Netflix Watch Instantly comes to Vista Media Center, not Extenders
By Richard Lawler 
posted May 20th 2009 1:45AM
posted May 20th 2009 1:45AM
Update: We checked with Microsoft, and confirmed that, at least for now, this streaming only includes the same content as the browser experience - so no HD. As far as Windows 7 and / or RC1 support? No word yet.
[Via The Green Button]
Microsoft and Netflix Enhance Movie and TV Watching on the PC
Latest content addition offers more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes that can be watched instantly on a PC with Windows.
REDMOND, Wash. - May 19, 2009 - Microsoft Corp. today announced that more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix Inc., the world's largest online movie rental service, are now available to watch instantly on the PC using Windows Media Center on PCs with Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate. This newest content addition builds on Microsoft's goal to create a consistent experience on the PC for consumers to easily enjoy the entertainment of greatest interest to them.
With Windows Media Center, consumers no longer need to jump from Web site to Web site to find the TV shows, movies, sports and news they want to watch. Windows Vista customers who are also Netflix members can simply start Windows Media Center on their PC and then select the new Netflix tile under TV+Movies to begin streaming movies and TV episodes instantly. People can also search the entire Netflix library, manage both their instant and DVD Queues, and even filter searches by titles that are available to watch instantly. Windows Media Center takes advantage of the Netflix recommended category lists to make it even easier to quickly find the movies and TV shows that consumers want to watch. Conveniently, Netflix in Windows Media Center is also designed to work with any Windows Media Center-compatible remote control.
The availability of Netflix in Windows Media Center marks the second recent content milestone for Windows, following the March 2009 launch of the Sports Channel, which offers a variety of interactive sports content from CBSSports.com, FOX Sports, MSNBC.com and more.
"Netflix is excited that the majority of the Windows Vista users in the U.S. can now access a vast array of movies and TV episodes from Netflix through Windows Media Center," said Steve Swasey, vice president of corporate communications. "There's no better way to enjoy movies than with Netflix, and this latest offering is another milestone that gives Windows Media Center customers a great experience using the Netflix service."
The Netflix instant watching in Windows Media Center is powered by Microsoft Silverlight, one of the industry's most comprehensive and powerful solutions for the creation and delivery of applications and media experiences. The use of Silverlight means that customers will have more accessible, more discoverable and more secure experiences. Windows Media Center is available on Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate.
In addition to Windows Media Center users, Xbox 360 system owners already have access to watch movies and TV episodes instantly from Netflix via an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership. The offerings through both platforms allow customers to enjoy more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes.
"We're continuing to work with the top content providers today to make watching TV on the PC a mainstream experience for the future," said Craig Eisler corporate vice president of entertainment client software for the TV, Video and Music Business Group at Microsoft. "Consumers understand that content is the driving force when it comes to experiences, and with Netflix, we're underscoring our broader commitment to deliver a rich experience with Windows Media Center."
Is this coming to Media Center on Windows 7 RC?
Microsoft told me that it maybe will kinda sorta will not but at the same time may come to Windows 7 RC.
Dammit. I finally installed 7 on my media center and now I can't get this? Bummer. I've been using a 3rd party plugin but it would be nice to have the official one.
I'm using the RC on my HTPC too, so I'm asking the same question.
However, I think it's important to acknowledge the rampant entitlement in this country that lets us expect a plugin for software whose officialist release date is "early next year".
What?
Build in advertisement?
Will Vista becomes a Malware?
millions of 7 users are asking the same question at the current moment..i just asked brandon the same question on the team blog
I hope they will be supporting HD streaming with this.
only in the Premium Deluxe Ultimate edition
No netflix for you, Premium Deluxe and others!
Okay, I'll be the Mac whiner. Why doesn't Netflix make a Front Row plug in for Mac/AppleTV?
ask a stupid question and you will damn sure get a stupid answer!
Probably because they want to push the movies you can rent/buy on iTunes.
"They" as in Apple.
A few reasons I can think of:
1) Mac fanboys have been very vocal that all you need is iTunes and anything else is sub-par. Why spend resources creating something that a true Mac user will never install when they can faithfully pay money to Apple?
