Netflix & Xbox 360: Made of Win
Posted by Benny Torres | November 24, 2008
Microsoft recently released a rather large update for the Xbox 360 – which adds a completely revamped interface along with some new features, including the ability to stream your Netflix instant queue to your TV. Eric Bee called the feature a “gamechanger.” I’ve never quite jumped on the Netflix bandwagon so I scoffed indignantly. This weekend, I tried it out. I’m now a convert. Using the service was one of those “holy s**t” technology moments. It’s like I saw the future in front of me. And it looked like Tina Fey in HD. Netflix on Xbox 360 truly changes the role of the white, heat-prone box underneath my TV.
I always seem to have an insane amount of TV shows recorded on my TiVo, have a backlog of movies and TV shows on my computer, always have a line-up of games I haven’t quite finished, and have an on-going list of movies and TV shows that friends and family have told me I “have to watch.” All these these activities center around my TV, but use any number of components actually connected to my screen. Netflix on the Xbox 360 is the first time I’ve actually been able to seamlessly stream content to my TV with no fuss or setup. I don’t have to plug in my laptop, I don’t have to wait for the show or movie to record, I don’t have to download anything. I just select my content… and it magically appears on my TV in beautiful HD (usually) in under a minute.
The issue with so many other “solutions” is they always seem to concede something. You’ve got to buy a new box to connect, or you’ve got to convert the media to the right format, or you’ve got to wait for something to finish downloading before you use it, or you’ve got to actually buy the box AND buy the content AND wait for it to download (ahem, Apple TV). Netflix on Xbox 360 takes a great game machine and turns it into a great, simple Netflix streaming machine – no concessions or extra costs. This is the type of integration that game console makers have been hawking since the PS2 days. It’s Apple-like simplicity, from Microsoft. Like I said, a revelation.
