Topic: Netflix on Wii (discs are shipping)

We've been using it quite a bit and are very happy with it. For us this gives better results then our 360. On the Wii we get a consistent picture with no hiccups. If you've got a faster Internet service you'd be better off on the 360, but if yours is like ours you'll do better with netflix on the Wii.

I don't like Netflix. I prefer Hollywood Video and Blockbuster.

The problem I've had with renting DVDs in the past is the discs are always in incredibly horrible condition. Not just scratches. I'm talking stuck-on food and who knows what. All it takes is one filthy, brain-dead idiot to destroy a rental disc. Then everyone else has to suffer. So streaming sounds like a great alternative. Unfortunately, I bet the bandwidth drives ISPs crazy.

Never had a problem with netflix DVDs. Certainly no stuck on food!

Seems to run pretty nicely on Wii.

I received mine today. I tried it out, and it seems to work fine so far. I doubt I'll really use it much (if at all), but I figured I'd get one since it was free after all.

I was too lazy to go up to the post office today. So I will pick mine up Monday. Wont use it a lot but it is a nice alternative and it is free.

It got it yesterday and its really cool. Since I've used the homebrew mplayer on the wii I knew the wii could be used for multimedia fairly well despite not being hd. Looks pretty good at 480p and no lag or anything. I don't have cable so netflix and online streaming are my main entertainment. This makes it easy to watch netflix on the couch. Unsurprisingly the wii remote works well as a remote and the interface is very simple and clean. You are limited in what you can browse through the interface but for watching stuff on your queue and quick browsing its very nice.

Besides the fact that wii isn't hd and the limited browsing of stuff that isn't on your queue its pretty much a perfect viewing experience. If you have a netflix subscription make sure you order the wii disc. If you don't I'd consider it since the 1 disc out at a time plan that includes instant viewing on the wii is pretty cheap at 8.99 a month.

Yeah, it's a bummer that you can't browse the entire streaming library nor do a search, but it's the same on the 360.

Thanks for the details, everyone. If you have to put something on your queue to watch it on the Wii, does that mean Netflix is also going to mail the disc to you? Or can you queue something just for streaming?

You can add stuff just to your instant queue. Also there are browsable categories such as drama, family, comedy, new movie additions, etc. They just don't seem to have every movie/show available. I presume it's some number of recently added titles. Also I've got three categories of the like "More movies like Spongebob Squarepants", but I have no idea how it selected those particular shows to match. Perhaps because my kids have watched lots of spongebob.

Yeah they have some specialized categories. I also kind of like that they don't let you browse the whole catalog because it keeps the interface simple and clean. Its not too hard to be able to get to netflix on a computer if you really need to browse the whole catalog and you still are able to browse a decent amount of stuff on the wii.

Checked the mail today and there it was! Looks like I'll just need to do a little work on my Instant Queue, and this will be a pretty good option for movies and shows. First thing I watched was Loud Quiet Loud...

Are the movies streamed to the Wii in "full screen" format ("pan and scan") or do you have the option of streaming the "letterbox" version? Thanks again.

Oh, one other thing...how does the service cope with the fact that some people will be watching on 4:3 TVs and others on 16:9 TVs? If they assume 16:9, the movies will be squashed horizontally on a 4:3 TV, no? Or vice versa. Correct me if I'm confused.

Got mine and I LOVE IT. @Zaphod; it comes as if you were watching the DVD, no pan/scan. No lag. My only complaint is no search feature. I go between my computer to "add" movies then to my Wii.

The instant movies are put on to the service the same as the dvds they take from. If its a television show in full screen it will be full screen streaming. If its a widescreen movie with only a widescreen dvd it will be streaming widescreen.

There are no options for streaming, whether format (full or wide), language, or subtitles, which is the one disadvantage of the service and reason that the physical dvds are still the better format.