1160°

What Microsoft Does Not Want You to Know About Netflix Streaming

TG Daily's Samantha Rose writes:

Earlier this week, Microsoft and Netflix announced that movie streaming will be coming to the Xbox 360. This could be a big deal. But if you are really interested in watching Netflix content on your Xbox, you don't have to wait and you don't have to pay twice. If you have an Xbox 360 and a Windows Vista PC, you have everything you need to stream Netflix movies already.

juuken6175d ago

I knew all along there was an easier way to stream movies from Netflix without the fees of gold membership.

Microsoft...how they amuse me by the day.

GodsHand6175d ago

As long as people are willing to pay for it, Microsft will keep charging, even if some people know how to get it without the fee.

TheColbertinator6175d ago

I did'nt realize this.Mainly because I am a hardcore gamer who goes online to play resistance(ps3) or cod4(360) or something.

TheXgamerLive6175d ago (Edited 6175d ago )

There would "NOT" be any fee's on Xbox live for Netflix movies.

It's easy to prove this, watch the friggin conference video.

Ya know what else cracks me up, all these fake wannabe sony b1tch girls posting on an Xbox thread, never fails does it.

Spin spin away girls.

captainjy6175d ago

Oh geezus, you Phonyites are constantly reaching for anything. Most people barely know how to turn the computer on let only setup a stream through their PC. Get real. And what you are really missing is that you can't share a movie streaming through your PC on Live like you can through the integrated service. And on top of these two things, it's just not as cool to stream through your PC. I have a Vista Media Center and configured my 360 as an extender and could have streamed Netflix, but why go through the hassle and bother, especially now that it's right on Live. You get what you pay for, as you POS3 people know with lagville POSN.

Stop posting this garbage and worry about your pathetic Dome and Trophies.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 6175d ago
truth for gamers6175d ago (Edited 6175d ago )

What about for the people who don't have Vista or a PC?, this is a stupid article

The Wood6175d ago (Edited 6175d ago )

i totally agree with 'truth for gamers'. The truth is MOST people who own consoles own a pc but not all of them have wireless or have their pcs in the same room as their consoles

xJxdOggyStYLe6175d ago

is DUMB..no idea how it got approved and should be taken off

KillJoi996175d ago

First off this is old news. Second of all no one is stupid enough to have Vista, or if they do its very likely that their computer will/already has fried or they have simply downgraded.

JsonHenry6175d ago

This is a no brainer. But how many people have a wireless setup and vista? Not too many that I know of.

gta_cb6175d ago

.... obviously you havnt used Vista SP1. yes i have used both versions of Vista, i had problems in the first day when using the original version. but now been using SP1 for about 3months and everything was and is working fine.

Megatron086175d ago (Edited 6175d ago )

I dont remember MS saying that you needed a gold account to use netflix I'd be very surprised if you did need a gold membership cause you never needed one before to buy anything off the marketplace.

Even if you did most people have a gold membership anyways to play games

iHEARTboobs6175d ago (Edited 6175d ago )

This is from the Netflix site:

"What are the system requirements to watch movies instantly on my PC?

You must have a computer running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher, or Windows Vista; Internet Explorer version 6 or higher; Windows Media Player version 11 or higher; an active broadband connection to the Internet; 1.0 GHz processor; 512 MB RAM; 3 GB free hard disk drive space."

Netflix is cool and all but some might be disapppointed in the quality of selection if you are in fact receiving the same selection that has currently been available. It is nice to have, although I wouldn't suggest buying a membership to LIVE just for this.

Edit: Yeah, disagree and hide. Good job.

deeznuts6175d ago

"What about for the people who don't have Vista or a PC?, this is a stupid article"

Then this article isn't for them, get it? When it says, this is for people with Vista PC, well if you don't, then ... drumroll ... article isn't for you.

See how that works? Now run along and play.

player9116175d ago

Sure you can do a lot of things streaming through to a Vista machine but that doesn't make any difference with the netflix alliance.

The point of the new Netflix support is to have it directly on your 360 console and cycle through movies in your que. All you need is a netflix subscription. Who cares if you can hack it and slash it to work in some other, more complicated major.

Plus why stream a stream?

The Netflix support is to allow movies to be delivered without them having to shell out 2-way postage. It is a win-win-win.

My wife and I rent a few movies at least once a month. I own a 360 with Live Gold service. We've discussed getting a movie subscription to blockbuster or netflix... but haven't really moved on it. But after the announcement it is a no-brainer. We rented 2 movies the other day and it was $9.50 or something. That's a month's worth of movie downloads with this service.

And to the above: Live is free, you only pay for the Gold Service. So every xbox with an internet connection can still take advantage of this.

