Netflix - General discussion & technical queries

Sad Professor · 23-10-2011 11:15pm #1

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Guru · 24-10-2011 8:45am

Netflix, the leading global Internet film subscription service, today announced it will expand to the United Kingdom and Ireland in early 2012, offering unlimited TV shows and films streaming instantly over the Internet to TVs and computers for one low monthly subscription price.
Upon launch, Netflix members from the UK and Ireland will be able to instantly watch a wide array of TV shows and films right on their TVs via a range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as on PCs, Macs and mobile tablets and phones. Further details about the service, including pricing, content and supported devices, will be announced closer to launch.
Netflix has been streaming to U.S. members since 2007, adding Canada in 2010 and 43 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in September 2011. Netflix has revolutionised entertainment across the Americas by giving its members a huge selection of films and TV shows to enjoy when and where they want.
People interested in becoming members of Netflix in the UK or Ireland can go to www.netflix.com to sign up to receive an email alert letting them know when Netflix has launched in their country.

http://netflix.us.en.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=24309&item=73640

marketty · 24-10-2011 11:46am

Good to see this coming here and bringing some much needed competition to the movie rental market, but what do you reckon the chances are we'll be asked to pay over the odds for a restricted selection? A bit cynical but we all know it happens, I'm looking at you iTunes...

Fishooks12 · 24-10-2011 11:53am

Netflix eh? Pay money to watch stuff on the internet you say......

iMax · 24-10-2011 11:57am

Ok, we get it, you're excited about it. Now please stop spamming all over the place

Mickeroo · 24-10-2011 12:21pm

Good news regards the streaming but with the Irish postal service this will be a waste of time, 2 movies a week max and thats if you occasionally watch and repost one the day you get it. That was what it was like with an post movies by mail anyway. Great when I was on the dole but not so great when I have to fit actual real life into my day :pac:

MC_G · 24-10-2011 12:28pm

Looking forward to this and hopefully the pricing and available content are reasonable.

I'm more worried about the ISP's than An Post, Netflix doesn't offer movies by post anymore.

I feel sorry from the poor VPN/Proxy providers in the US!

Mickeroo · 24-10-2011 12:33pm

MC_G wrote: »

Looking forward to this and hopefully the pricing and available content are reasonable.

I'm more worried about the ISP's than An Post, Netflix doesn't offer movies by post anymore.

I feel sorry from the poor VPN/Proxy providers in the US!

Really? Its just streaming now? It was quite annoying that only a few movies could be streamed before but if their whole catalogue is streamable now then I might be tempted.

Sad Professor · 24-10-2011 12:53pm

I thought Netflix abandoned their plans to rename their rental division, no?

the_syco · 24-10-2011 1:17pm

If they do a streaming service, it'll take off. Rental by post seem to tend to die in Ireland.

Tea_Bag · 24-10-2011 1:27pm

fantastic news. I probably won't use the service but I can't wait to see the ISPs buckle under pressure because of the low usage caps. that or eircom is gonna end up taking a massive amount of people to court.

larchielads · 24-10-2011 1:27pm

just back from the states a few days ago, my mate has this netflix thingy. he got a dvd in the post someone said in a previous post that they stopped posting dvds maybe in some places but not in boston .i dont know if net flix are set up outside of the usa or whatever but i for one will not be availing of this service. dont get me wrong the quality is perfect while streaming but in all fairness as someone said why pay for somethin when youve already got the web?? i only used my xtra vision card for the first time in 2 years to rent a game:pac:

seamus · 24-10-2011 1:36pm

larchielads wrote: »

dont get me wrong the quality is perfect while streaming but in all fairness as someone said why pay for somethin when youve already got the web??

Because torrenting or using dodgy streaming sites isn't something that your run-of-the-mill person can do.

And indeed most computers are still relegated to the back room on the desk desk. People still want to watch their movies in their front room on the big telly.

If they can get the delivery right, it'll work. At the moment I stream from my machine to my TV over the internal network. I probably would pay a small fee to cut out the middle bit and access the stuff directly from my TV, if it was giving me movies and TV shows as soon as they're available elsewhere.

