E308: More details about Netflix on the Xbox 360
Chatting with Marc Whitten and the entire Xbox 360 team at today's Community Briefing (more Community Briefing details will be coming later today), we were treated to a demo of the Netflix Xbox 360 service and how it works. Specifically, we were shown how the queuing system will be integrated and really, it's rather a straightforward process that utilizes Netflix.com.
First, to connect one's Netflix account to their Xbox Live account, customers will enter a keycode via Netflix.com that'll link the two accounts together. Then, once linked, the Netflix.com queue will instantly appear on the Xbox 360 allowing instant access to the movies. Want to change your movie queue? Simply update your movie queue online and within' 10 seconds, your Xbox 360's Netflix list will update. A very slick process indeed.
Other Netflix details we were able to learn from the Community Briefing was confirmation that only SD videos would be offered and streamed to the console (not downloaded) as the system analyzes which bitrate is the best fit for your connection. Up to eight friends can watch a movie together BUT they all must be Netflix subscribers. Finally, we were informed that Netflix's servers would handle all movie streaming and that they'll significantly upgrade their infrastructure before the Fall release.
