I love Netflix, but I really love Netflix's video streaming service. Wouldn't it be great if you could get those streaming vids on your big ol' flat panel TV?
Well, you can, thanks to the curiously-named The Netflix Player by Roku, which Ben wrote about when it was announced. I've been using the Player for several spins now and I have to say, I honestly love it to death.
The box is about the size of a stuffed ham-on-wheat sandwich, and it's a featureless box with only a Roku logo and a single white LED to indicate it's on. The LED blinks when it receives a command from the remote, otherwise you won't even know it's there.
Hooking it up is brain-dead simple. Just connect the box to your TV or receiver via any kind of connection (RCA, S-Video, component video, HDMI, and even optical audio). Plug it in via Ethernet or configure it for Wi-Fi, and power it up. You're pretty much done. Another 60 seconds of registering the device to work with your Netflix account (you must have at least the $9 a month DVD plan), and you're finished. Now you have unlimited streaming movies delivered right to your TV.
Playback is simple. The box retrieves the titles in your Netflix queue and shows you a poster for each one on your TV. Flip through them with the simple remote and click select when you find the one you want. In my case, playback started after about 15 seconds of buffering. I have yet to see any hiccups or stutters, and though there are no chapter breaks in streamed films, the fast-forward and rewind system works pretty well, showing you a series of still frames as you skip back and forth, letting you easily find where you want to jump.
If you've used Netflix's streaming service on your PC you know the main sore spot here is video quality. It isn't the best, by any stretch, and while some reviewers are claiming it's DVD quality, I'd call it on par with a good VHS tape. Quality can be inconsistent, though: A film may be blurry and grainy in spots but will be crystal clear in others. Selection is great but quirky: 10,000 titles are available, but those ready for streaming tend to be older ones. Nonetheless that's far better than any of the other streaming services out there, and far cheaper, too.
Considering the player is just 99 bucks, who's complaining? This little guy has already become a must-have addition to my home theater rig. If you're a Netflix fan, put one on your wish list immediately.
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