Netflix Officially Coming to PS3

[Valigarmander]

Netflix Officially Coming to PS3

Well, the stories of Netflix streaming coming to a new device were true: today Sony and Netflix made it official that Netflix is coming to PS3.



The service will arrive on the Sony console next month and will be free to PS3 owners who already subscribe to Netflix (or $8.99 a month for those who don't) -- and unlike on the Xbox 360, people will not be required to pay the equivalent of the yearly $50 Xbox Live Gold membership to access it.

Initially, PS3 owners will access the on-demand Netflix content via a free instant streaming blu-ray disc (people can already sign up to receive the disc as soon as it's available). It's assumed that later a Netflix application that resides within the PS3's XMB will become available -- though how closely this mirrors the one on Xbox 360 remains to be seen, as Microsoft had a large hand in producing that.

There are still plenty of questions about this deal -- what the interface will be like, whether this includes HD, how long people will be required to use the disc to access the content, and whether the Wii will be next -- so we'll pass along more details as they become available.

Netflix on PS3 Supports HD Streaming, Dedicated Application Coming "At Some Point"

Details on the sudden PlayStation 3 support of Netflix instant watch streaming are still sketchy -- as noted yesterday, you'll need a disc in order to access Netflix on PS3 for the time being, but it will be completely free. G4tv.com spoke with Netflix VP of corporate communications Steve Swasey and learned that Netflix on PS3 does indeed support HD streaming. Not only that, but the entire streaming catalog (i.e. everything you can access on your PC or Xbox 360) will be available for PS3 users.

As for that disc you need to use to access Netflix on PS3 (order yours here), you'll be free to keep and use it whenever you wish. It's obviously not as convenient as the Xbox 360's setup, which has a dedicated application for Netflix watching (pictured above), but Swasey claims that a similar type of "embedded solution" is coming "at some point." G4 couldn't get Swasey to comment on whether using a disc to enable Netflix support was a way of getting around an exclusivity deal that they have with Microsoft, which suggests that the aforementioned Netflix application will have to wait until any such contract expires, rather than simply releasing once it's ready.

The Netflix-enabling discs will be shipping sometime next month for all Netflix members who order one.

[Valigarmander]

PS3 Netflix Disc Arriving Friday

Netflix for the PlayStation 3 is almost here. According to a note that arrived in our inbox this morning, the disc is in the mail even now.

Sony and Netflix made it official just over a week ago, announcing that the service will be free for all subscribers, and $8.99 for anyone who's not. Users will need to use a special Blu-ray disc to access the content, but an XMB-based application should be available sometime next year.

The disc should be arriving tomorrow, so keep checking back on 1UP for more information. We'll have plenty of video and hands-on impressions for you soon.