We listed our potential improvements wish list for the Netflix interface on Xbox Live a while back, and it’s encouraging to see the results that came with Microsoft’s Xbox Experience upgrade.
We wanted more control over managing our Netflix instant queue. Now you can add new releases directly to your instant queue directly on your screen — no need to power up the laptop to catch fresh flicks. There’s still room for improvement on managing the Watch Instantly queue though: sorting, tagging, and filtering could all be useful ways to find those hidden gems in a snap. But were always willing to reward progress, so we’ll give ‘em a “5″ on that request.
We also asked for greater control over playback resolution, and this is where the Xbox Experience upgrade really shines. One major drawback of Netflix Watch Instantly was the regular stop-the-show-and-downres that occurred as your available bandwidth changed. We’re happy to report a major improvement. What used to bring the entire show to a grinding halt for 15 seconds or longer is now a mere 2-second lapse. Even better, while in the past the appearance of the rebuffer screen guaranteed a coarser image quality, with the latest update the brief interruption is now just as likely to improve your resolution as your network’s capacity opens up.
While there’s still some room for improvement here (like, say, seamless rebuffering in the background), the overall effect of this upgrade is a dramatic improvement in the online video experience. Scores a big fat “9″.
And even though we never asked for the Xbox Live Party, we’re having fun sharing Netflix with friends via our Xbox 360. Getting a recommendation from an online friend is always cool. Chatting while watching: cooler.
Netflix Watch Instantly on Xbox Experience
We listed our potential improvements wish list for the Netflix interface on Xbox Live a while back, and it’s encouraging to see the results that came with Microsoft’s Xbox Experience upgrade.
We wanted more control over managing our Netflix instant queue. Now you can add new releases directly to your instant queue directly on your screen — no need to power up the laptop to catch fresh flicks. There’s still room for improvement on managing the Watch Instantly queue though: sorting, tagging, and filtering could all be useful ways to find those hidden gems in a snap. But were always willing to reward progress, so we’ll give ‘em a “5″ on that request.
We also asked for greater control over playback resolution, and this is where the Xbox Experience upgrade really shines. One major drawback of Netflix Watch Instantly was the regular stop-the-show-and-downres that occurred as your available bandwidth changed. We’re happy to report a major improvement. What used to bring the entire show to a grinding halt for 15 seconds or longer is now a mere 2-second lapse. Even better, while in the past the appearance of the rebuffer screen guaranteed a coarser image quality, with the latest update the brief interruption is now just as likely to improve your resolution as your network’s capacity opens up.
While there’s still some room for improvement here (like, say, seamless rebuffering in the background), the overall effect of this upgrade is a dramatic improvement in the online video experience. Scores a big fat “9″.
And even though we never asked for the Xbox Live Party, we’re having fun sharing Netflix with friends via our Xbox 360. Getting a recommendation from an online friend is always cool. Chatting while watching: cooler.