Chances of Netflix on Nintendo 'excellent,' says Netflix CEO
By Ross Miller 
posted January 9th 2010 7:30PM
posted January 9th 2010 7:30PM
In case you missed it last night in the All Things D event -- and frankly, given the length and general jejune of it, we wouldn't blame you -- Reed Hastings of Netflix took the stage and sat down with Peter Kafka. Here's the takeaway: when Kafka asked him the chance of "getting on Nintendo," Hastings replied, "our chances are excellent." It's not much, but after at least a year of hints and teasers, it's by far the best confirmation we've got. Of course, he didn't say which system, but let's be honest... the only logical choice is DS, right?
Definitely the DS. Spot on.
@Mr Oos
I would think the GameBoy Micro would make the most obvious choice.
@ScienceProUSAcom
pfft, more like the virtualboy
@Mr Oos I think the Virtual Boy could be a fine console to take advantage of all these 3D movies netflix could be distributing.
@Mr Oos
no...surely it's the SNES?
@Mr Oos
The DS 2 could actually be a viable choice as it will be more powerful than the wii.
@New Reformation
Ok you've gone and spoiled the fun. Personally, I think Netflix is probably coming to a Nintendo-powered wristwatch with a 1.2" 1080p 480hz screen. It'll be glorious!
@Mr Oos
See, I would have guessed the Wii.
@awillinger Fail
@Mr Oos
The Sega Genesis will be the next console to get Netflix because Genesis does what Nintendon't!
I'd actually expect to get a confirmation of this somewhere around E3 and then showing up a few months later.....
I'm sure some people would complain about the Wii not having HD support, but its not like its going to make that much a a difference anyways. If they want HD streaming Netflix they can use a PC, PS3, Xbox 360, etc to do so.
@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
Netflix will not stream HD to a pc only SD. They only stream HD to extenders. Which stinks if your an HTPC!
@lindsaypace I could have sworn that Media Center supported HD Streaming for Netflix.....
What? why not the Wii? Put some use into that thing!
WELL I WOULD say Wii Channel with a DSi app with Wii to DS sync
BUT WE ALL KNOW Nintendo failed to give us this Wii to DS sync besides the Pokemon Battle Revolution game.
So I say DSi app ONLY. Having a mobile Netflix would sell DSi like hotcakes
Honest question, could the Wii even handle streaming netflix?
@Heywatchitbuddy Easily, but it just wouldn't stream in HD.
@Heywatchitbuddy
I dont think the Wii is THAT low grade, sure it can handle streaming,
its the internet connection that matters
@mattcoz How do you claim it can 'easily' stream Netflix? The Wii has no HD and precious little RAM to cache enough content to provide a smooth playback experience. Unless you are on a super fast, reliable connection every time you watch Netflix content. Which is impossible in US except for a priviledged few.
@hooeezit A privileged 100,000,000 maybe, but not few.
@hooeezit Where do you live? Idaho? Almost anyone can get high speed internet, especially if you live on the east coast. I don't know of any state on the east coast without high speed internet, except maybe the upper part of Maine (and I bet they get it too, just have never been up past Portland). I don't know a single person with dialup, and the people with DSL are just to cheap or ignorant to get cable internet.
@hooeezit I guess I'm one of the rare few, it works great on my 360 and my CPU I got hooked up to a 32in flat panel
@mattcoz
Not only that, the Wii can't stream h.264 encoded video. The homebrew community has tried, but it just lacks the right architecture to do so. If Netflix went on Wii, they'd need to encode it in something more primitive.
I want to hire whomever is doing Engadget's Photoshop !
Sony should put it on the PSP. That would be pretty awesome.
Mario!
Unless the Wii gets 720 or 1080 HD output it is just not worth it.
I would rather get a BluRay player that supported Netflix than Netflix on my Wii.
If it's not on Gameboy Color, I don't care.
There are a lot of Wiis out there in homes that do not have a netflix streamer already at the TV. The Wii is also wifi so people wouldn't have to run a connection.
Nerflix is so overated.
The day nerflix has a better picture than say a blu Ray movie playing via hdmi on a 52" inch Sony 1080p , let me know. All for $2 rentals at ut local video store. Until then if netflix u wanna do low mediocre quality do so. It's like taking a step back in technology. I'm amaze how many people settle for watching low quality vid online Pc or stream. Amazing. No logic there.
@logic thinker
Wow you are a logic thinker!
@logic thinker You do realize that steaming movies are just a free add-on to getting dvds and blu-rays delivered to your doorstep. I prolly watch 3-4 movies a week with a 2 out plan for $17 a month (including blu-ray access), which if I paid $2 per title would cost at least $24 (and I've never seen a place rent dvd's let alone blu-rays for $2 a title).
@MJGAMER 1991 XBL
You've never heard of RedBox with $1 rentals? Even Blockbuster now has $1 kiosk rentals at Publix in Miami (atleast).
Where do you live, Antarctica?
It's amazing how there is an expectation that everyone has their Wii hooked up to a 1080P tv. There are TONS of us that are still running a CRT based TV that would rather spend $10 on a CD that lets us stream Netflix than $200 on a BluRay Player since there is no benefit of Blu on CRT. Also, the Wii is in many family homes with little children where the difference between SD television and HD is completely lost. Sure the parents may care but not everyone does. My little one running between the living room and the couch doesn't care if Spongebob or the Little Einsteins are in HD or not.
Thrilled at the idea of Netflix on a Wii (maybe even an HD Wii?). Not thrilled at the use of "jejune" as a noun.
I know it would be popular to diss a Wii netflix due to the lack of HD, but our DSL connection isn't really adequate for the HD resolution videos being streamed to our 360 and so it frequently hiccups and stops for a second or two and then continues with much higher compression/much worse picture quality. On the Wii we'd be getting an ED stream, 480p, and having a lower resolution I'm hoping that we'd end up with better quality to due to lower compression needed, plus hiccup free (which is really annoying/jarring.)