2) Apple keeps their APIs very close to the vest (see AppleTV and iPhone/iPod/Touch for reference). Do they have a Front Row API available, and if so will it satisfy all of Netflix's requirements?
3) To use a modified version of the Apple fanboy war-cry, "What is a Mac?" Mac has a much lower marketshare than Vista (yes, Vista has sold more than OSX, even though many would wish you to believe differently). They may eventually build a Mac version, but Vista ships with WMC built-in, and you create software where you have a better chance of selling more.
4) When HD-DVD was relased, we were told (again by the Mac fanboys) that Blu-ray was the future because Apple was part of the BDA. Then we were told Microsoft (sorry, M$) was just trying using HD-DVD to try to destroy the disk-based market and force people into a downloaded content mechanism, and downloads were not the way to go. While this may be an extension of #1, why give something to people who do not want it - even if now Apple calls BD (and actually, anything not iTunes based) "a bag of hurt"?
5) Why does everything on Windows need to be available for Mac? Is iPhone development available on Windows (or even PPC processors, for that matter)? Is many of the other programs that ship with OSX available on Windows? If Apple ported Front-Row to Windows, perhaps NetFlix would have written to Front Row first to get both Mac and Windows users, then written to WMC for those users.
6) Do Mac users expect more than what NetFlix can provide? Do Mac users expect to copy the video to an iPod for mobile viewing, while WMC users just want to watch on their TV? If NetFlix is not licensed to allow mobile viewing, Mac users may not be happy with what NetFlix provides.
7) When NetFlix was announced on the 360, many of the Mac faithful derided it for not having the quality of iTunes. Why release something when they are told that it does not have the same quality?
8) When NetFlix was announced on the 360, many of the Mac faithful derided it for not having the number of titles available on iTunes. Why release something when they are told that it does not have the same selection?
9) Perhaps NetFlix asked Apple for access to the locked-down AppleTV or iTunes, but Apple rejected them.
10) Perhaps the AppleTV processor or OS does not have the processing power to support NetFlix.
11) Perhaps somebody working for NetFlix just does not like Apple, and did not want to support Apple users.
12) Maybe they just wanted piss you off and toy with your emotions.
There could be many reasons. Just because you are a Mac user does not entitle you to every software program available. It would be best if it was available for Macs also, but they just have not created the software yet.
I own a Mac and I can tell you, Front Row sucks. I never use it. It's always much easier to navigate with a keyboard.
And if you're using Front Row as a frontend for an HTPC, Media Center is light years ahead.
i don't understand why you wouldn't just watch it on netflix's website in the first place... but maybe its just me considering I don't really use media center for anything
If your watching TV or listening to music with Media Center you can jump directly to Netflix without going into your browser. Plus, you will probably get to use the media controls unlike in the browser. It's a nice add-on to Media Center and it compliments Microsoft's idea of a centralized media.
If you are using a media center in the living room that is in VMC all the time you can just use the remote to start a movie.
What's up with the cheapskate comment?
Because they are blocking the use of media center extenders. This way they can get extra cash from people that currently have XBOX 360 accounts and a WMC-HTPC. I personally want to get Netflix but won't until they have support for the extenders as I use an extender in my bedroom. This is just another reason why Linksys is pulling of making these things. Poor shame
Hopefully this will come to the Windows 7 RC. Media Center is 1000 times more awesome than in Vista.
You think the FCC would allow a merger of Netflix and Microsoft?
Sweet I just got it!
You need to use a keyboard and mouse to install it... Not exactly a perfect setup
@ Alex
well it is a computer so those two things should be standard
@WixosTrix
Well it is a media center so those two things are not standard. A remote control is.
If you are using a standard PC you could just go to the Netflix site and watch movies there. The point of a Windows Media Center plugin is that it can be completely controlled with a remote.
Oh horror! a keyboard and mouse! I sure hope I've got one of them there new fangled toys lying round. Honestly, I've got a MC in the living room and the remote is for "using it" and the wireless keyboard (with trackpad) is for "configuring it" - and yet somehow I struggle on, day-by-day. If you're going to whinge, at least come up with a VALID reason for doing so.
