Netflix on Wii?? - Page 3

Currently run the Wii, a Mac & occasionally an iPod Touch over WiFi in the house - I also noticed that with Netflix up & the other decives connected & active, I did not notice any slowdown of the streaming service.

Semi-related.....I wonder - is Netflix being carried over the Nintendo WFC, or is it like the EA Sports games & uses it's own server?

http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=118700

Link above will lead you tot a YouTube video comparison of Netflix on all 3 systems.

SD content appears to be equal coming from 360, PS3 & Wii - and load times are similar (albeit in the test video, they mention MS/Sony machines are wired, Wii is running via WiFi).

HD stuff on 360/PS3 (based on a bit of Robin Hood in the video) automatically pops up as 480p widescreen.

Are they discs being sent to everyone who has registered on the netflix's site? I registered 2 months ago.

Also since the Wii is only capable of outputting 480P (with component), how does the PQ look? I'm also streaming from my BD player, and the HD content looks really good (almost as good as HD sat)

Are you using different picture setting while watching a movie vs playing a game? I have a samsung PN58B650, and generally the Wii looks pretty bad (using component)

SD stuff looks virtually identical to the same viewed via 360/PS3 - so probably much like SD Netflix from your BD player. IF you are connected via component, it'll come as 480p.

No need to change video output settings - I'm thinking some element of the video drivers could in fact be encoded on the disc, maybe?

Had an interesting occurrence today with Netflix on the Wii. Yesterday my wife played something for my daughter on it. She did not go back to the home menu of the Wii. Today my daughter wanted to play a game so my mom (who was watching my daughter and has no clue about any of this ) let my daughter put in the disc. She said it would only play netflix. So apparently once Netflix is "loaded" and running you can take the disc out and it will still function until you go back to the Wii home menu.

Still very happy with the PQ compared to the HTPC and the loading times are really quick as well as running through the genres.

How does the HD content look?

This is my biggest grip about Netflix streaming - althou you can have different Users/Queues they relate just to the DVDs - not instant access.

With more and more devices supporting Netflix it would be great if my kids could have their own account to add their own content, which can be restricted to their age...... this way I don't see their stuff and they don't see mine (or worse my wifes). My wife has been watching the Tudors and that has some very racy content.

Come on Netflix allow instant users queues.

One of the YouTube reviews I believe is found via one of the posted links on this thread (the one comparing Netflix on all 3 game consoles) shows the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie (HD) selected on 360 & Wii.

edit: this is the link..... http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=118700

On 360, it displays in HD at a slightly less than satellite TV quality. Same selection on the Wii appears in 480p widescreen as an "anamorphic" DVD would w/ roughly satellite TV SD content quality.

And like other Netflix-ed devices, any programming started on another device can be resumed on the Wii.

I haven't received any work from netflix on this. Should I call them or something? I've had an account for a few months now, and one of the first things I did was register for the Wii streaming disc. Is there something else I need to to? I clicked on the Wii coming soon thing again, and it says "thanks for reserving......" Don't need to do anything else. Are they sending this to everyone who have registered or beta testing with a selected few?

I just tell my daughter to make sure she moves all her new selections to the top of the queue while I leave mine at the back. She searches forward, I search backwards. BTW I have Netflix streaming on my PC, Boxee, Samsung Blu-Ray, Xbox 360 and now Wii. I really do like Wii the best, except for the lack of HD.

I just got off the phone with Netflix CS. Asked when I could expect my disc. They couldn't tell me. She said that they are sending them out as fast as they can, but could not give me a time frame.

I mentioned a few posts back the rumor that a Wii Shop/PSN Store app for Netflix is coming this fall - no more discs needed. If it happens, such updates would be possible for all 3 consoles should they decide to implement them.


The service has been getting pretty glowing reviews in the last couple of days from big press venues, not just tech forums - I imagine a lot of Netflix customers/Wii owners (that's gotta be a big number) have heard & are hounding them for the discs.

I was worried because youtube is very poor quality/jittery on the wii... I am very impressed with the picture/streaming quality of netflix on it. Looks like a DVD to me, we've watched three or four movies and there hasn't even been a hiccup over wireless.

My kids watched Bolt the other day via the service. For a Disney CG animated flick, it looked pretty good. A bit softer than a DVD & nowhere near the BD version - but totally watchable. You could still see a lot of the "detail" one sees in such an animated movie & it ran seemlessly front start to finish.

Netflix on the Wii works as it should and in no way does it take as long as the Kotaku video posted. If anything this loads much faster than the PS3 only because all content is listed as SD. Now back to Arrested Development.

I saw they have the first 2 seasons available. I own the whole series on DVD, but can say that the PQ of the Netflix version is fairly comparable to those discs (save for lesser audio).

What they don't have is the first episode available. It's listed as "Disc only."

Just out of curiousity - do they list the "alternate" pilot? I did not look at the listings, just selected a random ep from Season 2 to see how it looked.

The season 1 DVD set has both the pilot FOX initially aired as well as a slightly longer version that never aired (and contains the show's lone, non-bleeped F-bomb).

I don't know why people would care to watch movies (and paying for them) in 480p.

I kind of wish I had got a bluray player with netflix capabilities though. I got the JVC since it has fast load times and was at a low price. There's a blockbuster that takes me 5 minutes to walk to though so I guess no need for entflix anyway. Unless that store closes.

