Confirmed: Netflix Streaming Coming To The Wii Very Shortly

Last week I received some images that showed Netflix streaming on a Wii console. I didn't run with the story at the time as I didn't know if the images were legit and it's taken me until today to confirm they are in fact real. I'm not disclosing who confirmed it for me but someone involved in the project has confirmed that Nintendo is currently in testing stages with Netflix to bring their streaming service to the Wii very soon.

What I'm hearing is that Nintendo originally planned to bring the Netflix service to the Wii before the end of this year, which still might take place, but that Nintendo is also considering holding off on the Netflix service until they release their next generation Wii HD unit in early 2010.

Note: I am not sharing any of the images I received as I don't want to burn the person who sent them to me.

Comments

[Mark Schannon]

Great. We just got a Wii & my new wireless router arrived today. Setting it all up with no doubt take me the rest of the year.

One question...do I have to watch the movies on my 14" computer screen or is there some way to send them to my TV?

[Luke]

Mark -- Is your Wii hooked to your TV or to your 14" computer monitor?

Netflix streaming to your Wii will display on whatever display is attached to your Wii.

[kspraydad]

I like how you just drop that an HD Wii is coming in early 2010 with NO information at all. If THAT was true it is a MUCH bigger story than Netflix coming to Wii.

[Dan Rayburn]

Many of the gaming sites have been saying for some time now that an HD Wii version will be coming out in 2010. I didn't think that was a big part of my story since I don't have any details on it or any dates for release.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209105.html

[kspraydad]

Dan....nowhere in that linked article does it mention 'early' 2010. Where is your source for THAT info? Also, your article should then state that the Wii HD is purely speculation at this point. You're stating it as fact.

[Dan Rayburn]

Maybe that one doesn't I did not look at it, but others have. This one does:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209105.html

To me, the story is not about a new Wii, rather it's about Netflix. But two folks who told me about the Netflix's streaming on the Wii also spoke about new Wii HD units.

[kspraydad]

You linked the same article. Anyway...it doesn't matter what article you link too...the Wii HD is pure rumour and spec and your article uses its existence as support for your argument on the timing of a Netflix rollout. You owe it to your readers to clarify that your assumptions are based on hardware that has not been announced.

[Dan Rayburn]

Ok so look at the link. As the article shows, I am not the first one to suggest a Wii HD unit is coming out next year. You make it sound like I am the first to suggest this. Of course it has not been announced, I say "until they release" it.

[cartouches d encre]

I had believed that netflix streaming on the current gen wii is pretty impossible since it lacks a hard drive. But i am happy to know that Wii HD unit is coming out next year. I hope it will work as mentioned here. Thank you!

[Chuck Dascalos]

You can already stream to the Wii via Playon. This may have been the images you have seen.

Playstation Blog has already posted a story about Netflix on the PS3...

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/10/netflix-coming-soon-to-playstation-3/

[Matt Riley]

It's about time they brought streaming to the Wii. How long has it been available on the Xbox now?

LOL at the backseat journalism in the comments.

[James]

Don't plan on watching any HD vids from netflix though :(

[nRGon]

I watch streaming HD on Netflix currently with my Comcast 16Mbps service. Time for you to upgrade James. ;)

[Scott]

How about this quote from Shigeru Miyamoto about Nintendo's next home console?

"And while we don't have any concrete plans for what we'll be doing with hardware in the future, what I can say is that, my guess is that because we found this interface to be so interesting, I think it would be likely that we would try to make that same functionality perhaps more compact and perhaps even more cost-efficient."

That's from 10/21/09.
Source: http://wii.ign.com/articles/103/1037111p1.html

It basically says Nintendo hasn't finalized any new console hardware yet. They need to finalize it, test it, then mass produce it before they can launch it. After all the leaks for the PSP Go and the PS3 Slim (even though it's Sony and not Nintendo) I would think we would have more information on a system. It would also be reasonable to think Nintendo would announce a brand new system if it's not too far away from launch.

Furthermore, based on more reliable rumors, they're planning a new DS for late next year. It wouldn't make sense to introduce two new consoles in the same calendar year.

New DS rumor source: http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2009/10/13/nvidia-tegra-wins-contract-for-next-gen-nintendo-ds.aspx

Besides, Micael Pachter has been talking about an HD Wii within the 'next couple of years' since 2007.

[Carrlitoz14]

http://www.gameguru.in/nintendo-wii/2009/12/no-wii-hd-launching-in-next-year-nintendo/

[kevin]

I'm watching netflix on my 1st gen xbox with playon and with only 800 Kbps.

[Will S]

My laptop has a svhs output. I plug that into the tv and netflix streams fine.