There is absolutely no negative side effect to having this new addition.

Thugbot1876175d ago (Edited 6175d ago )

This is a completely stupid article because Microsoft never said it was there service. They said it’s a partnership to offer Netflix, services through XBL. In addition it would allow for purchase of more movies for those that didn’t have Netflix service. I guess it’s out of the question to ask people writing or approving articles to have common sense.

@You don't need Vista to watch Netflix online...

umair_s516175d ago

THAT IS MICROSOFT FOR YOU FOLKS.PLEASE ENJOY !

uie4rhig6175d ago (Edited 6175d ago )

tbh i like the deal, but why only for Gold members? i mean you have to pay netflix members ship aside from the gold membership its just stupid.. and this article speaks truth, but its a nobrainer so stupid article, also you dont need Vista per se to use netflix, XP works fine..

but also i have got my personal netflix which is free, and works on my PS3 and if i had a Wii, it also worked on a wii.. it's called Veoh and YouTube and a gazillion other video sharing websites :)

so i think both this deal, and this article are the most stupidest things of its kind...

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 6175d ago
Truplaya6175d ago

what? So instead of getting an xbox update i could buy a PC, Vista Premium, cables to connect it to my HDTV and get a netflix account?

What is this article on about? A PC with Vista and cable is gonna cost more than a 360, plus you probably cant invite friends in to watch the film with you.

i love how he says "I personally have been streaming Netflix movies for a while now, and I pay nothing for it, except for my Netflix subscription." (but what about your PC, copy of Vista and a cable to go to a HDTV in your living room, what that all free too?

gaffyh6175d ago

If you've ALREADY got a PC with Vista, it's not gonna cost you too much. And pretty much all new PCs come with Vista...

joemayo766175d ago

I think truplayas point is that the writer is makin it sound like its cheaper to do it this way, yet the fall update will be free to download as well. So i wont have to pay for anything either this fall (given the obvious NetFlix membership) However me personally won't be using this feature. Just commented to get across the message across (that hopefully) Truplaya originally meant.

Although the intent of the writer i guess was to highlight a potential ability of the xbox 360 that many probaby dont know, the way the writer went about it is ridiculous, sounding like a pompous prick.
(although im not too sure if u NEED to have gold to use netflix on live)

THIS JUST IN!!! Guess what, who needs a console when u can play PC games on an hdtv with a vga input, all u need is a GOOD pc with a vga port out (or laptop) and a vga cable. :/

tada!!! u can now enjoy half life 2 or Crysis on a 60" Bravia :|

kingme716175d ago

Yeah, because it is just so easy for the casual market to setup the vmcNetflix plugin and integrate it with their Media Center before streaming it to their 360. For the technical, not so hard, but MS is making a play for the casual market who just want to click a button and start watching. They don't mind paying for convenience.

HateBoy6175d ago

Good comment, bubbles to you, though you don't need any... Tech guys always asume everyone 1) has all the components needed for "the smart and free" way of doing things, and 2) that everyone has the knowledge to use those components. One has to remember that most people with an xbox 360 or ps3 never ever visit these kind of websites.

kingme716175d ago

Lol... thanks, I'll give you a bubble back :)

I always do an acid test. If I think my mother can do it, then it is casual, if not it's too hardcore. My mother has a snowballs chance in Hades of setting it up via a PC.

Funny story (although way off topic). My mother brought me her laptop and said it is just dead, just powers up and resets. She said she dropped a paperclip into the keyboard, but couldn't figure out how that would break it, especially since she had this great idea and used a magnet to scan over her keyboard and pulled out the paperclip within minutes :O

Ok, that was probably way way off topic :)

chrisnick6175d ago

"It’s a prime example of a corporation merely taking advantage of the public with an attempt to charge for something that should be available to customers for free."........AGAIN.

Kleptic6175d ago

I don't use Netflix, my wife and I have total access from blockbuster...but I would assume you can do this on the PS3 too right?...i stream video from my PC to the PS3 all the time...so you could stream a Netflix vid too I would imagine, although I don't know the codecs for Netflix downloads...

but crap I didn't know MS was charging anothef fee for this...I thought it was just cool if you had a netflix account you could now access it through your XBL account...getting rid of the middle-man (the PC)...this is total crap...can't say I am surprised though...

bosels116175d ago

It surprises me not - This has been Microsofts MO since Bill Gates started the worst company ever started.

captainjy6175d ago

Kleptic, your wife should leave you because you are obviously very uninformed. MS isn't charging anything more on top of an Xbox Live Gold membership and you obviously have to have a Netflix account. See, when you have over 20,000 items in market, unlike the POSN that has 12 items, it's worth the money. And quite honestly, if you can't afford $3 a month or less for gaming, you shouldn't own a console. It's just that simple.

