD instant?

Does netflix stream 5.1? or just stereo?

Is there a difference on HD instant?We were just talking about this a few posts back. It's stereo only, due to some limitations of the DRM system that they're using. The sound on HD streams is no different. They hope to improve this in the future.

Just started up my 1 Blu Ray + unlimited streaming from Netflix. Wow. This IS the best value under the sun today for home entertainment.

In fact I like the fact that the instant watch service has tons of titles that I would not have thought about renting otherwise. My itouch Netflix app is pretty convenient. In fact it's good enough that I may ditch the HTPC for this and go with the Roku. Netflix's Silverlight implementation is pretty crappy to say the least!

Yeah. Hard to beat.


I found the Samsung 1600 to be superior to the Roku for audio.

So, I never saw a response describing the connection that you use. I am curious as to how the audio would be different. I have a Roku Player and am on the waiting list for a Samsung 2550 that would be dedicated to Netflix streaming duty. Supposedly the 2550 has better PQ -- and improved AQ would be a nice bonus.

Yeah. Hard to beat.



So, I never saw a response describing the connection that you use. I am curious as to how the audio would be different. I have a Roku Player and am on the waiting list for a Samsung 2550 that would be dedicated to Netflix streaming duty. Supposedly the 2550 has better PQ -- and improved AQ would be a nice bonus.

Sorry for not responding right now I am using hdmi from my HTPC to my PRO 151 display (I replaced the stock speakers with Def Tech Mythos and also use a Def Tech sub from the Pio. Audio is pretty good. I also have an optical connection from my HTPC to my Receiver. I use it only when the source has 5.1 audio).

The Sammy I checked out was also connected via hdmi, but was going to a Pio Elite receiver from what I can recall. There was also a Roku connected in the identical way (the Sammy was going to replace it). When we were switching back and forth the Sammy audio seemed to have better bass for some reason. Not sure what could be causing it.

I also have the DVDO Edge Video Processor and when I get my Roku next week I may route it via the Edge.

I like Instant watch because Netflix's UI is great for identifying movies you would not have oterwise watched. My last two movies The Counterfeiters and Butterfly were excellent movies that I found on the fly!

Sorry for not responding right now I am using hdmi from my HTPC to my PRO 151 display (I replaced the stock speakers with Def Tech Mythos and also use a Def Tech sub from the Pio. Audio is pretty good. I also have an optical connection from my HTPC to my Receiver. I use it only when the source has 5.1 audio).

The Sammy I checked out was also connected via hdmi, but was going to a Pio Elite receiver from what I can recall. There was also a Roku connected in the identical way (the Sammy was going to replace it). When we were switching back and forth the Sammy audio seemed to have better bass for some reason. Not sure what could be causing it.

I also have the DVDO Edge Video Processor and when I get my Roku next week I may route it via the Edge.

I like Instant watch because Netflix's UI is great for identifying movies you would not have oterwise watched. My last two movies The Counterfeiters and Butterfly were excellent movies that I found on the fly!
Thanks for the info. In Interestig that you watched two of the movies that I watched in my first week. This is a great way to discover new movies. I may even get some of these on Blu-ray when they come out.

Sorry for not responding right now I am using hdmi from my HTPC to my PRO 151 display (I replaced the stock speakers with Def Tech Mythos and also use a Def Tech sub from the Pio. Audio is pretty good. I also have an optical connection from my HTPC to my Receiver. I use it only when the source has 5.1 audio).

The Sammy I checked out was also connected via hdmi, but was going to a Pio Elite receiver from what I can recall. There was also a Roku connected in the identical way (the Sammy was going to replace it). When we were switching back and forth the Sammy audio seemed to have better bass for some reason. Not sure what could be causing it.
!
nice dodge:rolleyes:
once again...did you have the sammy connected via ethernet and the Roku streaming Video AND audio wirelessly?? We know you veiwed the sammy via ethernet but when you compared the two how was the roku connected?? I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. I feel it makes a huge difference and we shouldn't compare apples to oranges.

nice dodge:rolleyes:
once again...did you have the sammy connected via ethernet and the Roku streaming Video AND audio wirelessly?? We know you veiwed the sammy via ethernet but when you compared the two how was the roku connected?? I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. I feel it makes a huge difference and we shouldn't compare apples to oranges.

Sorry didn't realize you wanted to know whether the connection was wired or not. I thought you meant the AV part. Honestly I don't know if the Roku was wireless. It could have been since it was being removed from his set up.

Just to be clear, I have nothing against the Roku. I just ordered one and it should be here next week. I was simpy reporting what I saw based on a quick audition at a friends place.

I am using the Roku wireless and it works great.


People I have a BIG problem. My dad has been using this a week and believe it or not he has a mess. :)

When you are looking at titles there is PLAY and ADD TO INSTANT this works fine and puts the movies in his roku menu.
then we come to the problem.
He said I dont see the movies I put in.

Everything is working fine until he sees a movie and clicks on the image.
This takes him to a new screen,and a NEW selection menu it has PLAY, ADD and ADD TO INSTANT.
Seems that he is hitting ADD this point.
Now he has 3 dvd's and about 12 in his queue.
Is there any way to turn off this ADD button when you are in the instant watch ?

I am using the Roku wireless and it works great.


People I have a BIG problem. My dad has been using this a week and believe it or not he has a mess. :)

When you are looking at titles there is PLAY and ADD TO INSTANT this works fine and puts the movies in his roku menu.
then we come to the problem.
He said I dont see the movies I put in.