You might as well ask why people download via iTunes when they can torrent it? Because it's easier to pay for it.

Tea_Bag · 24-10-2011 1:52pm

for the streaming part, do they supply a media box that would just hook up through HDMI and Ethernet or is it streaming to PC style?

seamus · 24-10-2011 1:56pm

It appears to be only streaming via computer or console. My Sony Bravia gets software upgrades that include "apps" from 3rd parties. I can watch 3 player directly on the TV, for example. Netflix works on Sony TVs in the US, so I'm hoping it'll be the same here.

A small media box would be an absolute goldmine for netflix. 300GB hard drive, small OS and SCART/HDMI out, no more than €30 cost per customer really. I'd get one if my TV didn't support netflix.

listermint · 24-10-2011 1:57pm

Tea_Bag wrote: »

for the streaming part, do they supply a media box that would just hook up through HDMI and Ethernet or is it streaming to PC style?

Streaming to PC.

Faith+1 · 24-10-2011 2:15pm

The final nail in the coffin of Xtravision me thinks....

Tea_Bag · 24-10-2011 2:17pm

seamus wrote: »

It appears to be only streaming via computer or console. My Sony Bravia gets software upgrades that include "apps" from 3rd parties. I can watch 3 player directly on the TV, for example. Netflix works on Sony TVs in the US, so I'm hoping it'll be the same here.

A small media box would be an absolute goldmine for netflix. 300GB hard drive, small OS and SCART/HDMI out, no more than €30 cost per customer really. I'd get one if my TV didn't support netflix.

it would be very do able with a cut down android OS. €30, and allow you to control it with your smart phone, along with all the apps android natively supports right on your tv. I'd buy it too. fortunately, it seems Netflix has an app on Xbox 360 so I'd actually be interested in this.

H8GHOTI · 24-10-2011 2:32pm

Re: DVD mail service & Streaming

The CEO of Netflix wrote a blog post saying that they were splitting the company in two. DVD by post will be called Qwikster & the streaming service will stay as Netflix.

http://blog.netflix.com/2011/09/explanation-and-some-reflections.html

Sad Professor · 24-10-2011 2:51pm

H8GHOTI wrote: »

Re: DVD mail service & Streaming

The CEO of Netflix wrote a blog post saying that they were splitting the company in two. DVD by post will be called Qwikster & the streaming service will stay as Netflix.

http://blog.netflix.com/2011/09/explanation-and-some-reflections.html

Yeah, but they did a 180 on this following the negative reaction, so it's not happening anymore. See here:

http://blog.netflix.com/2011/10/dvds-will-be-staying-at-netflixcom.html

Das Kitty · 24-10-2011 2:51pm

Having used the US version, I can say that it is a great service and well worth what they pay. I wonder what the pricing plans will be like over here?

I found it brilliant for watching discontinued series. The only minor bugbear was that at high traffic times the resolution might not get up to speed for a good few minutes. It was pretty reliable though.

Voodu Child · 24-10-2011 3:22pm

seamus wrote: »

Because torrenting or using dodgy streaming sites isn't something that your run-of-the-mill person can do.

And indeed most computers are still relegated to the back room on the desk desk. People still want to watch their movies in their front room on the big telly.

I know people who havent a bean of computer knowledge and they are torrenting music or their favourite TV shows.

Also most households already have something under the TV to watch their downloaded content. Be that a PS3, Xbox, or some kind of media player like WDTV. You only need to look at Bargain Alerts to see how many people have a media player or streamer.

Its an out-of-date viewpoint to think that downloading films or TV shows is the preserve of geeks hunched over their computer in a dark room. I know a 50 year old technophobe who brings a thumbdrive into work and swaps things with colleagues, none of them IT types.

I don't approve of any of this, but part of the problem is that this is too little too late. The internet has made the world a smaller place and if someone knows there's a new series of *whatever* on in the US, they don't want to wait 6 months to watch it. The average joe has gone off and learned how to download things because a legit service wasn't available.

