Comments on: Weighing Devices for Your Netflix Delivered via Web

By: Steve Spencer

Steve Spencer — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:17:21 +0000

Wrong again, Mossberg. The best value in NetFlix streaming devices is the computer that the prospective reader of your article is using. They already own it and 9 times out of 10 it has a video out from the GPU or MB. $99.99 for a box to sit next to your TV that can do absolutely NOTHING beyond stream NetFlix? Value isn’t even in that device’s vocabulary. At least the LG plays physical discs, as does the Xbox 360, which does even more by offering games and its own on-demand video service.

I’m not surprised that someone as in love with Apple products as you are thinks that an overpriced one-trick pony is a value purchase, though. You probably thought Apple TV was a great idea, too.

By: Mike McEvoy

Mike McEvoy — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:32:03 +0000

Netflix has done a great job in delivering DVDs. I’ve used their service for a few years. This was an excellent piece on the devices available to use for downloading. I’ve also been using Tivo for over four years. I believe the key here is really the number of titles available for downloading.

We normally have at least 2 Netflix DVD’s we haven’t watched at any given time in our house (my wife zealously manages out queue) so the “need” for instant downloading is not so great. Couple that with the limited number of titles and any potential tech glitches that might come up, and I’ll wait on downloading. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favor of downloading and I definitely don’t need a cabinet full of DVDs that I may only watch once, but the title selection for downloading is the key to get me to make the leap.

By: Jonathan Poore

Jonathan Poore — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:04:03 +0000

Another way to do this is to run a vga or s-video cable from any laptop out to the TV (assuming you have a digital TV). This requires a component sound cable as well but it works rock solid via wireless on a 5 year old dell laptop and only cost me a few bucks for the cables (or free from any thrift store).

By: Carlos Portocarrero

Carlos Portocarrero — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:53:38 +0000

The more I think about the future of movies, the more I’m tempted to go with streaming. Do we really need to “own” movies that most of us will watch once or twice and then put away for good? Even if we’re talking digital downloads, do we really want them taking up the space? I’d rather pay less to stream a movie than more to have a “hard” copy I would likely never watch again. As for renting, I’m a fan of Netflix, but the future is obviously going to be immediate gratification via the Internet. Waiting for the mailman gets old fast.

By: Curt Myers

Curt Myers — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:37:46 +0000

I started using the Samsung player for Netflix and it works better than expected. “On Demand” speed and quality. I was using an old wireless “gaming” b router. The firmware update took a while though. The new one streams HD in 720p quality.