First Netflix Streaming Box Review, $100 and Unlimited Downloads!

[guru_ck]

Via Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/389698/first-netf...ited-downloads

Netflix's first streaming box is finally here and it's pretty damn brilliant of a set up. First of all, the box is 99 bucks, and designed by Roku. It's fanless and quiet; has HDMI and optical outputs; and is about the size of 5 CD cases stacked together. Any Netflix disc mailing plan over $9 gets you unlimited streaming of almost 10,000 titles. Unlimited! 10K titles! Take that Apple TV and VuDu!

It's going to be interesting to see how Apple and Vudu respond.

[bbbensen]

I have Netflix.

I dont think that my parents would get it. I wonder if it has HD movies? We wouldnt unless it does, cause we havent gotten a blue-ray player yet. If it does, we will get it in an instant.

[MikieMikie]

Stereo only -- no 5.1
No HD Content at all. 0.
No purchases at all. 0.
No new "blockbuster" movies, except through the normal DVD rental.
Picture quality: "not great, even at 2.2 Mbps"

Still, it beats driving to the nearest brick & mortar store.

[Scarpad]

The Main thing I use my ATV for is viewing my Own DVD-rips something I don't think this will allow you to do. Downloading a viewing movies is definate secondary, I could basically do what this doesby hooking my laptop to the TV.

[mallbritton]

Reading over that review I don't see any reason for Gizmodo to be getting all excited about this device. In addition to the list that one poster has already pointed out you can't choose what entertainment to watch directly from the device. You have to start the stream from your computer. How lame is that?

No, this device is just a slapped together panic response to the TV and XboX 360 rental services. It won't last very long.

Regards,
Michael

[wordmunger]

Well, this seems perfect for me. I don't have HDTV and I don't care too much about the latest releases -- I can get them on pay-per-view if I really want them. The extra step of ordering from my computer is no big deal.

Paying the $400 entry fee for apple tv, plus the relatively poor selection of rentals makes that a less appealing option than this.

[Jason Edwards]

Originally Posted by mallbritton

Reading over that review I don't see any reason for Gizmodo to be getting all excited about this device. In addition to the list that one poster has already pointed out you can't choose what entertainment to watch directly from the device. You have to start the stream from your computer. How lame is that?

No, this device is just a slapped together panic response to the TV and XboX 360 rental services. It won't last very long.

Regards,
Michael

This is just the entry level for Netflix. There are more advanced units coming. One step at a time. I would imagine eventually users will be able to view all of Netflix's library and do it from the unit without having to start the stream on the computer. The more options we have, the better things are.

[SamMiller0]

Originally Posted by mallbritton

Reading over that review I don't see any reason for Gizmodo to be getting all excited about this device. In addition to the list that one poster has already pointed out you can't choose what entertainment to watch directly from the device. You have to start the stream from your computer. How lame is that?

where did you see this described? If I interpret the gizmodo article correctly, you can still chose movies using the remote. You just have to setup your queue using a web browser as you would normally do so today without the streaming box.

Originally Posted by http://gizmodo.com/389698/first-netflix-streaming-box-review-100-and-unlimited-downloads

The box itself doesn't have menus. No, instead, you use Netflix's brilliant website to load up your queue. You just use the remote to scan through your instant viewing queue (now separate from the disc queue) select a movie and play.

[MacFly123]

Originally Posted by mallbritton

Reading over that review I don't see any reason for Gizmodo to be getting all excited about this device. In addition to the list that one poster has already pointed out you can't choose what entertainment to watch directly from the device. You have to start the stream from your computer. How lame is that?

No, this device is just a slapped together panic response to the TV and XboX 360 rental services. It won't last very long.

Regards,
Michael

Originally Posted by Jason Edwards

This is just the entry level for Netflix. There are more advanced units coming. One step at a time. I would imagine eventually users will be able to view all of Netflix's library and do it from the unit without having to start the stream on the computer. The more options we have, the better things are.

What's even more lame and completely delusional is that they say that having to start it from your computer is an "Improvement" over Apple's "No Computer Required" approach that lets you control everything from your couch, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!! Wow how stupid are these people???

Did I mention the thing is Fugly as all get out???