Roar · 24-10-2011 3:32pm

I use Netflix already via VPN, and it's brilliant. If the Irish version is priced similarly (it's $8 p/m in the states) and has a similar selection I'll be on board.

I used to download almost everything I wanted to watch, but now I stream most of the time via netflix. I have it hooked up to my TV by HDMI and it looks great. And the suggestions it gives you based on your own tastes are more often than not spot on (I started watching breaking bad because it was one of my suggestions and now I'm hooked).

Pro tip, once the movie starts streaming you can turn off your VPN and you'll get your full download speed. You'll have to reconnect your VPN once it's over to browse again afterwards though.

seamus · 24-10-2011 3:48pm

Voodu Child wrote: »

Its an out-of-date viewpoint to think that downloading films or TV shows is the preserve of geeks hunched over their computer in a dark room.

Agreed, but at the same time I think it's jumping the gun to suggest that this kind of thing is mainstream. The vast majority of people that I know, of all ages, wouldn't have a clue where to go to even begin downloading anything, never mind figuring out how to get it to display on their TVs.

I don't think it's too late for a "pay-for" service. Look at the headlines that Napster got more than 10 years ago. Afterwards hundreds of similar services popped up. Sharing and downloading went mainstream.

Then Apple came along, apparently well after the party had gotten started, launched a service where you clicked, paid, downloaded, direct onto your device and walk off. Now they're the biggest music retailer on the planet. It was that simplicity that made people pay for it. Hell, I pay for it because I can get the music in a fraction of the time/effort it takes to torrent. Even if that's a fraction of five minutes, it's still easier

That's the market NetFlix have to hit. It's not about free -v- not free. It's about easy -v- not as easy. Some people will drive around for 20 minutes looking for the parking space that's free. But most people will pay €5 for the parking space that's right in front of them.

aidan_walsh · 24-10-2011 8:57pm

The problem at the moment is that Netflix is in a bit of a tailspin and its model is starting to look a little bit uncertain as networks and studios are trying to get themselves larger and larger pieces of the pie.

I would also assume that they would be looking to to bid on content using the UK and Ireland as a single market, so it would be interesting to see what kind of influence Sky would have on the library size and what kind of delays we can expect to see on how long it takes content to make it to the library.

jaykhunter · 24-10-2011 9:46pm

i'm glad to hear Netflix are finally coming to Ireland. I suppose streaming is the big concern, bandwidth issues; and how soon they get new episodes of TV shows. It'd be cool if u could stream new eps of whatever on your iPad or laptop for a flat rate.

Nollog · 24-10-2011 11:58pm

This is probably going to be a gimped service with very little licensed for us.

the whole year inn · 25-10-2011 1:53am

how is it going to work with capped downloads?I dont think it will.

titan18 · 25-10-2011 2:14am

If it's the same as the US version, I'll pay for it. If we get a cut down version at a higher price, I won't. Interested to see how they do it

fergisimo · 25-10-2011 2:19am

This news just made my day. Used to use it in the States, it's really a brilliant service. We were paying about $15 or $16 for unlimited rentals a month, which isn't bad at all. And the selection is phenomenal! I'll definitely be investing in this, anyway.

the whole year inn · 25-10-2011 2:59am

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/technology/netflix-lost-800000-members-with-price-rise-and-split-plan.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

iMax · 25-10-2011 3:16am

Gotta make up the loss somewhere'

Zapp Brannigan · 25-10-2011 6:01am

I've been using Netflix since February. Awesome service.

My only problem with it is that the Canada (where I live at the mo) Netflix selection is so much more limited than the US version. I can only imagine the Irish version to be something similar.

On the positive point, my Canadian membership automatically turns into a US when I use a VPN to connect!

Rabidlamb · 25-10-2011 4:37pm

Hmmmm, only streaming you say, so those who want to watch it on their telly need to plug it into their laptop.
How well does streaming work with 2-3Mb/s connections, have you to let it buffer for half an hour, what works best ?.

