Hasta La Gadget!

Rejoice, PS3 owners, your Netflix streaming experience just got vastly better than anything else on the market. Starting October 18 Netflix on the PS3 will no longer require a disc, and it’ll stream some content with 1080i 1080p resolution and / or 5.1-channel surround audio, while everyone else will be stuck with a max of 720p stereo for the time being. Oh, and you’ll get subtitles on some content as well. Netflix is partnering with Dolby on the audio side, and the surround format will be Dolby Digital Plus, which is the same codec used by the VUDU HDX streaming service — we’re guessing it’ll require a tiny bit more bandwidth but the results should sound pretty great. Netflix says 5.1 will come to other platforms “over time,” so we’ll see how long that takes — and given that the PS3 is now disc-free and the company’s eschewed the SRS surround features baked into its Silverlight-based platform, we’re guessing Microsoft’s exclusivity period has now completely run its course. Video and PR after the break.

Update: Though the official PlayStation Blog originally reported the service would display streaming video at 1080i resolution, they’ve since struck that out — they say it’ll do 1080p now. Much better.

Continue reading Netflix on PS3 goes disc-free, gets 1080p streaming and 5.1 surround sound (update)

Netflix on PS3 goes disc-free, gets 1080p streaming and 5.1 surround sound (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Brett, who seems just marginally overwhelmed by the recent flood of network media streamers. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m looking for a network media player that can play a variety of videos from my NAS as well as connect to media services like Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, etc. I thought I found the perfect match with the new Sony SMP-N100, but the DLNA sharing system was awful compared to an old Apple TV with XBMC installed. Any suggestions on the ultimate Network Media Player? Bonus points for being able to remotely queue videos or control it from a smart phone.”

We’ve been to this rodeo before, but the situation (and consumer demands, too) has changed quite dramatically from just a year ago. Given that there are more players connecting to more portals than ever before, we’d curious to know what box you’d recommend for Brett. Don’t hold back, cool?

Ask Engadget: what’s the ultimate network media streamer? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix certainly didn’t have much trouble attracting interest in its Canadian launch today — the country’s waited long enough, after all — but it looks like it nonetheless went a bit too far in its efforts to build up buzz at its press event. It turns out that many of the onlookers at the event were actually actors hired by Netflix, at least some of whom went as far as to talk to the press and pass themselves off as regular people — regular people who happen to be really enthusiastic about Netflix, of course. An information sheet handed out to the extras reportedly even told them to “play types” and “behave as members of the public” who just “happen upon a street event for Netflix and stop by to check it out.” After word of the shenanigans got out, Netflix quickly issued an apology, of sorts — the company’s VP of corporate communications, Steve Swasey, said that he was “unaware” that a script was handed out to the extras, and that “some people got carried away and it’s embarrassing to Netflix.”

Netflix busted for using actors in crowd at Canadian launch event originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To the last person on Earth (that reads this site) who can’t already stream Netflix to their home theater in at least four different ways: if you have a 2010 Panasonic HDTV or Blu-ray player your sometime is now, as the video streaming widget originally promised way back during CES should have recently shown up in a software update. You’ll find it in the VIERA Cast menu next to existing tools like Amazon VOD, Skype and Pandora (pictured above) unless of course you’re sporting one of last year’s models, which are sadly and inexplicably left wanting. If there’s any confusion, peep the press release after the break to make sure your specific model made the cut, we’ll be double checking for a 5.1 audio option on any of our Watch Instantly movies, again.

[Thanks, Justin]

Continue reading Panasonic finally adds Netflix streaming to VIERA Cast equipped 2010 HDTVs & Blu-ray players

Panasonic finally adds Netflix streaming to VIERA Cast equipped 2010 HDTVs & Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix streaming queue starting to look a little stale? It’s working on that, and has signed a deal that brings EPIX’s library of movies to Watch Instantly — just not that instantly. If you’re not familiar with EPIX, allow us to refresh you, it’s a network launched last year by Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate that brings their movies home (though often unfortunately cropped and zoomed to 16×9) through a linear channel, video on-demand or internet streaming. Under this new agreement, movies from those studios can come to Netflix 90 days after they debut on the premium pay-tv and subscription VOD services. While that means streamers won’t get access to Iron Man 2, The Expendables, or Dinner for Shmucks anywhere near day-and-date with their DVD or Blu-ray releases, those kinds of high profile flicks will show up and stick around with greater regularity than we’ve been used to. The companies haven’t released further details, but rumors reported by the L.A. Times suggest licensing costs could reach $1 billion over the next 5 years. The first movies covered by the new deal arrive September 1, likely with flicks from the Star Trek, James Bond and Indiana Jones series (hopefully not Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) among them.

Update: Analyst Dan Rayburn claims on Business of Video that Netflix won’t be getting any EPIX movies in HD, so we asked Netflix VP of Corporate Communications Steve Swasey whether we could expect HD streaming movies with Movie Parties or if they would have Starz-like restrictions. The answer? “HD over time and no restrictions on Party Viewing.” Take from that what you will.

Continue reading Netflix, EPIX deal is official; Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate movies start streaming September 1

Netflix, EPIX deal is official; Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate movies start streaming September 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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