It’s official: More people stream Netflix content to their televisions via PS3 than any other device worldwide. This is a major milestone, and one we’re particularly proud of considering the myriad Netflix-compatible streaming devices on the market, from other gaming consoles to smart TVs and internet-connected set-top boxes.
To demonstrate why our partnership has been so valuable for both PlayStation owners and Netflix users, we asked Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to offer some further insight:
“PS3 is our largest TV-connected platform in terms of Netflix viewing, and this year, at times, even surpassed the PC in hours of Netflix enjoyment to become our number one platform overall. PS3 is a natural fit for Netflix in terms of developing and first deploying our most advanced features. We can transparently update our application with new features on a daily basis, and through the free PlayStation Network, people around the world can sign up for Netflix directly from their PS3.”
This plays nicely into the question of when, if ever, is MS going to stop charging for basic services like media streaming and multiplayer? When they were sitting pretty as the #1 streaming device and CoD device, it was hard to argue with their strategy. Now, they seem to be bleeding Netflix users. Is their multiplayer userbase going to follow when the consoles change in 2013?
YouTube also has a nice PS3 app that I tried for the first time (!) a week ago, and honestly classes up mustache shaving videos and cats falling off tables by having them on it.
Having to spend money to access Netflix is oggle boggle crazy. Microsoft has no idea how much they owe Call of Duty.
Personally, I like apps on the PS3 better than their Xbox counterparts. Maybe I’m weird for liking menu- and list-based navigation more than the Xbox’s boxed-media-heavy approach to everything.
The 360 app for Netflix is horrendous. It’s a terrible Kinect-fueled nightmare. Even if you don’t use Kinect, the whole thing has been bastardized to make it easy to use with Kinect, which means it’s a chore to use normally. For example, if you want to watch a particular episode of a series, you need to select the show, wait for it to start playing whatever episode you were on, back out to “More Episodes,” scroll through the list, then select the one you want and start that show. You can’t just pick the show you want without the app playing your old show. Awful.
I just installed Netflix on my PS3 last week and if it wasn’t for a live gold card holiday bundle I would be gold free now. I don’t anticipate paying for Live again as nobody uses public chat in games anymore and the only real drive for 360 over PS3 was voice chat for me. Now I just feel charged for the privilege to watch ads and use “free” services.
The killer app for the Wii U for me wasn’t any game but the streaming apps. My my new Wii U quickly became my go-to device for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. The GamePad-based UI for all of them is quite good and is already starting to show some of the promise of “second screen” interaction. Not only do I prefer these apps vastly to what I was using on the 360 and an HTPC but it has also proven to be much more “wife” (technically LTR-girlfriend) friendly.
I’m looking forward to TVii and enhancements to the universal remote stuff built into the Wii U GamePad (currently it is pretty limited with only single-device support and not much configurability, but presumably this will be enhanced when they finally ship TVii).
Yeah, I agree with Telefrog, Xbox has always had the crappiest of Netflix apps. I still don’t have a circular damned queue. The Auto play thing is also annoying, especially if I just want to see how much of the episodes I’ve seen. (This wouldn’t be as bad if the stupid thing wouldn’t stick shows that I’ve already seen in New Releases /Recently added, along with ‘New Episodes’ tagged on the bottom, when if it would look at my damned history it would know damned well that I’ve already seen that season…but none of them do this properly AFAIK)
Anyway, PS3 has the rechargeable wireless controller standard, and a better netflix interface, and free netflix. I just wish the stupid thing worked with my router better, as it constantly brings down the whole network when powered on if I try to sign in to download something, like say, a patch for netflix.
Edit: I do like the Kinect voice commands though. It’s nice to be able to just order your TV to pause or play the next episode, even if I have to repeat myself a couple of times.
I used to use my 360 for all my video needs, but ps3 gradually got better and better while Microsoft continued jamming Metro down my throat. Now I’m lucky if I turn my 360 on once a month.
I still use a Wii as my netflix/streaming device because I don’t have a PS3/xbox. It works great, with the (increasingly large) limitation of not being HD. However, it hasn’t been a big enough drawback to shell out the money for a ps3 or roku yet. Because of that limitation though, I see why the ps3 would have finally climbed over the top.
This is interesting to me - Could it be that we will see consoles as more of app program platforms in next generation, than we have so far?
I mean, the way that mobile devices are big on apps, this could be the next big step for Sony.
I use PS3 as well, since its insane to have to pay for it through MS, but I also think that FINALLY SONY has gotten itself on the right path with its console…its just a shame it took so long, but with PSN+ which more and more people find attractive, and now number 1 Netflix viewer as well, it seems they are actually coming out on top in the eternal console war.
Interesting discussion. Netflix was recently launched here in Finland and my mom wanted to unsubscribe from the pretty crappy Viasat cable package and switch over to Netflix. So I was going to get her an Apple TV along with the new HDTV she is getting, but it turns out TVs have their own Netflix apps nowadays.
I think Microsoft is in real trouble if they don’t get their shit together next round. People aren’t nearly as enamored with Live as they used to be and making people pay for the ability to use inferior apps than their competitor’s free versions is going bite them in the ass. The PS3 has always been a better streaming device, and now the Wii U is even better. Microsoft is going to find themselves in a bad place if they continue down their current path.
I have all but abandoned my 360 due to the ads and subscription cost. My console gaming is on the PS3 now, along with Amazon video, and I use an AppleTV for Netflix and other rentals. I need to just trade in the 360.