Everything is working fine until he sees a movie and clicks on the image.
This takes him to a new screen,and a NEW selection menu it has PLAY, ADD and ADD TO INSTANT.
Seems that he is hitting ADD this point.
Now he has 3 dvd's and about 12 in his queue.
Is there any way to turn off this ADD button when you are in the instant watch ?

When you move the cursor over "Play" the drop down menu shows "Add to instant". Is it not working when he clicks "Add to instant" ?

...Is there any way to turn off this ADD button when you are in the instant watch ?
Not that I'm aware of. I think because you can't have an instant account without also having a by-mail account so by default there will always be two queues and it is for the customer to decide which queue they would like to put their movie in. All I can suggest is just log into his account everyday and move any instant selections he might have put into the mail queue over into the instant queue for him... and slowly try to get him into the habit of selecting ADD TO INSTANT. In the cases where there is no ADD TO INSTANT choice then selecting ADD will put it in his mail queue, which should be alright as he will receive the physical disc in a day or two. You will just have to face it that there will be a bit of a learning curve for your pop... patience, he will get the hang of it soon.

Now he has 3 dvd's and about 12 in his queue.BTW, if what he primarily wants to do is Watch Instantly, he shouldn't be subscribed to the 3-at-a-time unlimited plan; 1-at-a-time will do, and costs half as much.

Also, you should teach him that it's not necessary to click the box picture and go to the description page. If he's already sure that he wants to see the title, he can hover the cursor over the "Play" button underneath the title, after which an "Add to instant" button will appear underneath it which can then click. If what he's trying to do is select movies to stream to the Roku, he should stay on the Watch Instantly tab and the genres beneath it as much as possible--he can't add things to his DVD queue from those pages. Of course, if he uses search, all bets are off--the search results page will let him put things in his DVD queue. You might try teaching him to only click on buttons that are dark blue :). (There are definitely things that they could do to make this more foolproof for the computer-challenged :rolleyes:).

Good luck.

I've been using the 2550 with Netflix for a few weeks now and I really love it ! I have a Vudu box that I barely use anymore, and I returned an ATV box when they shut down Hulu on Boxee.

I think the video quality on Watch It Now is very good to excellent on most content but Vudu is slightly better . Also Vudu's buffering system is a bit nicer to use; skipping ahead or back with WIN is slow and annoying. Also hope they get 5.1 working soon and it would be nice to be able to select titles to watch from the TV rather than just the computer. Would also be great if the added access to other internet video services like Hulu, Joost, YouTube etc.

Having said that, all in all I think it's a great system and service and especially nice that it is included with the 2550. I'm watching all kinds of content I normally wouldn't because it's unlimited with a single low price and they also have many titles the video store doesn't stock .

My new Roku arrives this week and as I prepare my set up in advance, I wanted to ask if any one has noticed an appreciable difference in picture quality using HDMI vs. Component cables or a wired vs. wireless connection. In both cases I can go either way, though going HDMI and wired would require a small Monoprice order first. I'll be connecting to a 32" 720p Samsung (450) and getting audio via optical to an older Panasonic AVR. Thanks.

My new Roku arrives this week and as I prepare my set up in advance, I wanted to ask if any one has noticed an appreciable difference in picture quality using HDMI vs. Component cables or a wired vs. wireless connection. In both cases I can go either way, though going HDMI and wired would require a small Monoprice order first. I'll be connecting to a 32" 720p Samsung (450) and getting audio via optical to an older Panasonic AVR. Thanks.
I run wireless and Component into a 37" Panny plasma, running audio optically to my receiver.

I can't imagine you will be disappointed. It certainly isn't worth pre-ordering gear from monoprice until you see and hear it your self, in your own home.

Enjoy,
JPEG

My new Roku arrives this week and as I prepare my set up in advance, I wanted to ask if any one has noticed an appreciable difference in picture quality using HDMI vs. Component cables or a wired vs. wireless connection. In both cases I can go either way, though going HDMI and wired would require a small Monoprice order first. I'll be connecting to a 32" 720p Samsung (450) and getting audio via optical to an older Panasonic AVR. Thanks.

Component is fine.
at this time the roku device in only 720p..you won't gain any PQ from HDMI untill they upgrade to 1080P.
The PQ as per their web site is dependant on connection speed..
I use the wireless feature however when I get up the energy I'll pull Cat5.. I'm guessing hard wired ethernet would allow better and more conisistant download speeds.

EVEN with wireless G, it should not have any problems streaming from netlfix since the bitstreams are so slow. With my TiVos, if i use wireless G the experience is identical to the tiVos I have using wired ethernet.

Component is fine.
at this time the roku device in only 720p..you won't gain any PQ from HDMI untill they upgrade to 1080P.
The PQ as per their web site is dependant on connection speed..
I use the wireless feature however when I get up the energy I'll pull Cat5.. I'm guessing hard wired ethernet would allow better and more conisistant download speeds.

Thanks for the responses. My router will only be few feet away from the Roku, so I think I'll just use the Cat5 connected to my Panny BD30, since I never watch BD Live stuff anyway until I can pick up another cable down the road. Sticking with component makes sense too, and I can use that old $70 monster cable I bought back in '02 when I thought that's you needed to spend for a quality connection. :rolleyes:

I forgot to mention, the reason why I asked about the picture quality difference for HDMI vs. component on the Roku is that I seem to recall reading somewhere that the Samsung 2500 "upconverted" the Netflix SD stream over HDMI and I was wondering if the Roku did something similar. If the Roku outputs simultaneously HDMI/Component, perhaps it would be possible to do an A/B test to compare.