Netflix streaming 1080i and 5.1 for PS but not PC... yet - Page 2

I've streamed with my PS3 since the disc based streaming came out and have always been quite impressed with the PQ .. the diskless upgrade has improved upon what was already pretty good, at least on the HD material ..

Over the last few years, many threads on AVS have debated the timeframe issue regarding when high def streams will become more the norm than the exception for the population at large ..

I'll say Netflix has just shortened that window ..

Using the new Netflix app on my PS3, I watched one movie and parts of another but only got stereo. Is there something special needed to get 5.1? I don't subscribe to high def in Netflix (yet), is that a prereq?

I did not know you could subscribe to high def Netflix. I thought hi def needs a movie available in hi def, (many are not), and possibly a 3MB or higher broadband connection to the internet.

Not all movies are available to stream in HD w 5.1.

That said, I do not believe you need to have BR rentals selected to get HD streams. If it is availalbe in HD, and you have at least 2600Kbps continuous, you should get HD.

-Suntan

To get high def it costs $2.00 a month more and yes not many are. During my trial I signed up for it then dropped it after. I may sign up again though.

Thanks, I was thinking that so I tried to see online which movies had 5.1 and I saw it mentioned but I couldn't see any differentiation between 5.1 on the DVD versus streamed.

Sorry, I am signed up for blu-ray disks and I did not know being signed up was tied to hi def streaming.

I don't have bluray access on my netflix and I still get HD streaming. Being that PS3 got 5.1 audio, will other devices offer that in the future? I just got rid of my PS3 and bought a standalone Panasonic bluray player .

dja2k

You have to choose 5.1 at least once. Long discussion on the PS3 forum here.

Please fix your link. It is not working for me. I would like to read the discussion.

I found this, although I haven't tried it to see if it works.
It's in this forum in the gaming section.

TornadoTJ - You could have saved even more time by just responding - look around, or better yet, not even bother

There's no technical reason that 5.1 audio can't be pushed to the PC. For the PS3, they are using IIS Smooth Streaming technology to stream a .ismv file for the video track and a .isma file for the audio track and they are using Microsoft PlayReady for DRM. So their Silverlight player already supports these (a version upgrade may be required though).

Well, there is a technical reason. Netflix isn't sending out the 5.1 streams to computers...

Not trying to be flippant, but just pointing it out in case someone is still confused and trying to get 1080/5.1 out of their firefox browser.

Right now, the only way to get 1080/5.1 is through the PS3 and it is so because Netflix is choosing to do it that way. I would assume it is only a matter of time before the Roku's and Xbox360's of the world get it too (and probably PCs at some point, but PCs have lagged behind hardware players on this front before.)

-Suntan

That's a little harsh. He did point out the solution for anyone wondering.

-Suntan

Yep, a little harsh. I could have just told you how to turn on 5.1, then you would have wondered why your PS3's interface looks different than the ones in the press releases, and different on each of your PS3's, or I could direct you to the PS3 forum where you can get PS3 specific answers rather than asking PS3 questions on the HTPC forum.

You might also like to know it's not working right for everyone, and there are different issues, soutions, and theories behind why.

Here's the thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1283366

I thought I was being helpful.

No kidding. I said there was no technical reason it couldn't be pushed to PCs. I didn't say there was no technical reason you couldn't get it on PCs.

Calm down. My response was not aimed at you (like I said) but at anyone that didn't understand the nuanced difference between what you said, and what you didn't say.

-Suntan

I know. Rough day, sorry.

I was not aware of this thread. I am finding a lot of useful information, like the problem of exiting netflix with the PS3 button and necessary broadband speeds for 5.1 and 1080i.

I was a small gathering last night, and I was surprised how many people use Netflix streaming. One woman said she won't let her kids watch TV because they want the stuff on the commercials. With Netflix, no such problem. It more than pays for itself. No wonder Netflix is 20% of the nighttime Internet traffic!

I read this interesting article the other day about MS dropping support for Silverlight on the PC. So maybe Sliverlight and the Netflix link on the PC has slowed the development of Netflix on PCs.

Maybe the release of Internet Explorer 9 and HTML 5 will give HTPC users some Netflix improvements.


"After years of touting Silverlight as its cross-platform solution for the web, Microsoft last week said it was dropping or at least deemphasizing the proprietary technology in favor of the truly open HTML 5 web standard. It will still continue to develop and improve Silverlight, but only in its use as the basis for Windows Phone applications. Silverlight on the web, for all intents and purposes, is dead.

"HTML is the only true cross platform solution for everything, including [Apple's] iOS platform," Microsoft president Bob Muglia told ZD Net's Mary Jo Foley. "Silverlight is our development platform for Windows Phone.""

http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/...lverlight.aspx

Anyone have info of the many BluRay standalone players that have Netflix streaming and TVs with built-in Netflix streaming will be getting updated soon to stream 1080/5.1?

Nothing has been said officially. However, a betting man would have to guess that Netflix is going to roll it out to most of the hardware players that can support it as soon as they think wise. PC? That’s a different question. I wouldn’t be surprised to see PCs get the shaft for an extended period of time.

Roku has been claiming that “1080P” playback support would be rolled out on their top end players “Sometime in November” with a firmware update for a while on their website....

-Suntan

I wouldn't be surprised if SONY got a 1 year exclusive like MS and the XBox360 did.

That would only affect XBOX360 and Wii owners (and the Wii can't even do 1080.)

The Xbox360 exclusive was only against other game consoles. It didn't affect rokus or BR players.

-Suntan