Poll: Wii Netflix discs now arriving, was it worth the wait?
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 26th 2010 1:52PM
posted March 26th 2010 1:52PM
It looks like today's the day that the first Wii Netflix discs are arriving in customer's hands, which only means one thing -- time for a poll. The Wii may be the last of the big three consoles to get its instant streaming fix, but it also has the largest installed base, and plenty of eager Netflix subscribers looking for an easy way to get instant streaming in their living room. Still haven't received your disc? Then you can get a taste of what's in store in the video after the break -- and if you have received it, be sure to let us know how it's working out in the poll below.
[Thanks, Erik]
[Thanks, Erik]
| Great! Who needs one of those other consoles? | |
|---|---|
| Not bad, but the Wii's limitations are pretty evident. | |
| Wii? I'm sticking to Netflix on my Xbox 360 / PS3. | |
| You're saying I can watch movies through the interwebz? |
Wheres the button for "No, its crap. I'll just watch these old movies on DVD by mail"???
@Jaylittles531
Hop on board the future train kid!!! No need to watch crappy movies via dvd anymore!! Save that for blu-ray ... get all the crappy movies you always wanted to see, but never knew you did, through the internets!
@Jaylittles531 that makes no sense to me
@(Unverified)
Half with you, so you both get rep.
I agree that my only physical media is now to be BD, however I don't like streaming from servers, I still want some control, some ownership.
So from now on, anything not worthy of HDness just gets put on HDD, so I can watch whenever, but its still mine, and I'll keep the discs/tapes as backups in the attic.
@(Unverified)
I have a Blu-Ray Player and its Amazing, but most of the Movies on Instant watch are old and only available in DVD.
@(Unverified)
This is somehow new?
I guess it's good for people that haven't already been streaming from their computer, for years. Oh wait, no it's not. Still better on a computer. Maybe it's good for the people that can't afford a computer?
@Jaylittles531 Or what about: I hooked up an old PC behind the TV so I have all kinds of crap on my TV without having to buy some game console or lots of plastic discs?
@jerbear
That works too lol
@FORDY
Yea... I rip my own DVDs and Blu-Rays, so I only touch the physical media once, and store it somewhere. All my videos are on an external hard drive. I'm actually planning on getting one of those Western Digital TV Live thingamabobs (or some other equivalent) some time in the future since I don't really watch movies through a Blu-ray, DVD player, or gaming console anymore.
@Jaylittles531
wiii ftw
@Marko maybe you need to get on that Wii Fit.
@Dick Lynch
"The" Dick Lynch? We're honored :P
Please add this option to the poll:
"Netflix on Wii/360/PS3? Oh I'm sorry, I'm in Canada."
@Plazmic Flame
It used to be that only Americans thought the world stopped at their borders but now I find that Canadians have caught this disease too.
@jakem
No this is endemic to every country. As long as said country has the service they want they couldn't care about what other countries want.
@Plazmic Flame How far away are post offices in Canada? It would take like a week turn around to get your movies (minus the couple of big provinces or w/e the hell your "states" are called). If it took that long, there's no way I would subscribe to Netflix.
screw the wii. was only designed for people who weren't smart enough to get a 360/ps3
Engadget editors: I'm always curious about the real answers to these polls. Please don't make the answer options all silly jokes, and give us a big "just show me the results" button, in case we're curious but can't answer.
I'd love to know, for real, if Wii owners are happy with the discs, and this poll is useless.
@bleahbleahbleah
Come on!
"You're saying I can watch movies through the interwebz?"
Is pretty much saying none of the above in a lighthearted way.
@bleahbleahbleah
To get the results without voting, just click Submit without selecting a response
@murchball that doesn't help; my point is that no one knows that, and the votes are filled with crap because of it.
@glamajamma no, I think even the options above it don't make sense.
Engadget does this with every poll - the answer options have jokey elaborations that are designed to be clickable by people who are fans of opposing products, and simple answers have clauses added to the end that might not apply, leaving people feeling like no option applies to them.
It's too bad because they're in a unique position to collect feedback by a powerful communoty of gadget loves who care and share the results.
Is anyone else reading this wondering whether the Wii Netflix thing is any good?
Why not:
I've tried Netflix on the Wii and it's great, but I can't compare it to other consoles.
I've tried it, and it's noticeably worse.
I've tried it, and it's about the same.
I've tried it, and it's worse.
I haven't tried it.
Or something similar.
I think everyone who reads the story benefits when the options are clear like that. Engadget writers are great, but they don't need to express their wit in the poll options.
