Netflix + Xbox 360 = Nirvana?
So the Xbox 360 just got some more functionality with the new dashboard. The big addition that I have been waiting for and probably everyone else who has a 360 is the announcement that if you have a netflix account you can now watch streaming content on your xbox. So I have been using the new feature for most of the day roughly 4 hours or so to play with the new dashboard and the new features. I am going to talk about some of the additions and then jump right into the main event, netflix.
The first thing you are likely to see after the epic intro video, is the addition of avatars. Now the avatars are pretty cool and I preferred making my avatar than when I made my Mii (Nintendo Wii). I think that making the avatar was more enjoyable than making a Mii, even though there are less options. Also they have done away with the blades, sort of, they still exist but it’s more of a mini menu. The new layout is more like iTunes with the pop up art work and each option is assigned its own box art. The main problem with the new dashboard though is how heavy it is. From booting to logging into Xbox Live it takes around 10 seconds or so, maybe longer. I also had my Xbox freeze while using the new dashboard, it was only once but that’s once too many. Now on to the main event.
Netflix! So the addition of netflix is pretty cool. You have to download the software for netflix which only takes a minute or so probably less depending on your connection. Once installed you are given a code which you enter on the netflix website. Once that’s all said and done you can now stream you netflix instant view movies on your xbox. Complaint number one, i would have liked to have full netflix functionality in which I can add and delete movies like I can on my computer. However the way it works is there are a certain amount of movies that can currently stream, so you add those to your streaming queue via a computer and it will show up on your xbox if its currently on the list of movies that will play on the xbox. I have already had about ten movies on my queue that aren’t available on the 360, lame. Second complaint the movies are added in the order in which you added them, so if you threw a bunch of titles up at once, guess what you have a really unorganized list. I would really have liked to see some different sorting options, I mean if it was anything like any Microsoft Os I would have 50 different sort views that I would probably not even use, so a sort by title or genre would have been really nice and I don’t think I am asking too much. Now another complaint is about the website, it used to be that if you added a title to your queue you would have a pop-up window with suggestions, but now it redirects you to a page of suggestions, so in order to get back to where you were you can either open each title in their own window before adding them, hitting the back button in your browser for each selection or clicking through the menus which is how you got there in the first place. The overall quality of the streaming content is good, though when they said streaming HD i didn’t think it would be a sub category, which it is, not all the content is HD only a small selection is. I would also like to see more Tv shows on there, right now the selection is slim. Overall it’s a nice feature and I am sure it will get better and my complaints will be addressed. Netflix is a great company with a great product, I have been using them for over a year now and absolutely love it, they are a company that listens to their customers and cares what they have to say.
So I was wondering if they will have a streaming only option. Might be an interesting idea, though would anyone be interested in something like that? Well just something I was thinking about, let me know what y’all think about it, Do you like the new experience or hate it?
-mikey