Netflix Service Going To A "Variety Of Platforms," PS3 Included?
See Full ImageThe console war is all about position and timing, but eventually, it seems as if every game - and feature - goes multiplatform at some point.
When the New Xbox Experience launched last November, Netflix came with the overhaul and since that time, over 1 million people have signed up for the video-streaming service. Now, as GameSpot points out, it seems that Netlfix is looking to expand within the video game world. GameSpot cites a job listing on the Netflix site and the position is for an "Engineering Leader -- Gaming Platforms," with a description that includes: "a small technology team to rapidly prototype and iterate on a variety of platforms." It doesn't specify any platforms but one has to assume they're talking about the PlayStation 3, even though Sony already digitally distributes movies and TV shows on the PlayStation Store. We suppose the Wii is a possibility, too, but it's not exactly known as a multimedia device and Nintendo hasn't shown much interest in adding such features in the past. We're just not sure how Netflix would gel with what's already offered on the PSN, so we do have some questions... But either way, one can't say that Netflix on the PS3 would be a bad thing.
With this job listing sitting there, we figure we might see an announcement soon, although we may have to wait until E3. Do you like the idea of Netflix coming to the PS3? Or are you happy with the PSN?
4/13/2009 Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter
Comments (44 posts)
infekt
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 10:40:00 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Gregory Freeman
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 @ 8:51:36 PM
i hate it... im 2 minutes from the New York Border... but because of that 1km, i cant get psn cards and movies... netflix will be a start, but i want a Sony service on my ps3, not a recycled m$ idea...
0 up, 0 down
godsman
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 10:41:28 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
fatelementality
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 10:44:32 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
karneli lll
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:06:30 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
LegendaryWolfeh
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 12:19:35 AM
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:35:18 AM
Something like South Park (even in HD) is HIGHLY compressible because it's animation with large blocks of the same or similar color and relatively little fram to fram changes in background.
There are fundamental mathematical rules that apply to downloading HD video, the first of which is that you cannot apply a more aggressive compression algorithm without lsing data. A BluRay movie might typically be 20+ GB in size. But before any of the faux geeks out there say the word compression, you have to remember that the BluRay data is already compressed using a very efficient video compression algorithm, so there is little if any additional compression to be had without losing some data. All compression past a certain point is lossy, but the further you drive the compression to worse it gets. So if you take that HD data stream from a BD and compress it further to perhaps a quarter of the BD size, you are sacrificing any pretense of HD quality, the resulting compressed data stream will be more akin to a DVD. The difference is that it will have been compressed at 720 or 1080, and so will not require to be scaled by the display device. This will yeild an apparent increase in quality over DVD, but in fact the color depth is lower than DVD and there will be motion artifacts (pixelation and blurred colors) on every frame.
Saying that South Park in HD doesn't take long is all fine and well, but South park is by it's nature very friendly to compression because it uses large areas of uniform color and has relatively small differences in the backgrounds from frame to frame. Anime is similarly friendly to compression as the backgrounds are often static for several frames, as are the characters without only their mouth moving. But real movies with humans and moving backgrounds with huge ranges of color are an entirely different issue.
You can't put a gallon of milk into a pint pot without spilling some milk. With HD video it's exactly the same you can't but 1080p video into a dvd sized download without losing quality, it's mathematically impossible.
1 up, 0 down
Deleted User
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:06:50 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
CH1N00K
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:26:20 AM
0 up, 0 down
Odd Child
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:38:06 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:47:51 PM
Reply
It's a load of crap for a movie service to be platform specific when it's provided by a third party. It would be like Blockbuster signing a deal with Panasonic so that all DVD/BluRay movies distributed through Blockbuster outlets only worked on Panasonic branded players. It would be like Netflix setting up an exclusive service with a specific console maker and only allowing their conso....ah wait... ;-)
See it's just a bunch of crap.
Just as Sony has done itself, if MS want to do an exclusive movie service, let them, but let's not get into this bull shtuff of signing specific studios to an exclusive service deal.
Netflix is a third party service that provides DVD and BluRay via mail regardless of player, why should electronic delivery of their product be limited to one player? The Internet is a common carrier, and all the media streaming methods are well known standards.