Show all comments (94)
40°

XBLA Classic 'A World of Keflings' Is Coming to Steam, and There's a Demo

"Back in the innocent days of 2010, A World of Keflings was a fairly popular successor to A Kingdom for Keflings. I even wrote about it a few times in 2012! But the world of humans moved on, and NinjaBee's city-building/adventure game was last seen on the ill-fated Wii U in 2014. Fast-forward to the dark year of 2025, and not only is A World of Keflings coming to Steam, but there's already a playable demo! Perhaps the cheerful, no pressure gameplay that the Keflings bring is just what we need nowadays," says Co-Optimus.

Read Full Story >>
co-optimus.com
290°

The Real Enemy of Gaming Isn’t DEI. It’s the CEO

From Horse Armor to Mass Layoffs: The Price of Greed in Gaming. Inside the decades-long war on game workers and the players who defend them.

Read Full Story >>
rushdownradio.net
jambola4d ago

maybe a real enemy is people who use terms like "the real enemy"
there can be more than 1 bad thing, t's not like a kids show with 1 big bad

senorfartcushion2d ago

This is very much a “dummy who volunteers themselves to the middle” comment.

The real enemy is a common phrase, people use it all the time.

Calm down.

jambola2d ago

i'm very calm
you seem very upset however

Notellin1d 19h ago

You don't seem calm at all. Don't take this so seriously, you seem desperate responding to others defending your opinion that lacks any value or critical thought.

jambola1d 18h ago

stop projecting
i'm not desperately dong anything, i'm tapping at keys on my keyboard bud

PapaBop1d 18h ago

It's not like kids show with one bad guy? I present to you.. Bobby Kotick

ABizzel11d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

DEI was never the problem and it was an ignorant take to begin with.

DEI is why games like Kena Bridge of Spirits, South of Midnight, and Ghost of Tsushima exist.

DEI is why we have a huge resurgence in Japanese, Chineses, and Korean developers producing games like Stellar Blade, Black Myth, and why Nintendo & Sony exist.

DEI is why more and more games have HUGE accessibility options with both Sony and MS fully behind this.

DEI was never a bad thing, the entire purpose of DEI is representation of all people, genders, disabilities, etc…

The problem was people used DEI as a default derogatory term to describe what they believed was forced representation, which allowed colorist, racist, sexist, misogynist, homophobic, and xenophobic fools to run away with the negative DEI narrative.

jambola1d 5h ago

you don't get to decide other people's motivations
sorry to break it to you

ABizzel19h ago(Edited 9h ago)

To each their own, however, nothing you said invalidates why some people take offense to DEI incorrectly.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 9h ago
Sciurus_vulgaris4d ago

Executives seem to often have an obsession with perpetual revenue growth. There is always a finite amount of consumers for a product regardless of growth. Additionally, over investment is another serious issue in gaming.

Killer2020UK2d ago

The fact that they also rarely have any real expertise in game development compounds things. They'll look at what's been successful elsewhere, lack the knowledge to properly understand why they have been successful and then force a team to 'reproduce' their badly interpreted idea of that success.

We see it so often with sequels to games that were successful too. The team are left well alone, they have a break through hit and all of sudden the money men descend on the IP and completely railroad the dev team's ideas. Usually winds up being 'make the same game but MORE'

LoveSpuds1d 19h ago

This is true throughout all of the corporate and public sector organisations to be honest. CEO's generally move amongst the corporate world without any need to have experience of a particular industry, they simply need to rely on their senior leadership credentials. A CEO of a retail giant will just as easily transition to a CEO role in the energy sector for example.

Not defending CEOs here to be clear, I think it's a huge part of the reason the western world is so fucked up. CEOs don't need to care about the sector they work in, in fact it's better if they don't care if they want to screw everyone to make profits.

GhostScholar2d ago

Companies don’t hire executives to break even. If the goal is breaking even then why start the company in the first place.

Soy2d ago

That's understood; it's getting record profits and expecting to always beat those record profits, and seeing anything less as a total failure. Then they lay people off and raise prices to reach those record profit levels again, just to sate shareholders. It's setting expectations way too high just to spike share prices, then inevitably falling short. It's feeling entitled to being more successful than everyone else. It's the CEOs doing all this to boost their own bonuses.

ABizzel11d 17h ago

Growth benefits the company’s profits and therefore the company’s stock if publicly traded, which pleases the shareholders making them more and more rich, which is why Growth is always at the forefront of the vast majority of any publicly traded company.

More growth = More Money and the people at the top want all the money they can get. I can’t really blame them anyone would love to see their profits go from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, to multi-millions it’s almost like a gambling addiction.

