Netflix announces PS3 availability for those with Netflix sub...
 

Great news here for PS3 owners. No additional charges to use the Netflix service.

http://www.reuters.com/article/press...09+PRN20091026

It'll be interesting to see if Microsoft switches their policy to allow all users to use the Netflix service or continues to allow Netflix only to users who pay the $50 subscription fee.

Your twisting of things always provides me great amusement.

Which twisting would that be? The premium pricing on the 360? That's been a source of complaint for 360 users who don't want to pay additional charges for a service they already pay for at some level. I don't think it's twisting at all to note that there's now a pricing inequity between the two consoles that Microsoft needs to address. It wouldn't be an issue if Microsoft wasn't forcing premium subscriptions on their users.

I'd also note that the Netflix option is also available in Europe, which is a big market for the PS3. That's very important.

From your title it sounds like to me that you wont have to pay for the Netflix subscription to watch movies on your PS3.

Good point. I've changed it. Thanks.

;)

I guess this means any 2009 Sony W series or better should be good to go for streaming as well.

You have to pay for all XBOX 360 online content except for patches.

You make this out like there's some special charge to use Netflix. There's not.

I have an XBOX360 that I have never used for netflix primarily because of that extra cost. I don't play the xbox a ton, mostly just with my kids, but I don't find any usage for the online piece since the majority of the games are just not enjoyable to play online vs people who must be professional video game players or whatever.

If the Xbox allowed for netflix streaming without that additional cost, I would use it, but otherwise I don't ever plan on using it. That said, I don't really see any huge reason for them to remove the cost either. I for one have no intentions of rushing out to buying a PS3 because of its netflix ability either. I have at least three different ways to stream netflix on my tvs at home already. So having the xbox be able to do so would just allow me one more tv to watch it on. Not really something I am very concerned with at all.


Edit: I guess I kind of blurred what my main point was. XBOX as far as I know is the only method of netflix streaming that has additional costs to use beyond just the hardware. That likely is why some people are outspoken about it. I personally could care less, since I have other methods of viewing netflix streaming.

It's sometimes easy to forget how acustomed to paying for online play/use the Xbox user has become over time. Your post is a good example of that. PS3 users don't have to pay for anything to play online or watch movies/Netflix. In Europe, PlayTV even allows the PS3 to serve as a free DVR.

I guess I'm just used to not paying anything for online services as a PS3 user.

Thanks professor - I know you don't have to pay for online service on a PS3. It's also vastly inferior, etc, etc.

At any rate - my point is there is not some special fee for Netflix. I'd be pretty surprised if there is some large movement of people with an XBOX that are pissed about some "extra" fee as you imply it for Netflix. Because, well, there's not.

That's the thing though. It's really not that inferior anymore. The feature set of PS3 is catching up pretty quickly. Cross game chat and invites will be available in the next firmware. All of the movie functionality will be on par with the 360. Sure, it would have been great to have those features much sooner, but the current differences just aren't as 'vast' as you imply

:shurg:

I don't think there's any proof that the XBOX Live pricing structure has been some deterent to their market share. Is this where we get some lecture on how Sony is going to start a wave and take over?

I mean.. I think it's pretty silly to try and lay this as some big downfall.


That just seems like a very chicken-little statement.

I own both 360 and PS3 and the 360's online service has a much better interface than the PS3. Much more user friendly IMO - and it looks a hell of a lot better than the PS3.

I think there's a definite familiarity with the 360 interface. People are used to it and it functions well.

It couldn't POSSIBLY be that it's just better, eh?

If there wasn't a subscription fee and the $100 WiFi cost.............

I think there's little question that it's still the better interface, but the margin between the two has been reduced considerably. It's not the 'vastly' inferior interface as you indicated. The feature sets are drawing closer together, especially with Netflix, in-game chat and in-game invites all being added to the PS3.

This will go over good with the wife. We have the PS3 upstairs and 360 downstairs. She has been wanting me to get the computer hooked up to the TV so we can watch Netflix so, this will take care of that.

Glad to see this finally happen. I am actually one of the few who really only had XBox Live Gold for Netflix so a cheaper alternative is nice.

Not happy that you have to use a disc to run Netflix on the PS3 however. Surprised by that.

My understanding is that is only on the initial setup. There's an install and verify account the first time. Is that incorrect?

Edit: Found it. Disc is only temporary until next firmware is released. Upcoming firmware will enable Netflix without need for streaming disc.

I have a netflix subscription and a roku player. I also have a PS3 but have never used any of the online features. Is this going to be free through the PS3 or do I have to join some sort of monthly subscription online club? Because I could give my roku player to my friend who has netflix if this is the case.

I tried to figure this out from MBBF's post (which seemed pretty benign) but didn't feel like reading through all the people who will bitch and slam on MBBF no matter what he posts.

We have XBL and a PS3 in our apartment. "Infinitely better" is the only appropriate way to describe the difference between the two services.

You will be able to access Netflix's service on the PS3 with no additional charge using your existing Netflix account.

