new apple tv & netflix

[paulold]

I sometimes like to stream movies from Netflix to watch on my tv. I have been using my PS3 but recently picked up an Apple TV. I like the Apple TV interface and it works fine with Netflix, but there's one drawback. I can't tell (while selecting a movie to watch using the Apple TV/Netflix interface) if the movie is HD or not. If it's not HD, I'm not interested in watching the film. The video quality is just not good enough, for me. But I don't want to have to start the movie to figure out if it's HD or not.

If I go online to Netflix.com, I can search for HD movies or tell if a movie I am looking for is available in HD or not. If I go to Netflix via my PS3, I can also tell if a movie is in HD or not. But with Apple TV, I have no idea. I suppose I could search for the film online first and then call it up via my Apple TV but that's kindof annoying.

Apple also has movies to rent and when you browse those listings, they do indicate if the movie is in HD - so Apple is capable of indicating the HD status.

So who do I bring this up with? Apple or Netflix?

[184550]

Originally Posted by paulold

I sometimes like to stream movies from Netflix to watch on my tv. I have been using my PS3 but recently picked up an Apple TV. I like the Apple TV interface and it works fine with Netflix, but there's one drawback. I can't tell (while selecting a movie to watch using the Apple TV/Netflix interface) if the movie is HD or not. If it's not HD, I'm not interested in watching the film. The video quality is just not good enough, for me. But I don't want to have to start the movie to figure out if it's HD or not.

If I go online to Netflix.com, I can search for HD movies or tell if a movie I am looking for is available in HD or not. If I go to Netflix via my PS3, I can also tell if a movie is in HD or not. But with Apple TV, I have no idea. I suppose I could search for the film online first and then call it up via my Apple TV but that's kindof annoying.

Apple also has movies to rent and when you browse those listings, they do indicate if the movie is in HD - so Apple is capable of indicating the HD status.

So who do I bring this up with? Apple or Netflix?

It may be a 'feature' that Netflix decided to omit on their Apple TV version.

Are there enough HD movies to make it a worth while addition? When I watch Netflix on my computer I don't care enough to look and see if it's HD or not.

[paulold]

Originally Posted by NathanMuir

It may be a 'feature' that Netflix decided to omit on their Apple TV version.

Are there enough HD movies to make it a worth while addition? When I watch Netflix on my computer I don't care enough to look and see if it's HD or not.

The number of HD films is increasing which is why I have finally become a Netflix subscriber. And Netflix lets you browse just the HD movies on netflix.com - so they do promote it. It feels like they forgot about the indicator more so than they chose not to add it. But I can't tell if it's Apple's error or Netflix's. I agree - on a smaller screen, like on my iPad, it doesn't matter if it's HD or not. But on my 50" plasma tv, it makes a huge difference.

[184550]

Originally Posted by paulold

The number of HD films is increasing which is why I have finally become a Netflix subscriber. And Netflix lets you browse just the HD movies on netflix.com - so they do promote it. It feels like they forgot about the indicator more so than they chose not to add it. But I can't tell if it's Apple's error or Netflix's. I agree - on a smaller screen, like on my iPad, it doesn't matter if it's HD or not. But on my 50" plasma tv, it makes a huge difference.

I'd imagine that it's more likely this situation.

Do you know if the HD option is available on other smaller, streaming devices like the ATV? Perhaps Netflix wants to see what the adoption rate is like before they go to the trouble of adding a bunch of extra features.

[peterjcat]

Originally Posted by NathanMuir

I'd imagine that it's more likely this situation.

Do you know if the HD option is available on other smaller, streaming devices like the ATV? Perhaps Netflix wants to see what the adoption rate is like before they go to the trouble of adding a bunch of extra features.

HD is definitely available on the Apple TV -- when playing an HD video Netflix on the Apple TV pulls down about 3800kbps, which is the same as the bitrate of HD Netflix video on the Mac. The observable quality is also very good and much better than SD Netflix.

I agree that it would be handy if the HD badge were available (as it is in the iTunes Store); with any luck it'll come soon.

[Panch0]

Originally Posted by paulold

If I go online to Netflix.com, I can search for HD movies or tell if a movie I am looking for is available in HD or not. If I go to Netflix via my PS3, I can also tell if a movie is in HD or not. But with Apple TV, I have no idea. I suppose I could search for the film online first and then call it up via my Apple TV but that's kindof annoying.

Isn't this a job for the Netflix Instant Queue? You would still have to use another interface to select the items you want to add, but once done you would know that everything under the Instant Queue menu on the Apple TV is something that you have already verified as HD.

[trip1ex]

I wouldn't worry about it.

I haven't paid attention to whether the movie I'm watching is HD or SD and yet the picture quality has always been quite good on my 15 mbps internet connection.

It's more about the bit rate anyway than resolution.

[peterjcat]

Sure, but only HD movies have a bitrate of more than 1500kbps

[joudbren]

Originally Posted by NathanMuir

It may be a 'feature' that Netflix decided to omit on their Apple TV version.

Are there enough HD movies to make it a worth while addition? When I watch Netflix on my computer I don't care enough to look and see if it's HD or not.

I'm pretty sure Apple designed their own Netflix interface and the missing "HD" logo in the movie info is a definite miss on Apple's part so I have to agree with the OP. In Canada, some of the Netflix movies even offer Dolby 5.1 audio and the movie info on the PS3 clearly shows the "HD" logo and a separate "5.1" logo for those movies that offer it. ATV2 omits this info and also doesn't support the 5.1 audio available from Netflix Canada, only stereo at this time.

It's a shame as I really like the ATV2 interface for Netflix but I have to use my PS3 to get the DD5.1 audio which is fully supported on the PS3 version of Netflix (in Canada). Hopefully Apple fixes this up with the next firmware revision. Cheers!

James

[pedz]

My LG blu ray player supports netflix and it also shows the HD sign, so definitely just an omission. I imagine it will get added eventually.

I would also like to see it there myself, though I doubt I would pass on watching something just because it wasn't available in HD (but if I can't decide between two movies this can be the deciding factor ).

The atv netflix interface is so nice that I wouldn't give it up just for that anyway.

[Surf Monkey]

The ATV Netflix interface is fantastic, but it does lack some important features. The HD badge is one. Another is the lack of "watched" indicators on TV shows. Yet another is the lack of the progress bar that shows how much of a particular show or movie you've already watched. It needs an update to add these features back in, as they're VERY useful and sorely lacking in the Apple implementation of Netflix.

[184550]

Originally Posted by peterjcat

HD is definitely available on the Apple TV -- when playing an HD video Netflix on the Apple TV pulls down about 3800kbps, which is the same as the bitrate of HD Netflix video on the Mac. The observable quality is also very good and much better than SD Netflix.

I agree that it would be handy if the HD badge were available (as it is in the iTunes Store); with any luck it'll come soon.

Yes, I am quite aware of the fact that ATV will stream Netflix in HD.

By HD option, I meant an indicator on the movie information screen that would indicate whether or not the movie was available in HD or SD so that one would not have to start the film in order to determine if it was in HD.

I thought my usage of the term 'HD option' was evident in the first three or four posts between myself and the OP.