@bleahbleahbleah
This one was 10 times better than that iPad poll... man, that was... H.o.R.r.I.b.L.e....
@bleahbleahbleah
I've got the streaming discs for both the PS3 and Wii. So far, I think the user interface for the Wii is superior.
It is extremely fast, especially for scrubbing through the queue, genres/suggestions, parts of the video. The Wii is connected to my LAN by USB adapter, to a small switch, as is the PS3. The switch goes to an Airport Express > Time Capsule 802.11N.
The PS3 interface is so slow in comparison it is shocking! I've used both a DualShock3 and Harmony One remote to control it. I hope the firmware update to the PS3 improves the UI speed until it is on a par with the Wii.
Obviously video quality isn't as good on the Wii, but it is probably good enough for many. The PS3 is hooked up to a Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K via HDMI and the Wii is connected to it via component. The display is a Panasonic G10 series plasma. I'm not sure yet how much the Pioneer's upscaling on the component input is improving the Wii's picture quality.
Hope this helps.
How do you get the disc??
@mogren www.netflix.com/wii
@mogren
Its pretty nice... I stream netflix on my computer on a monitor. If i want to watch it on my TV i just stream through my xbox. If my bro wants to watch something on his PS3 hes got my disc for that, and now my parents have my Wii disc for streaming. Its pretty sweet that my whole family can stream on different tv's at one time with just my 1 subscription. So I like the wii disc as it opens up a fourth and final place to stream movies/shows on netflix. kinda cool
STUPID poll if you are really trying to find out "How's Netflix on the Wii treating you?" 2 of the 4 answers are irrelevant, so we're left with "Great" or "Not Bad". Pointless.
@Hotwheelz33
Cable is so doomed...
@Hotwheelz33
It's like Engadget is some kind of corporate spin tool... oh wait....
What's the point of streaming if it isn't HD?
@Dr Blight What's the point in getting a DVD in the mail if it isn't HD?
@Dr Blight Maybe to just enjoy a movie?
I love you engadget,,, vut why make me navigate away from the android app to view a poll?
I put my netflix account on hold for a couple months, why am i paying for movies im not watching because theyre old and shitty.... not like i get new movies, and when i do its like weeks or months later then when they come out.
You need to add, "I have a computer that I have been streaming from for years, the disc is worthless."
Not being able to render games in HD was one thing, but it can't even play streaming video in HD? Weaksauce console processor is weak, although lets face it, power was never the Wii's goal.
@Nitesh You have a point. However, Netflix doesn't stream in full HD yet, so it's not like Wii users are missing out on anything.
@Nitesh Dvd's are not hd quality
@majortom1981
Obviously...What do DVD's have to do with online streaming though?
It does stream in HD. maybe it's in certain areas only though. I watched Uncle Buck last night, and it streamed in HD. Maybe just the 360 can do. I don't know.
@Jake Root The Wii version cannot.
@soccerpro100cn hasn't seen the PQ of Netflix streaming on the 360 and PS3 yet.
Where's the "Would be good if I didn't already have an Xbox" option?
@KeegdnaB before i get called out.....I assume option 3 is for people who do not own a Wii
@KeegdnaB
That's my option. It actually works pretty great if you don't care about HD (which I do).
my wii broke a while ago... havent bothered to get it fixed... not until the new zelda comes out at least
Engadget: Thanks for omitting the "I have an HTPC for Netflix streaming" option. Glad I get to feel disenfranchised by another one of your polls.
@CtrlBurn
You have not been disenfranchised. Just sayin.
And, to be honest, for the scope of this article, we don't care if you're streaming Netflix using an HTPC. All that is cared about here is: If you have a Wii and the new Netflix streaming disc, what is your evaluation of the service?
For those that can't quite grasp the survey options, I'll break it down with a bit of logic:
"Great! Who needs one of those other consoles?"
-The service is exactly what I wanted and works "great!"
"Not bad, but the Wii's limitations are pretty evident."
-The service is what I expected, knowing the Wii's limitations.
"Wii? I'm sticking to Netflix on my Xbox 360 / PS3[, etc]."
-The service is not what I expected or wanted and I will not continue using it.
"You're saying I can watch movies through the interwebz?"
-None of the above/I just want to see what current users of the service think
MOOOAARR POWERRRRRR...
I'm sorry, who here hasn't lusted after a netbook, joojoo, or ipad? Sometimes other features outweigh the nerdtastic urge for moar power. IMHO the wii is on the same plane as the ipod; sure there are better mp3 players, but the wii is so user-friendly and intuitive. Couple that with the fact that most americans have slowz-ass internetz, HD streaming becomes a moot point.