Netflix!
We just received the latest TiVo update, and to our surprise (we live under a rock) it includes Netflix Instant Watch! What is Netflix Instant Watch you ask? I guess you live under a rock too. Basically, unlike other services, such as MovieLink, you don’t have to wait to start watching the media. It starts streaming moments after you click the play button. They even determine the quality of your network connection (your bandwidth) to provide you with the best quality video your connection supports. I’m sure, determining your bandwidth also helps speed up delivery of the media. Why? Well, unlike services (such as MovieLink) which will send you their high quality (large) media files, Netflix will stream something that matches your current bandwidth. This means you can start playing (streaming) the media sooner. Unlike MovieLink, you’re not dealing with a 700 – 800 MB file. If you have to download 10-20% of 700MB before you can start watching, that’s going to take some time. Anyway, that’s just my hypothesis. What has our experience been so far? Read on to find out!
So far, we’re really happy with the Netflix + TiVo service. We opted for the $8.99 [at time of this post] subscription which allows unlimited DVDs (1 at a time) + unlimited Instant Watch (PC/TiVo) per month. Last night, we decided to watch Casablanca (yes, again, we live under a rock) and were impressed with the speed of the service. You have to add to Instant Watch on your PC, then navigate to Video On Demand –> NetFlix on your TiVo. Amazingly, I added Casablanca to Instant Watch, and withing 10-20 seconds, it was ready for viewing on the TiVo. It showed our network connection quality as nearly maxed out. The movie began playing immediately, and ran through without stuttering or pausing once.
NetFlix!
We’ve since watched several TV shows we needed to catch up on (Heroes, Red Dwarf), and are building up our DVD queue. Speaking of the DVD queue, if you are impatient like I am, you’ll be happy to know that while you wait for your DVD to arrive in the mail, you can watch Instant Watch media. However you should know that at first glance, the Instant Watch selection is limited. We can only hope they continue to add more items. It also looks like Instant Watch items are only available for a limited time before becoming DVD/BlueRay only.
Anyway, I would definitely recommend this service to anyone who owns a TiVo and is thinking of trying it out. $8.99 [at time of this post] for unlimited Instant Watch on your PC or TiVo! Plus: Unlimited DVDs (1 at at time) per month, for what is not available as Instant Watch.
They also offer a $4.99 [at time of this post] subscription which limits you to 2 hours of Instant Watch per month.
Worst case scenario, cancel it before your trial ends.