4 up, 0 down
LegendaryWolfeh
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 12:40:25 AM
0 up, 0 down
Qwarktast1c
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:19:49 PM
i do however want FF 13 to return to being a PS3 exclusive
so all the xbots would shut up, lol
0 up, 0 down
WNDRTWN1
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 12:01:59 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 12:19:41 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
RoyBrown
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 12:25:39 AM
Reply
I can see this driving sales around the world.
Not.
Being Australian, I wouldn't even bat an eyelid at this sort of garbage.
0 up, 0 down
Jian2069
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 12:31:08 AM
Reply
i mean netflix is already on a variety of platforms (xbox, computer)
so maybe we'll be seeing some sort of DVR style box that hooks up to internet or something of the likes?
maybe they just said it to make microsoft pay them more money for exclusivity.
0 up, 0 down
karneli lll
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 9:22:49 AM
0 up, 0 down
Qubex
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 12:49:26 AM
Reply
The XMB, at this stage should have included many more "third party" widgets; such as a Skype Icon, Social Networking Icons, Netflix Icon, YouTube icon etc etc... similar in style to iPhone... downloading these widgets/shortcuts (neatly categorised) would have been a great idea for quick access to various media outlets digitally...
You can select a browser-based widget and it would open up the browser with all the necessary compatibilities (codecs/java/flash etc) loaded up so you can stream videos, movies, music, what have you.
If Sony really wants your console to be on all the time; and really be at the heart of everything, they have to make it convenient for your to launch into media sites or use widgets designed especially for PS3 in order to get to services almost instantly... that is how I envisaged "services" to be delivered ultimately... but it hasn't happened... Sony choses to stay "closed" - and that is why things do take a long time to come to fruition...
Anyway, certain "additional" media type functionality, I usually fire up YellowDog Linux now which permits me to browse the web and stream music; and also chat with my Skype contacts using an HTTP browser-based Skype application. Unfortunately there is no open-source powerpc version of the Skype application.
Anyway, I continue to live in hope... and still, out of everything i c in front of me... without having to have a PC, the PS3 would still be my choice... even though there are a few things that really do irritate me intensly LOL :)
Q!
"i am home"
Last edited by Qubex on 4/14/2009 12:51:03 AM
0 up, 0 down
Dooby_Scooby
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 1:45:50 AM
You know what irritates me the most about the whole "can run Linux" thing ?
They dont give access to the graphics subsystem. Again a sign of how closed a system they want. They are so worried about it being hacked that they have locked it down too much. I bought it on launch and on the first day installed Linux only to realise its pretty much useless because of the lock down .
I have been waiting for them to unlock the gpu to allow Linux access to the hardware. From what I gather the Sony OS acts as a hypervisor - aka xen dom0 with physical access to the cpu provided not gpu. Thats what really pisses me off.
They should not have locked this off or at the very least provided us access to it by now..
Im still waiting not holding my breath though
1 up, 0 down
Qubex
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 6:28:15 AM
Just one thing to note. If Yellow Dog did have access to the GPU it would be very fast. The problem is you have a purposed built bottleneck that is slowing everything down, including DMA access to the hardware. In other words it struggles to do basic multi-tasking due to the DMA/framebuffer restrictions imposed. It shouldn't be slow... just look at what it does for Killzone 2.
There is also a site you can go to "ps3bodega" - do a search for it. Read the blog, explains how to setup everything from Java, Flash - also how to run software rendered games such as Quake2, Decent 1 and 2, Heretic, a few isometric RPGS, Robin Hood... you can also run most old arcade emulators from Mame, to UAE (amiga emulator) to Nintendo GameBoy/Gear etc; also SCUMM system. It is all there...
Its a dog on the PS3 but there are ways of getting it to do things with some tinkering :(
Q!
"i am home"
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 2:06:55 AM
Reply
Don't bother waiting, they'll never open up the system like that. The hypervisor allows them to lock the system down - as you say - to prevent hacking. If there is one thing that would absolutely kill PS3 it's having it successfully hacked to run copies of games.
You don't need access to the GPU for basic Linux to work, and there really isn't enough RAM to make anything intensive possible anyway, so access to the GPU is kind of pointless unless you're writing a game, in which case spring for the newly discounted development kit.
