I haven't seen the PS3 or Xbox netlfix streaming, so that could be why, but I thought the resolution to be pretty good on the Wii, all things considered. No, it's not HD, but considering that it's a non-HD source streaming over wifi I was pretty happy with it. I have a reasonably fast internet connection (20mbps), so that might help. I'd have to imagine that if you have a slower connection like the 3-5mpbs that so many people have the resolution is going to be lower.

I've heard there aren't even that many HD titles on Watch Instantly so you're still getting mostly SD shows even on xbox and ps3. confirm/deny?

i've been impressed with how quickly it buffers and i've only had it interrupt playback once so far to re-buffer (out of maybe 20 items watched).

by "holds up pretty well", you mean it is better than just about every thriller made in a last several years?

yes but i also know that 90% of the people in OOT will never watch a 30 y/o movie no matter what i say so i was trying to get as many people as possible to not dismiss it as old or irrelevant b/c of modern technology.

i think im going to watch that tonight. thanks for the rec

that movie is outstanding ldo

just signed up tonight for netflix lol. Guess I gotta wait for them to send me a ps3 blu ray disc so I can stream. I haven't watched any movies really for the past 5 years or so and have alot of catching up to do.

I'm going to have to amend my "barely watchable" to "watchable", I'm getting used to it.

There are not currently many HD titles (for some reason "5 %" of total library hours is in my head, but not sure if that's correct), but they are slowly looking to increase their HD library. That's definitely a longer-term disadvantage for Wii-owners (if that's the only console/streaming device you have for Netflix).

-Al

I've been running hot on netflix recently. Saw 2 more good movies today.

The 1st was a comedy called "Bubba Ho-Tep." The set up is that Elvis switched places with an impersonator to take a break from being the King of Rock and Roll for awhile and the impersonator dies while Elvis is recuperating from an accident in a nursing home. I thought the set up sounded funny which is why I watched it, but Ossie Davis absolutely steals this film playing a fellow nursing home resident who is convinced he is JFK and was dyed black and placed in the home after the assassination "attempt" masterminded by LBJ.

The other film i watched today was called "50 dead men walking" about a kid who infiltrates the IRA in 1980's Belfast. I won't say too much about this one so i don't spoil it except that it was very good.

Thanks again to whoever posted that instant watcher site link. I never would've seen any of the movies I have posted about in here without that site.

I'm happy with it. I didn't buy the Wii for Netflix streaming and am very glad to have an extra streaming device for basically no additional cost.

Just got my PS3 streaming disc in the mail today. I wish there were more titles available to stream but this is sweet. Streaming Weeds right now in HD. Looks nice.

Grunching this thread because I never used my watch instantly, mostly because I only had access to it through my computer and I hate watching movies on my desktop monitor. Need my sofa and 42" plasma. But then I got...

I totally love it.

Yeah, mainly this. It was a bonus that there's streaming through the Wii, so I got it hooked up and now I really enjoy it. All I've watched so far is the entire 13-episode season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, but it was awesome. I mean the show itself was really good (30% over-the-top awful, 70% brilliantly written character study, 100% compulsively watchable), but having access to it like that without having to wait for the discs (and so quickly after it aired on Starz, which I don't get on my satellite) was fantastic.

I'm not sure if the source material was HD, but getting standard def through the Wii didn't bother me. It would have been nice if it were a little sharper but I still thought the picture quality was really good. Speed was fantastic (I'm on a wired connection through a LAN) and the library seems pretty vast, though I hope it expands even more.

This is actually going to revolutionize how I watch TV and movies.

Yep. It's Wii streaming into my 50" TV or computer on a 24" monitor. I'll take the TV even if the quality is a little lower.

Joker - mentioned above that (to soften my "barely watchable" comment) that I'm definitely getting used to the Netflix-Wii picture quality.

I'm surprised though you're saying it's "really good"... you know I think my issue may be my set-up actually - I just use the standard composite cable that came with the Wii, I don't have component video cables.

Actually I was just talking about this, but with reference to the iPad. I was noting that I'd prefer watching Netflix streaming on iPad vs. my Netflix-Wii, on my 42" set - my friend argued against me for all the obvious reasons... we'll see once I finally get my damn iPad.

Have you guys tried the Netflix app on the iPad? It's pretty freakin' awesome.

-Al

two things:

-with standard cables, you can't get 480p. you can only get 480i. that makes a big difference.

-resolution is also based on your internet connection speed. when starting a movie, netflix determines your internet speed at that moment and uses that to determine the best quality it can give you without having to stop playback to buffer the movie. the better your connection, the better the resolution. just out of curiosity, do you know how fast your connection is?

