Upcoming Xbox 360 Netflix update is still gimped, Microsoft thinks you want it that way
By Tim Stevens 
posted August 5th 2009 9:26AM
posted August 5th 2009 9:26AM
If you haven't been lucky enough to preview the upcoming Xbox Live dashboard update like we did, there's a good chance you're eagerly awaiting its August 11 release so that you can finally modify your Netflix queue straight from the box. If so, prepare to be disappointed... or, uh, thrilled when you find out that the new experience isn't quite as comprehensive as you might have expected. It restricts users to perusing the Top 50 films in any of a handful of categories, meaning no searching by title and no browsing alphabetically. Why? According to Microsoft's Ben Smith, Director of Program Management for Xbox Live, that's how you want it. He says: "I think when people come to Xbox they're not really looking so much for functional, they really want to have fun, they want to be wowed." We're saying "wow," all right, but for entirely different reasons. There is a morsel of good news, though: if enough people indicate they actually like function and want an honest-to-goodness, full-featured Netflix experience Microsoft is fully prepared to upgrade the service. Again. Eventually.
[Via Joystiq]
@typoink
That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You rather have Form over Functionality? That is dumb. Straight Text search is boring?!! Well what did you expect it have pretty flowers with explosions and some gore?! Come on since when is searching a wrong thing to do. You obviously didn't read my whole rant above on how MICROSOFT ALREADY USES SEARCH FEATURE IN NETFLIX IN THERE WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER. The reason Netflix is so popular is because they went against the way the stores were done now nobody goes to the video store. Why do I have to go threw a list 10 min's long to go threw when I can just look it up. The update is better than what was previously but it's still 2 steps behind. Who doesn't use search here? Everyone searches anything from a search engine to asking a store clerk. Hey want to make search fancy have a Netflix Avatar Stand there and ask you what are you looking for you type it in and you get your answer. Why do I have to turn my PC on when it's usually off to go search for a title when Microsoft has the ability already to allow this to happen and the screwed up part is that I'm paying for it 2 ways. Threw Live and Netflix.
Endgadet,
Why not put one of your lovely reader polls on this post so Ben can see which option we want. It's in the best interest of everyone.
Thanks!
Agree. While you guys are at it search Ben Smith and Xbox live together in google. You might be able to find his page and send an e-mail to him personally. It's only fair we do pay for these 2 things.
I'm surprised they didn't try plugging Bing here. Ironically, it'd be a welcome change.
Guys, Microsoft is just a company. It's not like they have all this time and resources to develop "software" that will do fancy things like "search".
I know I hate functionality!
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This is the marketing departments way of saying.......its not ready yet. Its best for Netflix, Microsoft, and the Xbox Live community to have the whole Instant Queue on the dashboard.
I actually canceled my Netflix service this week.
I pretty much only had it for the blu-rays and instant watch, but the sheer lack of good releases coming out on blu-ray combined with the abysmal movie selection on instant watch finally got annoying enough for me to cancel it. I figure I'll reactivate in a few months after their inventory (I hope) has had some time to change and expand.
Ben Smith should be fired for being a dbag.
"they're not really looking so much for functional"
... the hell?
If I just wanted to watch the most popular movies I wouldn't be using netflix in the first place.
I have the preview and I am thoroughly disappointed with the improved NetFlix. Instead of opening up the whole NetFlix Instant library and giving you a search feature they just give you a bunch of the top rated films in a few of the top rated categories (no anime category sadly) and a few suggestions based on stuff you have watched recently. The NetFlix web site is sadly still required to get any use out of the service. Sadly they also haven't added better browsing options to the Instant Queue either.
I think it would have been easy enough to add a search feature to it. Your scrolling down the different categories, why couldn't they throw a search feature there also for those that want it? Also there's no need to type the WHOLE NAME, you should be able to enter just a few letters click on search and find 1 or 2 or so movies that match. Hell my Comcast Cable Box does that!!! Then just move onto the Movie Box like everything else. Really it's pretty simple and wouldn't be hard for the user. It wouldn't be hard to enter a few letters, Hell if MS is having you enter Codes for LIVE service and MS Points which are FAR, FAR Longer then a few letters for a movie, it just seems silly. Oh and if it's to much of a pain still, there is the CHATPAD which would work great anyway. I just don't see the problem.
The Netflix service is better now, but a simple search should have been part of it!!!
I got the dashboard early and I am not "wowed" by the Netflix update. Yeah, it's much better than before but being locked in to somebody elses top 50 sucks. Make it searchable, at least browseable, for all titles otherwise the Netflix update is really not that big a deal. As it is now, you still need to go to the Netflix website and add movies to your queue if you want something that doesn't happen to be on the top 50 list.
Hey Microsoft, and Apple for that matter, stop telling me what I want. I know what I want. You've guessed wrong again.