Clearly it's your opinion that they lock the system down too much, personally I find there is no problem at all. But then again I am content to run purchased games and PSN downloads, play DVD/BD, and streamed music/video from my PC. Really I can't think of many things I would want to do with my PS3 that would have be interacting with the security lockdown in a negative manner. Of the things I can think of, none of them are things Sony would be happy about.
0 up, 0 down
Qubex
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 6:19:54 AM
Now look at Apple; they create very nice hardware right. People love the design and its functionality. Now why could Sony not have launched the PS3 as a console, or entry level computer. If you bought the computer package you would get a PS3 with 2 gigs of ram on the motherboard, Linux pe-installed and a black keyboard and mouse ...and yes you would pay more for it; BUT, booting it up in GameOS would put it back into "normal" mode...
I think alot of people, universities, schools etc would have bought it as a computer console; and many people would buy it (as they have done) as a games console... there are endless possibilities...
Why don't we have more widgets and functions off the XMB... Why don't Sony have an app store like Apple, where 3rd parties can write free applications for it to perform a number of different tasks... anyway, I feel if the system were more open, Sony would have sold more...
Q!
"i am home"
Last edited by Qubex on 4/14/2009 6:20:26 AM
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:40:29 AM
Oh, I agree. There should be a non-entertainment PS3 SKU, or a desktop based on the PS3. Basically a PS3 with 1GB (or more) of XDR. 256MB is simply not enough to really get benefit from running LINUX on the beast.
I've felt this way ever since they said it would run LINUX, I entertained that possibility for a while, but the memory cap is too tight for running a desktop LINUX, Firefox and Open Office. Between them those apps chew through 256MB pretty handily.
But it is what it is. I don't blame Sony for wanting to protect the PS3. That said, if they ever want someone to test a new Cell based desktop that can also double up as a PS3, I'm available....
0 up, 0 down
Andysw
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 5:37:34 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
robinhood2010
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 7:36:08 AM
I wish all PS Stores were equal. Movies form US and FF7 from JP! Please!
0 up, 0 down
Tim Speed24
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 7:31:10 AM
Reply
Why can't the Playstation store have $1 a night rentals for a download or a streaming view to compete with Blockbuster and Redbox?
For those that don't know Redbox is a DVD vending machine.
1 up, 0 down
Robochic
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 8:03:17 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
telly
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 9:33:20 AM
Reply
Blu ray is, of course, the best way to watch movies and that will remain the case for quite awhile. But I love having the option of streaming a movie in a pinch and hope all PS3 owners get the option soon.
1 up, 0 down
Orvisman
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 9:51:14 AM
Reply
Why can't you stream Netflix through the PS3 browser?
0 up, 0 down
shadowpal2
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:32:34 AM
Reply
But I just wonder what Sony thought about when making the decision. What's going to happen to their video store?
0 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:41:28 AM
Reply
On top of the $9.99 purchase of the disc you would also have your monthly subscription.
This may have been in the works for wii as well... whether or not this is the same subject well I dont know, As this took place a while back. If this will even happen is to be for-seen. I guess Netflix was conducting a survey though to see if this would be beneficial to console owners outside the 360.
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:42:28 AM
Reply
Sony probably doesn't care, the Deal with Neflix for PS3 may exclude Sony properties to give Sony a clear run itself, or it may be rental only leaving the PSN to handle actual purchases of content.
0 up, 0 down
NonProphet
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 11:54:12 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Skatejimmy5
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 3:38:29 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
bearbobby
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 3:46:08 PM
Reply
What Sony needs to do is have monthly unlimited usage fee, reasonable of course, not sure what I'd be willing to pay, but it would have to compete with Netflix's prices. This piece-meal stuff is off-putting.
1 up, 0 down
BIG_E
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 10:42:33 PM
Reply
be a problem.
@ bearbobby you and I feel the same way.
0 up, 0 down
SirLoin of Beef
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 @ 11:34:37 AM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
CptGreedle
Friday, April 17, 2009 @ 9:42:08 AM
Reply
All I'm saying is it seems odd that you would make a news article based solely on a job posting with nothing else to back it up. And the GameSpot article is not evidence, it is just assuming the same thing based on the same job posting.
I hope it does come out to the PS3, but there is already a video service on the PS3 and it just seems odd that they would build in their own competition.
0 up, 0 down
fatelementality
Reply
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 10:36:26 PM