But it also goes to show someone how morals can go out the window for a lot of these people, and how amazing some CEOs are when they catch this early and provide a balance solution that takes complete care of their employees across the board while keeping the business sustainable IE: Insomniac Games ALWAYS on the best places to work list. The rest of the industry could learn.

jambola3d ago

honestly, the "real" enemy of gaming, is ourselves
if nobody bought horse armor, shitty dlc would have died almost overnight
if we stood firm and nobody bought games from companies that were bad with layoffs, it would be solved
we're the idiots supporting awful business practices, we are the ones enouraging it

TiredGamer2d ago

I think the reality that we don't want to convince ourselves of is that without the rise of "horse armor" and DLC, game budgets would have essentially stagnated (smaller teams/smaller games), or game prices would have risen much more dramatically than they have. There was an incessant drive for bigger worlds, infinite detail, and hundreds of hours of "gameplay" over the last two decades, that while perhaps a natural evolution of things, needed a suitable funding stream to accomplish.

HyperMoused2d ago

What...CEOs make tens of millions and that doesnt include SLT etc etc...we now have multiple editions of games, in game currency, MT's, battle passes.....and what do we get..worse game than what was coming out 20 years ago....dont drink the cool aid, its this nickel and dime crap that is absolutely leading us to gaming destruction.

senorfartcushion2d ago

This is the worst possible answer to this conundrum. Blaming the masses is blaming the only people who are constantly “told” to buy.

Consumers are the only ones not to blame here. People make their own choices all the time. Disney movies are bombing and DEInis being blamed. Has that been enough to put Disney out of business? No and it never will.

Christopher2d ago

Disagree. Businesses are able to do what they do because people are bad consumers and don't think critically about purchases. Disney got away with doing shit stuff for years and it's just the last year where people got tired of it. It's not like it didn't work for 5 years or so for Disney to do the things they've done. They'll just move onto another way to get people to see movies and it will be just as bad but more profitable until people wake up and realize it.

TiredGamer2d ago

Consumerism drives business behavior. It's not so much "blaming" as it is observing behavior. The point I'm making is that the direction that games have gone are driven by the spending. Consumers are spending on DLC and they are driving the expectation of more glitz and padded out (lengthier) games. If they continue to pay, they will continue to drive that direction until a threshold is reached that forces a change in behavior.

senorfartcushion2d ago

Corporate advertising is the most powerful force on the planet.

This is N4G for god sake, every day there are arguments between people who are Team Xbox and Team PlayStation because they’ve been convinced that having an identity built on paying money to Sony and Microsoft matters more than having one as individual gamers who can play whatever they want.

And THEN we get to the corporate advertising part: to play whatever you want is to sink MORE into the advertising pits, making it so that you can more than one specific product.

jambola2d ago

ah you're right
they were told to buy it, it's clearly impossible to avoid that
if enough people stopped supporting, it would stop
disney not stopping would only be because enough people didn't stop

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2d ago
victorMaje2d ago

Agreed. I’ve been saying for years, announce you won’t be buying the upcoming game because of the practices of the previous game, then you only have to stick to your guns once, see how quickly things change for the better.

We have to unite in what we shouldn’t purchase.

jambola2d ago

just imagine a world, fifa came out worse, nobody buys the next one until they see proof it's better and stick to it
or games being forced online for single player and nobody buys it
things would change so fast

HyperMoused2d ago

Just like scooby doo, you have shown us the real monsters are us

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2d ago
Inverno2d ago

Greed and greedy people have and always will be the main issue for everything wrong in the world. Everything is a product to be exploited for monetary gain. Even when there are things that could help progress us along for the sake of making our lives easier that thing must be exploited for monetary gains. Anything that tells you otherwise is propaganda to make you complicit.

coolfool2d ago

I've never thought "DEI" (although the way most people use it doesn't match it's real definition) is the problem with games. Good games have continued to be good when they have a diverse cast, and likewise, bad games have continued to be bad. There isn't a credible example I've seen where a diverse cast has been the direct cause of a game being bad.

Show all comments (51)
80°

It Has Been Over 2,500 Days Since The Elder Scrolls 6 Was Revealed

It's been officially over 2,500 days since The Elder Scrolls 6 was revealed, and fans are still waiting for more than a logo and a mountain range.

Read Full Story >>
gamerant.com
jznrpg2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

It will come out in another 1000-2000 days or so. I’d rather they remake Morrowind. After they added quest arrows, sprint button, making stats lesser and the big nerfs to spells Elder Scrolls has been too simplified. They could change that with ES6 but I don’t have much faith in modern Bethesda. I would love to be wrong

clevernickname2d ago

Wait until he hears about Star Citizen...