Those who torrent/rapidshare will still go down this route due to the negligible cost & the ability to get very early releases.
These more tech savy people already have media players hooked up to the network or play content through a USB key.

I fear once people learn how to hook up their PC's & Laptops it'll encourage them to go a step further & find free content.

Voodu Child · 25-10-2011 5:00pm

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Hmmmm, only streaming you say, so those who want to watch it on their telly need to plug it into their laptop.

In the US Netflix can be streamed to all the consoles, lots of networked Bluray players and smart TVs, Apple TV, Roku, WDTV Live, various other set-top media players, etc etc.

grimm2005 · 25-10-2011 9:18pm

seamus wrote: »

Because torrenting or using dodgy streaming sites isn't something that your run-of-the-mill person can do.

And indeed most computers are still relegated to the back room on the desk desk. People still want to watch their movies in their front room on the big telly.

If they can get the delivery right, it'll work. At the moment I stream from my machine to my TV over the internal network. I probably would pay a small fee to cut out the middle bit and access the stuff directly from my TV, if it was giving me movies and TV shows as soon as they're available elsewhere.

You might as well ask why people download via iTunes when they can torrent it? Because it's easier to pay for it.

Some good points. I'm personally looking forward to this even though I download the latest shows etc as they air. Sure I can download a movie I feel like watching, wait for it to download, stick it on the hard drive and stream it to my Xbox as I currently do but the idea of having a huge library of TV shows and movies ready to stream instantly on the xbox for a reasonable monthly fee (€10 maximum imo) is incredibly appealing. The idea of being able to sit down, browse a catalogue, hit play and start watching straight away is brilliant. I don't always know exactly what I want to watch so something like this would be perfect (also good for getting into shows you missed first time around rather than having to queue up 7 seasons of a show to download).
Not to mention much of the netflix library is in HD also which is quite appealing.

Just because many people, including non-techies, can download the latest tv shows doesn't mean it's going to fail. The convenience factor of a having a movie/tv library ready to watch at any time should be factored in. People still buy DVD's don't they?

Having said all this, it all entirely depends on the catalogue available and the price being charged but if they do it right, I for one will definitely subscribe.

Sad Professor · 25-10-2011 10:04pm

I'm not sure there's much to get excited about here. Netflix is looking very vulnerable at the moment. As the Qwikster debacle shows, there are obviously idiots running the company. And the way things are going, Apple or someone is going to swoop into that big opening and offer some serious competition. The problem is the studios and cable companies are hell bent on destroying anyone who attempts to offer an alternative to their cartel. I can't see Netflix being a serious player 2 years from now. They are going to get wiped out one way or the other.

Dman001 · 25-10-2011 10:11pm

Unfortunately Netflix here will suffer the same fate as Lovefilm in the UK, and have a severely limited catalogue due to Sky's chokehold on the subscription-based Video on Demand service. Sky pay millions to get the both the TV and On Demand rights to these movies, so unless Netflix is willing to folk over more than Sky when Sky's contract ends with them, we won't get a great selection. I somehow doubt that Netflix will be willing to pay as much as Sky (which is in the hundreds of millions) just for the Irish and UK market.

Still a great gain for the Irish market all the same. The fact that Netflix is implemented into everything from Tablets, to Smartphones, TVs, BR Players and game consoles makes it very handy. But it has become significantly worse in the US over the last couple of years, as the Studios got greedy and scared and started pulling content from the service.

the_syco · 26-10-2011 11:50pm

seamus wrote: »

I don't think it's too late for a "pay-for" service. Look at the headlines that Napster got more than 10 years ago. Afterwards hundreds of similar services popped up. Sharing and downloading went mainstream.

Agreed. When Napster went down the tubes, iTunes came along.

Sad Professor wrote: »

I'm not sure there's much to get excited about here. Netflix is looking very vulnerable at the moment. As the Qwikster debacle shows, there are obviously idiots running the company. And the way things are going, Apple or someone is going to swoop into that big opening and offer some serious competition. The problem is the studios and cable companies are hell bent on destroying anyone who attempts to offer an alternative to their cartel. I can't see Netflix being a serious player 2 years from now. They are going to get wiped out one way or the other.