Same here. 360's online is much better than PS3 in stability/lag too at least for the games I've played.

More news on the movie front for Europe. They're finally getting the Sony movie services in addition to the Netflix update.

A sneak peak at The PlayStation Network Video Delivery Service. « PS3 Blog and Community | PS3Blog.net

Too bad the PS3 interface is a big steaming pile of shit compared to the 360 interface...

I heart FOFC.

I like the XMB interface. Sue me.

Count me as someone that didn't get a 360 partly because of the online fee. I don't care if the PS3 interface is viewed as a lesser one, as long as it's free I'm fine by that. I don't do near enough online gaming to pay for it for whenever I feel like playing online.

Thanks.

Side question: I have NCAA '09. Is there a place that has current rosters for the PS3 version? I always figured it cost money and so I never paid attention before.

My PS3 gave me a blowjob last night.

My Monday just got better. Thanks for the comedy, again, MBBF!

Are you new around here? The man constantly reaps that which he sows.

The interface for the 360 downloadable content is much better. I don't like the avatar crap the PS3 has. That being said, I like the fact that the PSN is free and have moved from the 360 to the PS3 for Madden and NCAA.

I have not had a game lock up on me on the PS3, whereas last year, two years ago, etc. I had NCAA and Madden games lock up on me all the time.

IMHO both systems have their positives and negatives. The best way to enjoy games is to have them both. (the Wii, too...although only my kids play that)

For how little I use mine and what I paid I wish I could say mine did too...

Well, I have some sympathy for him because he is a Mizzou fan. So while he is pretty outragous sometimes with his support of the Tigers he does make me laugh and I enjoy reading it. But to the issue at hand, I think the people who just rag on anything he writes are just as bad. At least MBBF has a sense of humor about it while a lot of the people ragging on him just come across as assholes. Perfect example would have to be this thread. In the political thread he is on his own though.

I've seen this site referenced before. Just have to download them to a USB thumb drive and then plug into PS3 to upload.

PS3

This is good news.

Hmmm....I wonder if I will start using Netflix now? Maybe. A lot bigger chance now then ever before I guess.

As for the XBox Live vs. PS3 online crap, I can't really weigh in fairly since I have never bothered to try XBox Live. I was never going to bother with running a wire halfway across my house and I was never going to pay $100 for a wireless adapter and I was never going to try running it through my laptop. The subscription fee may be worth it at some level but I never found out because I never connected it. PS3 I had hooked up in minutes and I have never had much of a problem playing games online with it. Just got Little Big Planet for my daughter and she loved going through and looking at the downloadable content, both through the store and in the game. She didn't seem to have a problem with the interface and she is 10. Downloadable content is pretty easy to get IMO though I don't know how Live does it.

Now what the point of Playstation Home is I still don't know. ;)

Some interesting stuff over at Joystiq. Per Michael Pachter, It appears that the BR disc used initially for the PS3 streaming is Sony and Netflix's way of circumventing the exclusivity agreement between Netflix and Microsoft. The agreement said that Netflix wouldn't appear on the dashboard of either the Wii or PS3. With this arrangement, Netflix gets to continue collecting exclusivity paychecks from Microsoft while putting their service on the PS3 through alternate means.

Netflix is coming to the PS3 [update]

My guess is that Microsoft will opt out at some point because they're paying exclusive money to a company that's basically found a loophole in that agreement to play both sides of the fence.

Meh, once you've lost all credibility its difficult to regain it. If he posted that it was raining outside I'd be wondering what his angle is.

It's now being reported that the firmware update that Sony BB Fan is alluding to will not be out till late 2010.

I wonder if this magic disc is going to cost right around 50/year. :)

I don't think you want to get rid of the Roku just yet. There are a lot more channels that will be added by the end of next month and even more by the end of the year. Plus the current channels MLB and Amazon aren't available on the PS3. And yes, this is coming from a PS3 owner. So at least for now you may want to hold on to it.

Yeah, it sounds like that was their way of avoiding pissing off Microsoft. They're going to let the exclusive agreement run out before releasing the firmware.


Thankfully not.

Just an FYI...

Forgot to sign up for the disk.

Yep, I've got to get signed up and start a subscription. Just heard that the disks were shipping while I was at lunch.

You don't need to pay your internet provider to view Netflix unless you're using an XBOX? I never knew that. As far as I knew, someone was paying for the ISP to provide the internet for you so there'd be a cost to access netflix on every system apart from hardware but with the XBOX you had to pay an additional fee.

Now, you may argue that you are really paying the ISP for other services and netflix is just an addition but then again, I got XBOX live for other services and netflix is just an addition to me too. That's why I like it because it was free. If I never used any service but netflix I'd probably be upset but even though I'm not an online gamer, I didn't mind buying live even before netflix and feel I've gotten my moneys worth out of it. I've bought games just as expensive and not gotten nearly as much use out of them.

dola, no, I wouldn't actually be upset at all. It's their right to design their business model any way they'd want. If I hadn't chosen a system honestly, free netflix might have swung my decision to the ps3 but I already had a 360 so it was never an option.