Netflix Surveying Users Regarding Interest in iPhone Streaming via Wi-Fi

[Westside guy]

I'm not talking about watching a 1/3 of a movie...neither is Netflix. Watching a full, non-stop 1.5+ hour movie on a 4" diagonal screen over a wireless internet connection (when you have the connection) is not going to appeal to the masses ...

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, since I don't really see the appeal on these tiny screens either - but I would like to point out that Netflix offers a lot of TV shows (especially older ones) for streaming. It's not just about movies. It's just one data point, but we certainly watch more streamed TV shows than streamed movies on our Tivo (via Netflix' streaming service).

 

[distortedloop]

Simply not true. This device in homes will increase demand. We live in a supply and demand economic model.

Perhaps you can explain how an iPad in the home makes streaming in the home more in demand.

Who is going to prefer to watch streaming movies or TV shows on a 9.7" 4:3 screen when they could watch the same streaming content on their big screen 16:9 HD television via any of a dozen different devices, including some TVs themselves?

Mobile's a different story...and while I see some small demand for mobile streaming, until the carriers can keep up with it, iPad won't make any difference there except to bring AT&T's network down even more than it already is overcrowded in many areas. But mobile streaming will be, for at least several more years, just a very small portion of the streaming market until displays, battery life and signal/bandwidth catch up to current landline broadband capabilities of the big city markets.

 

[HitchHykr]

No, I want Netflix on my iPad. Cable is using precious money that I could redirect to subscriptions, books and entertainment of my choice using my iPad.

So you are currently watching cable from your iPad?

See, I don't see a connection between this announcement and being able to drop cable unless you were already streaming cable to your Iphone/iPad. Right now you can drop cable and stream Netflix to your TV which is probably the only device that you use to view cable content.

 

[McBeats]

yeah they ought to add this feature, was thinking about it last night, i might use it, not frequently but, i would.

 

[zweigand]

For all of you arguing about screen size …you do realize it's a perspective issue, right?

The picture on an iPad on your lap can easily look "bigger" than a 40" HDTV across the room.

No, I don't think people will watch content on an iPad when they have a HDTV available, but an iPad will be a decent way to consume video.

 

[Doctor Q]

For all of you arguing about screen size …you do realize it's a perspective issue, right?

The picture on an iPad on your lap can easily look "bigger" than a 40" HDTV across the room.

There's gotta be more to it than that. I could get as close or far as I like to/from the screen at an IMAX movie theater or an iPod nano showing the same movie. So presumably I always have my choice of perceived size. But people prefer bigger screens (as you point out) so a larger physical screen size is an advantage.

 

[Mudbug]

Netflix hasn't asked me yet, but being someone who relies pretty much exclusively on Netflix's DVD rentals and online content streaming for any kind of video (I don't currently have any TV service, only internet), I vote for YES - I would use this service on my iPhone via wifi if offered. I wouldn't even think about it - yes, please, make it available. Hey, I'll even beta test it if you want.

 

[zweigand]

There's gotta be more to it than that. I could get as close or far as I like to/from the screen at an IMAX movie theater or an iPod nano showing the same movie. So presumably I always have my choice of perceived size. But people prefer bigger screens (as you point out) so a larger physical screen size is an advantage.

Well, resolution plays a role.

 

[iphones4evry1]

We have a Blue Ray player at my house that gets Netflix streaming through Wi-Fi from our internet router. When we first start a video and it's buffering, the internet connection gets slow. If the whole world started doing this, it could bring the internet to it's knees. Good job, Netflix!

 

[distortedloop]

For all of you arguing about screen size …you do realize it's a perspective issue, right?

The picture on an iPad on your lap can easily look "bigger" than a 40" HDTV across the room.

No, I don't think people will watch content on an iPad when they have a HDTV available, but an iPad will be a decent way to consume video.

Your 3rd paragraph is the point I was making.

Having an iPad in your home will not drive streaming video because NO ONE would choose to watch any video beyond a short YouTube type clip on a smaller screen they hold in there hand if a larger screen is in the home. I wouldn't even choose an iPad over a laptop if I had both.

LTD's assertion that the possibilities the iPad delivers will finally bring the future potential of streaming video is just ridiculous and pure fanboyism.

 

[sbarton]

Obvious difference

Neflix is a good service for the moment, but they are so clueless about customers. Apple would never need to send out a "survey" about the obvious. They should have had streaming to consoles and the iphone 2 or 3 years ago, although I know they had an exclusive with MS for the xb360. They finally made it to the PS3 and Wii, but both of those solutions are only for streaming the "instant queue" not actually being able to browse and select new titles. To add insult to injury, you have to load a CD every time you want to use the neflix program on the PS3 and soon Wii (but not on the xbox). - FAIL. There is the Roku box, which is pretty cheap and works great, but I think we all want less boxes.

I am hopeful that Apple can convince the media *$!@tards to allow streaming of movies and TV shows over iTunes for a set monthly subscription rate. I have no desire to own and store hundreds of gigabytes of movies and tv shows on my hard drive. Movies, maybe, but definitely not TV shows.