Ordering extra component video cable so I can get 480p as we speak... and actually, I'm having the Time Warner Cable people come in this weekend to take a look at my connection as well (effing Roadrunner service) - I'm supposed to be getting 7 Mbps (according to the plan I pay for) but I am not clocking close to that on tests.

So, haha, yeah, there you go...

-Al

For Netflix WI I've got the old Ruku connected to a 780p plasma with composite cables (the red/green/blue wires and separate red/white audio) and an LG Blu Ray connected to a 1080p LCD connected with HDMI. Both are wired from the router and have typical cable Internet. I tend to watch later at night when most in the area are sleeping. On the LG sometimes I'll get a pause with a comment saying something like "re-checking your Internet speed" and when the picture comes back (usually after a few seconds) it often comes back better!

Right now it's mid afternoon. While three tabling Stars ran four speed tests from four different test sites. I'm getting between 14 to 18 Mbps downstream. Have little idea if this is good or not (my friends aren't into computers) but if memory serves me last time I tested a few months ago I was getting about half that speed.

yeah i get about 15-20 downstream. that's a pretty good speed. 3-5 mpbs is pretty crappy. fyi, rick, you have component cables. red/green/blue plus red/white audio is component. composite is just the one yellow for video and red/white for audio.

with composite, the best you can get is 480i. with component, you can get 480p, 780p, 1080i, but not 1080p. or at least, that's my understanding without researching it more. besides the resolution bump, colors are reproduced more accurately and more vividly than with composite cables.

alyosius, i don't know how tech-savvy you are so i apologize if i'm preaching here, but don't worry about spending a ton on component cables. you can get good component cables for <20 bucks. monster and other companies that charge you anywhere from 20 to 150 for component cables are ripping you off.

now, with hdmi you can just about get the cheapest cables possible as it's a digital signal and it just needs to translate a hi/lo signal so there's no real issue with noise or electronic interference. with component it is analog so you there better shielding and quality does make a difference, but not to the extent that monster, etc claim. you can't get the cheapest cables around, but please don't spend 60 bucks on monster cables. monoprice.com is a great place to get cables.

also, i'm not claiming that by getting faster internet and using component cables that you'll magically get the wii up to ps3 levels. you won't as you can't get HD content. but it should pretty closely match the SD content streaming from the ps3 or whatever.

You're correct of course. Got the words mixed up (should have checked a chart). Note that the upper end newer Roku's come with HDMI and can do HD.

Right again.

I've shopped monoprice for HDMI and I think my ethernet cables. Also blue jean cables for higher quality stuff (but still well below the Best Buy price). Interesting that the retail stores have to be very close for the price of the TV (since that's what goes in ads) yet have incredible markups on the cables. Sometimes I wonder if a person goes with all the "Monster accecories" that's where most of the profit is.

Good post; lot's of info.

I'm not all that tech-savvy, especially for someone who works in media distribution (I have a pretty elementary video set-up: HDTV + Xbox + Wii + Cable/DVR). I was trying to bridge video streaming to my TV and I just sort of gave up.

Just set it up - quality is much better, thanks for the post.

-Al

oh nice glad it helped. is there a reason you're using the wii to stream instead of the xbox (i'm assuming 360)? my understanding was that you didn't need a disc to stream netflix over the xbox, and you'd get the HD stuff.

this is kind of off topic but just want to share my excellent experience with the netflix customer service. my account was on hold and reactivated today. the problem is i am out of the country and wont be able to access my account until may. my checking account was charged one month but i called netflix and they refunded my account right away with no hassle or questions asked and extended my hold. also, the worker appeared to be american, a nice change from soo many companies who employ foreign workers.

I just wanted to optimize the Wii experience and compare that against Xbox 360 which I've been using for a while. (Also I set up my gf's netflix account against the Wii, and mine against Xbox, so are queues are separate/discrete... yes I know that sounds really gay.)

I have to agree and say that Netflix customer service has been great with issues that came up for me.

-Al

lets keep the Instant movie reccomendations going plz!!!!!

I haven't watched much recently, here is what is in my t5 that I am hoping to get to this week:

Following - the only Christopher Nolan movie I haven't seen

Fargo

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Mulholland Dr

Angels & Demons


Lot of drama this week...anyone recommend what to watch first?

Assuming you haven't seen any of them before. watch in this order,

Fargo- All time classic film.
What's eating gilbert grape- 1st time I ever saw Leo DiCaprio in s film and refused to believe he wasn't actually ******ed till I saw him in another film.
Mulholland Drive -only watch if you are a big Lynch fan
Following-was OK but found it tough to get through and i love Nolan's work.
Angels and Demons- watch only if you lost a bet or something.