I agree that they could die quickly, but I hope they show that an IE/UK market exists so that others can come and sell us their offerings before their untimely demise.

Dman001 wrote: »

I somehow doubt that Netflix will be willing to pay as much as Sky (which is in the hundreds of millions) just for the Irish and UK market.

Netflix may just show other big shows from the US that Sky hasn't bothered taking yet.

Helix · 27-10-2011 11:11pm

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

my Canadian membership automatically turns into a US when I use a VPN to connect!

now this i did not know! SCORE!

ads20101 · 06-12-2011 7:12pm

Does anyone know the following questions?
1) approx price in Ireland - I think it is about $8 in the states. If this equates here I would say that most vid shops will be in danger and there will be some genuine competition for sky's non sports coverage.
2) approx start up time - simply because I can't wait

dodzy · 06-01-2012 6:17pm

ads20101 wrote: »

Does anyone know the following questions?
1) approx price in Ireland - I think it is about $8 in the states. If this equates here I would say that most vid shops will be in danger and there will be some genuine competition for sky's non sports coverage.
2) approx start up time - simply because I can't wait

Talking to a friend today who is involved with PR for this event - launching here Tuesday next apparently.

corcaigh07 · 06-01-2012 6:52pm

if its the same as netflix in canada, it is bound to fail, not enough up to date content.

Netflix is being advertised with Ironman 2 in canada, thats been out a long time now and its the best they have got! TV content not up to scratch at all either

ankles · 06-01-2012 7:02pm

What is the minimum broadband you need to make streaming viable? I am on 20MB, will it play instantly in HD in that? I would be plugging the laptop into the TV

Voodu Child · 06-01-2012 9:37pm

ankles wrote: »

What is the minimum broadband you need to make streaming viable? I am on 20MB, will it play instantly in HD in that? I would be plugging the laptop into the TV

You're on 20Mb, not MB. Go to speedtest.net to see what you are actually getting on your laptop.

Netflix 720p is about 5Mb/s audio+video and 1080p (limited rollout) is ~8Mb/s.

maquiladora · 06-01-2012 10:09pm

I have heard the Netflix app is now appearing on Irish PS3's, but it doesn't do anything yet.

Not at home so can't check mine.

Can't be too far away from launching now.

dodzy · 06-01-2012 10:37pm

ankles wrote: »

What is the minimum broadband you need to make streaming viable? I am on 20MB, will it play instantly in HD in that? I would be plugging the laptop into the TV

+1 on voodu's post. 20mb will be fine, no question.

L'prof · 06-01-2012 10:54pm

Sure don't apple have a similar service already through iTunes, which is very limited in Ireland due to some law or other over here? Why would Netflix be any different?

maquiladora · 07-01-2012 1:43am

L'prof wrote: »

Sure don't apple have a similar service already through iTunes, which is very limited in Ireland due to some law or other over here? Why would Netflix be any different?

Netflix = One (hopefully) low monthly fee for unlimited streaming TV/movies on your phone/console/TV/tablet/computer...

iTunes = Paying for each individual video per download, on less devices.

L'prof · 07-01-2012 3:14am

maquiladora wrote: »

Netflix = One (hopefully) low monthly fee for unlimited streaming TV/movies on your phone/console/TV/tablet/computer...

iTunes = Paying for each individual video per download, on less devices.

Fair enough, people were getting excited about Netflix and then qualifying that excitement by saying that they hoped the content wouldn't be too greatly reduced from that of the American Netflix. I was just pointing out that that seemed to already be the case with iTunes, so why should it be any different with Netflix? That was my main point really.

Eire Go Brach · 08-01-2012 2:09am

maquiladora wrote: »

I have heard the Netflix app is now appearing on Irish PS3's, but it doesn't do anything yet.

Not at home so can't check mine.

Can't be too far away from launching now.

Yeh seen mine today. I could download the app. But just said coming to Ireland soon.

Netflix - General discussion & technical queries

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