[gcmexico]

Originally Posted by Scarpad

The Main thing I use my ATV for is viewing my Own DVD-rips something I don't think this will allow you to do. Downloading a viewing movies is definate secondary, I could basically do what this doesby hooking my laptop to the TV.

***
I'm with this comment...if you can't put ripped DVD's into the box what is the point? ATV, is one stop shop, limited for now but will only expand look at itunes...I have my whole movie collection 65+, all seasons of Seinfeld and all my personal videos on my ATV, and I can rent and buy movies with a touch of a button on my couch...what more does one need I ask??

[wordmunger]

Originally Posted by gcmexico

what more does one need I ask??

More than, say, a couple hundred rentals would be a good start. Most people over 35 don't collect TV episodes on their computers.

[blindzero]

Originally Posted by gcmexico

***
I'm with this comment...if you can't put ripped DVD's into the box what is the point? ATV, is one stop shop, limited for now but will only expand look at itunes...I have my whole movie collection 65+, all seasons of Seinfeld and all my personal videos on my ATV, and I can rent and by movies with a touch of a button on my couch...what more does one need I ask??

I can't tell from the eye rolling if this is sarcastic, but how about a subscription based service on Apple?

For the same price on Apple/XBOX you could rent 2-3 movies max a month. Fine if you are a casual watcher...but these boxes are not for the casual watcher.

Has the movie industry responded to this Netflix decision to offer free content? Maybe they pay a portion of the monthly fee...I don't know, but to think NBC was giving Apple all that grief for selling content...

[synapse9579]

Originally Posted by gcmexico

***
I'm with this comment...if you can't put ripped DVD's into the box what is the point? ATV, is one stop shop, limited for now but will only expand look at itunes...I have my whole movie collection 65+, all seasons of Seinfeld and all my personal videos on my ATV, and I can rent and by movies with a touch of a button on my couch...what more does one need I ask??

I agree with this comment too. I have all my movies stored on my computer, where I use Apple TV to watch it all, all in DVD rips with DD 5.1. I've probably rented two movies, but that's because my friends were over and we wanted to watch something new.

The box itself doesn't have menus. No, instead, you use Netflix's brilliant website to load up your queue. You just use the remote to scan through your instant viewing queue (now separate from the disc queue) select a movie and play.

LOL...so if I have to use my computer to select what movie I want to watch, then why have a set-top box? This basically did what my G4 iBook did last summer when I traveled, basically hooked it up to a SD TV and got stereo sound. Not gonna pay an extra $100 to have a device that does the same thing as my old POS laptop. At least with the Apple TV, I have the option to do a lot more, i.e. like pictures, music, podcast, youtube, flickr, a separate interface for my movies and tv shows. I welcome the competition, but they still need to do to more to be a threat. Hopefully Apple can do some good changes with it's next version.

[Shasterball]

Originally Posted by gcmexico

***
I'm with this comment...if you can't put ripped DVD's into the box what is the point? ATV, is one stop shop, limited for now but will only expand look at itunes...I have my whole movie collection 65+, all seasons of Seinfeld and all my personal videos on my ATV, and I can rent and by movies with a touch of a button on my couch...what more does one need I ask??

I totally agree. Except, I use my XB 360 to stream and I have no problems whatsoever... So, ATV just doesn't have any appeal to me...

[veneficuss]

Originally Posted by Scarpad

The Main thing I use my ATV for is viewing my Own DVD-rips something I don't think this will allow you to do. Downloading a viewing movies is definate secondary, I could basically do what this doesby hooking my laptop to the TV.

If I already had a dvd, why would i need the apple tv or a netflix service for anyway? I would pop it into my up-converting PS3 blu-ray player and watch it in hi-def. How many times can u watch the same movie? I have a computer set up to my sony bravia HDTV and i use the netflix instant watch on it all the time. I have to say that the picture is better than regular broadcast tv. I was quite amazed at the video quality of 30 Rock season 1, Weeds Season 1 & 2 and Dexter Season 1. The $99 box is obviously for those who dont want a Windows PC (instant view requires IE7) connected to their Tv. IMO Netflix hit a home run with this service. The fact that Roku said the device is HD ready may indicate that Netflix is researching how to stream HD content.

