Science & Technology World

Netflix online streaming is coming to the PlayStation 3 . A Netflix
press release spelled out the details of deal. The good news is that
the streaming feature--which enables Netflix subscribers to access
thousands of movies and TV shows on- demand via the Internet--is
available at no extra charge beyond the monthly Netflix DVD- by-mail
subscription, which can be as low as $9 a month. (By contrast, Xbox
360 owners also need to subscribe to Xbox Live, which is an extra
$50 per year.) The bad news: PS3 owners will need to put a special
Blu-ray disc in the game console, which will enable streaming via the
Blu-ray's BD Live functionality. That's a departure from all other
Netflix-enabled devices (including the Xbox 360 and other Blu-ray
players), which just have the Netflix option as a built-in feature.
In our experience, tends to be slow and clunky, though it's
generally better on the PS3 than on other Blu-ray players. However,
the press release specifies that the disc will be needed "initially,"
so perhaps a future software upgrade will add Netflix as a built-in
feature on the PS3. Still, the Netflix feature of the 360 has long
been envied by PS3 owners, so its inclusion-- even with the need to
be launched from a disc-- will be welcome news. The Netflix site says
that the feature will be available before the end of the year, and
Netflix subscribers who own a PS3 can reserve a copy of the Netflix
disc as of now. So, what do you guys think: does the addition of
Netflix put the PS3 at the top of the game console heap, or is the
Xbox 360 an all-around better deal? Share your thoughts below.