Alex I have an HTPC and STILL have a Keyboard and mouse for it....wireless sure but I still have it...
@Timbo
No shit, right? At first I thought he was making a joke about needing to hook up a KBM like with MS Surface, then I realised he was actually bitching about having to connect a keyboard to a computer. The horror indeed.
I've been watching Netflix on my VMC computer since I resubscribed to Netflix earlier this year. There are two major plug-ins that allow this with nothing more than a program installation and then logging in through the program. I guess this is big because it's an official plug-in from Microsoft and Netflix? Don't get me wrong, I'm stoked if i get to uninstall something from the computer, but my wife went nuts when i put that plug-in in the HTPC and watches it like crazy already.
So I guess this is a good thing, but let's not say "finally" like it's been nearly impossible to do until now.
AS usual Canada is left all alone with no one to play with!! I am so tired of being offered features that don't actally work.
Sweet. I got Netflix once it became available on the Xbox 360 and I love it. The DVDs they ship in the mail are an afterthough, I usually stream my movies and tv episodes via the Xbox, or sometimes on my laptop via their website. This is nice, doesnt change much since you could always do it online, but it is nicer and more streamlined this way.
Is HD Streaming support included? That info is noticeably absent from the press release so I guess not.
This is so annoying how they so do not understand their own product. The lack of extender support when there is a perfectly functional community created app that proves it can work is just annoying. Seems a play to try to protect the revenue stream of the gold memberships on the Xbox, but at least give us gold members the ability to use Netflix within the extender environment without having to drop out to the dashboard.
Grr.
two steps forward.
one whack in the back of the head with a two-by-four.
this is a useless benefit. if you use internet explorer or media center it is still the same viewing experience.
Not if you have a PC attached to a TV it isn't. The remote/10 foot view interface is critical, especially if you also do other media on your TV with the PC.
It's even pretty easy today for people just to hook a laptop up to an HDMI port and not commit to a full blown HTPC.
again... read many comments above...
for use in VMC with a remote, in a TV watching like setting.
please, people, pay attention.
I am a total noob with a question: I currently 'time shift' movies by burning them to a dvd. Can I do this with netflix downloads or are they drm'd?
thanks
DRM, but it really doesn't matter. It's there as long as you pay for the service. You are paying, right?
My cheapskate eyes got big until I saw "not Extenders".
what are extenders? its uses? sorry i am a low techie person ;-P
i have vista home premium 64 bit and i went thru the installation within the Media Center....so far i cant get it to play a movie for me...it keeps hanging. Can anyone help me understand what i need to do right so i can enjoy this feature? Thanks in advance to very helpful suggestions :-)
Just tried it out and the quality is horrible. I just built my HTPC 2 days ago and was pleasantly surprised to see this article, but it's just not worth it. I'd been using PlayOn from MediaMall and either my Directv or PS3's DLNA capabilities to watch Netflix previously and the quality was much, much better. Of course, with the MCE plugin, you can fast forward which is nice, but with the picture quality so bad, it's just really unusable.
Not sure if this is because it uses Silverlight to stream or what, but MS needs to get a clue.
I guess I just don't see the point. You can already do this. And no extender support makes it kind of lame, I would rather watch on my television.
Two thumbs down.
It's on my Media center already!
Appears it's only for Vista & Win7...too bad! I was hoping to get some use out of my MCE 2005 computer! It's still has some very good specs (well...everything except the video card... a PCI Express 128 Meg Liquid cooled card) Ah well...need to find a good gaming machine!
I must admit, the Vista interface for this application is very pleasing! I do side with Alex. The install should not require Mouse and Keyboard since it's suppose to a Media Center integration! Well...at least it works...sort of... during some test, it did crash the media center application!
Really though, I don't think extender support is that big of a deal. Pretty much everyone has given up on them, TV's are starting to include Netflix support of thier own and the only extender MS cares about (the 360) can already do Netflix on its own.