[dan3L]

Originally Posted by MikieMikie

Stereo only -- no 5.1
No HD Content at all. 0.
No purchases at all. 0.
No new "blockbuster" movies, except through the normal DVD rental.
Picture quality: "not great, even at 2.2 Mbps"

Still, it beats driving to the nearest brick & mortar store.

My Apple TV is a vehicle for streaming my movie library to my TV. This thing at any price is not for me. I am using aprox 2.2 mbps for my encoding. Looks Great! Walley World quality at a Walley World price.

[Obi-Wan Kubrick]

Originally Posted by MikieMikie

Stereo only -- no 5.1
No HD Content at all. 0.
No purchases at all. 0.
No new "blockbuster" movies, except through the normal DVD rental.
Picture quality: "not great, even at 2.2 Mbps"

Still, it beats driving to the nearest brick & mortar store.

I agree with you that those are all serious setbacks except for the NO PURCHASE. I for one dont want to buy digital movies. I am young and I still prefer buying a physical object.

[vandy1997]

I don't mean any disrespect to the manufacturers of this thing, but has anybody looked at the remote on this? It looks like it is modeled after remotes from the 1980s - what a piece of junky-looking equipment. And the Apple TV costs more because it comes with something called a hard drive. This thing does not. And I am not believeing the "we will flip the switch, and HD will magically appear" baloney. Is it just me, or are people just looking for a really cheap-looking piece of junk. It would be fine if I were a starving college student, but otherwise, comparing the Apple TV with this is like comparing Apples with rotten nasty-looking and awkwardly designed oranges. In addition, there have been talks that Apple TV may include a DVR feature in the future. That would definitely put this crappy little thing to shame. The Apple TV also can play pictures, music, etc. I just don't see how people are comparing this to the Apple TV. Sorry, and now let's return to quality products.

[clayj]

Hmm.

Having owned a couple of Roku products in the past, let me warn you all: Roku products are notoriously bad about dying due to faulty power supplies. This usually happens (it has happened to me on THREE separate occasions) just after the unit's warranty expires... my PhotoBridge croaked, and I've had two SoundBridge Radios croak. Each time it was due to a faulty power supply.

I'm pretty much done buying Roku gear. Their tech support and software are both pretty good, but their hardware just has a tendency to die much more quickly and much more often than it should.

[je_wallace]

Wonderful product.

I'm glad this has come out. Now maybe Apple will get real with their movie rental prices. AppleTV is a great tool for personally owned movies, but using iTunes+Store fore rentals is a rip-off.

[ccunning]

Originally Posted by je_wallace

Wonderful product.

I'm glad this has come out. Now maybe Apple will get real with their movie rental prices. AppleTV is a great tool for personally owned movies, but using iTunes+Store fore rentals is a rip-off.

The 99¢ movie of the week is a good deal. I will still occasionally rent something for the regular price. Admittedly I'm not enthusiastic about the price though. I still think a Netflix client for the AppleTV is the way to go.

[BrittQ]

I will keep my ATV for streaming and youtube.
I will keep my Net Flix account for renting blurays and DVDs.
I will keep my MBP (w/ vm fusion, connected to my tv)to watch "Watch Instant" movies on netflix.

In my personal case, this has no advantage. But I still got excited when I read about it...

[portishead]

This product is a failure.

No HD content.
No 5.1
No hard drive. Try streaming HD content. 2.2Mbits is not good enough.

This device should have been like the popcorn hour with the Netflix interface with a small drive to download 1 video at a time.

I like netflix, and I will look forward to future improvements.

[milo]

Is netflix's 10000 number all movies? Or is that movies and TV episodes? That's only a fair comparison if it's movies only and I really doubt that.

Does the roku box allow streaming movies you have from your own computer? That's a big plus for the aTV.

It looks like a cool device, and the price is great. But the Netflix selection is SO limited, it really needs to be able to play media from other sources. It's cool, but until they start getting some new releases available as downloads (which may never happen) I don't see it taking off.

[mackthaknife]

If you stream a lot of current release movies... will it pull a standard Netflix-throttle and only allow you to watch Mr. Bean movies or that guy Ernest?