You can always get Netflix & have them send you BluRays in the mail & get the Wii disc (which is free if you are a paid Netflix subscriber). PQ on the Wii is overall pretty good, but the HD material can be had on disc. Thier 2nd cheapest plan ($9/month for DVD or $11 for Bluray) will get you one disc @ a time unlimited. Turnaround on rentals tends to be 1-2 days. And you can stream all the content you want for no extra charge either via the Wii disc and/or on your PC. It's a far more economical way to go VS renting @ a store, esp if you watch more than 1 movie a month.

Plus, there are now two Blockbusters in my town that have closed their doors this year. Yours could be next.

jwebb brings up a good point. I kind of doubt anyone is wondering why at this point, but Blockbuster will be bankrupt very soon. No one rents movies from brick and mortar stores anymore. Why would you for $4 / movie? The great recession has sealed Blockbuster's fate.

The most economical way to go is Redbox unless you watch more than 9 movies a month. If you're renting that much, though, you'll find their selection won't be broad enough for your needs. If you only watch a few new releases per month, Redbox (or one of its several lesser-known competitors) is a winner.

If you're lucky enough to live near a Walmart Redbox that dispenses Blu rays for $1/night, that's even better.

...and, now, back to the Netflix discussion...

For me, at least - the only advantage to Netflix is the fact that you do not have to go anywhere to get/return movies. Let the USPS or the Internet be your delivery service. But yes, if you happen to have a RedBox close by, even it is way less expensive than brick & mortar rentals. There are 2 RedBox machines located in grocery stores very close to my home - they appear to get a lot of use.

That said, one of our 2 Blockbusters that is closing is currently blowing out all inventory - may check to see if any decent BDs or games can be had on the cheap.

I know, can you imagine what life was like with SDTV, VHS, Laserdisc and DVD? How terrible!

Or you know...the majority of folks who are still happy w/ "just" DVD quality? While HD is certainly a "see it & then want it" type of thing & HDTVs are the norm in retail now, 480p from a DVD is still good enough for many. And while BD does continue to grow in popularity, our society is generally moving away from physical media altogether.

Example - for me the ULTIMATE way to watch/re-watch LOST is via BD - but that's the kind of geek I am. Cannot wait to re-watch this last season on disc come August. Yet, there are quite a few more folks out there happy w/ everything from broadcast HD to medium-to-lo res streaming to catch up w/ the show.

What society are you from? Because in this society many people are still without access to broadband internet. I don't see physical media going away right now. I rather own a movie in the physical and not have to rent access to it.

The society I live in - same as yours - is the one that virtually has stopped buying CDs & instead gets music legally or otherwise via the web to often play back on some sort of digital player or PC.

I agree with you about owning a movie that I WANT to own - currently, that takes the form of a BD. But DVD sales overall have taken a nosedive - and while BD sales are growing, they too are nowhere near what DVD was doing in numbers 5+ yrs back. More and more people are going to streaming & other "on demand" services. Features such as the Netflix app are becomming extremely common in consumer electronics devices. Something like Hulu requires a PC/Mac and at least a decent internet connection. And yes - while broadband service delivery in the US pales in comparison to some other countries, one does not need the world's fastest connection to stream something like Netflix in standard def...which is still good enough for the vast majority of folks. I realize that may sound blasphemous to an AVS Forum member, but remember why you came here in the first place - you are surely far more interested/invested in getting the best A/V quality you can. The typical American consumer is generally not - SD is often "good enough". And so is streaming or On Demand.

I think BD is a great format & I fully support it - but I do not buy movies in the quantity I did on DVD a decade ago. Nor do most people, it seems. +/-80% of the BDs I watch come in the mail from Netflix. And as great a format as it is - and I do hope it's around for a while & have no reason to believe it won't - I do think it will be the last physical format for the delivery of home video.

Streaming/digital delivery is the future...and the future has already started. But that is the beauty of something like Netflix - you can have both for one price.

When you have a bluray player yes you expect tow atch things in HD. Joking about how people used to be happy with SD doesnt make much sense when yuo've paid to watch HD.

Yes I know going to blockbuster and paying one at a time is not wise. But I remember they copied the netflix service and I assumed you can probably go to the store and pick up the movies if you do their version of netflix.

And yes I know Blockbuster may be gone at any time as i mentioned in my other post.

I used netflix way back when dvd players hadn't been out for long. I guess it's been 10+ years ago.

Wow, is Netflix really over 10 years old? Geez I'm getting old.

Anyway, just because you've bought HD-capable equipment doesn't mean you suddenly must stop watching all SD material. Also, Basher, it's especially strange for someone who's legally blind and does all his gaming on Wii to be extolling the virtues of high-def.

Legally blind doesn't change much in that regard. I just am closer to the tv so I probably notice issues even easier than others. Although some movies said to have had a "bad transfer" do look pretty good to me. lol

The difference in SD and HD is so immense it's easy to notice there though and why would you want to watch it in 480p if you have the option of 1080p is my point.

Because not everything is available in HD! While new titles are readily available not all legacy stuff is. If you have kids it becomes even more sporadic as to what is available in HD. Kids don't care! But streaming a movie or show for them is much better than taking a trip to the local store and paying too much. I have Netflix for the discs, and streaming is just a bonus. I wish newer titles were more readily available. For blockbuster titles I would still go with a BD delivered to my house. But when my wife wants to watch a chick flick I don't really care if it is a BD with 7.1 surround. I'd take a 480p with PLII doing the surround any day!