Netflix expands online video service

Filed under: Internet, Video, Web services

Netflix expands online video service

by Brad Linder Dec 28th 2007

Netflix customers have had the option to watch selected videos on a PC without waiting for a DVD to show up in the mail since earlier this year. But up until recently there were three major restrictions on the service:

It only works with Windows.
You could only watch a limited number of hours of programming per month.
The selection was on the small and obscure side.

While the service is still Windows-only, several users have reported that Netflix is addressing the other two issues. Netflix is sending out emails letting customers know that there are no longer monthly restrictions on how many shows they can watch. The email also states that Netflix now has over 6,000 movies and TV episodes available, which is about twice the number the service seems to have had this summer.
[via Zatz Not Funny]

Tags: internet-video, netflix, online-video, streaming-video, watch-now

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Joe Beaulaurier said 10:06PM on 12-28-2007

Oh lawrd! Windows only? That's only going to support 90+% of the market. Oh, the sheer idiocy of it, it's just incomprehensible. So worth pointing out as a significant failing of the service. And the Linux folks... I can't even think how many are knashing their teeth in that camp. It must be yet several whole percentage point units there.

Oh, the humanity.

MrKniceGuy said 10:18PM on 12-28-2007

Bwaahahah!!!! Brilliant!!!

jus10 said 10:17PM on 12-28-2007

Well I'm part of that minority. I have 3 Linux boxes and a Macbook. One of the Linux boxes is hooked to my HDTV so I can watch movies from it just like I would from the HD-DVD player.

Hulu can do it, why not Netflix?

Mike said 5:21PM on 12-29-2007

Yes, Joe, because non-Windows users are a minority, that gives you free reign to be a jerk.

All Brad did was *mention* that it only supports Windows, which is a true fact. (Actually, it's not just Windows-only, it's XP or better and Internet Explorer only) Frankly, as a primarily Mac user, I find it to be a pain that I can't take advantage of this service as easily as I'd like.

That said, I don't think it's going to change anytime soon, as they appear to be using a Windows Media DRM technology, somewhere in the neighborhood of playsforsure except it works. It's a vastly different game from Hulu, just10 -- Hulu lets you embed vids on your site a la YouTube, whereas Netflix is trying to keep you from spreading the videos.

I have tried it though, and it's a mostly great service that works well even on not-great internet connections and the catalog has been steadily growing since its initial very blah selection.

Joe Beaulaurier said 5:22PM on 12-29-2007

@mike - I'm driven to my 'jerkiness' by more than a mere mention. It was the ranking as one of "three major restrictions."

aanidaani said 10:17PM on 12-28-2007

They may have 6,000 movies, but 5,950 are trash.

RP said 2:18PM on 12-29-2007

What are the 50 good ones? You'll save me a lot of searching! :-)

RP said 5:24PM on 12-29-2007

I've tried it on the PC, and the quality is impressive -- flawless!

Mac users -- does it run in Parallels? (All my Mac friends seem to run Parallels anyway, vs. whining.)

archivis said 8:33PM on 1-03-2008

The netflix viewer runs just fine for me on my Mac Pro via Parallels, even fullscreen.

PhillyCope said 6:54PM on 2-24-2008

chika chika yea

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