Netlfix Streaming On The PS3 Is Slow And Painful

Last week, Netflix started mailing out the discs that PS3 users must insert in their console each time they want to stream a movie. While the disc is a temporary measure until there is a dedicated Netflix app for the PS3, the solution is very slow and painful. The disc takes about 20 seconds to load and once a movie is selected, it takes almost 30 seconds before the movie starts streaming. While the quality of the stream is good and looks the same to me when compared to streaming on the Xbox 360, Roku or TiVo, the controls that allow you to do things like fast-forward the video are also very slow.

For those PS3 users who have never streamed Netflix to any other device, they may not even notice or care. But for anyone like myself who has used one of the many other Netflix enabled devices for streaming, the PS3 experience really suffers when it comes to the user experience. I still find it odd that Netflix raised their guidance for the fourth quarter due to the deal with Sony because if you use some assumptions and run the numbers, it's not that much additional revenue. Lets over-estimate and say Netflix ships 500,000 discs to PS3 users in November alone. And lets say that 50% of those users are all new for Netflix and sign up for the $8.99 a month package. That's only an additional $4.4 million in revenue for Netflix in the fourth quarter. So unless Sony is paying Netflix, or there is some other revenue changing hands between the companies, I don't see the reason for Netflix to raise their guidance for this quarter.

Comments

[Matthew Szymczyk]

Dan - I haven't tried it yet but have been using PlayOn and TVersity for PS3 for awhile now - PlayOn has allowed me to stream Netflix (and Hulu, YouTube, etc.) and was about on par with the XBL experience. I don't think it will take long for PS3 to have a comparable app / interface / experience....

Matt

[piles]

Yes, i totally agree with you. I received some images that showed Netflix streaming on a Wii console last week. I am very glad to know that Netflix is finally, officially about to hit the PS3, leaving the Wii as the odd console out.

[Jeff Zimmer]

A friend of mine, who works at Netflix, explained to me that using a disc to get Instant Watch to work, is not a temporary issue. Netflix is required to do this - thus so is PS3 - until late 2010. So don't expect a "fix" anytime soon.

[James]

It's is slow, but give it time. It's the first build for the consumers, and when they integrate it into the dashboard, it should respond much better.

[Jared Ab.]

I got the Netflix disc on Friday and was streaming movies all weekend. I think it's pretty good. I mean, yes, it is a tad slow with many of its features compared to streaming on my PC, but 30 seconds really doesn't make that big of a difference. All these load times and whatnot are nothing worse than your average video game, so it's not that big of a deal.

[Tryphoon]

Can we stop the hate here? Come on, the disc is slow and painful? I have the disc, it loads as fast a Blu Ray disc loads (not saying it's great, but it is the same as playing any disc) and the experience is good and the video quality great. It works on a TV, 10 feet experience and makes my whole family happy and see it as real new feature and not a spoiled kid tantrum: "Not fast enough, integrated with OS, etc"...
This is a 1.0 release and it works as advertised.
Stop moaning and act as a grown up! :-)

[Chris]

Really you complain about a total of 50 seconds when did we get to the point if something is not doing what we want within the snap of a finger we complain about it. Sorry that 50 seconds of you sitting on your ass and watching tv is taken up by the disc to loading.

[Dan Rayburn]

When you compare it to the other Netflix streaming services, it's not as good. You're saying that when Netflix streaming comes to the PS3 we're NOT suppose to compare it to the more than half a dozen other devices on the market? That's what you do, you compare it to what's on the market so you know the differences between the devices and the platform.

[Jared Ab.]

I'm alright with giving Netflix a break on a rushed disc that enables PS3 users to stream at all. As long as it can stream those movies, I don't care if it takes 5 seconds or 5 minutes to load.

Also, remember that most movies are an hour and a half long, and that waiting an extra 2 minutes for the Netflix streaming to load is insignificant.