Netflix stealth launches HD streaming to PC and Mac

It appears HD Netflix Watch Instantly streams aren't just for living room set-top boxes anymore now that Netflix is streaming more than half of its 720p-encoded titles to Macs and PCs (through the Silverlight web player, no word on the Media Center add-on.) According to Hacking Netflix, you can tell which ones are ready to go by checking the mouseover box for the (HD Available) tag as seen above. Our experience matches several other reports that not everyone is seeing the tag on all the same titles, so until it's rolled out fully, YMMV. It's not the new release flicks or surround sound add-ons that many are waiting for, but it could slide PQ up another notch for HTPC owners and everyone who just has to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space at work -- but you'd never do that.

[Thanks, @DaveZatz]

[SinghT Posted May 12th 2010 5:28PM]

Rocket Singh was an awesome movie!

[Nbarsley Posted May 12th 2010 5:53PM]

Can anyone comment on the available bitrates in stream manger?

[Nbarsley Posted May 12th 2010 10:52PM]

@Nbarsley
I'll reply to myself. Nothing has changed on my end except that when I hover over some movies and tv shows (hd available) shows up. streams are still limited to 1500 kbps.

[iPaul Posted May 22nd 2010 8:01PM]

@Nbarsley I am witnessing well over 5MB/s on my PS3 with Netflix disc

[Wag Posted May 12th 2010 6:08PM]

Meh. I'll just go to the library and rent a Blu-Ray for $2.

[TheNetAvenger Posted May 12th 2010 6:11PM]

@Wag

Ya, that is SOO much cheaper than access to millions of Movies for $9...

Do people even know what NetFlix is?

[kevout Posted May 14th 2010 7:40AM]

@NetAvenger
Yeah, because those millions of movies are available on Watch Instantly...*cough*

Do YOU even know what Netflix is?

[jd Posted May 12th 2010 6:31PM]

and how do we know if it's streaming in hd? i did a quick check and it seems like bandwidth used on sd and supposed hd streams was about the same...

[rankwankjank Posted May 12th 2010 9:18PM]

Rocket Singh FTW

[Xing Posted May 12th 2010 10:07PM]

I think you might have jumped the gun on this engadget - it's either a limited roll out or a hoax. If you go back to hacking netflix website half the posts report it does not show up & netflix reps still claim it does not stream HD to pc's. Hope it does start soon though

[LazarusDark Posted May 13th 2010 10:24PM]

@Xing
I saw the (HD available) on a couple titles when I was browsing last week, though I didn't end up watching one because all the ones I saw were crap movies, but it's not a hoax. I thought is was kinda odd that they hadn't announced it though, maybe they are just testing?

[vbisbest Posted May 12th 2010 11:33PM]

No big deal. Let me know when they bring back the "Friends" features and then you got yourself a story. Biggest product marketing blunder ever.

[Diversion Posted May 13th 2010 1:35AM]

Not streaming in HD for me on Win7... I guess it was only for a short time or they haven't gone fully live yet :/

[cray Posted May 13th 2010 5:08AM]

I care more about upgrading the close-captions/subtitles than I do for their picture quality. They BETTER fix it or they are going to lose a lot subscribers to HULU, if and when the latter goes to the subscription model. HULU has had captions for almost a year now.

[betacrater Posted May 13th 2010 9:48AM]

It's easy to see which movies are available for HD streaming on PC and Mac. On the "Watch Instantly" tab, click the genres drop-down and choose HD. On that page you'll find a button that says "Show HD for PC/Mac." Click it and BAM. You're golden.

[Nbarsley Posted May 13th 2010 11:47AM]

@betacrater I guess you're lucky. No HD genre on the Watch Instantly tab for me.... :(
I do see "HD Available" on some of my movies... but they're not hd.

[constrict Posted May 13th 2010 3:53PM]

I can't seem to get any of the movies that claim '"HD Available" to actually stream HD on my pc.

[kevout Posted May 14th 2010 7:43AM]

Still nothing in HD for me. No genre tab, no movies or shows coming up with the "HD available" tag. Called customer support, they said they didn't know anything about HD being rolled out for computers.

Way to report on nothing, Engadget.

[RichardLawler Posted May 14th 2010 10:43AM]

@kevout Which part of "Your mileage may vary" did you not read, understand or care about?

[iPaul Posted May 22nd 2010 8:00PM]

Netflix HD looks great on PS3. The best HD I have ever seen a stream off the net.