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Netflix Comes To Tivo, AppleTV, Linux
An anonymous reader writes "Netflix on Tivo is officially out and leaving satellite users out in the cold. Tivo announced today that if you are a subscriber to both services then you can start receiving many Netflix titles on your Tivo for no extra charge. This is only available to subscribers with TiVo HD, TiVo HD XL and TiVo Series3 DVRs. The majority of Tivo's subscribers are probably Series 2 owners and will be forced to 'upgrade' if they want this new service but it won't be that easy for those on satellite. Tivo's current model lineup does not really offer a solution for satellite subscribers. The HD and HD XL are cable only and there is no sign of the Series 3 on their site." Another reader also writes to tell us that "Linux PC and AppleTV users are about to gain the ability to stream Netflix's movies and TV shows directly to their systems. Although Netflix's instant watch service only officially supports Windows and Mac, Boxee expects to release Netflix streaming support to the Ubuntu version of its free A/V media center software within a couple of days, and says that adding Netflix streaming support to AppleTV asap is its top priority."
Not only that, but about half the time, I can't even get the damn movies I do have in my queue to actually stream to my 360 at all (I just get a vague "Playback did not start" type message). This seems to vary by disc, and doesn't seem to have anything to do with my connection. I was trying to watch some "Forever Knight" episodes this weekend, but could not get any of them to play, whereas eps from other series seemed to work just fine. AFAIK, none of these show the "Not available on Xbox" label that I've seen on some Sony movies.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
No, not really. This story has gotten huge legs on the internet, but if people would actually read the Boxee forum, it tells you that support for Netflix won't be included in the Linux version until Netflix releases a player for Linux, which is supposed to happen some time next year. Netflix support is only in the Mac version of Boxee (they are working on Apple TV, but the 1Ghz processor is just to slow to make it work).
That is series 2. Thats why Netflix is only on series 3, where the newer codec ARE supported.
Too little, too late. Why take up the space on my PVR when I can live stream it from my PC?
Too little too late if you have PS3 or xbox360.
Millions of people don't have and don't want either.
When will submitters like ScuttleMonkey RTFA they are submitting?
NetFlix isn't coming to the AppleTV version of Boxee, as the AppleTV is not powerful enough, as TFA states.
From a press release several weeks/months ago:
"DIRECTV and TiVo will work together to develop a version of the TiVo® service for DIRECTV's broadband-enabled HD DVR platform. The product will support the latest TiVo and DIRECTV features and services, including TiVo's Universal Swivel Search and TiVo KidZone. TiVo will develop the new HD DVR for an expected launch in the second half of 2009."
So right now we're locked out but the landscape will improve in the future.
Do it for da shorties
I don't get that: you have this teraflop machines sitting there (a f*cking CELL in the PS3 or a triplecore 3.2GHz PowerPC in the 360, /plenty/ of horsepower both of them) and still you need to stream stuff to it. Wouldn't it be much more economic to just install an application of whatever on that machine (integrated in the firmware or whatever) and have that do all the work? Streaming media to a PS3 or 360 makes them just a very expensive and overpowered video-out. I'd say: put all those flops to work!
As far as I know, these ARE local apps that are managing the downloading and decoding/playback process. Streaming data from the internet and playing back video won't tax these consoles, but what else is more CPU horsepower going to give you here?
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.