Netflix $99 Set Top Player from Roku

[admin]

Netflix has pulled the ultimate move. They have partnered with Roku to release a $99 set top box, dubbed the Netflix Player, that allows Netflix subscribers access to their entire 'Watch Now' movie database... for free. That's right. Aside from the $99 box there is no additional fees to watch the Netflix movies on your home TV. The PC tether has been released and Netflix has apparently taken the lead in delivering home movies to users in massive quantities without bilking them for more money.


Discuss "Netflix $99 Set Top Player from Roku" here. Read the article.

[diffusion]

Should probably clarify that you need to have an unlimited Netflix account to use the service. So it costs at least $9 a month.

Do I have to have a Netflix subscription?
Yes. A Netflix subscription with unlimited DVDs is required. Unlimited refers to the number of DVDs you can receive in a month. Most Netflix plans are unlimited. Unlimited plans start at $8.99 a month.

[GlocksRock]

No HD no care... but it is a step in the right direction. So does this stream the content, or download it and let you watch it once the download is complete?

[Biggiesized]

You can only see this as a good move. Their challenging CableLabs and their VOD service. They want to unhook you from cable and get you to jump on their rental service. With so little hours in the day it seems, you can only divide your time in so many ways.

[Pyrrho]

What kind of picture quality are we talking about with their downloads? How do they compare with DVDs?

From looking at:

http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer/fr...ked-questions/

They seem to claim that I could have DVD quality, but they are a bit vague about what exactly will get you that. They say:

Video quality depends on your Internet connection speed: The faster your connection, the better the quality. Slower connections are comparable to watching a VHS tape, while faster connections can provide DVD-quality playback.

And:

You need at least 1.5 Mbps to watch movies instantly on The Netflix Player by Roku. The faster your connection, the better the quality. For high quality video and audio, a connection of least 4.0 Mbps is recommended. You can test your bandwidth at one of these sites:

www.speakeasy.net/speedtest
www.speedtest.net

That almost says that 4.0 Mbps will give you DVD quality, but it does not really say that.

This also does not bode well for actual HD downloads in the future; how fast must a connection be for that?

So, are there any on line reviews of actual performance, or is this too new for any hands on reviews?

[ChunkyDark]

Personally I'd rather use a hometheater PC. It is certainly more user friendly and will have a much wider appeal than a HTPC.

[rgriffin25]

here is a link to their watch instantly titles
http://www.netflix.com/BrowseSelection?sgid=gev

[Alamar]

I'm not expecting [but I can hope!] that we'll see DD5.1 or crystal clear HD coming out of the system anytime soon due to both demand and bandwidth issues. Also because the H/W is inexpensive I doubt it could decode highly advanced codecs / store a "lot" of data / etc. Honestly it seems like it might be a stream-only device without tons of uber cool features.

On the other hand I would love to see new features like being able to download a title [or even my entire watch-now queue] so I can watch the content that I pay for when it is convenient for me [and not when my connection speed is having a good day].

As far as the quality goes I suspect it will be EXACTLY like what you get on the PC. Slow connections have VHS quality. Uber connections [consistent high bitrate] will get near DVD quality.

[Clint DeBoer]

Originally Posted by ChunkyDark

It is certainly more user friendly and will have a much wider appeal than a HTPC.

I agree that the attraction is that this Roku box will draw people through its simplicity.

[Alamar]

Originally Posted by Clint DeBoer

I don't know where to begin...

I chose not to even comment on that