Microsoft-Netflix Agreement: A Frustrating Offer

Microsoft (MSFT) is out with an announcement Monday regarding a new alliance with Netflix (NFLX), whereby beginning in late Fall, XBox 360 Gold Members will be able to stream "a growing library of more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes" to their XBox 360. In addition to an XBox 360 Gold Membership, users will also have to have a Netflix subscription.

Although I think that this offering might be interesting for people who don't have Media Center PCs, it is a bit discouraging for those who do have Media Center PCs. Personally I'm not interested in signing up for an XBox 360 Gold Membership at $45 a year or so. I don't use XBox 360 live at all and don't have an interest in the service.

What's frustrating for me is that outside developers have already developed a free way to get Netflix "Watch Now" on your XBox 360 Media Center Extender here and now today without having to buy an XBox Live Gold Membership, but it's just been hamstrung by Microsoft DRM -- at least in my case.

I do think that Netflix Watch Now *should* be an offering on Media Center PCs. I just don't think people should be required to buy a Xbox 360 live gold subscription in order to get it.

Comments

[Jimbo Kramer:]

you must be the most retarded blogger on earth. You don't play video games ? Fine, then don't buy an xbox buy a Roku box if you are lucky to get one ( yeah the same one you previously predicted that was gonna be a failure ), subscribe to netflix and get the best entertainment value with 100k DVD titles available through mail n other 10k available for FREE online.
And last, you don't need a MC Pc plug-in in order to watch netflix on your tv. A simple DVI cable and extending your monitor to the tv set does the same trick. But not everyone has their PC nearby the Tv to do this. Hence the convenience of the Xbox. Dumb ass.

For the people like me who own a Xbox n subscribe to netflix this is a great deal. You are not appealed by it then go watch grass grow.

and stop imposing your personal taste as a barometer for everyone cuz it's off by a long shot. By the amount of hate-comments you get every single time you blog your BS you shoulda realized that by now.

2008 Jul 15 02:27 PM

[hgoel:]

whats the deal with Media center PC ? If you want to watch movies online on PC you don't need Media center PC for that any PC?laptop will do. Roku and Xbox are watching movies directly on your TV without any PC. So these are two different things.
I have a Roku and love the convenience of using it with my TV without having to connect my laptop every time. Xbox is another alternative to Roku and dosn't have the anything to do with Media Center PC.

2008 Jul 15 09:50 PM